Passion Ignited (9 page)

Her jaw clenched. She could feel her own eyes
burn at the mere mention of that nickname. She was no fucking doll.
She was a warrioress, not a pretty little plaything. “Bang up job
you’re doing then, old man. You allowed your leader to be injured,
and for that young man down in the basement to be beaten into a
coma. How about you not worry about my well-being? I’d rather not
end up in a hospital bed, or no longer breathing for that matter.”
She turned on her heels then and bolted up the stairs, leaving
Raider fuming in her wake.

Chapter Seven

“Mmmm. Whatever that last drink was, bring
more.” Nitro called out to the waitress’ retreating form. She
reached over and grabbed Ash’s drink and gulped it down. “And more
of this.”

“Enjoying yourself?” Garrick asked. He and the
twins were all relaxing at what appeared to be the local hotspot.
They’d had the night off, which was a nice change of pace from the
other nights. Although, Nitro had cursed up a storm when Raider had
told her she wouldn’t be fighting tonight. If he hadn’t known
better, he’d have sworn they were in some sort of fight.

“You know, I really am. It’s great that we’re
not being babysat by that old stick in the mud. Like he really
thinks he needs to watch us. I’ve probably fought more demons than
he has,” she muttered angrily.

The waitress chose that second to bring by a
tray of drinks. Nitro grabbed random ones and slammed them back,
with Ash and Garrick trying to grab whatever she hadn’t drank
yet.

“Would you be a dear and bring more? I think
maybe double should do it next time.” Garrick smiled, offering the
waitress a one-hundred dollar tip.

“Right away.” The waitress beamed at him,
blushing before she turned away.

“Double, Garrick?” Nitro asked. Leaning over
the table, she narrowed her eyes on him, and oh, so seriously said,
“I think you have a drinking problem.”

The two men shared a look before facing her
again. “So you were saying?” Ash asked. “I believe you were telling
us how you feel about Raider.”

“Raider?” She laughed. “He’s an
ass-hat.”

“Is that why he saved your ass last night?”
Garrick asked. “Or why you’re constantly looking at him? Don’t
think we haven’t noticed.”

“And don’t think we haven’t noticed him
staring at you,” her brother added.

“What is
in
this?” Nitro slurred,
sucking down the last of the drinks. Staring at the glass as if she
could manifest more, she said, “This is so good. You really should
try it.”

Ash snorted. His sister was clearly
preoccupied with her fascination of alcoholic drinks—not to mention
she’d avoided talking about Raider as much as she possibly could.
“I’ve never seen her like this,” he admitted to Garrick
apologetically before facing Nitro. “You shouldn’t get drunk around
the humans.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Humans
spumans
.” She looked over at a group of twenty-something
girls who were dancing together, and suddenly her glazed-over eyes
grew sad. “They don’t know how lucky they—”

“Nitro,” Ash warned.

“They
don’t,
” she hissed
angrily.

The waitress approached again and started
placing drinks on the table. Ash grabbed one of the fancy drinks
his sister had been sucking down and took a swig. “What is this?”
he asked the waitress.

“Oh, that’s our house special.”

“And what’s in it?” Garrick asked.

“It’s a proprietary blend. That gentleman
right over there keeps buying these for her.” She hiked her thumb
back at another table, and then toward Nitro.

“Who?” Ash demanded.

“That guy right over th…oh, he’s gone now.”
She shrugged.

“Alright, you’ve had enough,” Ash said. He
slid the rest of the drinks away from Nitro’s side of the
table.

She scowled at him before darting her hand
across the table to grab one more of the specialty drinks. She
slammed it back before Ash had a chance to get it back.

“You’re no fun here,” she said, dropping her
chin into her hand. Leaning on her elbow, she glared at her
brother.

The song over the sound system changed.
“Buttons” by The Pussycat Dolls boomed throughout the club. Nitro
perked up instantly. “I love this song!” Rolling out of the booth,
she staggered her way to the dance floor, grabbing onto the first
guy she came across.

Garrick and Ash watched as she made friends
with the local guys, practically having sex right on the dance
floor without actually doing it.

“What’s in the drink?” Garrick asked,
gesturing to the glass in Ash’s hand.

“I haven’t figured it out yet, but whatever it
is, it’s strong. I’ve never seen her get like
this
.” He
pointed at his sister as she writhed on the dance floor. “She
mostly only drinks a lot when something’s eating at her. But, she’s
had
a lot
tonight.”

“Clearly an understatement,” Blaze said. He’d
just approached the booth with Thrash following close behind.
Garrick and Ash bumped knuckles with the guys before they took
their seats at the booth. “I take it your sister has had a chance
to get acquainted with Rapture?”

Garrick looked at the Guardian questioningly
before flicking his gaze toward Ash, who currently had an eyebrow
cocked in question.

Blaze snorted. “The drink. By the looks of her
I’d say that she’s had her fair share of them tonight. Not to
worry, though. She won’t be in any danger from drinking it, as long
as she doesn’t suck down too much. Its affects will wear off soon
enough.”

Ash started to ask more questions, and Garrick
quickly turned to Thrash. The two had become sort of friends since
Garrick had arrived in Jersey. With the two of them dominating the
other Guardians by way of speed, they had sparred with each other
frequently, learning from each other.

“So,” Thrash said. “How many are you up
for?”

Garrick glanced around the room, before facing
the Guardian again, a wide grin spreading across his
face.

****

Raider stared down at the surface of the water
he was standing in. Above him, the windowed ceiling let the
moonlight shine down, illuminating the water and creating sparkles
in the surface as it rippled around him. He raised his face to the
moon and basked in the power of its light. Lowering his gaze again,
he looked down at the scars that were still visible on his left
arm. They were the only scars on his body; they’d been there a
long, long time, and they forever branded him for what happened
that day. He was grateful for the reminder. The story behind them
wasn’t a good one, but the memories of his wife and children were
something he’d never wish to forget.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d stood there,
unmoving in the tepid pool water. He didn’t care. The memories of
that night flooded him, threatening to drown him where he stood.
They had come back more forcefully than they had in the past
decades, as if their memory was fighting to stay forefront in his
mind.

The clap of heels against concrete had him
looking over his shoulder. Nitro sat at the edge of the pool and
started unlacing her boots. Once they were free, she dangled her
legs in the water. “I know that look,” she said.

He turned back again and took a long, slow
breath in and out.

“What’s the pain about?” she asked. “You can
talk to me.”

Raider risked a glance at her again. Her face
didn’t show any of her usual mockery. “How do I know you won’t use
it against me?”

“I wouldn’t.” She shrugged. “I don’t like
seeing you this way.”

He looked down at the water, the moon’s light
still playing with the ripples, creating a mesmerizing display.
Could he speak to her about this? Tell her what had been eating him
alive? He had to. He had to let it out to
someone
. Talking
to Draven about it only days ago hadn’t helped. But then, he hadn’t
allowed his emotions to take over, either. He inhaled slowly.
“Today marks a century since my mate was murdered.”

She made no sound. No confirmation that she’d
heard him. He had a brief thought that maybe she’d left him alone,
not wanting to deal with his pain after all. But it didn’t matter.
He just needed to say it out loud, even if no one was around to
hear it.

“I stood here in the few hours before dawn
last night, watching the blue tints of the pool turn warm. I stayed
here until the sun rose high enough that my skin burned. And I
would have stayed here all day had it not been for that godsdamned
sun.”

“Were you praying?”

He looked at her again, somewhat relieved that
she hadn’t actually left. “Yes.”

“Did your wife drown? Is that why you’re
praying in a pool?”

“No. Being in the water just reminds me of
that night. I held her until she died in my arms under the moon.
I’d prayed that she’d survive the burns.”

Nitro paled slightly. “Burns?”

He nodded. “She and our children were burned
alive in our home. I didn’t make it to them in time to say goodbye
to my children, but Melinda held on as long as she
could.”

“Was it…an accident?”

Raider squeezed his eyes shut. He hadn’t
wanted to hear pity in her voice. Hadn’t wanted her to feel bad for
him. This was none of her concern, truly, but he couldn’t help but
answer her. He shook his head.

“Murdered?”

He nodded before dropping his head in defeat.
A single tear glided down his cheek. Maybe this had been a bad
idea. Talking about it, that is.

“Did you ever find out who murdered
them?”

“I never got retribution, if that’s what
you’re asking, but I do know the creatures responsible.”

“Who?”

He turned toward her. “My cousin was
responsible for what happened to my aunt and uncle, but his demons
are responsible for the death of my mate and my young.”

Nitro held his stare, her eyes burning with
something he couldn’t place—anger, pain, he didn’t know. “Who?” she
whispered.

Raider fully faced her then, anger building as
he thought of the ones who’d murdered his family. With their gazes
still locked, he said, “Fire demons.”

Chapter Eight

Raider turned on his iPod and cranked up the
volume. Rolling to his back, he reached up and gripped the bar.
Sliding it from its base, he lifted the heavy weights up and down
above his chest. With any luck he could push the thoughts he’d been
having lately from his mind as well. Talking to Nitro about it sure
as fuck hadn’t helped. In fact, he’d felt worse by opening his
Nancy-ass heart up to the warrioress.

It had been nearly a week since Draven had
rushed off to battle against the gods for his mate, and no one had
received word from him since. Worry for his oldest nephew was
nagging on him, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Opening up to
Draven a few nights ago had opened up the floodgate of memories
that he hadn’t been able to shake. Memories and nightmares of that
horrid night filled every waking—and sleeping—moment he had. He’d
failed Melinda and his children by not being there to protect
them.

Up and down he pushed the bar, sweat beading
on his brow as he conjured thoughts of his family. Melinda had been
so beautiful, with her red hair and emerald green eyes. He’d truly
had the most desirable female in all of Vampur. Their oldest child,
Tristan, had Raider’s light brown hair, while their two daughters,
Kayla and Corrinne, had their mother’s vivid red hair. All three
shared their mother’s eyes, which had always pleased him to no end.
As much as he loved Melinda, he’d been proud to have his children
be the spitting image of her.

His arms began to tire, and yet still he
couldn’t stop. Thoughts were brewing in his mind. Thoughts he
hadn’t wanted to relive so vividly, but ones that assaulted him
constantly. For a century, the worst days of his life had been the
anniversaries marking their deaths, their birthdays, and
anniversaries of his and Melinda’s mating.

A rumble tore through his stomach, causing an
ache to bloom. He thought back to when he fed last. Surely it
couldn’t have already been a week—

Feeling pressure on his waist, Raider’s eyes
shot open. He stared up into warm brown eyes framed by thick, black
lashes. Nitro was sitting on top of him, talking away, but he
couldn’t hear a thing she said. He set the bar on its stand and
pulled the ear buds from his ears.

“—
so I thought I’d come find you,”
she finished.

“What?” he asked as he stared up into her
eyes. They blazed with heat as she raked her gaze over his bare
chest and stomach.

“I couldn’t get your story out of my mind,
Raid,” she said, leaning low. “For some reason I don’t like to see
you in pain.” She reached for something in the waist of her skirt,
and ever so slowly, she pulled a whip out. Holding onto his left
wrist, she wrapped the whip around it, tying him to the bar. Then
she tied the left.