Unchained

Michael had forgotten about him. He looked over and saw the detective had his head in his bloodstained hands.

Before Nathaniel could respond, Sandy returned. “Nathaniel?”

He inclined his head sharply, not missing the dire tone in her voice. “Don’t tell me.”

She looked stricken and afraid. Stray hairs had come undone, and her fingers twitched at her side. “I went to Lily’s room,” she said. Her nervous glance bounced off Nathaniel and Micah. “She’s gone.”

Luke went rigid.

Michael’s stomach dropped. He turned to Nathaniel, praying his suspicion wasn’t spot-on. “She wouldn’t.” He glanced down at Micah. “No, she wouldn’t.”

Nathaniel met his stare. “Lily would. She went after Julian.”

Chapter Twenty-seven

Lily raced through the downpour, slipping over the rain-slicked roofs and down ledges. Nothing could erase the image of Micah’s torn body.

Let me take care of Micah? No. No. No.

Had he done this for her? Oh God, she was going to be sick.

It didn’t matter that she suspected Micah. He hadn’t deserved that. No one deserved that.

She stumbled, then fell. Sliding down the slate roof of an old factory, she caught herself at the last moment. Lily hauled herself up, huddling against an awning as her world came crashing down.

Not Julian. He couldn’t have done this. Ripped the Nephilim to bloody shreds, and for what? You shared your suspicions with him. He had offered to take care of him. What did you expect him to do? No! She had given him…everything. And her heart—oh God, she had fallen in love with him. Now she realized this? Now?

It couldn’t be true, but it was. Luke had seen it, and he would never lie to her, no matter how badly he hated Julian.

Lily pressed her fist to her mouth, smothering a scream.

She had defended him, intervened when Micah would have seriously injured if not killed him, and she…loved him. She saw Julian dangling Micah over the rooftop. Remembered his beautiful face twisting into a near hideous snarl as Micah tried to slip his dagger into his chest. What had she done? She had grabbed the dagger and tossed it aside.

She opened her eyes, staring at the dark sky as rain poured down her face.

Why aren’t you like them?

Who says I’m not?

His snarling face was replaced by the one who touched her so tenderly. Held her in his arms, made love to her, and coaxed her slowly into his world…into loving him.

She launched herself off the awning, landing on the next building. Lightning crashed overhead, and thunder echoed off the steel around her. The storm was nothing compared to what she felt inside.

Within minutes she landed on the balcony of her apartment. She had left in such a rush, she hadn’t grabbed her keys or anything. Thunder boomed overhead as Lily threw the small white chair through the reinforced glass door. It shattered into a dozen large shards. She unlocked the door, paying no attention to the piece of sharp glass that caught her hand and sliced it open. She didn’t even flinch. In fact, she welcomed the hot sliver of pain that cut through the haze of a different kind of raw hurting.

Lily stepped into her apartment; the soaked shirt clung to her skin, and her hair curled around her face. Each step she took left little puddles of water and blood behind. She left the balcony doors wide open.

In no time, the familiar awareness shifted through her. With her back to the door, she closed her eyes against the onslaught of sorrow and rage.

“Lily?”

Her shoulders stiffened at the deep sound of his voice.

“What’s happened? I could…sense something is wrong. You’re hurt.”

She inhaled a ragged breath. With her heart imploding into useless mush, she faced him. His shirt clung to his stomach, following the supple ripple of flesh and hard muscle of his chest. Rain dripped from his thick eyelashes, and his eyes burned brightly.

Could something so beautiful be such a monster?

She saw Micah’s battered body. Saw the way Luke looked at her. She remembered Nathaniel’s warnings. He is a Fallen. Never forget that.

“Julian.” The pain, the deep sense of regret for what she had to do was visible in that one word.

Julian noted the shards of glass. “Lily, what happened? Are you okay?”

“You know what happened.” She held up her hand. “Don’t come any closer.”

Something flickered in his fathomless eyes. “Lily?”

She lowered her head. Her chest rose and fell with every painful breath, and her fingers curled. “How could you do that to him?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t lie to me!” she screamed. All the anger and pain bubbled over. She took a step toward him. “How could you do this? I trusted you!”

Julian raised his hand. “Lily—stop for a second. Tell me what you think I did.”

“You ripped Micah to pieces!” She shuddered, and the daggers slipped from her cuffs. She watched as his gaze narrowed upon her hands, then returned to her face. “You tore the flesh off him! Did you do this for me? Because I suspected him?”

Julian didn’t flinch. He met her wild stare with his own. “Don’t do this, Lily.”

There was no apology. No excuse—nothing. It felt like her heart had shattered all over again. “I have no choice. You left me no choice.”

“I will not fight you.”

Her eyes drifted shut briefly. She turned cold and numb. Duty, she told herself. You have your duty, if not your heart or sanity. “Then you will die.”

She flew at him. He stumbled backward, caught off guard by the intensity behind each kick and blow she delivered. The edge of her blade etched across his chest. A bright red line blossomed and bled through his damp shirt.

But he did not attack. Julian blocked what he could, but Lily moved like a whirlwind. Her jabs were quick and precise. Another red line inked down his cheek.

“Fight me!” she screamed at him again.

“I will not hurt you.” He blocked her swing.

“You already have!”

He flinched again, as if her words wounded him more than the edge of her blade. As Lily attacked, she thought of nothing but the blinding pain and shame she felt for trusting him, for loving him. Her thoughts were an irrational mess; her eyes brimmed with tears she refused to shed. And, my God, it had been Micah instead of her who ended up like Anna.

Julian knocked her arm away as her blade skated across his chest once more. “Stop this, Lily!”

She hit him with a double kick, slamming him into the wall. “I loved you!” she shrieked as she brought her right arm down on his chest.

Julian froze. Those bright eyes caught hers; his hands fell to his side. His beautiful face constricted. “Lily,” he whispered.

She faltered. She couldn’t catch her breath as she stared into those eyes. Lily saw him the first time he had saved her from Baal. Images of Julian carrying her back to the bedroom flashed before her. Kissing her, slipping inside her, and how he held her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. The way her heart swelled when she saw him, or the way her pulse quickened when he said her name so softly. She couldn’t move.

Somehow she still loved him.