Once Bitten, Twice Burned (Phoenix Fire #2)(46)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Sorry to disappoint you, jerk. “Is that why you tossed some fire my way? To see just how much more I could be?”

He didn’t answer, but he seemed to have stiffened. His gaze darted over her shoulder.

She wasn’t going to make the mistake of turning and following his gaze. The guy was probably just trying to trick her. “Who are you?” Sabine demanded.

“You can call me Dante.”

“Why . . . because you start your own inferno?” She tossed right back.

A faint smile lifted his lips as he advanced toward her. “Something like that.” His fingers brushed over her arm. “I do like the fire.”

In the next instant, Dante was yanked back and thrown to the ground. One very pissed-off vampire stood over him. “Don’t ever touch her again,” Ryder barked.

Her breath came too fast. Fear could do that to a girl. Make her body tight and edgy. Make her breath pant out. She’d wondered where Ryder went, and now she was sure glad he was back.

Sabine began to inch toward him.

Dante rose from the ground. “Vampire.”

Ryder flashed his fangs.

“Do you honestly think you’re a match for someone like me?” Dante taunted. The flames began to flicker in his eyes. “I could kill you in an instant.”

“Then why don’t you just go ahead and give it your best shot?” Ryder invited, taking a step forward.

And Dante did. He leapt forward, his hand full of flames, and he shoved those flames right at Ryder’s chest.

Sabine screamed.

The ambulance sped down the road, rushing fast as its sirens screamed.

“You’re gonna be all right, man,” Vaughn said as he leaned over Rhett. “The burns aren’t that bad at all.”

Yeah, but they still hurt like hell. Gritting his teeth, Rhett glanced up at his friend. “Where’s Sabine?”

Vaughn shook his head. “I don’t know. She was there with us one minute, gone the next.”

Son of a bitch. “I just got her back.” He tried to sit up. An EMT was swabbing some kind of gunk on his arms and hand. The EMT tried to push him back down. Rhett pushed right back up.

“I know you did.” Vaughn’s voice was soft. “But at least she’s in the city now.”

In the city, but where? And with that vampire?

Vaughn looked toward the front of the ambulance, then he peered back at Rhett. “Things shouldn’t have gone down like this.”

The EMT had finally backed the hell off. “Tell me about it,” Rhett muttered. “My sister shouldn’t be a damn vampire. ”

Vaughn shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.” The guy’s voice was tight, heavy with tension. The way he usually sounded when he was coming off an undercover mission.

Only Vaughn had transferred out of Vice. He was supposed to be working homicide now. And . . .

Vaughn had just pulled out his gun. “I never wanted to do this . . .”

“What the hell?” Why did Vaughn have a gun out in the ambulance?

“But orders are orders.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Rhett started to fight the tubes and wires around him. Furious, the EMT whirled to face Vaughn. “You’re gonna have to help me hold—” He broke off, eyes widening as he saw the gun.

Then Vaughn shot the guy.

Ryder didn’t burn. Sabine had raced forward and she grabbed for Dante’s hand only to realize . . .

Ryder’s shirt was on fire, yeah, but his skin wasn’t burning. Not even blistering.

“I think that instant’s about up,” Ryder muttered.

Dante’s eyes had widened. His stare flew to her. “What have you done?”

What had she done?

But then Dante was the one screaming as Ryder sank his teeth into the phoenix’s neck. The two men were about the same size, both big, powerful. Only Dante’s fire couldn’t seem to hurt Ryder, but Ryder’s bite . . . oh yes, it was definitely hurting the phoenix.

Blood streamed down Dante’s neck. It wasn’t a gentle bite. No, it was brutal. Savage. She put her hand to her mouth, horrified. Was this what she’d become? “Ryder . . .” His name broke from her lips.

His head lifted and turned toward her. Blood dripped from his mouth.

Monster.

She knew exactly what she was staring at.

Ryder flinched. He shook his head, as if lost or confused. “Sabine?”

Dante shoved him away. “Fucking experiments.”

Was that all they were?

Dante put a hand to his throat, trying to stop the heavy blood flow. “I’ll kill you both.” A chilling promise.

“No,” Ryder lifted his claws, “but I’m about to kill you.”

“Police! Freeze!” a female voice shouted.

Dante smirked, and he didn’t freeze. “Heard them coming, didn’t you, vamp?” Fire blazed above his fingers. “I heard ’em, too, and thought we could play.”

Sabine spun to face the cops—three of them. Armed and running quickly down the narrow path. “Get back!” Sabine yelled at them.

But the police had seen the blood. They’d seen the fire. They weren’t turning back.

Not even when Dante sent the fire right for them.

Hell. Sabine ran for the cops, moving as fast as she could. They started yelling for her to freeze, but if she stopped, they’d die.

She didn’t stop.

One of them fired at her. She moved faster, faster . . . Another fired.

The bullets missed her because she was moving so fast.

Vampire fast.

Sabine tackled one cop. Felt the heat of flames dance over their bodies.

Ryder hit the others. They went down, hard enough for her to hear the crunch of bones. The cops would all have plenty of bruises, but they’d be alive. The flames had passed over their bodies.

Sabine grabbed the gun that the cop had been shooting at her with and tucked it into her waistband. “You’re welcome,” she muttered. The guy started to fight. Sabine bit her lip. She didn’t want to do this, but there wasn’t much choice.

She slammed his head into the cement.

His eyes rolled back, and he stopped fighting.

“Don’t worry, love, he’s not dead.”

She hoped not. She’d been trying to save the guy.

She just hadn’t wanted to keep fighting him.

Ryder snagged her hand. “Come on. Dante’s already gone.”

Not surprising. Only smoke and fire were left in his wake. But the cops would have called for backup, and Sabine didn’t exactly want to be huddled over those limp human bodies when said backup came rushing to the scene.