Page 115 of Through the Flames
His rings were gone, but the faint tan lines where they used to sit remained.
Even though we weren’t actual brothers, our eyes were almost identical — his maybe a tad more blue than gray.
Just like mine, they were cold when they wanted to be, sharp enough to cut through bullshit. But he had this edge, like every secret he kept was lurking right behind them, laughing.
I dropped into the chair across from him, ignoring the smirk. “You literally told me to come see you.”
Broad shoulders filled the chair like it was too small for him. Even prison hadn’t softened him, lean muscle still coiling under his sleeves.
“No hello? No ‘missed your stupid face’?” He leaned forward, the chain clinking softly against the table. “Cold, Hunt. Real cold.”
“Cut the shit, Sasha. I don’t have time.”
“You’ve got time for me.” He smiled lazily, but I knew better. I could see the danger lurking behind his easy-going facade, had experienced it up close and personal. “You always do.”
He lookeduntouchable, like prison was just another arena, and he’d figured out how to win.
Despite the grime of the place, he carried himself like a king in exile.
“Heard you’re going to the Combine,” he said suddenly, tone sharpening. “Good. You deserve it.” A pause, the smirk sliding back into place. “But …”
My stomach tightened. “But what?”
Sasha leaned back with his fingers drumming on the table and his wolf tattoo flexing.
“Your old coach is sniffing around for dirt. I can make it go away…” He let the words hang in the air. “But that’ll mean you owe me a couple more favors.”
I gritted my teeth. “I don’t owe anyone anything.”
Sasha leaned back, smirking with his arms crossed. “You’re asking for more favors than usual, little brother. And not for yourself, huh? How come?”
I kept my eyes forward, my jaw tight. “It’s never for me.”
“Interesting.” His grin widened. “So someone’s worth bending over backward for. Worth taking hits, skipping sleep, risking trouble.”
I didn’t answer, but I didn’t need to. The truth was evident in the way my hands clenched the table and the tension coiled in my chest.
Sasha tilted his head, the smirk never leaving his face. “Someone’s got your whole world spinning. Spill it, or I’ll keep guessing — and we both know I don’t stop until I know.”
“Her name’s Ella,” I muttered finally, almost under my breath. “She’sthe one, Sasha.”
His eyebrows flew up. “So she can …?”
Lowering my gaze, I fixed my gaze on the now familiar ink twisting up my arms. “Yes.” I swallowed thickly, nodding slowly. “She can touch me. It’s not … it doesn’t … it feels normal. I feel normal.”
“That’s fucking awesome.” His voice was uncharacteristically soft. But then his eyes lit up with mischief, like he’d won some little game. “Ella, huh? Well, then, I should meet her. Make sure she’s worth all this trouble, yeah? Can’t have my little brother screwing himself over for a nobody.”
I glared, but the corner of my mouth betrayed me. “She’s not a nobody. You’ll see.”
Thirty Three
Ella
Hunter’s stance on the line was pure predator. Knees bent, muscles humming, eyes locked dead ahead. Sunlight spilled over his shoulders, turning every bead of sweat into something indecent.
I lifted my phone like an official timer and dropped into my best announcer voice.
“And Hunter Rhodes comes in at a … meh. I’ve seen faster turtles.”
