She paused with one hand on the door frame. “I guess I did something to make them angry.”

It would seem so.

“Now, they aren’t going to stop. Not until they kill me.”

A human against a pack of panthers. Hardly seemed like fair odds to him. A human against just one shifter wasn’t a fair fight.

“But this isn’t your battle.” She still didn’t look back. Why not? “You should leave while you have the chance. And don’t just leave my apartment. Get out of New Orleans. If you don’t, they’ll pick up your scent. They’ll hunt you down. They’ll rip you apart.”

Highly doubtful. “I’d like to see them try.”

She swung around in an instant. “I wouldn’t.” Soft. Wait, were those tears glittering in her eyes?

A mortal, crying over him?

“You helped me. You didn’t know me. But you . . . you saved my life.” She gave a fast, negative shake of her head. “Now let me save yours. Az, get the hell out of here, and don’t ever come back.”

She sounded like she meant those words.

Jade spun around and slammed the door behind her. A few seconds later, the water flooded on with a roar of sound.

Az stared at the closed door. After a moment, he waved his hand and instantly clothed his body in fresh clothes. He hadn’t needed her to wash the others. Working magic was easy for him. Always had been. Magic was one of his gifts.

The water continued to pour in the bathroom.

The mortal wanted him to leave her alone . . .

But sometimes, mortals didn’t always get what they wanted. Especially not when they tempted him so much.

He’d left.

As she tiptoed out of the bathroom, Jade’s hands tightened around the towel that covered her body. It was good that he’d left.

So why did her chest ache?

She took a deep breath. For once, she’d done the right thing. She hadn’t dragged Az into her hell.

She could handle this nightmare, and he—he’d be much better off the farther away he got from her. For his sake, Jade hoped the guy hightailed it far and fast.

Besides, she was used to being on her own. It was the way she wanted to be. Az would have just complicated things for her. Distracted her.

And . . . and she could still taste him on her lips.

Dammit.

Az waited until the sun fell, then he sought out his brother Sammael at the Fallen’s favorite club.

Brother. He and Sammael—or, rather, Sam, since his brother preferred that version of his name—weren’t exactly close, especially since Az had spent an inordinate amount of time attempting to kill Sam over the centuries.

But, well, bygones. That was all in the past. He hoped. As long as Sam didn’t come looking for some payback anytime soon.

A long line of humans waited outside the doors of Sunrise. Humans were always trying to play on the dark side. Maybe they sensed that the club catered to a wilder clientele. Maybe they wanted the rush that came from risking death.

Fools.

He shoved past the paranormal bouncer and headed inside. Sam was at the bar, looking bored as he talked to one of his demons. Sam spent too much time with the demons. And with hellhounds. But, luckily, Sam’s hound wasn’t in Sunrise right then. Perhaps later the beast would make his appearance.

Sam gave an exaggerated sigh when he caught sight of Az in the bar’s mirror. He spun on the stool to face him. “Visiting again?” Sam waved toward the stage. “And the entertainment hasn’t even started yet. My, you are out prowling the streets early tonight.”

Az’s back teeth ground together. “I want to talk to Seline.”

Sam raised a brow. “Now what would you want with my Seline?” Possessive steel had entered his voice.

Because Seline was his. A woman who’d traded heaven to live with Sam in this hell. Az still didn’t get quite why she’d made that particular choice. For love, or so she said.

“Ah . . .” Sam nodded and his gaze sharpened as he snapped his fingers. “You want to grill her on how to get back upstairs, right? Because that’s always what you f**king want to do . . . go back. Go back. Sometimes, Az, you can be such a whiny bitch.” He grabbed a shot glass and drained the contents in a quick gulp. “You screwed up, you got tossed here, now deal with it.”

But he didn’t want to deal with it. Az was tired of the emotions that were growing stronger every day. Ripping me apart. And since he’d met Jade, the lust inside had been growing—all day. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Couldn’t stop wanting her.