Playing With Fire

by Cynthia Eden

  He wanted to keep her there, right in his arms.

  He would be keeping Cassie. Could almost understand his brother’s obsession.

  Almost.

  Would he kill for her?

  Yes.

  In an instant.

  He’d kill to protect her. He’d destroy anyone who sought to hurt her.

  Her fingers were on his back, sliding over his skin in the softest of caresses. Her heartbeat drummed at a frantic rate—he could feel the wild thunder—and her breath panted out softly.

  “I used to wonder . . . what it would be like with you,” Cassie whispered.

  Dante forced his head to lift. His gaze held hers.

  “It’s better than I thought.” Her smile was so wide and beautiful.

  He stared at her a moment, feeling lost.

  Was it her siren’s song? Was she still pushing power through her words?

  No, he realized. It was just . . . Cassie.

  Her hands kept caressing his back. “You always feel so warm.”

  The fire always burned within him.

  Her gaze held his. “Should I ever worry about your flames?”

  No, not her.

  But before he could speak, a loud alarm pierced the air, echoing around them.

  “Not again!” Cassie cried.

  Yes, fucking again. But at least he’d had her before more chaos came calling.

  Adrenaline flooded through Dante as he carefully pulled away from Cassie. Who had found them—or who was being attacked this time?

  Cassie yanked on her clothes and rushed toward a series of monitors. She tapped on a keyboard and the images on those screens sharpened.

  Dante stared at the image of a tall, muscled man. A man who had his arms wrapped round the shoulders of a dark-haired woman. Dante had never seen the man before, but, as he stared at that screen, tension gripped him. An instinctive, battle-ready edge that could only mean one thing.

  Another of my kind.

  “They’re here early,” Cassie said as she frowned at the screen. “I didn’t expect Cain and Eve to arrive until—” Her words ended in a startled gasp as Dante picked her up and carried her toward the small supply closet.

  “Dante? Dante, what the hell are you doing? Put me down!”

  Red began to coat his vision.

  Another phoenix, a male, near his siren.

  No.

  He put her down—inside the closet. She stared at him with disbelief in her green eyes, looking for all the world like she thought he’d just gone insane.

  Maybe he had. “Stay here.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Those are my friends out there! Hell, no, I’m not going to—”

  He slammed the door. Locked it. Cassie would not be getting in the middle of his battle.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  He heard the sound of her small fists pummeling the door. More thuds—was she kicking it, too? It sure sounded that way.

  “We just had sex!” she cried. “You can’t do this to me! You can’t lock me in here!”

  He could. He had. And the sex had been phenomenal.

  “Let me out of here!”

  “I will,” he promised. “Once the threat is gone.”

  Dead silence. Then she said, “That’s why you came. Not to help me. You wanted me to lead you to the other phoenixes!”

  His hand pressed against the door. “We’re a dangerous lot. Not to be trusted.”

  “Yeah, tell me something I didn’t just figure out when you locked me in the closet!”

  His hand dropped. “He would have turned on you. With your siren blood, it would have been only a short time before he realized what you were. I’m protecting you.” Dante spun away from the closet.

  It had been so long since he’d battled another phoenix. He didn’t know how old Cain O’Connor was, but the guy couldn’t be as old as he was.

  So Cain wouldn’t be as strong.

  More pounding came from the closet. “Dante, no! Don’t do this! Cain and Eve are here to help! Dammit, don’t!”

  Dante would do anything to keep her safe.

  Killing had always been easy for him.

  When he’d watched his brother die, he had sworn to never be fooled by another of his kind. Cassie wouldn’t understand just how deceptive a phoenix could be.

  He knew.

  “Dante!”

  He left her.

  The sound of his footsteps faded away. Cassie had her left ear flattened against the wood of the door and knew when he left her. Actually left her locked in the closet.

  Damn him!

  The only light she had spilled beneath the door, showing her pretty much nothing. She spun around, fumbling in the darkness as her heart raced. She didn’t have much time. Dante was going after Cain, and she would not let Cain die.

  He used me.

  She’d thought—so foolishly—that Dante had wanted to help her, but all along, she’d just been a means to an end for him.

  A siren? Total BS. Another line he’d spewed so that she’d trust him.

  The absolute worst part was that she could still feel the jerk inside her. Her sex was flushed and sensitive—from him.

  And he’d just locked my ass in a supply closet.

  She’d gone from having an absolutely mind-numbing orgasm one minute to being shoved into a dirty supply closet. Dante’s after-sex technique sucked on so many levels.

  Her fingers closed around the wooden pole of a mop. She tried ramming it into the door.

  The thuds were louder than they’d been when she’d used her fists, but the door didn’t open.

  “Help!” Cassie screamed. This can’t be happening. I can’t actually be trapped like this.

  Eve was her friend. Cain had been nothing but good to her.

  And Dante . . .

  The two phoenixes couldn’t battle. When they did, only one survived.

  “Help!” Cassie screamed again.

  She was very much afraid that no one was coming to her aid.

  “Help!”

  The cry reached Trace’s ears and his beast tensed. He knew he was more beast than man. He knew that his control was gone, and . . . some days, he almost wished for death.

  Almost?

  The cry pierced through the rage his beast carried, reaching the man inside. There was something about that voice. Something that spoke to the beast and the man.

  Cassie.

  Her image appeared in his mind. Her dark hair. Her soft hands. She’d never hurt him. Always promised to help. And when she whispered to him, things did seem better. The rage cooled within him.

  But something was wrong.

  He opened his mouth and howled.

  Cassie shouldn’t be crying for help. Cassie couldn’t be hurt. She was his last hope.

  He howled again and jerked at the chains that bound him. The silver burned, cutting deep into him, but he didn’t care.

  Help her.

  The beast snarled and his muscles burned. He pulled and pulled . . . and the chains began to snap.

  Dante wasn’t going to bring the battle down to Cassie. She would be safe in the little underground lair that she’d made for herself.

  Silently, he rode the elevator up to the ground level. The other phoenix would not know that he was coming. His guard would be lowered.

  The better for me to attack.

  Cassie had been calling for help when he’d left her. Her cries had twisted his guts, but he hadn’t stopped. He remembered, too well, what it was like when another phoenix came for you.

  Brother . . . why? I meant you no harm.

  But his brother had just laughed. As long as you live, you’re a threat. Didn’t you learn anything from the others?

  Once, there had been a dozen phoenixes in their village. They’d been the power . . . until they turned on one another.

  The fire led to bloodlust. Fury. The need to dominate and control.

  For days, their village had been turned black with ash.

&
nbsp; Others—humans down the mountainside—had started to spread rumors of dragons attacking.

  There had been no dragons.

  Dante stared down at his hands. Saw fire.

  Only us.

  He hadn’t wanted to kill his brother. Wren had given him no choice. Dante had been burning. Wren and his siren had come at him as he rose, come for his head and his heart.

  They’d almost taken his head.

  But his phoenix hadn’t been ready for death.

  The phoenix who stands last is the only one with power. Wren’s panting words to him. I will stand last. I will have the power. You, brother, will have hell.

  Dante squared his shoulders. The elevator doors opened. Cain had his back to him—such a mistake. He saw the man’s dark hair, a shade very similar to Dante’s own.

  Cain spun toward him.

  His eyes widened. “You’re not—where’s Cassie?” He grabbed the woman with him and shoved her behind his back.

  Dante’s nostrils flared. The woman’s scent . . . speaking of dragons. He hadn’t caught that particular scent in centuries. Those two were even more of a threat than he’d first thought.

  Dante stepped forward. The elevator closed behind him. His gaze slid to the woman as she peered over her man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” Dante told her. “I didn’t want to kill you.” He shook his head. “Leave now, and I will spare you.” Even though he knew what she was.

  “Who are you?” the woman whispered.

  Dante lifted his hands. The fire was burning so brightly now. Spinning. Flaming. “I’m death.”

  Cain gave a rough laugh. “Am I supposed to be impressed by that shit? I can conjure, too.” In an instant, he had fire flaring in his own hands.

  Dante smiled. He hadn’t expected much of a challenge from this one. He’d been wrong. “What have you had? Maybe fifty risings? And probably all during your captivity at Genesis.”

  Cain’s dark eyes narrowed—his eyes look like mine—as he glared at Dante. “Did Cassie tell you about me?”

  “I can smell the risings. Hell leaves its own stamp on us.”

  “That why I can smell brimstone on you?”

  “I’ve risen more times than you can imagine.” Maybe that was why he had to fight so hard to cling to his sanity. “And I will be the one who rises again. You will be the one to stay in hell this time.”

  “No!” The woman yelled from behind Cain. She tried to lunge forward, but he pushed her back. The fire didn’t burn her. Of course, it didn’t. One sniff, and Dante knew that the woman had dragon shifter blood in her body—there was no mistaking that scent. Fire wouldn’t harm her.

  There were still plenty of other ways for her to die.

  “She doesn’t belong in this battle,” Dante said softly.

  “Send her away. Face me on your own.”

  “Why the hell are you doing this?” the woman yelled. Eve. Cassie had called her Eve.

  Cassie . . .

  Help!

  Was she still crying for help?

  “It’s what we do.” The answer came from Cain. His voice was grim. “Our kind—we kill. I told you that before.”

  “We’re here to help Trace!” Eve shouted. “This isn’t supposed to be about killing!”

  She almost reminded Dante of Cassie.

  “Step back,” he warned her.

  “Swear that she will stay unharmed,” Cain demanded.

  Dante inclined his head. “When I kill you, I will let her live.”

  “No!” Eve’s voice was nearly a shriek.

  Cain laughed again. The flames died above his hands. “No, dumbass. I meant don’t hurt her during our battle. While I’m killing you.” He reached under his jacket, yanking out a gun.

  He lifted the gun and fired at Dante.

  The closet door swung open. Because Cassie was aiming again with her mop, she tumbled forward, and the mop clipped Charles on the side of his head.

  “Ow!” He frowned at her. “See if I rush to your rescue again.” He hurriedly stepped back, adjusting his lab coat. “You don’t attack your rescuer, Cass. You know that, right? It’s bad form.”

  She shoved him out of her way and rushed toward the security screens. “He’s got a gun.” Of course Cain would have come armed. The man wasn’t the type to take chances. That gun was aimed at Dante.

  Hands slick with sweat and body tight with fear, Cassie whirled away from the monitors and ran for the door.

  “You’re welcome!” Charles called out behind her.

  “Thank you!” she yelled and flew for the elevator. She had to get up to the ground level. If Cain shot Dante, she didn’t even want to think about what would happen next.

  Fire.

  Rising.

  Death.

  Not Dante’s. She didn’t actually think anything was strong enough to kill him permanently, not after all she’d seen during his years of captivity at Genesis.

  She didn’t want Cain to die. He’d been a captive at Genesis, too. Tortured, hurt. The man had just found happiness with Eve. Neither one of them deserved to have that happiness snatched away.

  Cassie jumped into the elevator. “Hurry, hurry,” she whispered under her breath. She realized that she was still clutching the mop. As weapons went, it wasn’t exactly a major threat.

  Not that she had a whole lot of options.

  She sucked in a deep breath and hoped that when those elevator doors opened, fire didn’t greet her.

  Charles watched Cassie vanish. He wasn’t sure how the woman had wound up in the closet. When she stopped running, he’d be sure to get that story from her.

  He glanced over at the monitors. Oh, hell, that looked like a situation he didn’t want to—

  The door crashed open behind him. Charles spun around, his hand automatically rising to his chest.

  He’s out. Fuck, fuck. He’s out!

  The werewolf stood before him. If possible, the man’s features had become more twisted in the form of a beast. He was bigger than before. Charles was sure of that. And the werewolf ’s claws were much sharper now, too.

  Bad. So very bad.

  As Charles stared at him in horror, the beast dropped down onto all fours and let out a deep, rumbling growl. When those glowing eyes locked on him, Charles was pretty sure that he saw his own death reflected in that gaze.

  “No,” Charles whispered. “Please, I tried to help you. Don’t you remember that?”

  The beast snarled.

  Charles ran forward and dove into the closet. He yanked the door shut behind him just as claws drove through the wood, coming through about two inches away from his head.

  So damn bad.

  The bullet exploded from the gun, rushing right at Dante. He couldn’t help it. He smiled as he pushed his flames hotter. Higher.

  The bullet melted before it could ever touch him.

  Above the crackle of the flames, he heard the woman’s shocked gasp.

  “When you’re as old as I am, the power is so much greater,” Dante murmured. He let his flames flicker away so that he could meet Cain’s stare once more. “Want to try again? Feel free to shoot every bullet in your gun.”

  Cain’s hold tightened on the weapon.

  “But you should know, they won’t hurt me.” Dante tilted his head. “Though they will piss me off.”

  Eve’s hands fisted in the material of Cain’s shirt. “Cain . . .” Fear threaded his name.

  Dante heard the grind of a motor. The elevator. Lifting up once more.

  He couldn’t have an enemy at his back and one at his front. He leaped to the side, not sure who he would see when the doors slid open. Cassie was safe in the closet—

  The doors parted to reveal Cassie’s worried face.

  “Cassie!” Dante roared. He tried to leap toward her.

  Too late. His roar had revealed far too much.

  Cain had rushed toward her, too. Cain reached her first. Cain wrapped his arms around Cassie and pulled her close against him.

&nbs
p; Dante hadn’t intended to make the phoenix shifter’s death particularly brutal. In that moment, he changed his mind.

  The woman—Eve—had frozen, but Cain hurried back to her, pulling Cassie in front of him like the shield that she was.

  “You want to let her go,” Dante snapped.

  Cain shook his head and put his gun to Cassie’s head.

  The fool.

  “What are you doing?” Eve demanded. “That’s Cassie! She’s helping Trace!”

  The elevator doors closed.

  Cain shook his head again. “She set us up, don’t you see that? Lured us out here so he could attack.”

  Cassie’s wild-eyed stare landed on Dante. “I didn’t,” she whispered. “I didn’t know what he’d planned.”

  Dante saw betrayal in her stare, and that look made him feel strange. His chest ached.

  “Move the gun away from her head,” he ordered.

  The gun didn’t move.

  “Cain!” Eve snapped.

  “Don’t move the gun,” Cassie said in the same instant.

  What?

  “Eve, call up the elevator,” Cassie said softly. “You, Cain, and I will go inside it. Dante won’t—He won’t hurt us as long as I’m in front of you two.”

  She was choosing to protect them? Even as that jackass pressed a gun to her head?

  Cassie held Dante’s gaze. “I’ll lock the system down once we’re inside. He won’t be able to follow us.”

  No, no. That would not happen.

  “Cassie . . .” Her name was a warning growl from Dante.

  Cain slowly backed them toward the elevator.

  “You don’t follow us,” Cassie whispered to Dante. “You just . . . get the hell out of here. Don’t look for us, and we won’t look for you.”

  He didn’t think Cain was going to agree to that plan. The expression on the guy’s face promised retribution.

  Dante wasn’t leaving him alive. “That’s not happening,” he vowed.

  “You used me,” Cassie said, shaking her head.

  Had her voice broken? It had. Broken with pain.

  “I trusted you, but you just wanted to hurt them.”

  “No,” Dante said. “I wanted to kill the phoenix.” It was what he’d been taught to do. The only way he’d survived.