Once Bitten, Twice Burned

Some things that a sister couldn’t say.

But Rhett was a smart guy. Always had been. “You know . . . you know the phoenix guy is coming back because they killed you and you came back.”

She nodded.

“Dad . . . he did that to you?” Whispered. Humming with fury.

“He thought . . . he said he wanted to help me. To make me normal.”

He yanked her against his chest. Almost broke her ribs with his fierce grip. “Fuck normal. You’re perfect just the way you are, even if you burn.”

Or bite?

Over Rhett’s shoulder, her stare met Ryder’s. “I want you to leave town, too, Rhett,” she whispered.

He pulled back, fast. “Hell, no.”

“Hell, yes,” she shot right back, voice gaining strength and volume. She eased away, putting some space between them. “You can’t handle this fight.”

His chin notched up. “It sure looked like I handled that Dante fellow pretty damn well.”

Had he? Or had it been a trick? Was Dante tracking them even now? And why? Why wouldn’t he just let her go?

But Ryder strode to her side then, and he faced off against her brother. “You can’t handle vampires. Can’t handle the flames when they come. You’ll die. She’ll mourn. Is that what you want?”

“I want my sister back! I want our life back!”

But Sabine had realized something. Something Ryder had told her before, but she just hadn’t been ready to hear it. “That life is over.” Even once the bastards after them were gone, returning to her old life . . . not an option. “I can’t be the same any longer.”

She looked down at his hands. Already, she’d brought him pain. “You need to get away from me.”

“No, I need to stand by you.”

Didn’t he see? “Vaughn was your friend. He—”

“Was?”

Hell.

Rhett’s whole body had tensed. “Did something happen to the jerk?”

“A vampire happened,” Ryder told him, and Sabine was glad he took that burden from her. “One with a very powerful strain of infection.”

“So vamps have an infection now?”

“These do,” Ryder said, voice flat. “Wyatt created them. Screwed with things he should have left alone. One of those vampires attacked Vaughn.”

Rhett rocked back on his heels. “That’s why he didn’t come back for me.”

Because he was dead.

And if Rhett didn’t get far away, he’d be dead, too. “Please,” Sabine whispered. “Get out of town.”

Rhett shook his head. “I’m not leaving.”

They had to make him go. Had to make—

Ryder caught her hand. Her head turned toward him. She knew exactly what she had to do. What she had to ask. “Ryder, make him leave.”

“He can try,” Rhett snapped and he pushed his way between them. “But it’s not happening. I’m here, I’m staying in this fight, and, shit, that had better not be your panties on the floor.”

And in the midst of everything, oh crap, she’d forgotten her underwear.

Rhett was beaten, exhausted, and . . . furious.

He whirled on Ryder. “Did you just have sex with my sister?” His voice had dropped to a deadly whisper. “All this other shit, and you think you’re good enough to touch her?” His hands were fisted. “I don’t care if you’re a vamp, I don’t care if you’re the freaking king of vampires—”

Um, yes, well, he kind of was.

“—you don’t mess with—”

“He didn’t have sex with me,” Sabine said as she hurried to step between them. Rhett needed to seriously focus. Killers were after them. Life-and-death situations were happening every minute.

And she wasn’t sixteen. If she wanted to screw her vamp, then she would.

“Sabine,” Rhett began.

“I seduced him. And I liked it.”

Ryder gave a choked laugh. “Trust me, I liked it, too.”

But Rhett’s face was still flushed. Protective big brother. Trying to fight every battle for her. Not caring if she was human or phoenix or anything else.

Loving her, either way.

“I’m sorry,” she told Rhett, “but it has to be this way.”

“What?”

“Bite him, Ryder,” she said. She didn’t know how to control someone through the blood. Couldn’t even begin to figure that out right then. But Ryder knew just what to do.