threat is…and how to eliminate it. Or them, as the case may be.
“Katrina…” he begins almost desperately.
“No, Raz. Don’t even think about it. We made it this far, and I’ll be damned if we don’t finish. So grow a pair of ovaries and walk me through this. I’ll be fine, and you can spank me senseless when we get home. Deal?” I beseech him with my gaze to trust in me, trust in us, until he finally concedes with a pained sigh.
“All right.” He nods once…and then a second time, as if he’s reassuring himself. “It’s on the second floor of this ‘library,’ in the angel Gabriel’s office. He’s in charge of placement when the big man isn’t around.”
“He’ll probably have hundreds and hundreds of books and papers. How will I know what I’m looking for?” I ask, fiddling with the bottom of my shirt.
“Magic, baby girl,” Raz explains. “All of the older angel placements will be magically filed away already. Only current placements will be in his office. I don’t know for sure what you’re looking for—a book with a list of names and cities? A map?—but it’ll be there.”
“You can do this, Trina,” Van encourages. “We’ll be right here waiting.”
Kastros, still hovering near the hall, nods his head in solidarity, eyes emanating warmth and love.
The guys are counting on me. They need me to do this, for them and for us.
Pull up your big girl panties, Katrina, and get your head in the game.
“All right.” I begin to jump up and down in place again. “Let’s do this, bitch.”
Without waiting for any of them to change their minds, I take a step forward, breaching the invisible line that prohibits my guys from entering. I wince, half expecting to explode into flames, but when nothing happens, I physically sag in relief.
“Okay, good. You’re not going to explode, Katrina,” I murmur to myself—like some fucked-up, crazy cat lady. Yeah, I reached that level, apparently.
“Did you really think we’d allow you to enter the room if we thought for even a second you’d spontaneously combust?” Raz growls from behind me, sounding both offended and hurt.
“Of course not!” I reply…rather unconvincingly, if I’m being completely honest. But come on. Me? A pure soul? It’s almost laughable. I mean, sure, I don’t have sex all the time or murder people like my demons. And yes, I prefer staying inside and curling up on the couch with a good book. And I always look at my flashcards for decathlon—
Oh. My. God.
I’m a nerd.
How did this only just occur to me?
“Katrina!” Van calls anxiously. “Are you okay?”
“Yup.” My voice is unnaturally high-pitched, and it takes considerable effort to dial it down a dozen notches. “Just…thinking.”
“You can think when you’re back here,” Raz thunders roughly, and I don’t even need to look to know that his handsome face will be set in his customary scowl. And I know then that I need to hurry. Not for myself, though. I have no doubt that if I’m not back in what Raz deems a reasonable amount of time, he’ll charge inside, spontaneous combustion or not. All of my demons will.
That’s just one of the many things I love about them. And hate about them, dammit, because I prefer my lovers in one piece.
Steeling myself, I walk briskly towards the tallest stack of books where I noted a staircase earlier. I need to be quick but efficient. I can’t waste time in my own head when we could get caught at any damn second. Raz assured me that the library was empty, but how is he positive? What if there’s someone hiding? What if Gabriel—the fucking Gabriel—is in his office? What if—
Breathe, Katrina, I mentally chastise myself. Just take a goddamn—err, I mean, devildamn breath.
When I feel as if I’m under control, like I’m not going to spiral down the rabbit hole, I resume my climb up the surprisingly steep staircase. The railing itself is hewn from what appears to be rubies. Heaven only knows—pun unintended—that I’ve never seen a real one up close before, but that’s my best guess. It practically seems to shine in the bright, illuminating lights.
My pulse skitters with nerves and anticipation as I reach the second floor. By this point, I can’t see any of my men, and I just know they’ll be freaking out. Kastros will be wanting to charge in and lift me over his shoulder to physically drag me back home. Raz will be pacing and muttering about how much of