Flameout Read Online Free Page B

spine.
    â€œSensible never was one of my better traits.”
Especially
when it came to this man. “Besides, I didn’t save your butt from the red cloaks just to have vampires turn around and kill you.”
    â€œDeath doesn’t frighten me.”
    â€œDoes anything actually frighten you these days?”
    His gaze met mine and something within me stilled. Just for an instant, everything we’d once shared—all the heat, the passion, and the love—surged between us. But it was gone just as quickly, leaving in its wake the bitter ashes of memory and regret.
    â€œYes.” He looked away. “I fear becoming what my brother is. Or, worse, one of the mad ones.”
    â€œIf that was what fate intended, you would have turned down that path by now.”
    â€œMaybe.” His voice was flat. “But the poison still crawls through my veins, Em, and every day it grows stronger.”
    â€œBut so do you.” Thankfully, my voice was free of the fear that surged at his words. “You’re in far greater control now than you seemed to be when I first met you.”
    â€œBecause I finally gave in to the inevitable.” His voice was edged with bitterness, but before I could question what he meant, he added, “Back-to-back. They’re almost on us.”
    I obeyed. Even through his clothing, I could feel the coolness of his skin. But there was strength there, too, and determination, and both were very comforting. He might fear becoming what Luke was, but he wouldn’t go down that path easily.
    I took a deep breath and slowly released it. It didn’t do a whole lot to ease the tension riding me, but then, it never did. I waited, listening, but couldn’t hear anything beyond the occasional rustle of possums in the nearby trees.
    â€œHalf a minute, if that,” Sam murmured. “Be ready.”
    â€œIf I were any more ready,” I bit back, “you’d be soot on the ground right now.”
    He chuckled softly. “You know, I really miss your snark.”
    And I really miss you
. But I held the words in check. Missing my sarcasm was
not
the same as missing me. This man had broken my heart once already. I couldn’t let it happen again, no matter what that stupid part me that refused to let go might want.
    â€œAnd,” he murmured, “the fun begins.”
    With that, he fired. The gunshot echoed through the otherwise hushed cemetery, meaning that
this
time, he wasn’t using a silencer. I briefly wondered why, then raised a hand and sent a rope of fire spinning forward. Though it didn’t connect with anything, darkness briefly blocked my vision of the tree to my right—a vampire, cloaked in shadows. I narrowed my gaze, formed my fire into a lasso, and flicked it after him. One of the others shouted a warning, but it was already too late. As my lasso settled around his shoulders, I snapped it taut. He screamed and went down, and the smell of burning flesh began to stain the air. But I had no intentions of killing him—or even burning him any more seriously—because a dead man could answer no questions.
    I snapped the flames away, but left him entwined in fire and pinned to the ground. Another shot rang out, and this time someone cursed—a sound that was cut off as Sam fired again.
He
obviously wasn’t too bothered about uncovering the reason behind the attack.
    Another shadow swept past the trees, this time to my left. I flung a stream of fire after him but caught nothing. Maybe he’d ducked behind a tree trunk. Ilooped my fire around, intending to flush him out, just as another shot echoed. But this time, it didn’t come from Sam’s gun.
    It came from the vampires.
    Sam jerked and swore, the sound a mix of anger and pain. I had no doubt the next shot would either take him out completely, or perhaps even me. Because when I was flesh, I was just as vulnerable to bullets as anyone else. Nor could my flames