Yeah, it was time for the witch to head for safety.

“What about my pay?” Tanner demanded. “I was promised money, too. Are you just going to double-cross me, too?”

Brothers. Jade had known that, though, from the first moment she’d seen Tanner’s scars.

The only other pack member with scars like that was Brandt—and Brandt’s bastard of a father had been the one to slice his flesh. His flesh—and his brother’s.

“You brought me the thing I want the most in this world.” Brandt’s body was held painfully still. He’d never been one for restraint, so where the hell was his self-control coming from now? If their attack was going to work, he had to move within striking distance of Az. “For that,” Brandt said, “you can come back. You can be pack again.”

Silence.

Then Heather drew a deep, shuddering breath. “You almost killed me once.” She still had her gun. The useless gun?

Now Brandt did take a step, but it was toward Heather and not to Az.

“You slashed me, drove your claws into me,” Heather’s voice grew louder as wind began to whip through the area. A furious wind fueled by the witch’s magic. “Then you left me to die.”

Brandt shrugged. “You betrayed me. What else did you think I’d do?”

“I never—”

Another gliding step toward her. “You took my blood, witch, I know you did. You used it to scry. To see what future we’d have. You looked when I f**king told you never to see!”

“I saw nothing! Only darkness with you because—”

Then he had her. One lunge, and he’d ripped the gun out of her hand. He tossed it into the bushes and his fingers closed around her neck. He lifted her up and her feet dangled in the air.

No, no, this was not the way the deal was supposed to go down.

“This time,” Brandt told Heather, “I’ll make sure you die.”

“No!”Jade screamed and she brought up her gun. But she didn’t have a clear shot at Brandt. Heather’s body blocked him. “Let her go!”

Brandt laughed. “Now how did I know that you weren’t the defenseless little prisoner brought in by the big, bad witch?”

Then he tossed Heather’s body, slinging her through the air. Her head slammed into a tree, and she crumpled on the ground like a broken doll.

Brandt brushed his hands as if he were wiping away dirt. He glanced at Jade’s gun, then back up at her. “Come on, baby, we both know that you won’t—”

She fired at him. Fired again and again until the gun just clicked because all of the bullets were gone.

But . . . Brandt didn’t fall down. Blood poured from his chest, and his eyes narrowed on her. “That hurt, Jade.”

“It was f**king supposed to, Brandt!” But, dammit, how had she missed his heart? How was he standing? Silver bullets in the heart should kill a shifter but—

I missed?

Brandt shook his head. “I’m gonna have to punish you for that . . .”

“No, you’re not.” And just like that, Az stood in front of her. Big, strong, the cuffs broken and his hands free. “You’re not touching her ever again.”

“Neither are you.” Brandt’s voice had roughened into a snarl. “Neither the hell are you!”

Jade’s head swung to the left. Four panthers had sprung from the shadows, and they had launched at Tanner. He was fighting, swiping with his claws, but the guy was weak against them because he was still in his human form. No time to change, not for him. If he stopped to shift, the panthers would slaughter him during those vulnerable moments.

Heather wasn’t moving.

Jade’s gun was empty.

Screwed.

Jade tossed the weapon and put her hands on Az’s back, right over his shoulders and those thick scars. “Kill him,” she whispered.

Her angel assassin.

Then Jade stumbled back so she wouldn’t get in Az’s way.

Brandt raced forward, finally coming at Az with his claws up and ready to attack. Jade couldn’t breathe. She stood there, watching, waiting for death to come. I hope you like hell, Brandt.

Az caught Brandt’s hands. Held those claws just inches from his body. Yes, yes, Az was touching him. Brandt would hit the ground, immobile, any moment. In the meantime . . .

Jade yanked her silver knife from her boot and ran for the swarm that was attacking Tanner. She wasn’t about to let those panther bastards slaughter him. She drove her knife into the back of the nearest panther. Roaring in agony, he swung around and tried to swipe out at her. Ducking low, she avoided the slice and raked her knife down his stomach.