I worked it over in my mind, trying to reject it, but I knew I couldn’t. “So it was an assignment for Heaven—this nexus was bad. A real threat.”

He nodded, his jaw tight. “This is exactly why I know you’re different.”

“Why?”

He surprised me by giving me a small grin. “That you even have to ask me that proves it all the more. You know that a nexus—while very rare—can’t access their powers while their human soul covers up what they really are.”

“Yeah. Natalie told me that. That’s why she had Stephen remove mine.”

Something unpleasant crossed his expression at the mention of my aunt and Stephen. “The nexus I dealt with removed his soul through dark magic. Blood magic.”

I gulped. “I’m guessing that doesn’t involve magic wands and fairy dust.”

“Not even slightly. He knew what he was doing, and was willing to sacrifice other lives in the process. Your soul was taken against your will and now you’re actively fighting to get it back.”

“I am a fighter.”

“Don’t I know it.” His lips quirked.

“This is why you don’t want the others to know about me, isn’t it? Because if Heaven or Hell found out the truth—you’d have to kill me, too.”

Any humor vanished from Bishop’s expression. It was more than enough to tell me I was right. “Like I said before, Samantha, you can’t let the others know what you are. You won’t like the results.”

He began to turn from me to return to the main club, but I grabbed his arm hard. That familiar charge of celestial energy flew between us—so powerful this time that I swear I saw literal sparks. He froze before he glanced at me again.

I held on to him tighter. “You know, you really piss me off sometimes.”

He didn’t pull away. “Excuse me?”

I hissed out a frustrated breath. “Seriously. You refuse to tell me anything about yourself, except these frustrating bits and pieces. And then when we start talking about something important, you want to turn away and ignore me. But you’re still the only person who wants to protect me. That means something to me.”

Yeah, something big. Way too big to wrap my head around.

“I’m not the only one. Kraven proved tonight he’s more than up to the task of filling in when I’m not around.” His words were tight. “You really don’t think he likes you? I saw the way he was kissing you—tonight and Saturday night. Maybe you should think again.”

Kraven didn’t like me. At all. The two times he’d kissed me—that was only because there wasn’t any other choice. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”

This earned a short, humorless laugh. “Not many people have ever called me ridiculous before. But okay. Don’t let him fool you, though. The brother I knew—that one you might have seen in my memory—is long gone. He’s a demon now. Just because he’s able to play the part of a charmingly sarcastic Boy Scout now and then doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.”

“I guess you have that in common.”

“You’re right. We do.”

“But you’re an angel, not a demon. I know that means you’re good, even if you don’t totally believe it yourself. If you tell me more about your past, I won’t hold it against you. I swear I won’t, Bishop.”

His brows drew tightly together. “Why do you want to know so badly?”

“I just do.” I couldn’t tell him the truth. I couldn’t tell him that I wanted to know because every single time I saw him I fell that much harder for him. He might feel the need to protect me, he might feel something for me, but in his mind it was all due to his soul and my hunger. And that hadn’t been proven otherwise.

But for me, I knew it was different. Hunger and heart—they weren’t the same thing, no matter how hard he tried to justify it and explain it away.

No matter how he might have looked at Cassandra, or how much they had in common with each other, he didn’t look at her in the same intense way he looked at me.

The way he was looking at me right now.

He hissed out a breath. “We don’t have time for this right now.”

I sent another furtive glance toward the main club through the beaded curtain. I couldn’t see Kraven anywhere. And Stephen wasn’t around, either. I knew we needed to be out there right now, but I had to do this. I had to know the truth.

“Let me see your memories. You don’t even have to tell me about them—maybe you can just show me. We can try.”

“Samantha, you need to stop being so concerned with my past and be more worried about your future.” His jaw tightened. “And make sure you keep that dagger on you at all times. No matter what. Do you have it tonight?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

He glared at me. “You’re seriously the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. You know that?”

I glared back. “Ditto.” Then I froze as he pressed me back against the wall and slid his hand down my side and over my thigh. “What are you doing?”

“Checking something.”

My heart slammed hard against my rib cage and the delicious scent of him, of his soul, was slowly driving me crazy. He was so close. And his touch, even if it was through my jeans, not against my bare skin, had helped shut off my senses to everything around us—no music, no voices, no crowd, nobody else—only this moment.