Free Fallen Angels 06 - Immortal by J.R. Ward Page B

self, his face drawn in horror, his body straining as if he were in physical conflict—except there was no one coming at him. There had been, though—his face was bruising up and there was silver blood on his hands. The room was also trashed, lamps knocked over, tables overturned, sofas out of place.
    Jim had been in the process of fighting with the archangel. Maybe over her honor? That was so like her Jim … but it shouldn’t have ended like it had.
    And she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. That dumb whore Sissy Barten was screaming at the top of her lungs as she went over and took Jim’s head into her lap, and across the way, Adrian the angel was looking like he’d seen a ghost. Or maybe the Grim Reaper.
    The only bright spot was the obvious agony of that girl, and Devina took a moment to absorb the incandescent pain. It was the only balm she was going to have for a long, long while. The shit was going to be useful, too.
    But not now. Now, it was all she could do to keep from breaking down.
    Splaying her fingers out, Devina leaned in until her forehead touched the cool glass. “My love…”

    Some animal was loose and going crazy in the parlor.
    Oh, wait—it was her, Sissy thought.
    With her mouth wide-open and her lungs working with a seemingly endless supply of air, she was making a noise that was part lioness, part atomic bomb detonation. Staring at Jim’s lifeless body, cradling him against her, getting stained by his silver blood, she unhinged—
    And lunged at his attacker.
    Without conscious thought, she scrambled over the floor like a crab, launching herself at Colin, who remained stunned stupid either by her having smashed him on the head or because of what Jim had just done to himself.
    She went for the eyes.
    She didn’t get close. He grabbed her wrists and flipped her onto her back on the floor, straddling her and pinning her arms over her head.
    “Fuck you!” she spat at him, fighting against the hold, kicking with her legs, thrashing around. When she tried to bite him, he somehow kept her down while freeing one of his hands—which he clapped on her jaw to hold her head in place.
    He didn’t hurt her. Just let her wear herself out.
    It felt like a year until all she could do was heave for breath underneath him, and still he sat over her calmly, as if he’d put no effort into any of it at all.
    As water hit her face, she couldn’t figure out where it was coming from—
    The man was … crying. From out of the strangest-colored eyes she had ever seen, tears were falling drop by drop and landing on her cheeks. And before she knew it, her own were mixing with his, a great wellspring of emotion bursting out and taking over where the anger had been raw as the wound Jim had given himself.
    “I have lost, too,” he said in a proper English accent. “I am without as well.”
    “Why did you kill him,” she moaned, even though that was not what happened. “Why—”
    “I am sorry for your loss.” His voice cracked. “I am so sorry…”
    She turned her head and looked at Jim’s body through waves of tears. His face happened to be tilted in her direction, and for a moment, it was as if the two of them were staring at each other—except there was no life behind his eyes.
    Colin loosened his hold. Backed off a little. Backed off a lot.
    As the man, angel, whatever he was moved away from her, his legs flopped around like he meant to stand up, but didn’t have the strength or coordination. Then he rubbed his face … as if maybe that would change what was across the floor from him.
    “You wanted to kill him,” Sissy said grimly. “I don’t know why you’re so fucking surprised at this.”
    “Whate’er has he done to himself,” the angel whispered.
    From over on the sofa that had been thrown against the wall, Adrian cursed. “He went there to get Nigel back.”
    Colin’s head shot around. “I beg your pardon?”
    “He killed himself to go get your boy.”
    Colin frowned, his black