“Good luck with that,” Asmodai said.
Maybe now was the time to hand over his present. He pushed himself away from the wall and took a step toward Tara. She’d been talking in a low voice to Christian, but she glanced his way with a vaguely hostile expression in her clear green eyes. Okay, maybe the “vaguely” was wishful thinking on his part—definitely hostile.
As he came to a halt in front of her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the talisman. “I have a present for you,” he said.
Tara eyed the jewel as though it might reach across and bite her.
“What is it?” Christian asked.
“A talisman. It will protect my daughter against the white fire of the angels.”
“Give it to Roz,” Tara said. “She needs it more than me.”
Asmodai shook his head. “The white fire won’t harm Roz—her angel blood will protect her. They’ll have to find another way to kill her. But you’re half demon—the fire would burn you.”
“Take it,” Christian urged.
She peered at it dubiously. “Why don’t you keep it?”
Christ, she was suspicious. “I can take care of myself. The fire won’t kill me.”
Piers took a step closer. “But I’m betting it will hurt. And that would protect you?” He nodded at the talisman. “It must be potent stuff. I thought only the blood of Lucifer could protect from angelfire.”
Asmodai shrugged. “I did a deal.”
“Really?” Piers studied him for a moment. “Take your coat off.”
“You want me to strip? Kinky.”
“Just do it.”
Asmodai sighed. He knew where Piers was heading with this and while he didn’t want to go along, it might be for the best. He couldn’t speak of the sigil, that was part of the binding spell, but he could show it, and they would no doubt understand.
He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it on a nearby chair.
Piers studied him for a moment. “And the shirt.”
Asmodai unbuckled the shoulder holster and dropped it on top of the coat, then pulled his T-shirt over his head. Piers stepped closer and examined the sigil, which twined around his upper arm like an intricate tattoo.
“Hey, it’s like that thing Roz had,” Ryan said.
“A demon’s sigil. And not any demon—Lucifer’s.” Piers studied him out of narrowed eyes. “Shit, you indebted yourself to fucking Lucifer. Are you a total fucking asshole?”
“Hey, he’s a mate,” Asmodai said. “He’s not going to ask anything I don’t want to do.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Don’t believe all the bad press. Nobody’s all evil, just as nobody is all good.” He held out the talisman again and this time Tara took it, though her fingers shook slightly. As she lifted it over her head, he released his breath in a sigh.
“One more thing. If all else fails, break it. And he’ll come to your aid—but one time only.”
“Aw, what a sweet gesture,” Piers murmured. “The perfect gift: a visit from Lucifer. What more could a girl want from her daddy?”
The light twinkled on the black jewel, revealing glints of crimson in the dark depths, and Asmodai had a moment of foreboding. He hoped he was telling the truth and his old mate Lucifer wouldn’t ask for anything he didn’t want to give, because things could get downright nasty.
His new partner was staring at the sigil an expression of horror on his face as though it came from the devil himself—which of course it had.
The meeting was obviously over. He pulled on his shirt and buckled on the holster, while the others wandered from the room leaving him with Ryan. He threw himself down on the black leather sofa and rested his arms along the back. “Actually, now that we’re alone, I have a message for you.”
“You do?” Ryan sounded wary.
“There’s a Detective Faith Connelly in reception.”
“There is? Shit.”
“Well, she was there as I came in, and she didn’t look like she was about to leave without seeing you.”
Ryan ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. Releasing a sigh, he picked up the phone on the desk. “Graham? Is Detective Connelly still there? Let me talk to her.” He tapped his fingers on the desk as he waited. “Faith, how are you?”
He listened while she spoke.
“She’s here with you now? That’s unfortunate because Roz isn’t around. I’m not sure who told you I was working with her, but—”
Obviously, she cut him off. Ryan gave a reluctant smile at whatever she said.
“I’ll see if I can get hold of her, but I’m not promising anything. Give me a few minutes.”
He put the phone down and stood up, paced the room a couple of times. Asmodai waited for him to speak. In the end, he went back and punched a number in the phone. “Graham, can you see if Roz is still in the building?”
He paced some more.
“So who is Faith?” Asmodai said. “Nice name by the way.”