Don’t kick angel ass. Not yet.

“I’ve done plenty.” Now Sam sounded, what? Insulted? Definitely. He glared at Marna and said, “I’m the one who made sure your pet wasn’t locked in a cage. Shifters do hate those cages, don’t they?” His knowing gaze drifted back to Tanner. “Something about the beasts they carry . . .”

Tanner growled at him.

Sam smiled. “Let’s just say that I made all the trouble with the law vanish for you. You’re now cleared of the attack on that boy wonder cop. Cleared of all the shit with the captain. Hell, when you go back to work, they might even give you a medal.” He lifted his hands with an honest-to-God voila-type gesture. “What can I say? I am that good.”

“You’re full of shit,” Tanner said. “I’m not—”

“The chief of police is a demon, and a guy who owes me more than just his soul.” Sam dropped his hands. “All I had to do was explain a few facts to him. A little while ago, he took care of making all the evidence fit with the new version of the story.”

The chief of—well, he’d suspected that after meeting the guy a few times. Tanner rubbed his chin. “And the new version is . . . ?”

“Your captain was killed in the line of duty. She was tracking the real killer, one who’d been killing all over the city. You tried to save her, the same way you tried to save that kid cop—Hodges—but sometimes, well, death can’t be stopped.”

Sometimes, he could be.

“You took out the killer today, one rogue cop who’d crossed the line by attacking others on the force and manipulating evidence.” Sammael made a little tsk, tsk sound. “Sometimes, even the boys in blue can go bat-shit crazy like Jonathan.”

“And the video?” The one showing someone with his face attacking the injured cop?

“What video?” Sam asked, voice mild, then firmer. “There is no video.”

Right, he got the picture. Not anymore, there wasn’t any video.

Sam brushed past them and headed down the steps. “You still haven’t said thanks.”

He was back on the force. Not wanted. Not hunted. He could stay in New Orleans with Marna. After he took her on those sightseeing trips she wanted. Things wouldn’t always be perfect, and he was sure he’d have to smooth over more shit at the precinct to make sure all suspicion was gone, but . . . “Thank you.”

“That’s a start.” Sam didn’t look back. “It’ll take more before we’re even.”

With that guy, there was always a price.

Sam headed down the sidewalk. Then he paused, and glanced back at Marna. “You still can’t kill, can you?”

She stared back at him, then shook her head. “Not with the Touch.”

His brow furrowed.

“It’s not like the Touch would have worked on another angel anyway,” Marna said, her shoulders lifting and falling in a small roll, “but believe me, I wanted to kill.”

Sam’s gaze had become hooded. That gaze swept over Marna once, twice, and seemed to measure her.

Then his eyes widened. He glanced back at Tanner, and for an instant, Tanner thought the guy had pity in his stare. Now why the hell would Sam pity him? All was supposed to be freakin’ sunshine now.

“Some aren’t meant for death,” Sam murmured. “Some are meant for something much different.” His head cocked as he studied Marna again. “You never should have been a death angel. We all knew you hated carrying the souls. Everybody knew, but you did your duty for so long.”

“Not anymore,” Marna told him, and her fingers tightened around Tanner’s. “Now I’m free.”

Did Sam shake his head a little? Tanner’s gut clenched. That Fallen knew something he wasn’t saying. Something that already had Tanner’s whole body locking up as if he was about to take a blow.

But Sam pointed at Tanner and said, “Stay close to her.” His gaze drifted back to Marna. “Guard what you want the most.” Then he turned away. “Oh . . . and, by the way, I made sure every damn supernatural in this city knows that angel blood is off the menu. Permanently.” The words floated to them on a breeze. “And I only had to kill a few paranormals to get the point across.”

Just a few?

“Don’t worry, cop, they all had it coming.” Sam was at the edge of the sidewalk. There one moment, gone the next. Vanished, as if he’d never been there.

Guard what you want the most.

Tanner pulled Marna close to him. She actually wanted him, loved him—scars, claws, beast, and all. She’d been willing to risk her life for him.