But then the hound leapt up—and raced away from the parking lot. Away from Azrael.

Impossible. “No! Come back!” The hound couldn’t get too far away or it would—

Vanish. The hound disappeared in a flash of smoke. The hound could only take substance when it was near a punishment angel. Otherwise, it was just a nightmare with no power or form.

The roar of an engine reached Rogziel’s ears. He spun back, too late. Az plowed a motorcycle right into him. Rogziel flipped and slammed into the ground. Az drove away, spewing gravel in his wake.

Rage burned in Rogziel’s gut, dark and ugly, twisting within him. They will all suffer . . . they will beg for death, then hell will claim them.

When the smoke cleared, Seline was still screaming. Sam’s ears ached, and nausea rolled in his belly. The next time he bought a transport spell from Mateo, he’d make sure he read all the warning labels.

“It’s okay,” he told Seline, “you’re safe.”

She stopped screaming. Her eyes narrowed, and she slugged him.

He took the hit on the chin, figuring he deserved that one.

“You set me up!”

True. He tasted blood in his mouth. “I needed to draw out Az.”

“Well, you did, and we both almost died.” She yanked away from him. “Where the hell are we?”

Not safe. Not yet. “The spell dropped us about fifty miles away.” His lips twisted. “Mateo refers to it as his get-the-fuck-away spell.”

Maybe he’d use it again. Maybe. The spell had sure worked at getting them free from Rogziel.

Handy.

“Are you hurt?” he demanded as his gaze swept over her.

“No. It didn’t bite me.”

He frowned at her. The hound had been so close to her.

She glared right back at him. “Did you say ‘spell’? What kind of spell?”

“A transport spell.”

Her eyes slit a bit. “I don’t like spells.”

“Well, you would have liked dying even less.” They could bitch and moan all day, or they could get moving.

They were on the side of an old, dusty road. No one was to the left, no one was to the right. No one, nothing.

Seline suddenly stiffened. She glanced over her left shoulder. “Did you hear that?”

He hadn’t heard a thing. “What?”

“It sounded like . . .” She sidled a bit closer to him. “A growl.”

Fuck. Yes, that would bring them to their next order of business—right after they got out of there. “Come on.” He took her hand, threaded his fingers through hers, and started walking. Blood pumped from his wounds, but he could already feel the torn muscle and skin beginning to mend. Since he was away from the hound, he could heal.

Hellhound. Rogziel had certainly pulled out the big guns this time.

Their shoes crunched over the gravel that littered the side of the road. “You . . . left Az back there,” she said, her voice hesitant.

He grunted. “I thought he might enjoy tangling with the mutt.”

Still no sign of cars.

“But . . .” He heard the soft inhalation of her breath. “That was your chance, right? Your shot to kill him?”

His gaze slanted to her.

“You left me as bait.” Spoken without inflection. Her gaze was on the road stretching ahead. “So you could get him.”

His stomach knotted. No, that weird twist was just from the healing wounds, and not from any kind of guilt. The claws had scraped down his chest and ripped into his stomach. “I was watching you the whole time.”

She stopped walking but still didn’t look at him. “Well, you sure took your sweet time coming to save me!”

“I got shot!” Four times. “I came as soon as I could.” As soon as the human died. But the guy had been a sharpshooter, and it had taken a few precious moments to get touching close.

An old pickup truck rattled up the road. Yes.

“Az didn’t start that fire,” Seline said.

Her words pissed him off. “So now you’re defending him?” The truck was closing in. Sam stalked to the middle of the road. The better to stop the truck.

“He saved me.” Quiet, confused. She didn’t follow him, but instead waited on the side, looking a bit lost. “If it hadn’t been for him, I would have burned.”

His jaw clenched. “The blast threw me out. I didn’t—I didn’t leave you.” He’d been ready to race back in and fight the fire for her, but Az had beat him to the punch.

So the bastard had done one good thing. Now I owe him for that.