He stalked forward. Yanked open the bedroom door. And found Mateo standing in his hallway.

A rather blistered, ash-covered Mateo.

Sam lifted a brow. “Been visiting hell again, have you?” Shaking his head, he asked, “Why don’t you just give up that place and—”

“We have a problem.” Mateo’s voice was flat and cold. His gaze drifted over Sam’s shoulder, probably to find Seline.

The guy had always watched her a bit too much.

Sam shifted his body to block the view. “You’re damn right we do. Some bastard caller just busted into my house.” Mateo had been the one to put the charms and protections in place. It figured that he’d be the only one who could slip right past them.

Mateo’s jaw hardened. “You’ll have to stop him. No one else will be strong enough.”

He knew Seline could hear every word they said. “Stop who?”

“Azrael.”

Fuck. “What’s happened?” He didn’t let any emotion show on his face. Thanks to his time in heaven, he knew just how to camouflage his feelings.

“It hasn’t happened yet. It will happen.” Mateo exhaled and the scent of smoke deepened around him. “I’ve seen what’s coming. I know what he’ll do.”

“Yeah? Well then cut through the BS and tell me. Because I never f**king liked riddles.” And he didn’t like the hard gnawing in his gut, either. Even since his fall, he’d planned to get back at his uptight, rule-following ass of a brother. Then Az had started hunting him. Az the ass**le.

Sam had thought he’d have to kill Az during those days.

But since his own fall, his brother had changed. Az had sacrificed. Nearly given his life in order to protect Seline.

So he’d let the guy keep living.

Had that been a mistake?

“His human will die tomorrow, and when she does . . .” Another long sigh from Mateo, only this one carried the scent of death. “He’ll break.”

Sam found he couldn’t speak.

“When Az breaks, he’ll go after anyone in his path. He’ll kill everyone, do anything.”

No, no, this was bullshit.

“She dies tomorrow,” Mateo said again, “and that fate won’t change. It can’t. So you and I damn well have to figure out a way to stop him.”

Az was fond of his human. No, more than fond. Sam had seen the way his brother looked at the woman.

The way I look at Seline.

And he remembered what he’d felt like when he lost his Seline. Remembered how desperate he’d been.

Desperate enough to take on hell and heaven.

“If you don’t stop him,” Mateo’s gaze searched his, “if you don’t kill him, we’ll all suffer.”

Sam still didn’t speak.

“Will you really just stand back, and let him destroy the world? All for one lost human life?”

Not just any human though. Not just any life.

A Fallen’s mate. Death couldn’t take her away, not without one hell of a fight.

“Many have said that Az is the embodiment of all that is evil.”

He’d heard the tales. “They say that about me, too.” Some tales were just stories to frighten children.

“With Az,” Mateo continued, “the chains of heaven held him in check.”

Sam knew that was true. Az had always clung so tightly to his control, because he knew well the beast that waited inside.

“There are no chains now.” Mateo’s gaze was stark. “There is nothing to stop him. The veneer of good will crack, and the true being that is Azrael will emerge.”

Sam glanced back over his shoulder. Seline was safe in the room, protected.

Seline—his life. “My brother is still chained.” Not with chains forged in heaven, but with a delicate chain that had been created on earth.

As long as his female lived, Az was bound to Jade.

But when she died . . .

Azrael’s dark side would definitely be coming out.

And it might just be one coming out party that the world couldn’t survive.

The world didn’t stop spinning for Jade. When Az slowed down his super speed, she found herself inside what looked like a bedroom. Gleaming wood surrounding her and—

And Az kissed her and the spinning continued. His tongue pushed into her mouth and his hand skated down her body.

The kiss was hard, almost brutal in its intensity, and she knew it was fueled by rage.

Jade didn’t want his rage. She’d had enough rage to last a lifetime. She turned her head away. “Az. Stop.”