Page 33 of Burning Ember
In viewing the world through our perceptions, we can miss the truth of reality, causing us to wage unnecessary wars.
EMBER
Luce makes his way around the desk to his chair, shaking his head the entire time. “I can already tell you’re gonna have a problem keeping that mouth in line.” He pulls a pack of smokes from his jacket pocket and lights up. The cherry on the end of the cigarette blazes red. His cheeks hollow, and I get distracted by his full lips.
His lips are fascinating. Kissable. Way too damn sexy.
Dammit! Look away.
Too late. He raises an eyebrow. I quickly drop my eyes to my hands as I wait for the interrogation I sense coming. He takes his time. I glance up now and then, but realize he’s going to make me suffer in uncomfortable silence while he smokes the entire cigarette.
When he finally reaches forward to put it out, he asks gruffly, “Why are you really here?”
I decide to go with the truth. “Everything I own was stolen today. My money. My clothes. I had nowhere else to go.”
“I think we both know this isn’t where you need to be. You got family? Why not ask them for help?”
I shift in my chair. “They can’t help me.”
He examines my face. Probably to see if I’m lying or not. “Why not?”
I consider my answer for a few seconds. A few seconds too long it turns out.
“Answer the question,Doll.” Hesneersthe word doll as if he’s making fun of my height. Nothing new.
“My mother took off six years ago, and she’s been MIA ever since. I have a sister, but she couldn’t help me even if she wanted to. She can barely hold down a job and support herself.”
I’m not going to tell him about Will. He’ll probably use my love for her against me, if he found himself in need of leverage over me.
“What about your father?”
I snort sullenly. “Don’t know. Just some guy my mom had a fling with. I know his name, but that’s about it.” The name’s just common enough to make tracking him difficult. I wouldn’t even know where to start.
“What about friends, boyfriends?”
I flinch. An image of Warner flashes through my mind. Every muscle in my body goes rigid.
Mav sits forward in his chair. His eyes narrow and roam over me. “So that’s what you’re running from then? Your man?”
What can I say in my defense? That Warner is a psycho? Abusive? Controlling? Beyond crazy?
“It’s complicated. He—”
Before I can say anything else, a dark look transforms Mav’s features. Suddenly, he’s Lucifer personified.
“Does he have any idea where you are? Or did you take off without a word?”
What the hell?“I had to—”
“Probably going out of his fucking mind, searching high and low for you. Wondering what the fuck? And here you are”—his lip curls—“running off lookin’ for a good time. Handing out your virginity because what? You wanna go for a hard ride on the wild side before you settle down with a nice Christian boy? That it? Get broken inrealgood before you shack up and become some pretty housewife for the rest of your life?”
I reel back as if he slapped me and leap to my feet. A different kind of fire burns inside me now. It loosens my tongue. My nails dig into my palms to the point I’m sure I draw blood.
My mind swirls with things to say. Things that would make Mav’s damn head spin.
“You’ve got no idea of the hell I’ve lived through!” He’s being a judgmental dick. Just because some old girlfriend crushed his heart doesn’t mean every girl he meets is exactly like her. Yeah, I heard part of his and Dozer’s conversation. Some redheaded ex named Dana screwed him over and now he’s taking his anger at her out on me.
“Yeah? Then tell me,Doll,what’s it like?”
