Eternal Flame (Night Watch 3)

Burn, baby. Burn.

His eyes were black. She knew the red glow of the charge would still fuel her stare. No lying, no hiding for either of them. Two monsters in the dark.

She swallowed, but didn’t back down.

“I thought you were running away,” he said.

She’d thought so, too. “You were outnumbered.” And more demons could be coming for him at any minute. They could talk later. “Look, we need to get out of here.”

“Yeah, we do.” Then his hands moved, fast, and something clicked around her wrist. Wait-clicked?

Oh, damn. No, no, he just hadn’t—

“We need to get out of here, baby.” Another click.

Her gaze dropped to her hand. A shining, silver handcuff circled her wrist. Another cuff circled his, locking them together.

“And don’t think about burning through it,” Zane warned. “That metal’s made out of a titanium mix, and it’s got a polymer coating that’ll block you. It’s something special that was designed just for someone like … you.”

Her teeth snapped together. “I saved you,” she gritted out, seriously pissed. Is this the way he thanked people?

But the guy was already moving. Spinning and lunging down the street and jerking her with him. It was either go with him or be dragged behind him. Asshole.

Yeah, yeah, this was why she didn’t help people. Because when you did something nice, folks had a tendency to bite the hand that helped them.

Or handcuff it.

“Get in,” he ordered. They were beside a car. A flashy red sports car. He had the driver’s door open, and his gaze swept behind her, probably checking to make sure the demons weren’t getting ready for a second round. They weren’t. They were busy licking their wounds. “Slide over to the other seat.”

So easier said than done. She climbed inside the car. The gearshift rammed into her knees, her ass shot into the air, but she-finally!-made it to the passenger seat.

He jumped in behind her and shut the door. The engine purred, and they shot away from the curb.

“You can’t do this,” she said and that was not fear tightening her gut. She wasn’t afraid. Nothing scared her, not anymore. She hadn’t been afraid since the day she’d learned how to fight her own monsters. “I didn’t do anything to you. You can’t—”

“You’ve got a bounty on your head, baby. A bounty I’m collecting.”

The guy didn’t even look at her as he threw that out.

Her eyes slit. “I’m betting the bounty on you was worth a hell of a lot more.” And she hadn’t taken it. Because she was the crazy one, obviously.

“Oh, and just what am I going for these days?” Not worry in that deep voice. Not even a hint of concern.

Jana sucked in a deep breath. Then another. Then she tried counting to ten. No, that didn’t work. She was still pissed. “Let me go,” she told him quietly. “If you don’t, it will be the worst mistake you ever make.” Probably the last, too.

Now he did glance at her, and his smile was icy. “No, trust me, it won’t be—”

Then a semi plowed into the side of his flashy little car. The world spun, glass crunched, and Jana screamed.

“Just cut off his damn hand.”

The words drifted through Zane’s mind, easing past the fog, just as he felt something sharp press against his wrist. Cut off his damn hand.

Oh, the hell, no. His eyelids flew up, and his eyes locked on the dumb punk who had a knife in his fist, a knife that was pressed against Zane’s flesh. “Don’t even think about it,” Zane growled.

The guy flinched, and his head flew up, revealing wide, bloodshot eyes.

“Do it, Ron!” The scream of someone who was gonna pay-the other idiot, the one who was holding Zane down on the hard pavement. No, the one who thought he was holding him down. Zane lunged up and sent the guy flying.

The man with the knife, Ron, scrambled back. “No, shit, we just want her.”

Her. Jana. Zane’s gaze cut to the left. She was beside him on the pavement. Since they were still bound by the cuffs, his move had jerked her up. But her eyes hadn’t opened, and she swayed, looking like a broken doll. She was pale, so pale. Her hair concealed half of her face, and her head tipped forward.

“Take off the cuffs, man,” their would-be knifer said. “Just take ‘em off and walk away.”

Zane blinked. “She’s my bounty.” Was this prick really trying to steal her from him?

A soft snick reached his ears. The other idiot was back. Only this time, he had a gun. One that was cocked and ready. His red hair stuck out from his head in thick patches, and his eyes, small and dark, were locked on Zane. “What she is,” the guy said, “is a nightmare you don’t want.”

A soft moan spilled past the nightmare’s lips.

“Aw, shit, man, she’s waking up,” Ron muttered.

“Hit her.” A fast order from the gunman.

Ron pulled his fist back and got ready to take that punch. The f**k no.

Zane let the beast out. One thought, just one … and he had the ass**le with the knife flying back through the air and thudding into the redhead with the gun.

The gun fired, the bullet went wide, and Zane scooped up Jana. He held her cradled against his chest, barely feeling her weight.

They were still in the road. A deserted road at three a.m., and his car was a wreck near the broken light post. A trap. Two in one night?

But, no, this trap hadn’t been for him this time. For her.

“Jesus, he’s one of them!” the redhead yelled and that gun came up again. Zane pulled his power close, got ready to—

A line of fire flew at the gunman. He swore and stumbled back, dropping the gun.

“Run,” Jana whispered in his ear, and he realized the woman was awake-had been awake that whole time. So good at playing weak. Had she just been planning to lie there and let the jerks cut off his hand? Probably. That would have made it easier for her to get away.

“Run,” she said again, her voice stronger, her breath blowing lightly against his ear. “They’ll have backup soon…. Too many of them. They’ll take us….”

“I’d like to see them f**king try.” He tightened his hold on her as he stared at the wreckage of his car. His baby. Aw, hell. They would pay.

“They … have drugs.”

What?

“Not bullets in those guns. Run.”

Zane heard the snick of the gun’s trigger too late. He lunged to the side. A steel fist slammed into his upper arm, and Zane’s hold on Jana weakened.