Sins of Mine - Mary E. Twomey Page 0,48

I’ve left untouched. The fact that this is my girlfriend’s father sits heavy on me, though it doesn’t still my need to lash out. Yes, he’s her blood relative, but that should mean he protects her the most.

Unconsciousness was the only thing that could keep Sloan away. He’s her true family.

And so am I.

“Enough, Paxton!” Conan shouts as he shoves one of his guards onto the floor in an effort to smother the flames.

I stand, detesting the thought of a woman locked in a closet. The man who shoved her there will regret treating her so callously.

Venom rises up in me, strengthening my bones and giving new purpose to my power. “Give Arlanna to me!”

Even as the fire catches on the curtains and begins to climb up the fabric, Conan cannot part with his penchant for taking what doesn’t belong to him. Arlanna’s magic is her own, but he still doesn’t want to relinquish his grip on her. “She will stay here until I have what I need!”

Rafe stands, though he really shouldn’t. His howl sends a tremor through my veins, even though his rage isn’t directed at me.

Conan shudders, shirking away from us.

Good. He should be scared.

I draw a line of fire with my gaze, separating Conan from us once we cross the room. I need him sequestered, to keep this criminal from being able to follow us. His shouts of rage do nothing but encourage me to run faster down the hall to get Arlanna away from this madman.

Though I’m positive Rafe is going to turn around and fight through the flames to tear into the barbecued bodies that are flailing around in a panic, his nose hits the ground, leading him toward the back of the cottage. His limp is dreadful, so I run ahead of him in the direction he points to with his maw, racing toward any closet I can find.

The first two are dead ends, so I bolt to the next bedroom, knowing we have run out of time. We need to get out now.

“Arlanna?” I call her name before I throw open the closet doors, relief flooding me when she tumbles out with a broken cry.

Rafe lets loose this horrid bellow mingled with a snarl—anguish mixed with vengeance. It is not just my queen who’s been mistreated; it’s his mate.

Rafe collapses in a heap of heartbreak beside her.

Arlanna blinks the room into focus through the thickness of the terror filling her tear ducts. “Paxton?”

The quiver of her lower lip nearly sends the encroaching fire from my mind. I kneel before her and gather my girlfriend in my arms. She still looks foreign to me with her head shaved, but upon closer inspection, the love of my life is still in there, still stubbornly clinging to her last shred of sanity like the fighter I’ve always understood her to be.

“Let’s get you out of here. Rafe’s been shot, so I’ll need you to help me with him.” I kiss her slicked cheek, hoping to infuse us both with a little peace of mind.

When I glance up, I see scratch marks on the inside of the door, no doubt from Arlanna trying to claw her way free. My heart skips when I catch sight of the untidy “Sloan is a buttface” scrawl across the back wall.

“Shot? Rafe’s been shot?”

Instead of answering her, I throw another bit of turbulence her way. “Fire, darlyss. The cottage is burning, so we need to get out.”

Arlanna ambles to Rafe, wrapping her arms around his thick neck and burying her face in the folds of his fur. “The backdoor,” she instructs, her throat scratchy from too much screaming. Her arms are trembling, but she does what she can to help me coax Rafe to his feet.

Truly, all she has to do is move from his side, and Rafe summons the strength to follow.

“Hurry!” I call as the fire spreads from the front rooms toward the back, heading straight for us.

The second she opens the back door, she freezes, and I bump into her.

“No!” I cannot help but give voice to my frustration. The very last thing I wish to see is staring me down.

It’s my father, with a gun aimed directly at my chest.

15

Racing Over the Edge

Arlanna

I’m raw from distress. Being trapped in the dark closet for who knows how long has fried my very last shred of grace. My rescue is bittersweet, since Rafe has been shot. And now our escape is stopping short of a happy ending because