They were both out of breath and seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to pause in pummeling each other, because they were just circling, fists up. Gabriel flicked his hair out of his eyes and watched Alex warily.

“This is nothing personal, Gabriel.”

“Then what the fuck is it?”

“I just want my daughter happy.”

“Your daughter shouldn’t have hurt those women.”

“What women? I don’t know anything about any of that. I just know she wants Raphael and I’m here to ensure she gets what makes her happy.” He tilted his head to the side, where Raphael was hugging Marguerite. “So now that they appear to have worked something out, I suppose you and I can cease this nonsense.” Alex wiped at his bloody nose.

“You started this nonsense.” Gabriel wasn’t sure he could in good conscience just let Marguerite walk away, not after what she had done, even with Raphael willing to sacrifice himself to act as watchdog.

But then he heard the sound, the click of a lock once, twice, and he and Alex both turned to Raphael and Marguerite. Raphael had bound her hand and foot to him with the power of punishment, chains that usually only demons and angels could see, but a bond that couldn’t be broken until the last days of the earth. It was more than Gabriel would have expected Raphael to do, condemning himself to an eternity as security guard.

Alex made a sound of rage in the back of his throat.

When he would have attacked Raphael, Gabriel stepped in front and stopped him, putting his hand on Alex’s chest. “Don’t. She looks pleased, and this will keep her from harming anyone. It’s for the best.”

Marguerite did look satisfied. She had gotten what she wanted—Raphael.

Now Gabriel was going to go and determine if it was at all possible for him to have what he wanted.

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Gabriel found Sara in the bedroom on her cell phone talking to the police.

“I’m not sure what the address is, but I’m in the Harper’s Landing apartment complex.” She was biting her fingernail and staring at her friend, who Marguerite had clearly put into a sleep state.

Gabriel reached out and took the phone from Sara and pushed the End button to hang it up.

“What are you doing?” she asked, startled, glancing at the door in fear.

“We don’t need the police. It’s all under control.”

Her eyes went wide. “What do you mean? She . . . I saw ...”

Sara looked panicked, and her fear wasn’t just for what she had seen in the living room. She was afraid of who and what he was. He could sense it, see the goose bumps on her arms.