Darkness on Fire Read Online Free Page B

pulled out of the lot, heading back toward the park, already too far away for him to see the license plate.
    “What did you do when you sensed them coming?”
    “I keep a pack ready in case the park needs me in a hurry. I grabbed a few other things and made a run for it. I didn’t take my car, because they would have noticed I was already gone as soon as they approached the cabin. By taking my bike, they had to check the cabin first. It bought me a few minutes.”
    “Smart thinking.”
    No sign of the car returning. He backed away, putting some distance between himself and Jora. As scared as Jora was, he wanted to offer her the comfort of his arms. She’d turned to him for help, but she was far too skittish for him to risk crowding her too much.
    “It’s too dark for us to go back to your place and see much, but I’ll want to do that at first light. I don’t function without at least some sleep, so you can have the bed. I’ll take the floor.”
    Jora immediately protested. “But this is your room. I’m the intruder here.”
    “My momma raised me to have better manners than that, so I’ll take the floor.” Then he grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “Or we could share the bed.”
    Holy crap, it looked as if she was actually considering it. Jora might have no interest beyond a safe place to grab some sleep, but he wasn’t sure he could trust himself. Like all Paladins, he had a strong need to protect. The thought of wrapping Jora in his arms, to keep her close and safe, held a great deal of appeal. But he also knew he’d want to do far more than just snuggle.
    Time to make the decision for the both of them. “Help yourself to anything you need in the bathroom. Turn the lights out when you’re done.”
    When she disappeared into the other room, he took two of the pillows and the extra blanket from the bed. After putting his gun and sword within easy reach, he made himself as comfortable as he could on the thin carpet. His gut told him Jora was on the up-and-up, but he’d been wrong about people before. If she went for her sword, he’d be ready for her.
    When Jora returned he deliberately slowed his breathing, hoping she’d think he was asleep. She tiptoed past him, then all he heard was the rustling of blankets as she settled into the bed.
    “Good night, Penn,” she whispered as she turned out the light.
    He hadn’t fooled her at all. Smiling in the darkness, he whispered back, “Good night. Sleep well. You’re safe with me.”
    “I know.”
    He didn’t know which one of them sounded more surprised by that fact.
    Tarl slammed his fist against the wall. At least this primitive cabin he’d rented outside of town was far enough from its neighbors to ensure no on heard him bellowing. The bitch had managed to slip free of the trap he’d set. That told him two things were true. The men he’d sent after her were incompetent fools, and her abilities were even more powerful than had been reported.
    He turned to face his associates. “Tell me again how this went down.”
    Berod shuffled his feet a bit. “We waited until after midnight, just like you told us to do. The parking lot was empty when we left the car there. We cut directly across country toward her cabin to avoid the trails. That way we’d be less likely to run into any stray campers.”
    At least they’d thought that much through. He nodded his approval. “Did you see anyone who might have called the woman to warn her?”
    “No, sir. I’ve got a talent for detecting heartbeats within a half mile or so, and the woods were empty. When we reached the clearing, there was a light on in the back of the cabin.” He wiped off the sweat that had beaded up on his forehead.
    “We watched the place for a couple of minutes, you know, making sure she wasn’t outside. Then I realized her heartbeat was moving away from us. We charged through the cabin door to make sure, and that’s when we heard a motorcycle start up. It took us a few minutes to get