From Burning Ashes (Collector Series #4) Read online

  “Have you seen anyone come your way?” The taller man closer to me clicked his walkie-talkie, speaking into it.

  “No, but we have the roof and the Pike exit covered,” a crackled voice broke through the device responding.

  Damn! Where were Ryker and Sprig?

  “Keep your eyes open. If it’s the same gang who broke in earlier this week, they’re armed,” he said to his partner and went around me toward the front of the store. The other man proceeded to the back.

  Time to run.

  I hated not knowing what happened to Sprig and Ryker, but I knew the Viking could take care of himself, and Sprig could sit on a shelf and pretend to be a stuffed animal. Still, I wanted him with me. Safe.

  The men disappeared from sight, and I tore out from the fabric, bolting for the stairs. The only other outlet was on a lower level, onto Union Street.

  I snuck down the steps, but every step thundered through the stillness. I reached the bottom and ran for the doors, seeing the shackles looping around the doors.

  “Downstairs!” one of the men yelled.

  “Shit. Shit.” I pushed at the door, rattling the winding chains. Hurried footsteps headed for me. All exits were blocked, and I couldn’t break through these locks without special tools, nor did I have enough time even if I had the equipment.

  My heart thumped in my chest, and my gaze shifted over the room for any possible escape. “Hell!” My feet danced around like a bobblehead. Jump, Zoey!

  “Freeze!” a man’s voice boomed from the escalator, bouncing off the glass behind my head. I whirled around and spotted two dark outlines heading for me.

  I was going to have to fight. Even if their guns could no longer kill me, they could certainly take me out of commission. Enough to capture and lock me up.

  “I said don’t move!” The sound of a gun clicked in my eardrum, sending panic throughout my body in electric tendrils. “I will shoot you.”

  I froze as the two security guards charged up to me.

  “Hands up.” The slightly shorter guard nodded his weapon at my hands, stepping close enough to see my face. He blinked. “You’re a girl?”

  “Well done.” I put up my arms. “You must have been the top student in your class.”

  My gaze caught movement behind the two guards. A massive figure slunk down the steps silently, white eyes blazing in the dark. A spark of fear inched over me. I had seen him like this before. Terrifying. Now I knew it was his demon aspect taking over. His expression looked fierce; his bulk loomed over the men in front of him as he soundlessly crept up to them.

  “How did a young girl like you break in here?” the taller, darker-skinned guard asked. “Where are the others?”

  I tilted my head. “They are suggesting I couldn’t break in here on my own. Can you believe that?”

  “Stupid,” Ryker growled behind them. “Never underestimate what a woman can do. Especially this one.”

  The men swung around, their fingers pulling at the triggers. Ryker was quicker. He tore the gun away from the shorter one, using it to club him in the head as he punched the taller guard. He hit hard, crumpling their bodies to the floor in an instant. Ryker’s chest pumped in and out as he leaped on one of the men, grabbing his collar. The man groaned. Ryker slammed his fist into the guard’s face. Over and over.

  “Ryker!” I pushed from the doors, yelling. “Stop!”

  His eyes shot up to mine.

  Oh hell.

  I stumbled back; the pure hatred consumed his expression. He no longer saw me. Fear kicked in, taking me back to the day before when he had strangled me to death.

  “Ryker…” I looked around, trying to find a way around him. Completely blocked.

  Saying his name was the wrong choice. Hearing my voice sparked fire in his eyes. Even his tattoo flickered. In a blink, he sprang for me, snarling. His hand coming for my throat.

  A cry tore out of my lungs.

  Whoosh.

  My head spun, the feel of wind crashing into my face. I didn’t even have time to think before Ryker’s form crashed into the glass doors, his fists knocking into the window.

  I faced him. On the other side of the doors.

  Holy shit, I just jumped! The powers were coming back!

  The excitement was short lived. Ryker’s hands beat against the glass, his face twisted with animosity. “Come back here, little human,” he taunted. I took a step away from the doors.

  Sprig’s face peered around Ryker’s feet, staring back at me. “Bhean?”

  Oh god. Sprig.

  Ryker didn’t even notice him; his sight stayed on me.

  Would he hurt him?

  “Sprig, move away from him.” I kept my gaze on Ryker as I spoke to Sprig.

  “Why?” Sprig looked first at me then at Ryker.

  “Just do as I say!”

  “I know Vikings are assholes, but I have trained this one.” Sprig ignored my words and climbed up Ryker’s leg until he got to his shoulder. “Stay. Stand. Good boy.” Sprig patted Ryker’s cheek.

  Ryker didn’t even notice him; his gaze was locked on me.

  “See. He just needs positive reinforcement. Honey always works. I like positive reinforcement, like in the form of honey biscuits, pancakes, candy, bread, nuts, soda, crepes, muffins, cookies, scones, fruit…well, except bananas. You know how I feel about those…”

  “Sprig.” Ryker dropped his head, breaking eye contact with me. “Shut up.” I watched him take deep breaths, leaning against the frame of the door. When he lifted his head, his eyes were clear but quickly filled with sorrow and apologies.

  I placed my palm on the glass. There wasn’t much I could say.

  “I’d never hurt him. I’d never hurt your sister or any of them.” Ryker placed his hand on mine, even through the glass I could feel his heat. “That’s not how the oath works. It’s only triggered by you.”

  I gave a strange huffed laugh. His words actually did make me feel better.

  “I think they help bring me back.” Ryker lifted the shoulder where Sprig sat.

  “See, Bhean. I have him well trained.”

  I snorted.

  “Now can we get out of here? I am really in the need for sustenance. I want to take Pam out, show off her new figure. Though now she’ll probably want a salad. Ugh. Salads. What is the point of those unless they are full of honey-coated nuts, dried fruit, and sugary dressing to soak it? The green stuff is just filler. But you could just replace the lettuce with honey mango chips or how about—”

  “Sprig.” I knocked on the window to get his attention, then pinched my fingers together.

  Ryker straightened, tilting his head at me. “You’re outside.”

  I nodded. “I jumped.”

  “Really?” Ryker closed his eyes, but nothing happened. His shoulders slumped as if in disappointment.

  “At least they’re still there. Hopefully that means they’ll come back in time.” Squealing tires in the distance brought me back to the urgency of our situation. “We need to get out of here before the other guards come or those wake up.”

  Ryker grabbed the chains lacing the doors and exhaled deeply. He could easily break the glass with his axe. If he had it. The thick safety glass was harder to put your fist through.

  Sprig inched down his arm and grabbed one of the locks. In twenty seconds it fell from the door.

  “Sprig!” I exclaimed. “Your powers work?”

  “Yup. Because I’m awesome. Like a super sprite.”

  It was probably more because his little hummingbird body could work through whatever drugs Rapava had given us, but I accepted the awesome part.

  He worked through a few locks before Ryker could kick the bolted door out of its frame. The moment the door opened, alarms pealed through the night air.

  “Eek!” Sprig went stiff, tipping forward, falling. Ryker grabbed him quickly, cupping him in his hands.

  “You. Stop right there,” a woman’s deep voice thundered from around the building.

/>   “Shit.” Ryker stuffed Sprig in my new bag and grabbed my arm, pulling me down the hill toward the water. Cries resounded behind us with demands for us to stop running. It felt like Peru all over again.

  The messenger bag and backpack full of Sprig and the items we stole bumped against me, knocking me off kilter as I ran. A bullet whizzed past my head. Holy shit. These guys were serious about the no-stealing policy.

  Ryker zipped and dodged through Pike’s Place, running down the strip where empty stands lined both walls.

  The guards gave up on telling us to stop, but their pursuit did not. I pumped my legs faster as another bullet zinged by me.

  Ryker took a sudden turn down a passage. My boots stomped behind him, racing down the alleyway. The stone bristled with excitement under my heel, tingling my leg. It loved when my adrenaline pumped and my life’s energy was at its most tangible, greedy for more. But instead of stealing it from me in those moments, it seemed to provide me with an extra boost, giving me a rush.

  More. More. A part of me screamed, gluttonous for its power.

  Ryker led us outside, downstairs, racing under the freeway and across the street to the tourist shops. He gripped my hand, pulling me toward a vacated booth, which probably at one point was used to sell sightseeing tickets in Seattle. Those went out of business quickly after the storm. Not much left here to see.

  The booth was tiny, but I crammed myself under the desk. Ryker’s massive frame stuffed in after me, his form moving on top of mine. Here we were being chased and all I could think about was his body against mine. My breath and heartbeat pounded together. The magic slipping up my leg had me shaking so bad Ryker had to press my legs down firmer with his, pinning back my arms. Slaps of feet neared us. Ryker stirred, keeping his head up and alert.

  “Where did they go?” The man’s voice had a thick Middle Eastern accent.

  “I don’t know,” the woman replied. “We are so fired. Another gang break-in on our watch.” There was a moment of silence. “Shit!” A bang of a shoe hit the booth by our heads.

  “Well, looks like we lost them. Let’s head back, check in with the others, then we can start looking in the help-wanted ads.”

  “Not funny, Khatri.”

  “Not meant to be a joke,” he replied. “Come on, nothing more we can do here.”

  ####

  Steps faded away, but we lay there for several more minutes. The only sounds were the water lapping against the dock and random cars on the freeway.

  Ryker exhaled and turned his head, peering down at me. It was as if he suddenly realized he remained on top of me. He didn’t move off. He just stared, which from him was unnerving in so many ways. I didn’t budge, afraid to startle the beast.

  Like me, he had a hyperactive fight-or-flight response. Fighting I could handle. I enjoyed…hell, it turned me on more than I wanted to admit. This time I was more afraid of the latter. He felt so good, the weight of his body, the feel of him pushing into my thigh.

  Our lips were only an inch apart, one tiny movement forward and my mouth would claim his. With what just happened in Target, I understood he had to be the one to make the first move. My heart thumped in my chest; my breath grew shallow. He exhaled, his breath sliding down my neck like tickling fingers. Without my mind’s consent, my hips opened up wider, allowing more of him to fit between my legs. His hand gripped my thigh, sliding up to my waist.

  Desire hit me so hard I had to squeeze my lids shut. Ryker produced a soft moan. His lips brushed the corner of mine, lifting my eyes. His hand continued to trail up my side, pushing underneath my T-shirt. Even the butterfly touch affected me. He didn’t kiss me, but the brush of his lips, his fingers, the sensation of his breath skating to the sensitive part behind my ear and trailing between my breasts made me groan. We filled the small space with short, forceful breaths.

  Ryker only had to look at me and I came undone. We both loved the high of the chase, got off on close calls, and were turned on by fierceness. It was nice to know I didn’t have to hide that part of myself or push it away and pretend it didn’t exist. With Ryker I could roll in it, getting as dirty as I wanted, and he would respond in kind.

  My back arched as his palm skimmed my stomach then wandered back, dipping below my jeans. He tugged at the button, letting his fingers trail underneath the band of my underwear. Then he moved lower.

  “Oh gods,” he whispered, his hand cupping the heat between my thighs. His hand moved deeper between my legs. I gasped. His touch was too much. I could no longer wait.

  “Ryker,” I choked out, lust coating my throat. “Please.”

  My voice caused him to lift his head. His eyes flickered with light. His hands went to my hips as he stood, tossing me up on the counter, my butt landing hard on the wood. His hands skated roughly up my neck, pulling my hair up as he went. He yanked my head back. The moment our eyes connected I knew he was no longer there.

  “Ryker?”

  He leaned over into my ear. “How about I fuck you while I’m killing you.” He bit my ear.

  I shoved him back, giving me enough room to pull up my leg. The sole of my boot slammed into his chest. He stumbled back, hitting the wall.

  “I like it rough.” A smile turned up his mouth as he came back for me. That was the problem. We both did.

  I jumped off the table. There was nowhere to go in the tiny room. He easily reached out, wrapped his arms around me, and brought me back into his body. One hand coming up for my neck.

  I didn’t say a word. There seemed no point pleading. He stayed a slave to the oath.

  I thought of only one thing to break his trance. My teeth sank into the soft spot between his finger and thumb, sawing together.

  Ryker shouted in pain, his arm dropping away from my neck. I crunched down tighter, the taste of blood exploding over my tongue.

  “Zo-ey. Stop.” He hissed in pain.

  My name. He said my name.

  When I let go, blood oozed from the puncture holes. I moved away, spinning to face him.

  Pain etched deep into his face as he held his bleeding hand to his chest. “Fuck, woman. You are worse than a Chihuahua.”

  I wiped the blood from my chin. My body vibrating with life. “At least let me be a pit bull or something cool.”

  Ryker lifted an eyebrow. We both stood there, breathless, our eyes locked. The small space couldn’t seem to contain us, spitting back the sounds of us gasping for air, echoing the thumps of adrenaline pumping in our veins.

  Want.

  Desire.

  Lust.

  Carnage.

  It was always there with us. The passion mixed with fierceness, tearing at the seams, breaking me in pieces till I didn’t know which one I wanted more. My hot skin screamed to be touched again, to feel his rubbing against mine.

  His tattoo flickered, his nose flared, and he jerked his head to the side.

  “You have blood on your nose.”

  “You have a tendon sticking out of your hand.” My voice wobbled, still rough with craving.

  “You have a wicked bite.” Ryker inspected his hand, the blood already slowing.

  “Why you love me,” I replied coyly, not realizing what I had said.

  Oh holy shit. Did I just say that?

  “I didn’t mean it like love. I meant like love. You know…” Crap! I was babbling. I think I giggled too. Shut up, Zoey.

  “I know what you meant.” His tone sounded unemotional. He dropped his eyes to his hand. It had already stopped bleeding. “We need to get back. Get far away from here.”

  I nodded and picked up the messenger bag where Sprig curled at the bottom.

  Ryker collected his things, unlocked the latch, and stepped out into the early dawn.

  I heaved the strap over my head, chiding myself quietly. A head poked out from the bag. “Hey, bud. You’re awake.” I rubbed his ears.

  “Where the hell are we? Do we live in a tollbooth now?” He glanced around. “Small. Might be a little awkward with all of us,
but hey, still a lot less awkward than the painful moment I just witnessed.” He patted my arm.

  “You heard, huh?”

  Sprig waggled his head and peered at me with concern. “Tragic.”

  “Yeah. Story of my life.”

  “The giggle was a nice touch.”

  “Shut up.”

  I buttoned my pants and proceeded out into the night, still reeling from the whiplash of our encounter.

  ####

  We only walked for two blocks when I felt a sensation slither up my spine, like boney fingers up the back of my neck. We were being watched. I stopped, my gaze roamed over the black alleyway and dimly lit street.

  “What?” Ryker glanced over at me, his expression unreadable.

  The itchy, uncomfortable feeling of eyes on me prickled my skin. My gaze wandered around, reaching in the dark corners. Nothing was there, but the unease would not dissolve.

  “Zoey?” Irritation twisted through my name.

  “It feels like we are being watched.” I gripped the strap of my new bag, feeling the comforting weight of Sprig inside. He talked softly to Pam 2.0, catching her up on all she had missed since Peru.

  Ryker tensed, turning slowly in a circle, taking in the space around us. “I don’t see or sense anything.”

  If it were DMG, they would come right for us, no playing around. This energy had the presence of a cat playing with its food. Garrett would enjoy messing with us, but his power was strong. I couldn’t even tell if this was human or fae. I rubbed my head, a slight headache thumping at my temple, the energy I had earlier depleted, leaving me feeling drained and a little depressed.

  “Let’s get off the street,” Ryker barked. He moved in front of me, walking deeper into the shadows, his shoulders curling up toward his ears, worsening my mood.

  That damn oath still controlled him. Us. I hated it. Why couldn’t it just break? What if it started getting worse again, to the point where he lost himself in the bloodlust? How long would it be before he really tried to kill me? Would I survive? Would it break, or would I keep rising back to life, never fulfilling the oath? Was this twisted cycle the best we could hope for?