INTO THE FIRE (Forbidden Love)

by James, Danielle

  He had to. She had no where else to turn.

  Apparently, though, Angel thought enough of her situation to allow her into his home. The guard waved her in as the iron gates opened. She didn’t bother trying to get her car inside, instead opting to just stomp her way to the door. If he was looking out one of those exceptionally dark tinted windows, he would see her approaching and he would know just how pissed off she really was.

  The driveway was well kept, with flowers and shrubs growing along the sides. The house itself was nice too. It had a strange sort of ivy growing on the walls, and that, coupled with the tall, darkly tinted windows, almost made it look like a castle. It really was a nice house.

  When Leigh reached the front door, a petite red-head opened it before she could even knock.

  “Welcome, Miss Harmond,” the woman said. “I’m Brea, Angel’s wife. Please, come in.” She opened the door wide and made an enter motion with her arm.

  Leigh followed the woman inside. She had the prettiest hair, Leigh mused as she walked behind her. It was Christmas red and spiraled down her back like curling ribbon. She was about the same height as Leigh, only she was thinner and prettier.

  She led Leigh into a sitting room and offered her a seat. “Would you like something to drink?” Brea asked. Leigh shook her head. She wasn’t sure she wanted anything that would be found in a vampire’s house.

  “Will Angel be along soon?” Leigh asked.

  “Yes, he’s getting dressed. I was already up because I had to take our daughter to school today. The guard insisted that you were very upset. Angel takes his job very seriously and he wants to meet with you.”

  “I bet, seeing as how his man isn’t doing his job,” Leigh grumbled.

  “I don’t understand it,” Brea agreed. “Rebel is very good at what he does. I can’t imagine how the vampire who’s harassing you keeps slipping by him.”

  “Nor can I,” a deep male voice said. Leigh turned her head to see the legendary Angel Knight standing in the doorway. Although she had never met him before, Leigh knew what he looked like. Long black hair that reached his belt, emerald green eyes that could make a woman swoon with just one look. His mug had been plastered all over the TV and the internet, along with several of his band mates. But in person, wow. He was gorgeous personified.

  “Welcome to my home, Leigh,” he said, extending his hand to her. Leigh took it. Angel held her hand longer than necessary, cocking his head to the side. The look on his face was slightly confused. Leigh knew he was studying her, trying to figure her out. Although she didn’t feel any sign of him trying to read her mind, Leigh slammed all of her mental barriers into place anyway. What went on in her mind was none of his damned business.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Leigh said, tugging her hand away from him. There was no mistaking that he knew something was different about her.

  “You are not human,” Angel said. It was a statement of fact. Not a question. “Your scent is unique, though similar to one I know. But your skin is warm to the touch, but not sweaty or clammy. Just warmer than most. How very interesting.”

  “Who do you know?” Leigh asked. Did he know Merrick? God, she hoped not. That would just blow everything all to shit. She hadn’t spent years hiding from the ass munch just to have him find her now.

  “His name is Phoenix. He is a true firebird. He has that same campfire scent that you have, only a little different. You have a slight sulfur scent as well. Are you related, perhaps?”

  Leigh shook her head and let out her breath. She hadn’t realized that she had been holding it. “I’m afraid not,” she said. “I don’t have any living relatives.” It wasn’t a lie. Her family was long dead.

  “What exactly are you?” Angel asked. Leigh stiffened.

  She steeled her nerves and deliberately shook off his question. “Let’s not worry about what I am. I am the victim here. I am here because your man isn’t doing his job. Stalker boy is still watching me. It’s very unnerving.” Leigh crossed her arms over her chest. The motion was just as much to protect herself as it was defiance. “I just want him gone. So I came to ask you myself to put someone different on it. Someone this jerk can’t hide from.”

  Angel thought for a moment, and then said, “I will ask Rebel to come down. I am not sure how your ‘stalker boy’ is eluding him. It is very rare for a vampire to be able to hide from us.”

  Angel looked like he was concentrating for just a second, and then returned to the conversation. “He will be down soon,” he said. “Tell me about yourself, Leigh.”

  “What’s there to say?” Leigh asked. “I’m just a bookstore employee. I work too much and I am still broke. You already know where I live. What else is there to tell?”

  “Is there an ex-boyfriend that might have someone watching you?” Angel asked.

  Ha! It had been so long since she was even close to a man that she had forgotten what it was like. “No,” she answered. Merrick was the only one even close, and that relationship existed only in his own mind. But Merrick wouldn’t employ a vampire to do his dirty work. Even if he had, he would have made his move by now. Merrick wouldn’t have waited weeks to take action.

  Angel opened his mouth to say something else, but no sound came out. Instead, his eyes were trained on something behind Leigh. She turned.

  He stood there in the doorway, staring back at her in a combination of surprise and guilt. One look at his dark hair and whiskey eyes and she knew exactly who he was. His exquisite eyes had a definite look of hunger in them. As if he wanted to eat her up. Literally. He was wearing well worn jeans and a tight black t-shirt that stretched across his lean torso like a lover’s caress. For just a second Leigh gave herself an inner sigh. He was so yummy. What a shame he was crazy. Leigh jumped to her feet. “You!” she snapped. “You’re the one!”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Rebel answered. He leaned against the door jamb and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. He plastered a blank expression on his wretchedly handsome stupid face.

  The smell of sulfur thickened in the air and the temperature in the room rose a good twenty degrees. Leigh rose to her full height, all of five foot six, and purposefully stalked over to where Rebel stood. Her pupils had constricted to narrow slits within the yellow irises. She pulled her right hand back, curled it into a fist, and let it snap forward. She connected with his chin. Hard. Rebel’s head snapped back, he stumbled, and then dropped to the floor. Holy. Fucking. Shit. She had knocked him out. Oh no, that wasn’t good. No no no. Not good at all.

  No sooner than she realized that what she had done, Angel was behind her, restraining her. “What the fuck was that?” he snarled. It took all of her self control not to fight him. “Why did you lay him out? He was trying to protect you.”

  “No, that’s stalker boy. He’s the jackass who’s been following me for weeks now.” She struggled a little against Angel’s iron grip. “No wonder he never saw anything! You sent him out to watch for himself!”

  Angel let her go. “He’s the one who has been watching you?” he asked with both brows raised. What? Was it so damned hard to believe?

  “I am one hundred percent positive.”

  “Merde, this does make things different,” Angel mused. “I can assure you, he will cause you no harm. I have been with Rebel for centuries. He is a dear friend and brother to me.”

  “Whatever, I don’t care.” Leigh straightened out her clothes while she talked. “To me, he’s psycho stalker-boy. Get him to knock it the hell off. So long as he leaves me alone, I don’t care who he is.”

  “I will have a good talk with him as soon as he wakes up,” Angel promised. He noticed that Brea was smiling. “Nice right hook, by the way. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what you are? It’s not everyday a woman knocks a vampire on his ass.”

  “I should go,” Leigh said, avoiding the request. “Now.” She turned and headed for the door.

  “Leigh,” Brea said, coming up behind her, “Here
, this is my cell number. Call me if you need anything at all.” Leigh took the small piece of paper from Brea. Not that she would ever use it, but it was the polite thing to do. She left the Knight Estate without a backward glance.

  THREE

  Oh no, oh no, oh no. What had she done? She used her strength without thinking, that’s what she had done. Leigh berated herself the whole way back to her small apartment. She hadn’t lost her temper in years. And then, with just one look at the man who had been stalking her, wham! Just like that.

  Not that he didn’t deserve to be laid out, because he did. Her stalker was none other than Rebel, guitar player for Angel Knight. No last name, just like Prince. Just Rebel. He was a damned rock star! Why would he even look her way? He could stalk any woman he wanted, and they would welcome it! But did he do that? No! He had to go and stalk the one woman in the whole freaking world who didn’t want his attention.

  And now, she had crossed a line that she had dared not cross before. Merrick would surely find her now! Every time she used her power, the atmosphere rippled a little. More if she used more power. Merrick would surely feel it, no matter how far away he was.

  Once inside her apartment, Leigh did the only thing she could do. She started packing. The only option left for her was to leave and start over somewhere else. She would get a new name. A new job. A new place to live. She rushed about, shoving only the necessities into her suitcase before slamming it shut and running out the door. She jumped into her car and drove off into the approaching night.

  Rebel’s jaw was throbbing. He felt a bit light headed, a little dizzy. What happened? He sat up and uncrossed his eyes and looked into the faces of his leader and Brea. They were both wearing an amused expression. Slowly, rubbing his jaw, Rebel stood up.

  “What the fuck?” he asked.

  “I should be asking you the same thing,” Angel reprimanded. Rebel noticed that all of his brothers had gathered around. Sebastian, Angel’s second in command, was sitting on the couch with his mate, Jessica. Gage, the bass player and communications expert, and Antonio, guitar and explosives expert, were each leaning against an arm of the couch. Jacque, drummer and scientist, was sitting in the chair. All of them wore the same, expectant but amused faces.

  Then Rebel remembered. Leigh had been there. She saw him. She decked him. Hard. And he had lied and told Angel that while he was watching out for a stalker, he had seen nothing. Of course he hadn’t. He was the stalker. But he didn’t mean any harm. He only wanted to see her. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to face the music, he just hadn’t figured on it being like this. Now his whole family had gathered around and was waiting for an explanation.

  “I guess I have some explaining to do,” Rebel said.

  “I’d say so,” Angel replied. “You were the one watching her.”

  “Yes,” he admitted. “I didn’t say anything because I knew what you guys would say.”

  “Why were you following her?” Angel asked.

  “You don’t know?” Rebel asked. “I couldn’t seem to help myself. The first time I saw her I knew. She is meant to be mine. But I couldn’t approach her. I just couldn’t.”

  “And we thought Angel went about it all screwed up,” Jessica, Sebastian’s wife, offered. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and Rebel watched as Sebastian zeroed in on her neck with his eyes. It was the way with mates. He didn’t look at her with typical vampire hunger, but with love, adoration, and lust. Something Rebel didn’t know he even wanted until the night he saw Leigh.

  “I know I have gone about this all wrong,” Rebel answered. “I don’t think she likes me much.”

  “Ya think?” Brea snapped. “Hell, she laid you out as if you were nothing more than a human!”

  “That’s right,” Angel offered. “You must know that she is not human.”

  “Yeah,” Rebel answered, still rubbing his sore jaw. “I knew there was something, but I couldn’t decide what. Did she by any chance tell you?”

  “No, in fact, she was adamant that it was none of our concern.”

  “I just want to know how she knocked you out,” Gage laughed. “It’s been too long since someone put you in your place.”

  “Shut up,” Rebel snapped.

  “I tend to agree,” Antonio said.

  “Me too,” Jacque mused. “She must really be something.”

  “Well, she isn’t going to be easy,” Brea said. “I’d bet she is already looking for a new apartment to get away from you.” She shook her head. “Haven’t you guys learned anything?”

  Rebel guessed not. Jacque had missed the opportunity to claim his mate not too long ago. Frankie was a witch and a friend of Jessica’s. He had kept his feelings for her to himself. When he finally decided to claim her, she had split L.A. for greener pastures. Literally. She had picked herself up and moved to some little town in Indiana. Far away from Jacque. Instead of following her, Jacque stayed behind, alone and grieving. Luckily for him, they had not mated. He wouldn’t have survived the separation otherwise.

  Sebastian had tried to deny the bond between himself and Jessica. As fate would have it, she had no problem going after what she wanted. She had tortured him for weeks until he finally quit the stubborn routine and claimed her.

  And Angel, well, that was the real kicker. He had claimed Brea without telling her about it first. She was so angry and hurt by his actions that she left him. For weeks Angel laid in bed, starving to death without her. But Brea was a good woman, and she forgave him. Now they were married and had a daughter together.

  So after seeing the mistakes his brothers made with their mates, what did Rebel do? The exact worse thing he could have done. He stalked the one woman in the world who was meant to be his. He knew it on a primitive level. It was something his body and soul recognized and compelled him to be near her. So what if his choices had been deemed stalking?

  “Rebel? Are you listening, Mon Ami?” Angel asked for the second time. Actually, he hadn’t been listening.

  “Yeah, sure,” he answered, shaking himself out of his personal thoughts.

  “What did I say?”

  “Um,”

  “That’s what I thought.” Angel shook his head. “Pay attention, because I won’t say this again. I believe you when you say she is your mate. But, you have created a problem. By following her you have spooked her. Right now she wants nothing to do with you.”

  “I know, but I will convince her,” Rebel interrupted.

  Angel held up one hand in a stop motion. “No, my friend. Not now. As Clan Leader, I must do my job. We have laws that must be obeyed. She has made a formal request for a restraining order against you. You are my brother and I adore you, but I’m afraid that I must request that you refrain from any contact with Leigh Harmond. At least until I can convince her that you are not insane. Or a danger to her.”

  “You can’t be fucking serious,” Rebel snapped. His eyes were lit up with anger. “She is my mate. I have to see her.”

  “I know this. But for now, we must honor her request.”

  “Fuck that.”

  “Please, do not force my hand,” Angel pleaded with him.

  “No, I won’t stay away. She’s mine!”

  Rebel continued to rage and curse. Angel did not argue with his friend. Instead, he did the only thing he could do. He had rules to enforce, and he was going to do it. No matter how much it hurt. No matter how much his insides screamed against taking such action against one he loved so dearly. It was an unthinkable action against one he trusted so much, but it had to be done. Rebel was out of control, and no one could guarantee his actions would be congruent with Angel’s orders. Ignoring the lance of pain that speared his heart, Angel let his power gather and flow from his mind into Rebel’s. Within seconds the fuming vampire went down to the floor in an unconscious heap. Then Angel did something that he had never in his three hundred years imagined he would have to do.

  “Sebastian,” Angel said, “Restrain him.�
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  FOUR

  Four hours on the road did nothing to calm Leigh’s nerves. She saw Merrick’s face in every car that passed, on every street corner she drove by. At first, she had driven in several directions. Any direction. She didn’t want to leave a clear path that would lead Merrick to her.

  Why did that stupid blood sucker have to walk into her life, anyway? She was no one. Nothing special. There were far more beautiful girls out there that would love to hook up with Rebel. Why did he have to call attention to Leigh?

  Of course, Leigh knew that she was, in fact, something special. But he didn’t know that. No one did. The only soul on Earth who knew about her was Merrick. And she was going to do any and everything possible to make sure he never found her.

  Just because they were of the same species didn’t mean she was his. Far from it. He was obsessive and rude and unstable. The last time they had been together had been with him vehemently insisting that they belonged together while Leigh had been shackled to the wall in his home.

  Oh, he had tried to seem accommodating. He had even insisted that he wouldn’t take her until she was ready for him. Until she was ready to accept him as her mate. Unfortunately for Merrick, Leigh wasn’t inclined to feel that way about him.

  She hated him.

  Leigh had spent years as his prisoner; waiting for the opportunity to escape. When the time came, she left without a backward glance.

  She had always found peace wherever she lived, even if it wasn’t for more than a couple of years. She had always felt safe. Even since she had moved to L.A. she had felt safe. It felt like a place she could sit a spell.

  Now, thanks to the president of the idiot counsel, she was on the run again. She had barely stopped to empty her bank account before skipping town. Her nest egg was nowhere near as large as it usually was when she started over, but it would have to do. It was all she had.

  But she could make it, if she were careful with her spending. She could hole up in a cheap motel for a day or two while she looked for a job. If she couldn’t find one, well, she would move on to the next town.