Stealing Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 5) (35 page)

Ella rolled her eyes. “Crazy idea. Maybe it’s the dead guy’s fault.”

Cade kicked Rok over, getting a good look at his face. “I’m impressed.”

“Not to brag or anything, but it
is
my second vampire kill in a week.”

“Then I’m twice as impressed.” It sounded like the old Cade, but not a hint of a smile covered his face. Maybe once his beard was gone and he got some muscle back, he’d be better.

Lucian’s eyes raked over her once more. “You don’t look injured.”

“Well, I can take care of myself.”

“No. I mean you look perfect. Your neck...your arm.”

Ella held her hands up, examining her wrists. Sure enough, the purple bruising in her wrist was gone and there was no sign of swelling. “What the—?”

Lucian whipped around to face Dad. “What did you do?”

“It’s not his fault. The vampire made him do it. He had no control over himself.”

Lucian shook his head. “You didn’t heal this fast three years ago. Something changed.”

Dad stood up straighter. “How dare you accuse me! This is all your fault.”

Lucian’s narrowed gaze told Dad exactly what he thought of this blame game. “How could I have done this?”

“It’s your people who wanted me to do these experiments in the first place. You know she had some of your vile DNA to begin with.”

“But she’s different. Something changed her.”

Ella couldn’t stand their arguing, literally, over her. She pushed herself up and stood between the two men in her life. “Lucian, I think, changed me.”

His brow furrowed as he looked at her.

She continued, “It was probably Clara...the pregnancy. Did you know about this, Dad?”

“I suspected. But it didn’t matter. I promised I would never look at you as a test subject again, and it makes no difference to me if you are super or sub-human. You’re my daughter and I was just happy you and Clara made it out alive.” He took a pensive breath. “For all I know, it was Lucian coming back into your life that worked as a catalyst.”

“So what else is different?” asked Lucian. “Are you immortal? Can you teleport? Are you going to start changing forms?”

.

“A
re you sure you want to see this?” asked Lucian.

Ella took a nervous gulp. To be honest, she wasn’t sure at all, but it was too late now. She was here and would face her fears head on. “Yeah.”

He interlaced his fingers with hers and they stepped into the building. Sunlight streamed through broken windows, shining on the glass and debris that littered the floor.

Rust-colored patches colored the floor and Ella averted her gaze. “It looks so different.”

“By the time we’re done, there won’t be anything left.”

“Are you going to burn it down?” Ella carefully stepped over a pile of broken brick and rubble; Lucian rushed to her side to make sure she didn’t fall.

“Fire will draw too much attention. By next Friday, we’ll have the inside completely gutted. No trace that anyone was ever here.”

Ella approached the first of the cells, laying a hand on the cold concrete. “Cade was just a lab rat to them. Poking and prodding him...developing chemical weapons. Who knows how much they’ve discovered.”

Lucian set a comforting arm around her waist, pulling her from the cell. “We stopped it, though. The best computer technicians in the world are combing through the hard drives we recovered even as we speak, looking for anything we can use. This was an important victory.”

Cade’s gaunt face popped up in Ella’s mind. “It doesn’t feel like a win.”

Lucian tipped Ella’s face back and stared deeply into her eyes. “I got you back safe and sound. My best friend is alive. And I found out I’m in love with an indestructible woman and have a multi-talented daughter. I might be the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Ella smiled up at him. His words pushed away all the doom and gloom from her mind. “When you put it that way...” She leaned forward, laying a gentle kiss on his lips.

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Billionaires In The City Series

Teaching The Boss

Teasing The Boss

Tempting The Boss

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Devereaux Billionaires Series

Touching Jace

Trusting Michael

Testing Luke

Taming Rourke

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Fractured Farrells; A Damaged Billionaire Series

Ruthless

Reckless

Remorseless

Restless

Relentless

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Bad Boys of the Underworld (A Paranormal series)

Finding Fire

Daring Fire

Binding Fire

Ruling Fire

Stealing Fire