Within the Flames

Chapter Twenty-One

Serena parted ways with them at LaGuardia, to — as she put it, go and clean some things up. Tina and Jimmy were already aboard the private jet, and the pilot was a familiar face. Eddie felt safe enough, though he kept scanning the hangar for anything that might be a witch or gun.

“Lannes and Lethe are back in Maine,” Serena said to him. “I met them at the airport, along with his two brothers. I’ve never seen gargoyles armed with guns, but they were. And they seemed especially protective of Lethe. Care to explain?”

“No,” Eddie replied. “It’s their business.”

“Huh.” Serena looked at Lyssa with a hard glint in her eye. “Lannes explained what you did for him and his wife. He also told me what you are.”

“And?”

“Did you kill the witch?”

“Not yet. I don’t recommend you go near that burned house for a while, either. Just in case you’d planned to.”

Serena hesitated, her single eye narrowing. “You’re not what I expected. Eddie and I were both told that we’d be searching for a lost lamb, a damaged little girl. A shape-shifter, and nothing more.”

Lyssa tensed. “Is that what Long Nu said?”

Serena’s gaze hardened. “You know her.”

“Of course. And Long Nu knows me. . which is why she didn’t come herself. . if she ever truly was worried about my welfare.” Bitterness touched her mouth. “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”

The implications were very disturbing. Eddie and Serena shared a long look.

“Will you call Roland?” he asked her.

“Of course.” She began to turn away, but stopped and looked back at Lyssa. “What are your intentions?”

“Hey,” he said.

“She has a right to ask.” Lyssa looked her dead in the eyes. “I just want to be left alone.”

“You carry the blood of a dragon and a Cruor Venator,” replied Serena, and for the first time, Eddie heard a trace of unease in her voice.

“Being bothered,” she said, edging away, “will be the least of your problems.”

Seven hours later, they arrived in San Francisco.

A rental car was waiting. Eddie drove them to a quiet neighborhood in a nice part of the city, where he had the keys to an elegant Tudor built at the end of a cul-de-sac.

“My friend, Amiri, owns this home,” he said, as Jimmy helped his mother from the car. “But he and his wife are in Africa at the moment. He won’t mind guests.”

Eddie hoped that was true, anyway — but he didn’t want Jimmy and Tina in a hotel, not anymore. They needed a private, quiet setting to heal. . not someplace downtown where people would be coming and going.

Lights came on in the house, which smelled faintly like lemon oil. Tina looked around with careful appreciation, stepping lightly over the floors as if she were afraid to touch anything. “How long can we stay here?”

“Several months,” Eddie told him. “Or until we find something else.”

“We’ll be very careful to leave it as we found it,” Tina said, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Jimmy was uncharacteristically quiet as he clutched Icky to his chest. His eyes were so old, reminding Eddie a bit of himself. “You’re not really going away for good, are you?”

“I live in this city,” he said, gently. “We’ll practically be neighbors. You’ll be sick of me.”

Jimmy nodded, but the worry in his eyes didn’t go away. Lyssa crouched and smoothed back his hair.

“You’ll be sick of me, too,” she said. “I’m staying here.”

Eddie’s heart leapt. Jimmy peered at her. “Promise?”

“Shhh,” said Tina, coming up behind him with a weary, sweet smile. “Don’t be a pest.”

She said it kindly, with a teasing note in her voice. Jimmy grinned, leaning against her as she wrapped a slender arm over his shoulders.

They had stuck with the Bolivian-drug-lord story. Even Jimmy thought that was better than human experimentation, kidnapping, and fire — and the boy, to give credit where it was due, knew how to tell a very convincing lie.

Tina didn’t even remember Aaron Roacher finding her at work, so they’d had to blame her bruises and cuts on a car accident. Memory loss because she’d hit her head. If she was suspicious, she didn’t show it. Confused, yes. . and concerned. . but willing to take the leap of faith that they had needed to leave New York, fast. She trusted Lyssa and her son that much.

And she was used to running, too, he thought.

Of course, telling lies wasn’t a fair burden to put on Jimmy. . but short of taking his memories, all they could do was promise to be there if he needed to talk. And he would need someone. Probably every day for a long time to come.

Eddie knew that the boy’s smile was deceptive. Nothing could hide the shadows in his eyes. He had seen too much violence.

But Jimmy won. He beat the monsters and helped save his mother. It’ll help him heal.

That, and knowing he’s still protecting Lyssa by keeping her secret.

It was amazing what helping a beautiful woman could do for a boy’s — or a man’s — sense of purpose.

Eddie pointed to Jimmy’s suitcase. “Serena was able to retrieve your case files. When I see you tomorrow, we’ll talk detective work, okay?”

Tina reached for Lyssa’s hand. “Thank you. For everything.”

“Don’t,” she said, looking uncomfortable. “I upended your life.”

She shook her head and gave Eddie a knowing smile. “I can tell that you understand.”

“She’s a little slow when it comes to these things,” Eddie agreed, jumping away when Lyssa gasped and tried to poke him.

They left an hour later. One block from the house, Lyssa said, “Pull over.”

“Is there something wrong?” he asked, concerned.

“No.” She rolled down the window, closing her eyes as a cool breeze filled the car. It was mid-afternoon and sunny, with that clean California light that felt different here, compared to anywhere else. The street was quiet, empty, and even though it was the middle of the day, Eddie felt as though it was just the two of them in the world.

“I want to make this moment last,” she said. “I haven’t felt so. . normal. . in a long time.”

“Normal,” he echoed, running his hands over the steering wheel.

“Out, with people. Doing things that people take for granted. I’ve never been on a plane before today. I’ve ridden in buses and cabs; but before I met Estefan, I never sat inside a personal vehicle. It’s strange. How am I going to live now?”

With me, he wanted to tell her. Instead, he said, “It took me a long time to adjust to living off the street, like regular people. You know, with money and a job. It still feels new, even strange, sometimes.”

Lyssa studied him with soft, gentle eyes. “You always surprise me when you say things like that. When I’m with you. . I can’t imagine you ever not having your life in order.”

“Order doesn’t mean normal. The job I do. . it’s often violent. I’m always on the outskirts of things. Watching backs. Making sure everything is okay.”

“You protect.”

Eddie hesitated. “I try. If I can keep someone safe. . that’s important to me. You know why.”

Lyssa leaned over and kissed his cheek. Eddie turned his head before she could pull away, capturing her mouth, sinking into her sweet taste and heat. Just being near her was comforting and erotic — like, even thinking about holding her hand gave him a hard-on — but kissing her was something else entirely.

Eddie pulled back. Lyssa gave him a dreamy smile that made him want to drag her into the backseat.

He couldn’t help himself. His hand slipped under her sweatshirt, tracing a path up her side until he touched her heavy, full breast. She shivered, pushing against him, and in a voice too rough to possibly belong to him, he said, “Put down your seat.”

Amazingly, she didn’t argue, fumbling until her chair reclined all the way down. Eddie stared at her, heart pounding, overcome with lust and hunger, and — and love—and it drove him a little insane, realizing that the moment belonged to them.

That somehow, in his crazy, lonely life, he had finally gotten touched with luck beyond his wildest dreams.

Lyssa smiled. “Hi, over there.”

Eddie grinned, leaning over her. “Hi.”

His lips met hers, soft at first, then hard, tongues slipping together as pleasure stormed through him in a hard, throbbing ache. His hand slipped beneath the band of her sweatpants. He knew she wasn’t wearing underwear, and he loved the sigh and whimper that drifted from her mouth as his fingers pressed and rubbed between her shifting legs.

“Eddie,” she whispered, tugging down his own sweatpants. “I really want you inside me.”

He groaned as her hand wrapped around him, and bit back a deeper, louder cry when her fingers squeezed. If anyone walked or drove past, they would be seen. . but right then, he didn’t care.

He kissed her harder, slipping his fingers inside her body and rotating them in a deep, circular motion. Lyssa rubbed against his hand, moaning against his mouth. Her grip on his penis loosened, but only enough to drag her fingers to his sensitive head, caressing him so perfectly in that one, fleeting touch, he almost came in her palm.

“Your breasts,” Eddie said in a ragged voice, and Lyssa pulled up her sweatshirt, exposing herself to him. He dipped his head, drawing her hard nipple into his mouth and suckling. Lyssa’s back arched, sharp nails digging into his scalp.

He pulled his fingers from the slick, wet heat of her body, and started flicking the hard nub of her clitoris.

Lyssa’s hips jerked, and her soft grunts of pleasure were so sexy he thought he could climax just as easily from listening to her. He rubbed her harder, faster, taking her cries into his mouth with long, breathless kisses — and when she finally came, he muffled her scream, and her eyes glowed golden hot.

“Eddie,” she whispered raggedly, sagging against the seat. “Take me someplace where there’s a bed, please.”

He laughed, but it turned into a groan when her hand found his penis again. Her fingers kneaded his shaft in light movements that stole every coherent thought from his head.

Lyssa leaned over the gearshift and licked him. Her tongue was so hot. Eddie couldn’t breathe.

“Did you mean it? About not leaving San Francisco?” His voice was hoarse, and broken.

Her smile turned serious. “Yes. Was that. . should I have asked you first?”

“No.” Eddie thought for a moment about what to say next. It was difficult, given that she was still touching him. “If you want to stay in a hotel, I—”

She started laughing and clapped her hand over her mouth.

“Okay,” he said, smiling. “I’ll take you to my place.”