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Gabriel’s back remained arched with those golden eyes locked on the lamp above him. “Auriel oversees the daily operations.” His voice was nothing more than a strained rasp. “She’s always there when the shipments arrive. If anyone stole them, she did. She’s been complaining about the upcoming trade talks.”
Archer crossed his arms over his chest with a snort. “Do you really expect us to believe that she stole one of our shipments to get back at us for your shitty business decisions?”
“Or your growing debts,” Nico snarled at the angel’s back.
The angel stiffened. “No. She was stockpiling the guns to start a war with you fuckers. You don’t deserve the land that you’ve taken from us. North America belongs to the angels, not demons.”
The edges of my lips twitched as our prisoner was fixated on glaring at my fellow kin instead of realizing he’d just made that hole a hell of a lot deeper. Who said anything about guns?
It didn’t matter how bold his demeanor had become during the torture. It shattered as soon as the woman at his feet moaned softly. His eyes widened.
Clicking my tongue, I gestured for Archer to grab the woman.
By the time her piercing blue eyes fluttered open, the demon had swept up behind her and jerked her up onto her knees. It took several long minutes for her to register that he had her arms pinned against her folded wings and the gun of a barrel nuzzled against her temple. Those pink lips parted as her gaze fell upon her fellow angel. “G-Gabriel,” she whimpered. “What is going on? Why are we here?”
Archer brushed his lips against her hair, causing Gabriel to spit at us in his native tongue. “Did you know that every time an angel lies, a feather turns black? Rumor has it that the wings simply fall off once that final feather loses that magnificent color.”
“Don’t spin a tale about what you don’t know, demon,” Gabriel spat. “You asked me a question and I answered it.”
“Right. You want us to believe that Auriel here had a part in my missing shipment.” My tone was dry, but it delivered a powerful blow all the same.
Auriel’s eyes widened as the words registered. “W-What?” Her pasty skin lost all color. “No, that’s a lie! I was sent home every time a shipment was due to arrive in port.”
“It’s useless to lie, Auriel.” Gabriel lowered his voice to a whisper. His expression shifted into one of defeat, yet it also carried something dwelling just below the surface. Desperation.
Her blue eyes swung toward him. “I’m not lying! I swear to you, Gabriel. Someone stole their guns, but it wasn’t me. Lauriel always sent me home when we got word of the boat arriving.”
It took everything I had not to let the laughter escape into the air. Who is really innocent in this situation, then? My eyes swung toward Nico. Was there really another angel involved with this operation or were they simply spinning a tale with the meager hope that the gods would weave mercy for them? It didn’t really matter, at this point. None of us had leaked what had been at that Florida port, yet this pair seemed to know exactly what had arrived.
Gabriel had already admitted what the shipment had even been.
The curiosity was thick in Nico’s crimson gaze. He reached out to pull on the blade. “Tell us the truth, little bird. Who gave the order to steal them?”
Gabriel jolted against the chair with his eyes bulging. “L-Lauriel!”
Annoyance trickled into my veins. I never enjoyed it when an interrogation felt like we were beating around the bush. Blowing out a breath, I reached out to retrieve the lit cigar and puffed on it. It wasn’t the nicotine my body was craving, yet it was the only thing within arm’s reach to offer the necessary distraction.
Nico jammed the blade back in. “What happened to Auriel being behind the impending civil war?” he taunted.
“You fucking bastard!”
Archer let the female angel surge forward before he jerked her right back against his chest. A smirk erupted across his face as Gabriel paled from her sudden rage. “I don’t think you two are friends anymore, Gabriel,” he murmured.
Auriel twisted her head back and forth until she managed to pry her chin free from Archer’s grip. Those piercing blue eyes never left her bound companion as her upper lip curled to expose perfectly white teeth. “I’m going to kill you!” she spat.
“Looks like we’ve got a fallen angel in the making.” Archer released a soft whistle in her ear. He managed to get a firm grip on her chin, forcing her to turn her head until they locked gazes. “I can feel that anger pouring into your soul, sweetheart. Isn’t it a lovely feeling to feel all that heat? That’ll keep you nice and warm at night.”
The demon lord was having plenty of fun until the little enraged creature decided to spit in his face. That was all it took for him to shift gears with his own rage tearing through his body. A livid snarl escaped from Archer as he thrust her down onto the ground, ramming her face into the cement. He was quick to straddle her back to keep the wings pinned while she swore at him in their native tongue. Scowling, he wiped his face clean as he muttered, “Fucking bitch…”
“Perhaps that’ll teach you to quit playing with your food,” I remarked. My grin merely widened as those piercing eyes swung my way. “Just because sweet Auriel here is an angel doesn’t mean she won’t bite.”
Nico released an irritable growl that drew our attention back toward him. “We’re not getting anywhere with them pointing fingers at each other, boss. Neither one of them is willing to cop to the theft. We won’t find the shipment unless they confess where they’ve stashed it.”
“Like hell!” Gabriel spat. He swore under his breath when the demon responded by backhanding his head.
I tapped the cigar against my finger to knock away the excess ash. “Very well. Get rid of this one and send some of the boys to the warehouse. It’s time to clean house.”
All of the color drained from Gabriel’s face once my words sank in. He gaped at me. “You won’t do that,” he rasped. “Saint Angeles is angel territory. You would be declaring war with us if you harm my people on our own land.”
