Chapter 4

“Is that the way angels talk?”

“What does it take to get through to you? I told you, I’m not a fuckin’ angel!”

“All right, if you want to hire me—”

“Didwant to hire you. Not now.” He turned, opened the door, and said, “I’ll leave the way I came. Thanks for nothing.”

“Get your ass back in here, and sit down,” Lathe growled. “It’s getting late, and if you go out there with all that lace on you, you’ll get beat up before you get ten feet.”

“Hey, creep, you can’t tell me what to do.”

“Shut up and tell me why you need a bodyguard.”

“Hey, Lucifer, why don’t you just do the world a favor and stick the barrel of that scarred-up gun to your head and blow your brains out? If I were you, I wouldn’t count on anyone even caring enough to shed a tear.”

“Lucifer, huh? You didn’t just come up with that name.”

“That’s what they call you on the street. I doubted it at first, but after meeting you I can see that the name fits perfectly.”