Page 19 of Ignite

The flirty look on Liz’s face told Jazz her sister might be on the prowl for the next man in her life. Jazz couldn’t blame her, as Wolf was a top male specimen, handsome and built like a tank. To Liz, every man was a potential partner, and they were all interested in her. Jazz had heard her give this particular interview many times, and she wondered if Liz had been as faithful in her marriage as she expected Leo to be. It bugged the snot out of her that Liz held her husband to one standard while she herself felt free to do whatever.

What was worse? The idea that Liz had an eye on Wolf, the same man Jazz had been secretly crushing on for years.

Whatever answers Wolf gave made Liz frown. He nodded and turned to walk away, facing Jazz at the counter, and his eyes met hers. For a split second, they stared at each other, and then he did something she never thought she’d see.

He rolled them. Actually rolled his eyes about her sister.

Ha!Jazz’s throat quivered with restrained laughter, and she had to bite her lip to keep it from bursting out. The cup overflowed, and she wiped the spill with a rag before returning to the table. “Here ya go. Fresh brewed and hot.”

Liz opened her mouth to vent whatever displeasure she had, but Wolf called from the back kitchen where he’d retreated. “Jazz, I need you back here.”

“Coming.”

She hurried to find Wolf leaning on the work counter with his arms crossed and a wry smile on his face. “You owe me.”

Jazz blinked. “I owe you?”

“Is that a question?”

“Actually, it is. How do I owe you?”

Wolf straightened and put his hands in his pockets. Jazz’s gaze was drawn to the Iron City Knights logo on his black leather cut, a longsword with a rounded handguard through a grinning skull. She’d already memorized their motto: “Through the fires of hell, men of steel are forged.”

“Your sister is a piece of work. My ex-wife wasn’t that bad.”

Jazz tried to wrap her head around this new information. “You… you were married?”

“Yeah. For about four months. I have no idea where she is now. Long story. Anyway, Liz over there asked everything but my social security number. I told her we were dating as a distraction. She invited me to Easter dinner on your behalf, and I’m to make you go. Think you can pretend to be my girlfriend for a few hours?”

10

Mark walkeddown the alley that led to the off-campus housing. The college was surrounded by street after street of houses that had been cut up into cheap apartments for students. Exams would start after everyone got back from the long holiday weekend, and he was ready to get this graduation business over. He had an internship waiting for him at one of the biggest airplane manufacturing companies in the world. His engineering degree was only the beginning of a great career in aerodynamics and design. Or at least he hoped. He’d gone straight through to a doctorate degree and now needed some serious work experience on his résumé. He couldn’t exactly list all his job skills.

Mark emerged from the alley next to his favorite local burger and bar place that many students frequented. Cheap food and cheap beer. There was also other stuff available behind the bar, but only a few people were aware of the other substances for purchase.

Mark entered the scrappy-looking place and was greeted by his friend Roman, the bartender. “Burger with the works and loaded fries, yeah?”

“Already on the grill.” He winked at Mark in secret code. “Need some special sauce with that burger?”

Mark grinned. “You know it, brother. S’been a long week.”

The bartender smirked. “I hear ya. I got a new recipe this week. I think you’re gonna like it.”

“Hit me up.”

The food arrived a few minutes later in a white bag with grease stains showing through the sides. Mark paid and took the bag to a scarred table that had been in this place longer than he’d been alive. Another guy sat nearby, busily scarfing down his own food. From the hoodie, shorts, and longboard, he was another student, probably in the graduate program by the looks of him. Mark gave him a nod and a peace sign before digging into his bag.

He unwrapped the foil-covered burger and took a huge bite. Half the toppings slipped out the other side and plopped onto a napkin. Mark scooped it up and popped the mass into his mouth. The fries swam in a puddle of oil that gathered at the bottom of the cardboard container.

Roman double-boxed it, but not just for the grease runoff. There was something else between them that Mark was interested in: a small, thin baggie that contained a tiny paper. Mark discreetly looked around at the other patrons before pulling out the paper and placing it under his tongue. The sweet flavor surprised him. Normally, acid tasted bitter, but the bartender said it was a new recipe. He fished the paper around with his tongue until it dissolved.

The high started immediately, the room swimming out of focus.Damn, that was fast,Mark thought as the effects picked up. Purple clouds floated in the air, and the music over the speakers blurred into a cacophony of sound. His left arm tingled as it lost sensation. He looked down at his hand, which had fallen into his lap unresponsive. There was no movement when he commanded it. Soon the right one followed the same pattern.

He never considered himself a drug user, as he only partook when he needed to relax, like before exams. His tolerance wasn’t particularly high, so the effects were usually intense, but this onslaught was on a whole other level. Too much. Too soon. Too hard.

Something’s wrong.That thought came just before the pain hit. His lungs stopped working, and his heart cramped. His arms remained frozen.Fuck me!He tried to stand, but his legs gave out and he fell to the sticky floor.Air! I need air!He tried to call out, but his voice was nothing more than a squeak.

The bartender heard the crash and came over to investigate. “Shit, man, you okay?”

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