Once Bitten, Twice Burned (Phoenix Fire #2)(42)
Author: Cynthia Eden

He didn’t exactly look cool then. Sabine pushed toward them.

Douglas was shaking harder by the second. Maybe because the stranger’s eyes were burning brighter by the second.

“Run,” Sabine whispered.

No one moved.

“Run!” she yelled. Sabine shoved Douglas. But the guy just shook his head and stood his ground.

“No one’s hurting my sister,” Rhett said. The leader of the pack. Always. His bat had a long crack in it. His fingers tightened around the base. “So you come at me again if you want. I don’t care what the hell you are. No one hurts my sister and walks away.”

The man’s eyes were glowing bright. “I’m not the one you have to punish. Save that for her vampire.”

How did he know about Ryder?

“He’s coming,” the man said, a faint smile curling his mouth. “Coming in so fast. He won’t give her up. What will you do then? Kill him?”

Her breath had stilled in her chest. The guy was wrong. Had to be. She’d ditched Ryder.

But Ryder knew she was from New Orleans. She glanced over her shoulder. Didn’t see anything but the end of the alley and the crowd filling the main street.

“Maybe you’ll come to wish that she was dead.” Those words had her head snapping back toward the stranger. “Before it’s all over.”

“And maybe you’ll wish that you’d never set foot in our town.” This growl erupted from Vaughn. His handsome face was tight with fury.

“I’m the least of your worries.” The man’s burning gaze touched on Sabine. “But I will see you again.”

“Not if you want to keep those eyes in your head, you won’t,” Rhett blasted.

The stranger just smirked. Then he said, “You should duck now.”

What?

He lifted his hand and a ball of fire rushed in the air, heading right toward them.

Vaughn pulled the trigger on his gun.

Rhett’s fingers locked around Sabine.

They all ducked.

And as the fire blazed, the stranger with the burning eyes slipped away, leaving behind a trail of smoke and drops of blood on the ground.

No one spoke. No one tried to go after the guy. They waited until the flames started to die away, then Rhett demanded, “Who the hell was that?”

Sabine could only shake her head. They were all rising, all looking around carefully. A crowd of spectators had come their way, drawn, no doubt, by the smell of smoke and the crackle of flames.

“I don’t know who he was.” The crowd was closing in. Sabine backed away from them, and her shoulder brushed against Rhett’s chest. “Let’s get out of here.”

He nodded, but then, he stopped and pulled her against him. Held her in a crushing grip that threatened to break her ribs. She felt his lips brush against the side of her head. “I thought you were dead.”

I was. But she couldn’t tell him that. No, maybe she just didn’t want to tell him. So she held him, gripping him just as tightly as she inhaled his familiar scent.

Her eyes had squeezed closed and she forced herself to open her gaze. When her lashes lifted, her stare darted over the growing crowd.

And her eyes locked on a gleaming, green gaze. Ryder.

He wasn’t pushing forward like the others. Wasn’t offering to help. Wasn’t moving at all. He stood there, watching her and Rhett. There was so much fury in his eyes.

“Let’s go,” Sabine whispered again. Rhett’s body felt strong and alive against her. She wasn’t about to do anything to risk that life.

Vaughn had hidden his gun. Probably tucked it under his shirt. The others had dropped their weapons and were trying to look harmless. They managed to ease their way through the crowd—and away from Ryder—even as a fire truck’s siren blared in the distance.

Rhett kept a tight hold on her as they rushed down the street. She glanced back, and, sure enough, Ryder was following her. Slow, stalking steps. She shook her head. Stay away. Sabine mouthed the words.

He kept coming.

Then she and her band of protectors were crossing the street. Horns blared. They ignored them. Typical. They cut through alleys, slid around old buildings, moving as fast as they could.

She looked back again.

Ryder was still there.

And she knew that ditching him wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, it might just be impossible.

The bar was pretty much as he’d expected. Ryder eased inside of The Rift, following the sound of blues as the other bar patrons swept into the bar. Dim lighting sent shadows chasing over the floor. The wood creaked beneath his feet as Ryder walked. The place smelled of alcohol and perfume. Laughter floated around him, just as the drinks were flowing.

The humans were in a good mood. Celebrating.

A circle of men had gathered near the back corner of the bar, a circle that enclosed Sabine.

The humans really needed to start backing the hell off. For Sabine, he was going to try and keep things civilized.

At first.

He could just see the top of Sabine’s head. Some guy with bright blond hair kept hugging her. Kissing her on the cheek.

That had better be the brother. If it wasn’t, the man was going to be in a whole world of pain soon.

“Sabe, what happened?”

Ryder was close enough to hear the blond’s question.

“Where have you been?” the guy demanded, emotion roughening his voice. “We were so worried. Hell, do you know how many times I checked the morgue?”

Her hand lifted, and she curled her fingers around his biceps. “I’m sorry.”

The guy swore and pointed toward a door marked PRIVATE. “You’re telling me what happened.” Then he was marching for that door. Pulling Sabine with him.

The other men were following him.

Ryder followed, too. Until his path was blocked by a tall, muscled male with a f**k-off glare. The guy’s blue eyes were a sharp and angry contrast to his dark brown skin. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Ryder lifted a brow. “Trust me, you don’t want to get in my way.”

The guy laughed. “Looks like that’s just where I am.” His smile faded. “You followed us here.”

Ryder shrugged. Why deny the truth? “You were easy to follow.”

The man’s right hand began to lift. Ryder knew the fellow was going for the gun he’d tucked into the back of his waistband.

“Do you truly want to do that here?” Ryder asked, curious, baiting. “With so many humans around?”

The man hesitated. “I’m guessing you’re not human.”