“Baby, this alley is a bloodbath. That smell will have every predator in a ten-mile radius coming out.”

The predators were already out. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the eyes in the darkness. The flash of fangs.

Tanner’s hand wrapped around her wrist. “Come on.”

Bastion was gone.

Only the monsters remained.

And they were closing in.

Tanner pushed her behind his body. “Stay the hell back,” he ordered those who waited in the darkness. He lifted his claws. “Or I’ll start slicing you apart.”

Silence.

But maybe that silence wasn’t enough. Marna’s shoulders straightened. Time to send a message. She glanced down at her hands. “I’ve got this,” she whispered to Tanner.

He frowned over his shoulder at her.

Her chin rose. She could do this.

He stepped away.

Marna sent a ball of fire racing into the alley. The fire caught the vampire’s dead body. Incinerated him, and sent the others fleeing back—back to whatever hole they’d crawled from.

The rush of power was amazing. Using fire . . . when she’d been an angel, it had never felt this way. Like the energy was pouring from within her, surging inside her.

Not as good as the pleasure that Tanner had given her, but still good.

Marna smiled. “Now you know to stay away,” she said into the flames.

The warning wasn’t just for the monsters. It was for the angel who lurked nearby. She wasn’t the same woman she’d been. Every day, she was changing. Becoming more. It was time for the rest of the world to realize that fact.

And to stay out of my way.

He watched the action from his perch on the rooftop. The little lost Fallen enjoyed her fire. He could see the thrill on her face.

Angels didn’t enjoy the rush of power. Angels didn’t enjoy anything.

She wasn’t an angel anymore. She liked the crackle of the blaze. Liked the heat of the licking flames.

She’d used her fire on the vampires. Finally, that power had broken free for her.

He watched as the shifter took her from the alley. Bundled her into an SUV and shot down the street.

He would be a problem. The panther watched Marna too closely. Touched her too much.

Do you think she’ll be yours?

That wasn’t the fate that waited for Marna. She deserved to have her vengeance. Deserved all the power that would come her way.

The panther? He’d get what he deserved, too. Death.

Because Tanner Chance was the key that he needed. In order to unlock all the power and magic inside of Marna, she would have to break. Chance could be used to break her.

When she broke, it would be brutal, and it would be beautiful. Just like her.

He leapt off the rooftop.

There was still plenty of time in the night, and there were some vamps that needed killing. Did they truly think they were just going to get away after attacking her?

No. Not likely. He’d make them pay.

And he’d enjoy the sound of their screams.

But first he’d follow his little angel. Just in case the shifter planned to stash her someplace else.

He liked to know where she was—all the time. That way, she’d never escape him.

Never.

Tanner raced through the streets. A fast left. A hard right. His blood seemed to burn in his veins, and he clutched the steering wheel so tightly, he could feel it starting to bend beneath his fingers.

Control.

He was losing more of it by the second.

He spun the SUV to the left. They were out of the Quarter and heading down a lonely, oak-lined street that would have to do for now. He slammed on the brakes and turned on her. “What the hell was that?”

Moonlight spilled through the windows. Onto her face. Made her look as if she were glowing. Beautiful. “I-I don’t know, the fire came back to me and—” Her voice was all but humming with excitement.

She’d saved his ass back in that alley. No getting around it. But she’d also scared a good ten years off his life when she sent that fire blazing out, missing his body by, oh, about two inches as she aimed it into the alley and at all the pricks who’d waited in the darkness.

“A little warning next time would be good,” he managed to snap. Enough of a warning that he could jump out of the way and not get singed.

Her head tilted back. More moonlight fell on her. Damn. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but don’t worry. There isn’t going to be a next time.” Then she shoved open the passenger side door and jumped outside.

What the hell?

He pushed open his own door and followed right after her. Tanner caught her almost instantly, and pushed her back against the side of the SUV. “You walked right into that vamp’s trap.” Yeah, he was pissed over that, and would be for the next year or so. The bastard could have drained her and tossed away her broken body.