Page 6 of Fallen

Isaac grinned toothily and held out a hand. “Awesome. Pleased to see the rumors were true. Come find me the next time you feel the need. I’d love to dance another round.”

Alex shook his hand, then Luke’s, and jogged over to Nathan, hope tightening his chest.

“What’s up?” he asked.

Nathan nodded over at the other two men, who were already facing off again. “Impressive fighting there. You could learn a lot from those two. They’re very good.”

“Yeah.” He stretched his shoulders. “I think I’ll be sore.”

Nathan chuckled, but it was a weak thing. “Don’t forget we’ve got training this afternoon.”

Alex bobbed his head. “I’m good, I’m good, no worries. Did you talk to Sloan yet? What’d he say about the murders?”

Nathan sighed, passing a hand over his short hair. “I’m sorry, Alex.”

“What?” His stomach dropped.

“Sloan gave the case to another squad.”

Frustration clawed up his throat. “What? Why?” They couldn’t do this. They couldn’t deny him the chance to avenge his family. Heneededthis.

Nathan pursed his lips, hesitating.

“Nate, just tell me, please,” he croaked.

“Because of you,” he said gently. “He was afraid you were too close to it, that you wouldn’t be able to remain objective during the hunt.”

Alex’s throat tightened. “No, he can’t do this. I’ve waited so long, Nate, Ihaveto do this.”

Nathan shook his head. “You’ve got to let it go, Alex. You can do a lot of good here—you alreadyhavedone a lot of good. It just won’t involve fighting that particular demon.”

“But…” He didn’t want some other squad to take this hunt. He’d waited so long to find the demon that killed his family. He couldn’t just sit back and watch someone else avenge them.Heneeded to be the one to see that demon fall. It was the only way he’d find peace.

“You’ve got to find a way to be okay with that. The demon will die one way or another. You just won’t be the one doing the killing.”

Alex couldn’t just leave it. “What if I talk to Sloan? I could tell him I’ll?—”

“No, Paladin Hawk,” he said sternly, and Alex’s mouth snapped shut, his spine going rigid at the commanding tone. “Pursuing this will only make you look obsessed. The best thing you can do is let it go. Our squad will have new orders in a few days, and then you’ll have something else to focus on. In the meantime,” Nathan cast about for something, “why don’t you take the day off? It looks like you’ve already done a fair bit of training this morning. Get some distance, screw your head on straight.”

“This thingkilled my family,” Alex snarled, white-knuckling the wooden sword in his hand.

Nathan’s expression didn’t change, soft with sympathy but otherwise unyielding. “I know. Michael’s squad will make sure that it doesn’t hurt any others.”

Alex shook his head weakly. He didn’t want Michael’s squad to do it. That wasn’t good enough.Hewanted to do it. Hedeservedto.

He searched desperately for something else to say, unable to accept things as they stood. “But… Nate, nobody will be more motivated to kill this demon than me. I want to see itdie. Surely you can understand that.”

Nathan softened. “Of course I understand. But Alex, we’re all equally motivated to protect the innocent. Michael’s squad knows what they’re doing. Maybe you don’t get to kill this demon, but you’re still making the world a better place every time you pick up your holy blades. That’s the most important thing here. Trust in God’s plan, Paladin Hawk.”

He didn’t care about God’s plan. He didn’t even care how sacrilegious that sounded. He cared about his baby sister and brother’s entrails on the carpet, his parents’ twisted bodies. No one was more invested in killing this demon than Alex was.

He swallowed back every furious, snarling reply that clawed up his throat and nodded piously. Arguing wasn’t going to get him what he wanted. “I… think you’re right. I think I’ll take the day to get some distance.”

“I think that’s a good idea. Take all the time you need.”

Alex turned away, feeling more lost than ever.

Alex drove mindlesslyback to his apartment and parked in the lot across the street. He turned the ignition off—and sat there, staring out at the mini-mart on the other side of the chainlink fence surrounding three sides of the lot.

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