His legs pumped as he ran faster, faster, and the trees passed him in a blur.

Is she hurting?

He burst out of the woods—and found Sam lounging against the side of a shiny black pickup truck.

Sam lifted a brow when he saw Keenan. “Everything okay?”

He didn’t hesitate. He ran right for Sam. The Death Touch never worked on anyone with pure angel blood. So when he drove his fist into Sam’s stomach, he didn’t worry about killing the guy. It would take a lot more than a punch to kill Sam, but the jerk could be killed.

Sam took the punch and didn’t even flinch. “Ah … good to see you, too, Keenan.”

Keenan grabbed his shirt. “Where is she?”

Sam blinked at that. “Uh, which she?”

His back teeth ground together. “Nicole.”

“Oh, yeah. Your little vamp.” Now his brows lowered as his gaze darted toward the house. “I thought she was inside.”

“No.” If Sam didn’t know where she was, Keenan was wasting his time. He thrust the guy back and jumped on the motorcycle.

But Sam was there beside him, moving with his enhanced speed, a speed that hadn’t returned fully to Keenan, not yet.

“Got the touch back, don’t you?” Sam asked and he was smiling.

Keenan revved the engine.

“I saw the little playdate you had with Big Mike out on the highway.” Sam’s appreciative whistle rose even over the howl of the motorcycle. “Playing rough, are you?”

Big Mike.

His head turned, slowly, and red began to flicker over his vision once more. “How did you know I was out here?”

Sam shrugged. His eyes didn’t waver. “I knew the minute you bought this place. Little happens in New Orleans that I don’t know about.”

Time seemed to slow down. No—maybe he just moved real fast. Because in the next second, the motorcycle was on the ground and he had his hands around Sam’s throat.

Sam was still smiling. “Gettin’ your speed back, too.”

“Little happens that you don’t know about?” His voice was a growl, all he could manage right then with the fury choking him. “You knew Big Mike, you knew where I was hiding with Nicole—you knew it all! Dammit, where is she?”

“Easy.” Sam wasn’t fighting back, yet. “I don’t—”

“It was a trap! They came at her with bullets and fire while she was weak. When I went after them—”

Sam knocked his hands away. “You shouldn’t have left your girl. You never leave her behind, not if you—”

“They tried to kill her! They weren’t getting away!”

Sam nodded. “Still don’t have control, do you? I thought … after six months … maybe you’d be used to the emotions by now.” He rocked back on his heels. “Guess not.”

“Where is she!”

Sam stabbed a finger in Keenan’s chest. “Get control. Emotions are shit. They screw with your head. Fear. Anger. Need. Lust. Humans are born with those feelings, and they still drive them crazy. What do you think they do to beings who’ve been without ’em for centuries?”

They tear me apart.

Like Nicole’s captor was tearing her apart?

The wind whipped against his face.

“Control,” Sam snapped out. “If you lose it, you’ll be no good to her.”

“I have to find her!”

“Then let me help you.” Sam’s voice seemed so sincere. The guy was very good at controlling his image, Keenan knew that. “I know where Mike’s men would run. I can show you where they went to lick their wounds.”

“If she dies …”

“That will really suck, won’t it? You fell to save her, and those bastards up there still take her from you.” Sam’s voice thickened. “ ’Bout time someone showed those ass**les that they aren’t the only game in town. ’Bout time they realized even precious angels can suffer.”

Keenan swallowed his rage. Control. “Take me to them.”

“You’ll owe me if I do,” Sam said, his eyes watchful.

“Take. Me.To.Them.”

“Then I guess we have a deal.” Sam held out his hand. “I was coming out here to say I’d have your back, that you could count on me.” He still sounded so sincere, but Sam’s eyes showed no emotion. “I never expected to find … this.”

Keenan couldn’t believe him.

Sam’s offered hand didn’t drop. “Do we have a deal? I’ll help you … and when the time comes, you help me.”