Page 38

Renzo

T he drive to the boutique had been almost impossible.

My shoulders ached with the effort to keep my wings contained, but there wasn’t room for them in the car.

Not to mention the heat that rolled off me was damaging the seat and steering wheel.

It was a problem I would deal with later.

But my anger was an inferno that threatened to consume me.

I had been enjoying the video call with Milo.

I felt guilty I couldn’t be there in person, but the meetings I had scheduled this afternoon were important.

People needed to know I was going to keep them, their businesses, and their families safe.

They needed to know I cared about them and about what was happening.

That I considered them family, and that an attack on them was an attack on me.

After Isabetta had gone back into the fitting rooms, I had been giving Milo instructions when there had been a scream.

At first, I had thought it was Isabetta, but Milo told me there were people coming in through the front.

The screen had gone black seconds later, then I heard a scuffle and a pained groan from Milo before the call cut off.

I had been out of my chair, and across the room before I had registered what I witnessed.

It took three calls to get Havoc on the line, and I was already in the car by the time he answered his phone.

I was glad he had picked up, because if they weren’t at the boutique, I had no way of tracking Milo and Isabetta.

It was something I was going to remedy once I had them both back safely.

I wasn’t looking forward to burning down the city to find them, but I would, without hesitation.

Ignoring the no parking sign, I brought the car to a screeching halt in front of the boutique.

I had barely turned the car off before I slammed the door behind me and stormed inside.

I didn’t expect to find anything here, but I needed to do something while I waited for Havoc.

As soon as I was out of the confines of my car, my wings had snapped open, the gold shimmering with heat as blood dripped from the lower feathers.

I stretched them out before pulling them in tight again.

The store was going to have enough to deal with, judging by the dead body behind the counter.

If Havoc didn’t get here soon, I was going to need the place intact so the security team could look for clues.

I hadn’t called them yet, determined to get my wife back on my own.

I was about to step into the changing area when the door behind me opened. Before I even turned, my large flaming broadsword was in my hand. I angled it across my body as I spun to assess the threat, barely lowering the tip as Havoc stalked in, his wings tight to his shoulders, gun in his hand.

“They aren’t here. Near the docks, probably a warehouse.

Milo isn’t answering me, but he’s there.

They must have knocked him out because I can’t reach him.

If they were doing some nightmare shit, I would see it, but there’s nothing.

I can’t reach Isabetta while they are so far away.

” He was already turning back to the door as he finished filling me in, and I followed behind him.

I cursed inwardly as he took off into the air, but I followed him.

The twins could fly as far as they fucking pleased, their Scion abilities making up for what their bodies lacked.

My wingspan was large, it had to be for my frame, but angels weren’t meant to fly long distances.

It would be faster than taking the car, though.

Havoc was silent as he flew, his wings barely making a sound.

The gun was still in his hand, and his expression of fury matched the way I felt.

I was too deep in my anger to offer him any comfort.

To tell him this wasn’t his fault. Though he wouldn’t believe me, even if I did.

Milo was his brother and Havoc had always protected him.

When we were younger, Havoc was the first to throw fists when anyone had even looked like they might insult Milo.

It was part of how he had gotten his name.

Without needing to weave through traffic or abide by the speed limit, it only took us minutes to reach the docks.

Havoc might have done something with his abilities to make the distance shorter, but I wasn’t sure.

I was so concerned with keeping up with him, I didn’t pay attention to the route we were taking.

It didn’t matter, as it wasn’t like I had to find my way back.

As he slowed to a hover, he pointed out a particular building with his gun. “That one.”

We were here. There wasn’t time for planning, and I didn’t have the patience. I gripped the hilt of the sword tighter as I looked down at the building for any obvious guards or weaknesses.

“Stay together, I’m not losing anyone else.

Not to mention we don’t know how many are down there, or the extent of their nightmare shit.

I want all of them dead. No fucking survivors.

I don’t care about information. I don’t care about leaving someone to tell the tale.

Wipe them off the face of the fucking planet and get our girl and Milo back.

” I looked at Havoc, who nodded, his expression stoney.

This wasn’t about revenge, it wasn’t about payback, this was scorching the fucking earth.

Sure that he would be right behind me, I folded my wings against my back and plummeted toward the ground.

My sword was still tight in my hand, pointed forward so that it wasn’t dragging in the air.

Flames trailed behind me as I let go of the tight leash on my temper.

There were no skylights in the warehouse, so I dove for the window I could see instead.

The metal frame crumpled as I hit it, and the glass shattered. My wings flared and the golden feathers cut through the warehouse wall like it was butter. It slowed me, but when I landed, the cement still cracked beneath my feet. For a second, silence fell over the space.

Men stared at me, stunned, the drugs they had been packaging forgotten. Then they spurred into action, scrambling for weapons or for cover.

Havoc landed behind me as gunfire rang out, a silent shadowy assassin.

He ducked behind me, using my wings for cover as he protected my back.

I folded one wing across my body for protection while the other shielded him.

The flames from my sword spread across my wings, and the bright light flooded the room.

Men were already falling, gunned down by either Havoc, or their own bullets as they fired madly in the confined space.

“WHERE IS MY FUCKING WIFE?!” My voice boomed across the space with all the volume I could muster.

I may not have been a Scion of Azrael, but I was a direct descendant of the angel of death.

I moved forward, cutting through the Alps with sweeping strikes of my sword.

Some tried to run, but they didn’t get far.

Havoc cut each one off as he walked behind me, one hand on the center of my back, the other pointing his gun and taking them out with brutal efficiency.

Darkness seeped into the room as I moved toward the offices. It was almost like a fog—cold, sticky, and full of whispers. Light pulsed from my sword and wings, driving the darkness back. There was no room in my mind for fear, my righteous fury burning everything else away.

A man stepped out of the office, different from the others.

Older and more grizzled, with no hint of panic on his face.

He looked entirely unbothered that I had burst into his space and laid waste to his men.

He had one hand in his pocket as he chewed on the pad of his other thumb, before spitting on the ground.

“Your whore is dead. Your pet too. You were too weak to protect them, or perhaps you wanted them gone and out of the way, so you didn’t have to indulge them. Why else would you make it so easy to take them?” Even his words were calm.

Havoc went to dart forward, a snarl on his lips, but I kept him back, my wing a tense bar of steel against his chest. If Milo was dead, he would know. All this man had was words, and I would not let him get the best of me.

“You overestimate the power of your nightmares. You crawl in here like a rat, scavenging on the work of others. To what end? You were never going to win. Then you took something precious to me. And now I am going to take her back. I am going to carry her out of here over your dead corpse.” I stepped forward as I spoke, my spine straight and my wings wide, light blazing from them.

The man didn’t shrink. He didn’t smirk or move. “You’re weak. The city knows it. I don’t need to be alive to know the nightmares of my people are going to haunt you for the rest of your life.”

The deafening sound of a gun going off next to my ear made me flinch. The man in front of me dropped, blood already seeping from the hole in his head. Havoc stepped around my wing, spitting on the body as he did. “Now your ghost can haunt whoever you fucking like.”

I glared at him. “I wasn’t done talking.” But there wasn’t anything I could do about his actions, and I wasn’t really angry at him anyway.

“You are the one who said no survivors. And that you didn’t care about information.

He was only trying to get under your skin or buying time, and you were letting him.

I am here to get my brother back. If you want to talk to him, be my fucking guest.” He stepped over the corpse and headed toward the offices.

He was right, the man had been getting under my skin. There was a lot of pressure taking over from my father, and this attack had thrown all my fears into stark view. But right now, none of that mattered. Isabetta was here, and her safety was my primary concern.

Sword still in hand, I followed Havoc. I let him lead, knowing he was headed for Milo. If Milo and Isabetta were together, Havoc would tell me. But if they weren’t, I didn’t want to waste any more time.

The first two rooms held supplies, but not my wife.

I sent off a quick text, organizing not only a cleanup crew, but for my own men to come and collect everything here.

Some of it would be useful, and there was no point in it being destroyed.

I could hear Havoc talking down the hall, but he hadn’t called out to me, so I continued my search.

The third door was locked, but a swift kick with the heel of my boot sent it crashing against the wall.

Isabetta flinched in her seat. Her head ducked as she tried to shield her eyes. I dropped my sword, and it disappeared in mid-air, rather than crashing to the ground. I didn’t need it anymore, and so it returned to the place from where it had been summoned.

“Tesoro. I’m here. It’s me.” I crossed the room in an instant, kneeling beside the chair.

The sight of the ropes digging into her skin filled me with fresh fury, but I pushed it down.

She didn’t need to see me angry right now.

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me, and I reached out, carefully wiping them away.

“I wasn’t sure if you would find me. I didn’t know what to do.”

As she broke down, sobbing, I felt my heart wrench in my chest. I pulled a knife from my belt, flicking it open out of her view, and slicing through the ropes on her legs first, then her throat and finally her arms. I gently eased them away from her skin and rubbed her arms as I pulled her toward me, leaving the knife on the table once I was done with it.

“No one will ever take you from me again, tesoro.” I pulled her to my chest, letting the warmth of her body and the closeness soothe the inferno that burned in my soul.

I rubbed her back, letting her cry as much as she needed.

After her sobs subsided, I lifted her out of the chair and into my arms, then once I stood, I kept her held tight to my chest.

Havoc was out in the hallway, with Milo leaning heavily against him. Blood had dried down the side of Milo’s face, he looked groggy and swayed slightly. I saw relief flare in Havoc’s expression as he saw me carrying Isabetta.

“Let’s get them both home. The men can take care of this place.

I never want to see it again.” As I carried Isabetta, I didn’t look back at the offices or at the corpses as I stepped over them.

The first of our men were already arriving as we stepped out into the twilight air.

One of them tossed a set of keys to Havoc, who caught them while still holding his brother upright.

Neither of us gave instructions. Everything had been in the text, and they knew what they were doing.

Havoc helped Milo into the passenger seat while I slid into the back, still holding Isabetta tight. It was going to be a long time before I let her go.