Blood Flame (Flame 1)

She stared at him for a long moment. She was so beautiful with her large brown eyes and high cheekbones. For a weird moment, he saw down the years and she was with him, really with him.

Which seemed impossible. He couldn’t be with any woman, not after what he’d done in No Man’s Land.

When he released her, she didn’t move away from him, but kept looking at him.

“What?”

“I don’t know what this is between us, but it feels very old as though it’s always existed.”

Her words reminded him that she was a witch, one more reason a relationship with her could never work. He shifted his gaze back to Jason.

“Connor.” Her voice was low, compassionate.

“Forget it. I shouldn’t have pushed things.” He gestured to the bodies. “What we need to figure out is how you and I are connected to this murder.”

“I think you’re right.”

Connor thought about Jason. He’d known him for at least fifteen years. He then considered Tammy for a moment and the similarity to Connor’s killing of the pregnant woman.

“Shit.”

“What?”

“I don’t know if the two things are connected, but Jason was with me on another night a long time ago. An incident involving an un-altered human who was pregnant like Tammy. This woman, whose name I still don’t know, had been set-up. At the time, I was acting instinctively and when she turned with a gun in her hand, I shot and killed her. Jason was there. He was with me that night.” He didn’t add that the event had ruined something inside him.

He couldn’t look at Iris. Most of the time he felt normal, or as normal as a vampire could ever feel. But when these memories intruded, darkness engulfed Connor. He’d become something he despised, a killer of the innocent. He was unworthy of any good thing this life could offer.

Staring back at him, in the form of these dead lovers, was love, something he would never know, not in this life. He wasn’t deserving on any level.

Suddenly, Iris clutched his arm. “Connor!” Her voice carried panic.

He turned to her. “What?”

She released his arm and spread her hands wide, but stared down at her feet or maybe at the bridge pavement. He knew witches sometimes had a sixth sense about things. “What’s going on?”

She met his gaze, her dark eyes panicky. “The stones of the bridge structure are talking to me. I know you don’t trust me because I’m a witch, but can you levitate us the hell out of here? This bridge is going to blow.”

He didn’t think twice, but picked her up and shot into the air. He flew straight up and as he did a deafening boom shattered the night sky. The resulting force blasted him hard, propelling him higher and higher. Bridge shrapnel bruised him but good. He could feel his pants getting ripped to shreds, though his boots seemed to be holding steady.

The witch held him tight, both arms wrapped around his neck, her head buried against his shoulder. Flying pieces of pavement kept hitting him, most ricocheting off the bottom of his boots. They had to be delivering up some hurt to her as well.

“How you doin’?”

“My ass. Jesus H. Christ, that hurts!”

He had no idea who’d set the bomb, but he was pretty sure it was meant for him and for Iris, too. What he couldn’t figure out was why. Who would want them both dead?

~ ~ ~

Iris trembled for more than one reason. She hurt, the bomb had scared her to death, and she had her arms wrapped around Connor. And he was the source of way too many fantasies that could never be fulfilled.

“Can you loosen your grip?” he asked, his voice sounding hoarse.

“Yes.” She slowly released the stranglehold.

The truth was, she’d never flown before and the sight of the earth so far below freaked her out.

His voice rumbled against her ear. “I’ve got you.”