The Devil's special Angel

ness of the bed beneath her making her skin

't used

at the ceiling, her breath shallow, body tense-like sh

hing ha

ilenc

the. Just once. A sh

s, bathing the room in soft pinks and blue

e shoulder. She didn't remember changing into it. Maybe she had. Maybe h

e clock. It wa

he thought. You ne

dow. The view was breathtaking-glass towers, streets below l

remember that life hurt. Th

uld. It a

the door st

or opened slowly, and Damien stepped insi

s-coffee, toast, and somet

e what you'd

him. "You broug

d. "You ne

xactly the nu

t you still

t on the edge of the bed and watched him lik

is often?"

wh

girls home a

didn't rise to the ba

't even

't hav

le

fingers trembling slightly

not

omeone who saw everyt

st you," she

eplied. "You

later. She had showered. He had changed into another ex

omfortable in tie

wn. "It's par

is the

dn't

have to stay long. But you

if I

ure no one f

Is there someo

watching," he said. "E

ce sharper now. "You keep talking like I'm supp

eyes dark. "Because if I te

run be

fro

an down h

e had "business," whatever that meant-and the silence followed

the hallway. It was of a man who looked a lot l

d on his hands

eral, but she

d last night. "The one he i

. She didn't know what Damien's "business"

Guns.

ut it. But he didn

... she didn'

elt c

ness-still see something in someone like her-mayb

ils had c

every wall-real ones, not just for show. There we

thin, worn copy

ngers

as seventeen. The same one she'd read over and over while slee

ersized leather chai

she

ling down her cheeks as the words

she looked up, he was there-watching he

it?" she aske

y times,

ike po

etim

red at e

first time

nger. Not

e lone

book down. "

h. Didn't pretend h

the picture. He raised me. Trai

hy

to take over. And I w

w?" she

y. "Now I kee

t is

thing. Drugs. Weapons. Gam

opl

eyes. "Not

slowly. "

I ha

often i

dn't

n't ha

she couldn't

apped around herself. Every hallway whis

staring at the refrigerator l

him behind her

't s

too, sweatpants hanging low on his hips, a simple black

she

htma

way

ned a cabinet, and pulle

no

oure

ilence, sipping slowly, the

I was broken,"

're

o you

broken. And they do

d at him.

any

n turned quiet.

ic. How she liked thunderstorms. How he liked silenc

t touch. D

ething

lled tight

ng, everything w

ing brought more t

ought

ndows. Parked ou

amien's library while she was looking for an

't move. No

rity screens. The footage on one showed the car

it?" s

. "Someone who s

esn't an

ot angry. Just calculating. "Go ups

mie

ia

her name. Her real name. And it

o she nodded. Turned. Walked back upst

curtains. Damien walked down the front steps like a man who

but the window rolled down slowly, and

didn't

ay his shoulders tensed slightly. A flicker of danger pa

car dro

after it was gone, like he was d

de, Lia was waiting at

hat?" she

nswer right

I used

er eyes. "What

ou

ce hit li

ack. "What do

. "You were seen with me. People in this world-they lo

eath s

ask to be,

hat doesn'

bed? Because you gave me cof

t. "Because you matter. An

scream. To h

sked, "So what

safe," he

don't wa

er for a long,

ut you won't be safe. Not now. N

r head, hear

ght me in

ng closer. "You walke

t, she di

pped around her shoulders and the knife from her backpack grippe

n't tru

't trust any

maybe... she did

t

ays p

er. Tighter. The security team doubled. Guards appeared discreetly through

ke someone watching a

ed his voice. Never panicked. He

ep, she would sometimes find him in

found him again o

irst time you killed

't even

said after a beat.

feel an

said. "But

t th

. "Relief. That

, the silence stretching

, she whispered,

ed once

k away. Instead, she sat beside him on t

ny contact, so

lo

t

tanding. R

who had lived through fire an

ning, a pack

. No return address. Just a plai

was a

i

epi

mien'

t, blood draini

He picked up the photo a

n a

ag

as nothing

message

een in t

had go

wanted h

it w

t, Lia pa

more. It wasn't just about running from pain. It was about not

hallway, zipper half-c

leaving,

ave

N

at him. "You

now what happens when you run. I've seen it. You

or me," she snapped.

tter. "Do I look like s

like someone who's forgot

him, down the stairs

dn't

n't stop h

eatened rain. She stood on the steps, star

ten steps before

ck car

wasn'

ore beh

r t

pped out. Calm. Armed

s when sh

sn't a

as a

ed the silence

security guards burst from the shadows.

her back, shielding her with his bo

e house!"

s buckled. He picked her up li

med shut b

ty scr

es b

inally un

game. This w

was

s in the m

d stopped, after the bodies had been cleared, Damien s

roached

hurt?"

with haunted eyes

y," she w

"You have nothing

ht this

"You reminded m

irst time, she

e let

ed around him.

. In the aftermath of violence. Two broken things hold

know what

t time... she di