Waltz into Fire (The Sentinals Book 1)

by L. J. Garland

  She turned and headed for the shower. The need to wash away the early morning’s events overpowered the fatigue left from using her gift. It wouldn’t be long, though, before the crash came, and her body would require sleep.

  Fallon let the dirty, mangled clothes she wore drop to the floor and adjusted the temperature of the water streaming from the showerhead. Stepping under the hot spray, she lifted her face to the water, braced both hands on the wall, and let her tears flow freely. Guilt and loss twisted through her, a knife slicing into her soul. Unable to endure the weight any longer, her knees buckled, and she slid down to the floor of the tub, sobs racking her body.

  She would never see Johnny’s crooked smile again or hear his raspy voice chew her out for working too hard. Who would be there to set her straight when life became too much to bear? Oh, God, what good is this gift if I can’t save the ones I love?

  Strong arms came around her, turning her body. She looked up into Zane’s red-rimmed eyes and found a multitude of emotions, love shining prominently through them all. He gathered her close, his fierce hold almost painfully tight. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his chest, and they sat together under the shower, clinging to each other until the water ran cold.

  Zane lifted her from the tub and carried her to the bedroom, icy droplets dripping from his skin and hair as he laid her carefully on the bed. Standing over her, he stared at her, pain and desire clear in his eyes. “I need you.”

  The ache in his voice broke Fallon’s heart, and she pulled him down to her. They lay there for a moment, their wet bodies clinging to each other, his face tucked in her neck so long she wondered if he’d changed his mind. But then his tongue trailed along the curve of her neck, moving to her mouth.

  A sudden fire sparked deep inside her, and her breath caught at the passion winding through her. He kissed her, his tongue tracing her lips and sinking deeper into her mouth, searching, tasting, competing for dominance. She sensed his desperate need to escape the horrors of the day in the joining of their bodies in bold release, and she was right there with him.

  He laid tender kisses along her jaw and down her neck to the soft rise of her breast, latching onto her aching nipple. She arched against his mouth and let go a soft moan. His capable hands tortured her. One fondled her breast while the other smoothed over her belly and slid through her feminine curls to cup her sex, wet with need.

  Groaning, he moved down her body, following the path his hand had taken, leaving hot kisses in his wake. He pressed his face to her heat, his tongue sliding along the narrow opening of her core with torturous leisure, paying special attention to the tight bundle of nerves hidden there. She dug her nails into his shoulders, and he moaned, long and ragged. Locking his arms around her thighs, he pressed her legs wider as he devoured her.

  “Zane,” she gasped, trembling against his relentless quest to have all of her. A moment later, hot tingles danced through her limbs, her climax reeling out in wave after wave of pleasure that seemed to go on forever.

  She hadn’t planned on making love to Zane again until they’d had a chance to talk about what had happened between them on the island. Their argument in his bedroom had somehow exploded into a passionate tussle, and she’d wanted to clear the air before they slept together again. But when she’d looked in his eyes, seeing his deep hunger for her and his desperation to escape the pain of his grief, she hadn’t hesitated. Her body craved the same release, yearned for that same soul-deep connection with someone who understood the pain of loss. Once in her arms, he’d felt so perfect she’d given in to desire, never wanting it to end.

  Zane slid up her body and reached over to the bedside table drawer, snagging a condom from the box inside. Sheathing himself in record time, he returned to her and paused, staring silently into her eyes. He lowered his forehead to hers then entered her in one, slow movement as though savoring every inch as he sank into her.

  Capturing her gasp with his mouth, he rocked against her, his strokes long and deep, unhurried. Breaking the kiss, he looked down into her eyes, his gaze locking with hers. Her heart skipped a beat as somehow the union transcended the physical, and she saw their relationship with sudden clarity. He knew her, understood her. He would give his life for her. And he would stand beside her with a fierce devotion that no other man could ever match.

  Fiery coils of lust tightened inside her. Each deep thrust lit sparks within her core that set her body ablaze. Just when she thought she’d lose her mind with need, he plunged harder, faster, until she flew apart into a thousand pieces in his arms.

  Zane tensed over her, his smooth cadence erupting in jerky movements. “Fallon!”

  Spent, he collapsed next to her. Once their breathing slowed and heartbeats returned to normal, he slid off the bed and disposed of the condom. Grabbing a light afghan from the foot of the bed, he lay next to her again, pulled her into his arms, and covered them both with the throw.

  “I love you, Fallon. I love you more than my own life. Never forget that.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Fallon woke the following morning to find Zane already gone from the bed. Pulling on a pair of sweats and a tank top, she ventured from the bedroom to find him. They still hadn’t spoken about Johnny or what had happened yesterday. Even though they’d made love twice more in the night, it had been a quiet and intense coming together.

  She found him in the kitchen, coffee cup in hand, staring out the window. Sliding her arms around his waist, she inhaled his freshly showered scent. “I missed you when I woke.”

  “It’s a beautiful morning out there today.” He focused on whatever lay beyond the window. “You’d never know the horrors that exist in the shadows if you judged your life by this view. It’s easy to stand here and pretend yesterday never happened.”

  Fallon moved to his side and, with a gentle touch to his cheek, beckoned him to look at her. “We can’t hide from this. We still have time, Zane. We have to fight.”

  “Do we?” He twisted away to set his cup on the counter and padded to the living room, settling on the couch.

  She followed him, her understanding fading to anger. “Yes, we do.”

  His gaze met hers. “Really, Fallon? Because I thought that’s what we’d done. All we accomplished was pissing off the damn thing more than it already was.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “All he wanted was me. But we had to fight him, and look what happened. Three innocent people are dead. My soul isn’t worth any more lives.”

  She frowned. Lord, between the two of them, they had enough guilt running around to throw one hell of a pity party. The only difference was, everything that had happened was her fault, not his. But, damn it, she couldn’t let him give up. Not now that she’d found him.

  “It wasn’t just because of you that we fought him. Do you really think you’re the only one he’s after?” She knelt in front of him, taking his hands in hers. “Those souls he collects are what keep him alive. It said so in that book we found in the library. There’s no telling how many innocents before you lost their lives so he could continue his evil. You aren’t the first, and unless we defeat him, you won’t be the last.” She squeezed his fingers. “For them, and especially for you, I will continue to fight him. I don’t want to lose you.”

  He pulled her up and settled her on his lap. “Oh, God, Fallon. I don’t want to lose you either, but what happens when we go up against him again? He kills you? Tears the whole damn town apart? We can’t risk it. Let him have me, and he’ll go away.”

  “No!” She jumped from his lap and rounded on him. “Haven’t you heard a word I just said? It’s not just you. He knows what I am. He knew my brothers’ names. He knows we’re Sentinels, and he won’t stop until he kills all of us.”

  She paced toward the fireplace, trying to rein in her anger. But, damn, it was difficult. She glanced at the candles on the mantel, remembering how they’d flamed bright while she and Zane had kissed nearby, wrapped in each other’s arms. Pivotin
g around, she eyed him while he sat on the couch, worry clouding his face.

  “He’s weakening,” she said. “We hurt him on the island, and I hurt him even more yesterday. He’s losing pieces of his armor. We can beat him this time. I know we can.”

  He let out a long sigh. “Call your brothers. We’ll talk to them and see what they think. But you have to promise if they side with me, you’ll drop this and let me go without fighting Haileon.”

  She stalked to the phone and snatched up the receiver. “I’ll call, but I’m not promising anything.”

  Erik answered on the second ring, and her shoulders slumped with relief. He would agree with her. No way would he let that monster have Zane’s soul. He would also concur with her prediction that because Haileon had recognized them as Sentinels, he wanted them dead. Hell, the beast had boasted as much.

  “Fallon?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. We’ve got a problem.” She told Erik what happened when they’d arrived at the diner yesterday, leaving no details of the fight out.

  “Wyatt was thrown through a window, and Zane’s heart quit. What do you mean Haileon’s not dead? Hell, you wielded lightning, barely saving our asses, I might add, and I saw him explode into ashes.”

  “I know. We all thought he was gone.”

  “And now he’s killed someone close to you. An innocent victim. Damn it!”

  “I know. The thought of Johnny….” She fought back the tears burning her eyes. “It breaks my heart, Erik.” She took a shaky breath. “And Zane’s soul is still at risk. He’s only got a few days left.”

  “Shit. What else do we have to do? Wyatt, Amber, and I don’t even know what our powers are yet. And you collapsed after the last battle.” He sighed, the weight of his frustration and worry flowing over the line. “And he’ll be after the rest of us now.”

  After an hour of intense discussion, Fallon hung up and twisted on the couch to face Zane.

  “Erik sends his best.”

  He nodded. “Somehow I’m sure he had more to say than ‘Send Zane my best.’ He must be upset that all our efforts on the island were a colossal waste of time.”

  She grimaced, remembering her brother’s exasperated voice ringing over the line. He’d been more than pissed. He’d been distressed they hadn’t vanquished the demon. Fallon nodded, not daring to keep the truth from Zane. “He’s upset, yeah. He’s going to call Wyatt and Amber and try to figure out what our next step should be.”

  Jumping from the couch, he rounded on her. “Our next step?” He shook his head. “Our next step is giving Johnny’s mother a hand with his funeral arrangements. Our next step is paying our condolences to Macky’s and Pierce’s families. Setting up what funds I have squirreled away in a scholarship for their kids.”

  With a fierce growl, he snatched the crystal bowl of potpourri from the coffee table and hurled it against the wall. Shattered glass and bits of dried flowers rained to the floor. The silent aftermath rocked through her. God, she wanted to hold him, to fix everything that was wrong…to destroy that bastard, Haileon.

  He ran his hands over his face, a frustrated huff whistling between his lips. Turning toward her, he stared at her, vast regret surfacing on his features.

  “Our next step,” he said, his voice quieter, “is to spend the last few days in each other’s arms so you’ll always remember my loving you and never doubt you’re the most amazing woman alive.”

  Rising from the couch, she clasped his hands in hers. She understood his anxiety, his anger and guilt. “I know how you feel about me. I see it every time I look into your eyes. But it breaks my heart that you don’t think we have a future. We can’t let him win, Zane. He’s taken too much from us. It ends now. If we don’t try to fight him, then how many more innocent people have to die? Can you live with that? Because I can’t.”

  He sighed long and deep then dragged her into his embrace. “No, I can’t live with that. I just want you safe. Is that too much to ask?”

  Fallon wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled his neck. “I didn’t ask for this gift, but I have it, so I’m going to use it. And in case you haven’t noticed, when we’re fighting together, you make me so much stronger. We’ll do it this time, you’ll see.”

  The phone rang, and she pulled away to answer. “Hello?”

  “Hey, sis,” Eric said.

  She was surprised he’d called back so soon. “Hi there. What’s up?”

  “I talked with Wyatt and Amber. They’re in agreement we should meet at the island ASAP. Together, the five of us can finish this thing off once and for all.”

  “I think we can, too. We’ll check available flights and get there as fast as we can.”

  “We’re cutting it real close, honey. Zane only has four days left.”

  “Believe me, you’re not telling me anything I don’t know. If you get there ahead of us, maybe you can find something new in the library. We’ll be ready for whatever you come up with when we arrive. Haileon’s hurt now, vulnerable. We have to strike before he heals.”

  “Okay, but get here as quick as you can.”

  “We will. And, Erik?” She tightened her fingers on the receiver. “Thanks. I owe you. All of you.”

  He chuckled. “I have this awful feeling I’ll be calling in that debt sooner than later. Love you, sis.”

  “Ditto.”

  Hanging up, she turned back to Zane. “I told him we’d meet them all at the island.”

  He nodded and reached for her hand. “Come on. Let’s get dressed then we’ll grab a late breakfast and go meet with Johnny’s mother.”

  “Okay. And I’ll check flights to Portland on the way there.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Zane pulled his Wrangler into the driveway and shut the engine off. He glanced at his watch. Had six hours passed since they’d left the house? Next to him, Fallon sighed.

  “That was horrible.” She dabbed the corners of her eyes with a tissue.

  “I know.”

  “Johnny had his mother living with him so he could take better care of her, but I had no idea she’d gone down so far.”

  She angled toward him, tears brimming in her red-rimmed eyes. Zane grasped her hand and squeezed.

  “I know.”

  “God, we couldn’t even offer our condolences. Sh-she didn’t understand he was g-gone.” Her shoulders shook, and she pressed her palm to her mouth, muffling a sob.

  Zane pulled her toward him, gathering her in his arms while she wept. Drawing his fingers over her soft dark hair, he wanted nothing more than to take away her pain. “Maybe it’s better that way, you know? Maybe she’s better off thinking of him as being at work instead of what really happened.”

  Guilt clawed at his heart. He couldn’t fix this. He couldn’t bring Johnny or Macky or Ron Pierce back, couldn’t undo what had been done. Gritting his teeth, he held Fallon while grief shuddered through her body, and the truth stabbed his mind with blinding clarity.

  He should’ve never come to Rainsville, Texas. He should’ve stayed in New York, bought a gun at a pawnshop, gone to the house where Mia had left him, and eaten a bullet. If he had, none of this would’ve happened. And, most of all, Fallon would be safe.

  But he hadn’t. He’d believed his remaining time on Earth would’ve been better spent assisting people in need. Yeah, right. Like that turned out the way he’d planned. Shit!

  Guilt gouged deeper, piercing his soul, demanding he face the undeniable facts that had led to this moment.

  I’m a fucking arrogant son of a bitch. Yes, he had left New York with altruistic plans. Why not give his last few days some meaning, right? But he’d been lying to himself. All along, he’d believed he could find a way out of the nightmare his life had become. Deep down, he’d believed he could undo what Mia had done to him, believed he could outwit Haileon and get his soul back.

  And people had died.

  Fallon lifted her head, his shirtsleeve damp with her tears. “I’m just glad Darla will be with her
until Johnny’s sister can get there tomorrow.”

  “Me, too.”

  Her gaze moved to the house. “Let’s go inside, okay?”

  They abandoned the Wrangler, and Zane took her hand, leading her through the front door and into the bedroom. She dropped her purse on the dresser and, turning her back to him, reached up and pulled her hair to the side.

  “Do you mind?”

  Laying one hand on her shoulder, he pressed a soft kiss on her jaw. A raspy, grating sound filled the silence as he tugged on the dress zipper. If only he could save her.

  Dark-blue fabric slipped from her body to pool at her feet and reveal a light-pink camisole and panties. Bending to retrieve the dress, she displayed curves that, at any other time, he would’ve been reaching for. But he sensed now wasn’t the right moment.

  Straightening, she gave him a sad smile. Damn, she looked tired.

  “You’re frowning.” She ran a hand through her hair, shoving away the strands that had fallen forward when she’d bent over. “I must look horrible. Let me splash some cold water on my face, and then maybe we could snuggle.”

  He glanced at the bed. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  She disappeared into the bathroom, and Zane shuffled to the kitchen, grabbed two beers, and set them on the bedside table. After undressing down to his boxers, he propped the pillows up then crawled beneath the covers just as Fallon returned to the bedroom[SENP3].

  “You read my mind.” Slipping in next to him, she accepted the cold bottle he offered her. She removed the top and took a long pull. “I’m not really hungry for dinner, you?

  “No.” Zane downed half of his own, and when he lowered the brew, he found her staring at him. The puffiness of her face had lessened—which was good—but he also noticed the tenacious spark gleaming in her eyes.

  “Today sucked[SENP4].” Her blunt words punched the air. “It was horrible and heart-wrenching, and I wish we’d never had to do it. But don’t think any of this means I’ve given up on finding a way to destroy the bastard who did this.”