INTO THE FIRE (Forbidden Love)

by James, Danielle

  “I can’t believe you could take advantage of people that way,” Leigh grumbled.

  “If the price is too steep, maybe you and I can work out a deal,” he offered. His face was twisted into a suggestive leer. Ewe.

  “I’ll pay.” Leigh fished the money out of her wallet, more pissed off than anything. She had to sleep. There was no way around it. “Here,” she said, shoving the money at the guy. “I need at least three hours. Can someone call the room to make sure I’m awake?”

  “Wake up calls are an extra fifty,” Gross and ugly said. “Unless you want me to personally wake you. I could do that for free.” He wagged the caterpillars over his eyes suggestively. Leigh’s stomach turned.

  “No thanks,” Leigh said, snatching the key from his fingers. She stormed out of the office trying not to vomit at the picture his lewd suggestions made in her head.

  She opened the door to her room and had to hold her breath. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and sex, urine and probably vomit. The first thing she did was open the small window in hopes of airing the room out. Her feet made small crunching noises on the swag carpet that looked like it was something out of the seventies. She didn’t even want to contemplate what might be on it to make it crunchy.

  At least, someone had put crisp, clean sheets on the bed. She locked the door and took her cell phone out of her pocket. She hadn’t intended to turn it on, but it looked like she was going to have to. She needed an alarm. No way was she going to risk oversleeping and Mr. Gross and Ugly letting himself in to wake her. No fucking way.

  Once her alarm was set, Leigh pulled back the covers and dropped onto the bed. She didn’t give herself time to think of all the wonderful nasty things that she might be sharing the bed with. Instead, as soon as her head hit the pillow, she commanded herself to sleep.

  SIX

  “I got a trace going on all of her credit cards and her cell phone,” Samuel told Angel while standing in the living room of Leigh’s small apartment. Rebel and Sebastian were searching the inside for any clues she may have left, while the others were outside looking for, well, anything. Anything that might be useful. “Right now, there’s no signal on her phone, which means she probably has it turned off. But sooner or later she’ll turn it on and we will be able to trace her signal.” Sometimes being a cop had its perks. Like being able to track a cell phone without giving a reason.

  “Good, let me know the minute you get something.” Angel was sniffing the air, looking for Mr. Keller’s scent. “I know he’s been here,” he said. “It’s very faint. But his scent is here. It’s as if he only walked in long enough to decide that she wasn’t here and left. And the smell is mingling with Leigh’s scent, so it’s damn near impossible to detect. But I don’t think she’s with him.”

  “Her clothes are gone,” Rebel said as he strolled into the living room. He had personally searched her bedroom, unwilling to let anyone else do the job. Said he didn’t want anyone else invading her privacy. Actually snarled at Sebastian for trying to follow him into the room. Mates were very protective like that.

  “What else?”

  “Well, she took her purse and her cash, but it looks like she left in a hurry. Her bookshelf is missing several titles that were all together on the shelf. Like she just grabbed a stack and left the rest behind. Like she only had so much room for them. I know she loves her books, so I’m guessing that she wouldn’t have left them behind if she could have helped it.”

  “You’re probably right. I wonder where she went,” Angel mused. “And is she running from our little visitor today?”

  “I bet she is,” Rebel answered. He took his hat off and put it back on in one motion. “I just wish I knew why, and where the hell she went.” Samuel’s phone rang. “I wish that I had done things differently. I wish,”

  “No,” Angel interrupted. “Do not berate yourself. This isn’t your fault.”

  “Isn’t it?” Rebel asked. “If not for me acting like a deranged lunatic, she might still be here. Maybe she didn’t run from that whatever the fuck he is, but maybe she’s running from me.”

  Angel hated to see his friend and brother in so much pain. Rebel’s whiskey eyes were glassy and the brows above them were wrinkled into dark ledges over them. He was so hard on himself. “We all do stupid things in claiming our mates,” he told him. “Besides, I met her. I think she would kick your ass long before she ran from you.”

  A reluctant smile stretched across Rebel’s mouth. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  “Well boys, we might just find out for ourselves,” Samuel interrupted. “That was base. We got a hit on her cell phone. She’s in Las Vegas.”

  “What are we waiting for?” Rebel asked.

  Angel sent out the mental command for his men to return to the truck. “Time for a road trip,” he said. “Can you pinpoint the exact location?” he asked Samuel.

  “Triangulating it now,” he answered. “Go on, get going. Half the night’s gone already. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Can do,” Angel said.

  “Yo!” Rebel shouted to his brothers, “Let’s rock ‘n roll!”

  The men piled into the truck. “Drive like hell, man.” Rebel told Sebastian.

  “Can do,” Sebastian answered before peeling out of the parking area.

  Leigh’s phone went off at three-thirty a.m. on the nose. She forced her eyelids open and shut off the alarm. Then, she promptly powered down the phone. Not before she saw that she had several voice mails. She would check them from a payphone somewhere. But not now.

  She made herself go into the disgusting excuse for a bathroom, hoping there would at least be a clean washcloth. And there was. She wet it and scrubbed the sleep from her face. Then, she brushed her teeth. Her mouth felt like she’d been chewing on cotton balls and tasted even worse. She looked around for the cat that must have shit in her mouth while she was sleeping. Her eyelids felt heavy, like they were filled with sand.

  It took only a matter of minutes before she felt good enough to drive. Her stomach was growling and Leigh remembered that she skipped supper. Surely there was an all night drive thru where she could get some breakfast. She repacked her toothbrush and opened the door.

  Then she stopped dead in her tracks.

  Right outside the door was the bane of her existence. For a long time, she thought that title belonged to Merrick. But not anymore. No sir-ee. Now, that title belonged to none other than Rebel.

  He was leaning against the hood of a black Escalade, his muscular arms crossed over his chest, his long legs out in front, crossed at the ankles. He was wearing a black Stetson, leather pants, and serious boots. She could see underneath his duster that he was also wearing a gun holster.

  Holy shit, what had she gotten into this time?

  But the look on his face wasn’t one of malice or danger. No, instead, he looked rather amused, which only served to make Leigh even more irritated with him.

  “What in the blue fuck are you doing here?” Leigh snarled at him.

  He pushed himself off the truck and took several long, confident strides toward her. “Hello Leigh,” he said in his velvety tone. “I might ask you the very same thing.”

  “I got an answer for you,” Leigh snapped. “None. Of. Your. Fucking. Business.”

  “Actually,” he countered, “It is. A man came by the estate tonight looking for you. I didn’t like him. You know a Mr. Keller?” Rebel watched her blanch. All the color drained from her face and her eyes began to frantically search the parking lot.

  She quickly masked her emotions with an expression that was blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied. Oh shit, Merrick. He had found her. Shit, shit, shit. “Well, it was nice seeing you, Not. But I have to go.” Leigh started for her car.

  Rebel was blocking her path in the blink of an eye. “I saw your reaction,” he told her. “I know you’re lying. The question is, why?”

  She gave him a nice view of h
er middle finger. “NOYB.”

  “I think it is. You see, when you came to Angel for help, you made it our business.”

  “You were stalking me!” she shouted.

  “True,” he admitted. “But I didn’t mean you any harm. I apologize for that. I will explain it all to you a little later. Just know that I will never hurt you. I will never cause you pain of any kind. I just want to help you.”

  “Ha!” she snorted. “All of this is your damned fault!” She fisted her hands at her side.

  “Whoa,” Rebel said, putting his hands up in front of his face in a mock defensive move. “You’re not going to clock me again are you?” He ignored the snickering from the truck where his family waited.

  “No,” she said. Then she let out a heavy sigh. “Look, I appreciate that you want to help me. I do. But there’s nothing you or anyone else can do. I need to be on my way.” There was a distinct scent of sulfur in the air. It seemed to coincide with Leigh’s anger.

  Angel chose that minute to get out of the truck. “Leigh,” he said. She turned to him. “I know that Rebel isn’t on the top your best friends list. But he tells the truth. I didn’t like that man who came to my home looking for you. His intentions are not good.”

  “Well, no shit. Somebody give the man a cigar.” She raised her hand to her mouth like she was holding an invisible microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, the award for the most perceptive ass-lick goes to….Angel Knight!” She made muted cheering noises. “What does he get? His own personal ball washer! Stalker-boy would probably be proud to fill that position.” She turned her back to the men and stalked toward her car again. And was that a thin trail of smoke rising from her? Rebel couldn’t be sure, it was gone as fast as it had appeared.

  Rebel looked at Angel, expecting him to be furious. Nobody got away with talking to Angel Knight that way. Instead, he was choking back a laugh. “She’s all yours,” he said in a strangled voice, his eyes twinkling with laughter.

  Rebel sighed and darted in front of Leigh once again. “Look, I know you can handle things yourself. But this guy has stepped on our turf. Now he’s our problem. Let us help you. Help us. We don’t want him in our territory.”

  “Don’t worry, as soon as I’m gone, he’ll follow.” Leigh shoved him aside, ignoring the way he smelled. Fresh. Clean. Musky.

  “I can’t let you go,” he told her. He grabbed her arm just above the elbow and spun her around to face him.

  “Look cowboy,” she snarled, yanking her arm away, “I don’t know how much more clearly I have to say this. I don’t want or need your help. Go. Away.”

  Rebel opened his mouth to retort, but never got the chance. Leigh’s eyes widened at something over his shoulder and he turned just in time to see a wall of fire coming right for them.

  Without thinking, he shoved Leigh to the ground and covered her with his body. He felt the heat of the flames on his skin, even through the protective leather of his clothes. And wouldn’t you know it, Leigh was not a good damsel in distress, either.

  She wiggled underneath him until her hands found purchase against his chest. She shoved him under her car and leapt to her feet. She heard his friends calling out, running for cover. Rebel was on his feet before she could make a decision on a course of action. His eyes followed hers to the sky.

  What. The. Motherfuck. Was. That?

  An enormous creature was sailing through the sky, arching and making its way back. It was bright red, long necked, and had horns on its forehead. Not to mention the twenty foot wingspan. It had muscular back legs and short front legs. Its mouth was hanging open to reveal a grill full of razor sharp fangs.

  It trained its eyes on Rebel and Leigh, and then let out a horrific shriek. Then it nose dived toward them.

  “Shit! Take cover!” Leigh shouted, shoving Rebel away. A ball of flames erupted from the creatures mouth, lighting the sky, and sailed toward Rebel. Leigh shoved him into a small space between two cars and he twisted so that his body covered hers once again.

  “Hello? Stupid?” Leigh shouted against his chest while trying to wiggle out from underneath his large frame. “You’re a vampire. Very flammable!”

  “I won’t let it hurt you,” he said into the side of her neck where his head was buried.

  Something inside Leigh snapped. God save her from stupid men. This dumbass stalker-boy was willing to risk his own hide for her safety. No one had ever done that before. So what if it wasn’t the smartest thing he could have done. But then again, he hadn’t exerted a whole hell of a lot of brain power in the time she had known him. Leigh sighed inwardly. She then knew what she had to do.

  She hurled Rebel off of her and stood. His brothers were quick to join them in the relative safety between the cars. The motel was in flames, as were several of the vehicles in the parking lot. Not only was she in danger, but Rebel and his family as well. Not to mention any number of humans. She had to stop this. Now.

  Rebel tried to follow Leigh as she walked right out into the open, her back straight and her head held high. He was held back by his brothers. “No,” Angel told him. “You will be killed.”

  “I don’t care!” he wailed. “I have to save her!”

  But Angel wasn’t about to loose another friend. He had lost too many over the course of the years, and Rebel was more than that. He was his brother. His family. He held firm to Rebel as Leigh trained her face to the early morning sky. Angel knew there had to be a way to save her without it costing their lives. But Leigh took the decision out of their hands.

  Leigh knew what had to be done. No way could she stand by and let this happen. Rebel and his friends were innocent. It had been so long, but she remembered how just like riding a bike. Her power was a part of her, and calling on it was second nature. She felt the magic surrounding her, felt her body responding. She drew air deep into her lungs and embraced her ancient blood.

  The air swirled with her magic, and Leigh felt the familiar stretching and popping of her bones. She welcomed it. She allowed her fury to fuel the fire, let it consume her. When it was done, she stretched her wings and shot up into the sky with a roar of triumph. The wind helped lift her body into the air and Leigh couldn’t help relishing the feeling of freedom taking flight always inspired. As she ascended, she heard someone down below saying, “Holeeeey shit.”

  SEVEN

  Rebel stopped struggling against Angel’s iron grip out of pure shock when he saw the colored fog-like mist surrounding Leigh. He watched as the mist surrounded her small body, swirling and growing. Heat poured off of her in waves, bringing sweat to his brow. Then, he heard her roar. Not a scream, not a shout, but a bonafide roar of a giant predator.

  The mist disappeared and where Leigh once stood, a twenty foot dragon remained. Holy hell, Leigh was a dragon! A real-life, fire-breathing, flying through the air, fucking dragon! Somewhere in the back of his mind, Rebel knew that dragons existed, only they were thought to be long extinct.

  But there she was, his mate, a black and gold masterpiece. Her body was covered in glossy black scales, while her wings were a brilliant gold. They shone even in the dim moonlight, glittering like precious gems. Her long neck was black with gold swirls, leading up to her massive head. Her yellow eyes were large and piercing, the pupils narrowed to slits once more. She must be furious, he thought. Over those yellow works of art were two sharp, spiny horns that protruded from her brow about six inches. At the other end, a long black tail ending in thorny spikes flowed out behind her.

  As she sailed through the sky, shrieking her distaste for the other dragon, fire rolled over her sharp teeth and out of her mouth.

  She was the most magnificent creature he had ever seen.

  Rebel felt something smack him in his chest, and he then realized that Angel was no longer holding him. Antonio had thumped him with his hat. Huh. It must have fallen off at some point. Just as Angel must have let go and Rebel wandered out into the street. Just as his brothers had come to stand beside him in an equally silent stupor.r />
  He dropped the Stetson back on his head without looking away from Leigh. She was flying in the sky like she owned it, and really, as far as Rebel was concerned, she did. She and the other dragon were circling each other far above their heads. They were all at a loss for what to do, or how to help. Really, how could they compete with a freaking dragon?

  The first dragon, the red one, made the first move. He lunged for Leigh with his claws first. She feinted to the left, barely avoiding his sharp talons. As he passed her, she whipped her tail so hard that it made a whoop noise in the air. She hit him square in the ribs with the spikes making a loud thud. He let out a yelp, but circled around to attack her again.

  Leigh was on top of it. She spun around and kicked with her hind leg, snapping the other dragon in the chin. He tumbled down and backward before righting himself. Then, he let out a furious shriek and open his mouth wide. A ball of fire shot out toward Leigh’s head.

  “Look out!” Rebel shouted. Leigh darted to the side, the fireball just missing her.

  You got a death wish, Cowboy? The words were Leigh’s voice, spoken in his head.

  “Leigh?” he said out loud.

  Nope. It’s the fucking Easter Bunny. Take cover, dumbass.

  How can we help you? He projected mentally, not knowing if she would hear it.

  By getting the fuck out of the way so I can save your sorry asses, was her reply.

  Rebel couldn’t help it. He laughed. She was so stubborn.

  “What?” Antonio asked.

  “She wants us to take cover,” Rebel answered.

  “And cower from a fight?” Gage snapped incredulously. “I don’t think so.”

  “I got this,” Antonio said, taking aim with his Sig.

  “Shit man, what are you thinking?” Rebel shouted as he forced the barrel of the gun down. “You might hit Leigh.”

  “Really? I mean, seriously? I can freaking aim,” Antonio replied, taking aim once again.

  The two dragons clashed together at that moment, a tangling of limbs and tails, each struggling to best the other. Leigh’s shriek of fury was heard clearly, as was the growl of the red dragon. They tumbled through the sky, falling toward the earth. Fast.