Fallen. Michele Hauf

it because she was doing the same thing.

      “Vampires,” she muttered. “I so don’t need this trouble.”

      Pyx slapped a palm across the leather sheath she wore strapped under her left arm. The Sinistari had the ability to allow mortals to only see what they wanted them to see; the sheathed dagger was only for her eyes.

      And yet her eyes didn’t stray from her two new marks. The bloodsuckers sent some kind of silent signal back and forth through the nightclub. The one farthest away in the balcony had his eye on a man at the rear of the room—the Fallen one. There were so many supernatural vibrations—vampire to vamp, angel to demon—Pyx had a hard time keeping them straight.

      So she turned her focus to the prize. The Fallen wore a green-and-blue plaid kilt, of all things, and was currently advertising virility and sex appeal to the woman who slobbered over him. His dark hair was razored short and finger-combed. A white shirt fell open to reveal muscled abs and chest with a tease of dark hair. His legs were striking only because Pyx had never seen a man in a skirt wearing combat boots, and working the look so freaking well.

      Seriously? She loved the diverse range of clothing in this day and age, but even she knew the man had daring.

      Pyx could understand the attraction the other women were feeling. It was a new feeling, but a good one that centered in her belly and stirred even lower.

      Hmm, all that just from observing the Fallen? A bit unsettling, but she marked it off as part of the job.

      Even though she hadn’t had the opportunity to dabble in it yet, lust was one of her favorite sins. Sin fed her kind.

      She wasn’t about to starve herself.

      Pyx kept one eye on the vampires and another on the angel.

      “Lucky bastard got himself a nice mortal costume,” she said. Her cowboy boots clomped along the narrow aisle between tables and bar. “Let’s see how much he likes mine.”

      Cooper turned toward the redhead, startled he hadn’t noticed her approach. It was the chick from the dance floor. The same chick who’d boldly tossed back his shots and had sauntered away without so much as a thank-you.

      But she had blown that kiss, which meant she was interested. His charms would prove irresistible to her once he kissed her for real. And she was walking toward him all intent and licking her lips—

      Cooper’s Adam’s apple compressed against his spine. His shoulders slammed against the wall.

      The redhead’s fingers squeezed about his throat. Cooper gagged. His feet left the floor. She was so strong!

      “How’s tricks?” she asked. Her eyelashes were so long they tangled in stray strands of her hair. She smiled, not nicely, and in fact, rather wickedly.

      Cooper couldn’t answer, or slip from her grip. What in Beneath? Were they making the pretty ones so strong now?

      Jamming her knee into his bollocks, she managed to unleash an inner rage he’d thought long harnessed after his war days Above. He shoved her away and wrangled her arm, twisting it behind her back and slamming her chest against the wall.

      “What kind of game are you playing, sweetie?” he hissed at her ear. “You shouldn’t damage the merchandise. Won’t make tricks any fun later on.”

      She chuckled and elbowed him. He took the surprise poke to his abdomen with a gasped “Buh.”

      Much as he enjoyed females, he wasn’t about to let one treat him this way. Not in front of the other women.

      He managed to shove her into a nearby booth and she landed on the padded black vinyl, but not without pulling him onto the seat behind her.

      Cooper eyed the bar. If anyone saw him wrestling with this woman, they’d suspect it was all his to-do, and not the sweet woman’s fault.

      Sweet, his ass. She didn’t look capable of the wrestling feat she’d just performed. Too sexy. Too soft. Hair he’d like to tangle his fingers into. And did she smell like bubble gum? But for the strange masculine clothing she was a walking advertisement for all the sensual delights.

      “You like it rough?” he said, sliding up to her and grabbing her wrist before she could slap him. “If so, you may be able to talk me into some rough stuff. But you gotta keep your knees from my crotch, sweetheart. That’s foul play.”

      “I don’t want to have sex with you,” she said.

      Cooper felt the sharp sting of a blade against his throat. Another new touch sensation. He cautioned himself from swallowing. “Whoa.” Not only was she tough, she was also fast.

      This was his first taste of crazy since landing on earth. Interesting, yet annoying.

      He wasn’t sure how much of a loose cannon this one was, and what her intentions were, so he placed his hands flat on the table to show compliance.

      “I want to slay you,” she said. Again she granted him that wide, not-so-mirthful grin. “Where’s your muse, Fallen one?”

      How could she possibly know what he was? Unless …

      She couldn’t be. He couldn’t get a good look at the blade. He’d seen a dagger forged to kill Fallen once before—about five seconds before he had reached inside the Sinistari’s chest and ripped out its adamant heart. But this wasn’t right. He’d thought the Sinistari were male.

      “You got it,” she answered his thoughts. “I’m your worst nightmare in the one form I bet you absolutely crave, eh? A pretty redhead with nice breasts?”

      “Don’t flatter yourself, sweetie.” He thought to wrangle the blade from her, but knew it could be his death. “Sinistari?”

      “Surprise,” she singsonged. “You were expecting someone a bit more macho?”

      “Oh, I think you’ve mastered macho.”

      And he had only to stab his fingers between her ribs and rip out the hard, metal heart that, like his, never beat.

      He couldn’t take her out in the club. Everyone would notice. And he guessed she’d put up a splendid fight.

      “Could you put the blade away?” he asked calmly. “One thing I do know is that thing only works on me when I’m in half form.”

      More specifically, when he was half human, half angel, and attempting to have sex with his mortal muse. Like that was ever going to happen.

      “Sorry to break this to you, Red, but I’m not going to give you what you want.”

      “You’re a liar.”

      “We just met, sweetheart. And frankly, you don’t know anything about me and what I want on this earth. And how are you a female?”

      She kicked back in the booth and put up one snakeskin-booted foot on the table. If she weren’t Sinistari, Cooper would find her attractive. Hell, he’d already been thinking about what he would do if she were naked and was allowed to unleash his arsenal of kisses upon her.

      But not a Sinistari demon. No way in Beneath or Above. The Sinistari’s only task was to slay the Fallen. That meant him.

      The pretty redhead with the bubble-gum smile and savory scent was the last female walking this earth Cooper wanted to touch, unless it was to rip out her heart.

      And yet, one always kept their enemies close if one wished to draw breath the following morning.

      “This is the way I was forged,” she offered, her elbow hooking over the back of the booth. She chewed the gum and snapped it loudly. “You don’t like it? Tough. Now, I don’t want to spoil your fun, and I am disappointed you’re not sexing up your muse right now, but tell me why vampires are following you.”

      “Vampires?”

      “You didn’t notice? Figures. You’re too busy picking out tonight’s sheetmate. There