Think.
Flame immediately opened her survival kit and glanced about the room. She grabbed up her blankets and sheets and ran to the bathroom with them. Back into the bedroom she raced, and casting a quick glance around, she yanked a few magazines from a small bookcase, shredding them as she ran back to the shower stall.
Dropping to her knees Flame opened the kit and removed the lighter. Her hand was shaking as she struck down with her thumb. She could see Fire’s face appear for only a second.
“Keep calm,” he said.
Flame was anything but calm; her mind raced with gruesome scenarios. Her hand shook, as did her fingers and the lighter went out before it was really lit. Taking deep breaths to settle her nerves, Flame struck against the clicker again. This time the flame remained lit and the paper caught in the little shredded bundle and the blankets began to smolder. Fire’s voice became louder as the blaze grew in intensity. It was just a matter of time. Flame scooted back, dropping the lighter as the heat from the fire became intense, it wasn’t burning her, but she knew in seconds Fire would burst from the bundle of flames.
Fire appeared from the blaze, stepping on the ash that billowed under his feet and swirled upwards around his calves, thighs and chest in a controlled inferno. Flame shot to her feet, turning the knobs full blast to douse the flames. She needn’t have bothered, the flames followed Fire, rolling and billowing under his command, there was no smoke to send up warnings. The little flames left seeped into Fire, dancing across his skin. Flame was then pressed back against the door; Fire trapped her arms at either side. He looked worried.
“They have the Barkley woman and her daughter,” Fire said divulging Flame’s worst fear.
“But how?”
“My brothers and I were watching you. Fumus was supposed to be keeping an eye out for Barkley’s men, but both boys were outside when four men burst into the cabin. Fumus spirited the boys away, concealing them in what appeared to be foggy smoke, the woman and girl weren’t as lucky.”
Flame could feel the motion of the yacht under her feet, they were on the move. She pressed her body against Fire’s warm skin.
“Now I really need to disable the boat. We can’t let him get close to dry land or any other vessel until we have Melinda Barkley and Lisa back. Where are James Junior and Dominic?”
Fire seemed to search his mind. “They are safe, they’re with my mother in a garden Terra made for her. The children will suspect nothing; she is with them in her human form.” He seemed surprised they were with his mother. Then, after a moment, he nodded. “It would appear Mother has sent Fumus out in search of the Barkley woman and Lisa, she’s none too happy with him.”
“How can smoke look over the ocean?”
“Fumus can roll over the top of the water like misty fog; you’ve seen it often enough, early morning, late at night, dawn, dusk. It was his way to play hide and seek when we were young, or to stalk his brothers. He was able to obscure hiding places, it was damned annoying. I don’t think he’ll ever outgrow that. He likes freaking humans out when they suddenly find themselves alone surrounded in his highness’ creepiness.”
Fire was right, she had seen the mist hover over the water, or hang in the air. Who knew elements could play? And for a split second, she smiled at the way Fire spoke of his younger brother. For now, she had a more pressing issue.
“I need to get to the engines,” Flame said. “I have to get this vessel disabled now.”
Fire captured her face between his palms when she tried to duck out from under his arms. “No, when we get to dry land and dock I’m going to blow this entire floating matchstick up.”
“He won’t risk dry land. Now that his cronies have his wife and child, he won’t risk anything. If Barkley gets his wife he’ll beat her until she produces his sons, which she can’t since they’re with Mother Nature. If you blow up the boat, the only ones who will be safe are you and me. There’s also a doctor on board who just doesn’t seem to appear to be one of Barkley’s cronies. I think he was brought aboard for the children.”
“Barkley has no idea who you are or you would have been thrown overboard by now. No doubt he is heading out to intercept with another vessel to meet his wife and child. He’s taking a risk going closer to land, but he’s willing to chance it for the bigger prize. The doctor you speak of is as much a crony as the others. Perhaps more compassionate, but nevertheless, he works for Barkley.”
“But.”
“No buts. There is no doubt the woman and child will be waiting at a dock, or in a smaller craft waiting to board. Barkley is just too impatient to have them. The bastard can smell revenge. Nimbus and Ventus will find the woman and child first. I’m cutting Barkley’s escape route off and you will be settled safely onto dry land with your warrant in your hand—not plastered to your boobs. First, Nimbus can toss Barkley’s sorry ass around the water for a while and maybe introduce the bastard to a few
pet
sharks.”
“So you just expect me to sit around and wait? Melinda and her child are in danger, if anything suspicious happens to Barkley before they are found, it could very well mean their deaths,” Flame said astounded. “We jumped through hoops to get that warrant and it might not even stick. Barkley’s lawyers are bound to find a loophole. Hopefully, it will give us enough time to get his wife and kids to safety and procure a restraining order. You have no idea how powerful this man is in my world, how dangerous.”
Fire cupped her chin. “Barkley wouldn’t dare harm his wife on dry land even if the warrant is tossed out. He would never be able to travel again if his passport is taken and he doesn’t want to be stuck somewhere—he’s a control freak and wants to come and go as cockily as he pleases. No, he’ll wait until he has them both out in international waters where his wife will accidently fall overboard from too much drinking after their joyous reunion. That won’t happen. Trust me.”
The blood drained from her face, Barkley had a plan; his wife was as good as dead. Fire may have some legal knowledge, but the elements normally had no need to get involved with the intricacies of human life. Money was power, and Barkley wasn’t just rich, he was filthy stinking rich. No doubt there were a few judges in his pockets. Flame felt so helpless, they were deluding themselves to think any of this would end without the loss of life; whose life remained to be seen.
Ducking around him, Flame went and perched on the bed. Fire locked the door from the inside and strolled over. The bed dipped when he sat beside her. He reached to stroke her fingers and smiled at her.
“What we need to do is wait and bide our time. Once we have the Barkley woman and her child on board or found, the elements will step in. Do not ask me not to interfere. This changes everything, your life is too precious to me and once Barkley has his family, he will be doubly dangerous. It’s time the elements stepped in for real.”
“So what are we supposed to do in the meantime? Go insane with worry?”
Fire trailed his finger down her cheek suggestively. “No volcano this time,” he said cheekily.
“We’d burn the bed. I know you, this is too confining.”
“Not if you teach me how a human makes love.”
“Oh, Fire. I’m so worried, and I can’t even tell Ray what’s happening, they’ll see the boat in motion and think I failed.”
“You haven’t failed, I’m proud of you.”
“But I haven’t served my warrant, I can’t. If I do, Barkley might be so furious who knows what will happen. We can’t get in a shootout right now, so far from land. We’d be separated unless we rode a lightning bolt. How would I explain that? Every scenario ends up in flames…literally. Melinda Barkley and Lisa must be terrified. I should have made you tell me where they were so the police could have protected them.”
“For all you know Barkley could have the cops under his thumb, or the mayor. Besides, little one, do you think you can force an element to do something? Let me take care of things now.”
“I’m responsible for this.”
“Shh, it will be alright.”
“How do you know? How can you possibly know? Damn, this sucks. You can’t just burn the boat. How could I explain everyone drowning and me disappearing into thin air? What if your brothers don’t find Melinda Barkley and Lisa first? What if we don’t go near dry land? What if—”
Fire leaned close and kissed her, stopping her tirade. Flame felt the tickling of his essence as it danced across her lips. For a second, her gaze fled to the cabin door then she relaxed. She knew Barkley wouldn’t bother with her if they were headed to get his wife and child; no doubt the bastard was planning each detail to a fault on how to make her death look like an accident.
Fire touched her breasts and Flame squealed in protest. “Don’t set fire to my warrant.”
He chuckled as he undid her bra and peeled the spaghetti straps of her dress down. “The bastard has nice taste in clothes, you look—
hot
.”
She was feeling hot. Insecurities fueled her desire, needing an escape. Flame knew she was safe; she knew that for now Melinda and her daughter would remain unharmed, especially with the element brothers looking for them. If Flame concentrated on just one thing maybe she would get her head on straight. Fire wasn’t alight with his passion and yet she felt his searing caress as his fervor floated down her throat. Her insides tingled as he claimed her, making the fire dance in her veins and throughout her belly. Outside, he remained a normal-looking man, but inside he was burning hotter than an explosion. When their tongues collided, the moistness sizzled and steamed, bathing their faces in a misty fog.
Large hands lifted Flame up and across to settle on the bed, Fire lay over top of her. Flame could see the embers of his eyes sizzle; sparks hit her lashes and cheeks as though beautiful tears had come to life. Flecks touched her eyes, sending flickers of heated desire through the many sensitive nerves. Tiny ashes floated to the bare mattress, steamed then died. They looked like dancing grey snowflakes falling all around them. Nothing dangerous enough to start a fire, but the room was soon alight with the multitude of seeming admirers as the cinders spun round and round looking like gorgeous, mysterious fairies.
Flame gasped, her back arched when Fire entered her as a human man would. Only his searing muscled cock invaded her sizzling wetness. Fire rocked against her, sliding deeper with each powerful fueled thrust. He tempered his encompassing strength making him seem stronger.
Fire pulled out. “I want to see you.” His voice was ragged. When he lowered his body down past her waist, Flame gasped when, with a wave of his hand her mound was bare and glowing pink. “That’s better.”
Large fingers spread her petals exposing her to him. Before his mouth closed over her, Flame cried out as his tongue changed form and invaded her like a slippery fire cock. He was so hot her legs shook and her body trembled. He had said he would love her like a human in human form, but though he kept his body from a physical fiery eruption, the rest of him succumbed. From between her thighs, his essence burned its way straight to her belly. Fire growled and crawled back up her body. His tongue invaded her mouth while his cock plunged deep. Flame could utter no sound; she wanted to scream.
With a growl deep in his throat, Fire lifted them both from the bed. Rolling, twisting, he surrounded them in a cocoon of flames in the middle of the room. Flame watched as the lamp melted into a puddle. The room shimmered with heat while everything steamed, but nothing caught fire. The door’s handle glowed red as the wood gave off the stench of a sauna. A short blast was cut off as the fire detector leaped to life then died, melting to the floor.
Flame’s entire body was loved by many flaming tendrils. They invaded her body everywhere at once, leaving no area untouched. As Fire stroked within her, the sensation of fingers caressing her bald pussy aroused her further. She was coaxed into a demanding seduction by an element. Both Flame and Fire’s hair mixed as the strands blazed, sweat sizzled and dried.
The orgasm caught Flame unaware as it washed over her, seizing every inch of her burning body. The window in her room cracked when Fire roared his release after tossing his head back and away from her panting lips. The thickness of the firewall kept their noises a secret. It was a good thing, Flame thought, as she was lowered back onto the mattress. The room looked like it had been bathed in liquid lava sweat.
With her face buried in Fire’s throat, Flame fell asleep. Tomorrow, she would serve her warrant and send Barkley’s damned ass to jail. She would save his wife and daughter. Her mind was set.
Chapter 9
Flame woke in the safety of Fire’s arms. The early morning light streamed in through the large cracked port window. When she looked up into Fire’s face, he was wide awake; she was concerned to see a strange, wary expression. Wariness turned to fury and it was all Flame could do not to hit the floor when Fire jumped up. The door to her room exploded open, shards of wood imbedded into the walls with the force. Jag stood looking none too pleased, fists balled.
“Betelgeuse.” The word Fire called him spewed in a blue-red flame from his lips. His hands were also balled, but masses of balled fire. Flame struggled to get into the blue dress that had been abandoned to the floor and yank on her tiny white panties. She slipped her bra on and played momentarily with the warrant, squishing the paper to cup her breasts before pulling the dresses straps up. She colored as Jag gazed openly at her while she tried to yank her clothing on, he then regarded Fire.