was more of an effort than it should be. This was about gathering information, not fighting. A good hunter was patient and controlled. And he was the best there was.
“Excellent idea. Take her.” Gabriel stood back and held out his hand as if clearing a path for them. “And sign the damn contract.”
Maccus waited with her by his side. He’d wait forever before he’d let either one of these two be at his back.
Alone, he might take his chances. It would be interesting to pit himself against them both at the same time. But he had Morrigan to protect.
Lucifer broke first. He glanced at his watch and gave an aggrieved sigh. “I have a meeting to attend. I’ll deal with you later,” he warned her before striding out the door without a backward glance.
“I guess I’m next.” Gabriel gave them both a little salute and followed, pausing at the door to give a little wave.
“Holy shit,” she breathed when both men were gone. When she started to slump, Maccus dragged her upright.
“Not now. Not here.” He tossed enough money on the table to cover their breakfast along with a decent tip and headed out with her hand still locked in his. No way was he letting her go until they were safely back in his apartment.
…
Lucifer was waiting for him when Gabriel left the diner. By unspoken agreement, they kept silent until they were well away.
“Why did you send the hunter to kill Maccus?” It was brilliant. Gabriel was annoyed he hadn’t thought of it himself. Although, the hunter was under his brother’s control, not his.
Lucifer led the way down the narrow alleyway and leaned against the brick wall, not the least bit worried about the filth. Dirt wouldn’t dare soil his jacket. How his brother lived in those suits was beyond him, but the word was he only wore them when he was topside, rarely in his own realm. Gabriel had never personally been to Hell and planned to keep it that way.
Lucifer tugged down the cuff on his right sleeve until it was aligned to his liking with the jacket. “I knew you wanted her dead. I thought it expedient to bring them together more quickly.”
“But now he’s protecting her,” he pointed out, which pissed him off to no end. Maccus was a killer. He should have signed the damn contract and already fulfilled it.
“Yes, he is.” Lucifer smiled. “And isn’t that interesting.”
Admittedly, his brother understood the nature of humans, demons, and angels better than he did. “He’s less likely to kill her.”
Lucifer shook his head and sighed. “Have you learned nothing over the eons you’ve existed?”
His fingers itched to draw his golden sword and smite his brother. But if such a thing were possible, he would have done so a long time ago. “I’ve learned plenty, but please, enlighten me.”
“Think of it. The closer they become, the more it will destroy him when he has to kill her. And it will happen. Her life and that of her sister hang in the balance. At some point, she’ll attempt to end him. When she does, he’ll finish her.” He brushed his hands together as if dusting them off. “Job is done, and everyone is happy. Well, we are. And that’s all that matters.”
Gabriel smiled. Maybe his brother wasn’t totally useless after all. “That’s why you showed up at the same time I did. To put the pressure on.”
He shrugged. “I had nothing to lose. Either I took her back to Hell, tortured her a bit, and then sent her back to try again—or Maccus decided to put her under his protection for the time being. Both are wins for me. I never lose.”
That was debatable since Lucifer was in Hell and not Heaven, but Gabriel was willing to let it go. “So, what now?”
“We wait.” He glanced at his watch. “I really do have a meeting. And if things progress too slowly, I’ll send her on another bounty hunt. She can’t say no. If she does, her contract is forfeit and it’s straight back down for her.”