Eternal Flame (Night Watch 3)

She yanked on the cuffs. “You really going to throw us both in jail?”

Tony put his hands on the table and leaned toward her. “I know what you are.”

“Bored?”

“Dammit, Jana!” Zane’s hand slapped on the table, making it shudder. “Just let him—”

“You’re an Ignitor.” Tony pressed closer. “You like the fire, don’t you? You like to see those flames dance and destroy.”

She didn’t speak. Beside her, Zane seemed to be all but vibrating with tension.

“Zane was going to turn you in at Night Watch, wasn’t he?” The cop’s dark stare held hers. She could see the faintest flecks of gold around his pupils. “That’s why you’re cuffed. He was forcing you to come with him.”

She stared back at Tony and didn’t speak. Her hands flattened on the table.

“That made you angry, didn’t it? You couldn’t get him to let you go, and it pissed you off. And when Ignitors get pissed”-a brief pause—“things have a way of exploding.”

“She didn’t do it,” Zane gritted out. “Trust me on this, okay?”

“I would.” Tony’s gaze slanted to Zane. “But I can’t be sure if your brain’s talking, or your dick.” Her nails scraped over the tabletop.

“You left with her last night.” Tony exhaled. “You stayed with her, all night. While you were cuffed, I’m sure the two of you were playing … nicely.”

“I was f**king drugged! I was out of my head, I don’t know—” Zane broke off and rolled his shoulders, as if he were shaking off the memory.

“Drugged?” Tony blinked. “You were—”

“You found my car, right?” Zane’s lips tightened. “Some ass**les hit us. Slammed into my ‘Vette. They fired at us and caught me twice with some kind of drug.”

“Who were the ‘assholes'?”

Jana shrugged. “Why don’t you go ask your cop? You know, the one who was so eager to shoot Zane and take me into custody?” She bared her teeth in a hard smile. “I’ll give you ten-to-one odds that he knows exactly who they are.”

Tony glared back at her, but after a few moments, he eased away and turned on his heel, marching for the door.

“Tony?” Zane called.

“I’m going to find Harris,” he said and yanked open the door. “He’s the cop who pulled you over.” The one who’d tried to kill Zane.

“Yeah, you go find that little bastard,” Zane said, and she heard the underlying threat in his voice. Find him and let me have him.

Jana didn’t take a full breath until Tony left the room. When the door clicked closed behind him, the tension eased from her shoulders. Well, some of the tension eased.

Her gaze darted to the mirrored wall on the left side. Was she still being watched?

“Tony won’t let anyone view us. He won’t run the risk of them finding out what you are.”

Jana glanced at him.

Zane ran a tired hand down his face, streaking the ash. “What we are.”

“You sure about that?” She didn’t have enhanced senses. She’d never know if someone was there.

Zane tossed a glance at the mirror. “I’m sure.”

Okay. That was something. “We’ve got to get out of here.” Her palms were slick with sweat.

One brow climbed. “Baby, we’re not going anywhere.” He caught the edge of her chair and hauled her closer. “Three hunters are dead. Dead. The Night Watch Agency was torched, torched right before-what a damn coincidence-you were scheduled to be turned in.”

She swallowed. Time to gamble. “We know it wasn’t a coincidence.” She risked a quick glance at the mirror. If someone was there, she was slitting her own throat. ”We need to get out of here.” A heated whisper.

Zane shook his head. “You tell me what’s happening. Tell me who targeted Night Watch, my people.”

She’d already warned him to walk away. He should have listened but, apparently, the demon didn’t listen well. “If you know, you’re dead.” They wouldn’t let him live. Demons were expendable to them.

“No, baby.” His fingers brushed over her cheek. “When I know, they’re dead.” Soft menace underscored the words.

The wooden chair was so hard beneath her. “Get me out of here, and I’ll tell you everything.”

“Tell me, and we’ll work on getting out.” His fingers curled under her chin and tilted her head back. “Was it those men in the semi?”

Those men had been humans. They wouldn’t have been able to handle an explosion that big. “No … probably someone else in the unit.”

“The unit?”

Her smile felt sad on her lips. “You don’t really think you’re the only hunter out there, do you?” A hard, brittle laugh. “While you’re hunting your prey, who do you think is hunting you?”

His brows climbed. “Those jerks were humans. Humans can’t—”

“Some humans are very good at hunting.” Especially if they forced someone else to do the grunt work. “Some humans don’t think demons and vampires and shifters deserve to live in this world. They think monsters should be put down, by any means necessary.” She’d been that means before.

“That right? And these … hunters … why do they want you?”

She had to glance at the mirror. What if someone was watching? “Why do you think?”

“Because you’re their weapon of choice?” Disgust. “All they have to do is aim and you fire?”

She wouldn’t flinch. “I’ve been trying to get away from them for over a year. Why do you think I burned down that compound in New Orleans? They’d been holding me there.”

So many days stuck in that damn cell. Trapped.

Tony thought he’d lock her up again? Oh, hell, no. No one would lock her up.

“Bullshit. You could have burned your way out any time—”

“I have to see in order to burn.” He knew that. “They kept me blindfolded or locked in a pitch-black cell.” Hell wasn’t always hot and bright. Sometimes it was dark … and so quiet. “The first time they slipped, the first time the blindfold came off …”

She could still hear the screams. Jana licked her lips. “Their mistake. I got out.” She’d made sure she brought that building down behind her.