Fire Rising (Dark Kings) Read Free Page B

Cassie finished for her with a kind nod. “Let me call the house and get her over here. She’ll be so pleased to see you.”
    Sammi wasn’t so sure of that, but she needed at least a day of rest and to see to her wound again. It felt as if it were becoming infected.
    She could barely move her arm now. Dressing and showering was becoming a chore with only one arm, not to mention trying to wash her hair.
    Before Cassie made the phone call, she stuck her head around the corner and said something to whoever was there. While she called the house, a tall man with faded jeans riding low on trim hips and a burgundy tee with a dragon design mimicking a tribal tattoo came walking into the shop.
    It was hard to tell how long his dark hair was because he had it pulled back in a queue, but his aqua eyes glanced at Sammi before they landed on Lily. After a hesitation, in which he took in every inch of the petite woman, he looked away and walked around the counter to a case of whisky waiting to be stocked on the shelves.
    Sammi’s gaze turned to Lily to find she was staring at the man as if he were the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Granted, he was drool-worthy, but Sammi had seen many men like him during her days at the pub. They were gorgeous, and most of them knew it. To those men, females were meant for entertainment and nothing more.
    But by the way Lily couldn’t look away from him, Sammi was going to have to caution her. Then she realized that maybe she shouldn’t. Everyone needed to fall in love at least once, and everyone needed to have their heart broken once. That way, when love came again, it was all the sweeter.
    At least that’s what her mum had always said. Sammi hadn’t given that piece of advice a try. Oh, she’d had her heart broken when she was a teenager, but she hadn’t fallen in love.
    And she never would.
    Cassie hung up the phone and met Sammi’s eyes. “Jane is on her way. Lily, why don’t we go in the back?”
    Sammi gave Lily a wink of encouragement, and then found herself alone with the man.
    “So you’re Samantha,” he said without looking at her.
    She turned toward him fully and glared, not that he saw it. He kept stocking the whisky as if he hadn’t just spoken to her. “I prefer Sammi.”
    “You prefer a male name?”
    “Do you prefer to walk around holding your twig and berries after I kick you?”
    He paused. Then he looked at her over his shoulder, a wide smile upon his lips. “I thought you’d be more like Jane.”
    “Quiet and demure, or klutzy?”
    “Either. Both.”
    “Leave her alone, Rhys,” Jane said as she let the door close behind her, though there was no censure in her tone. “Sammi manages to stay upright. As for demure, I think she’s brilliant just as she is.”
    Sammi hated when Jane said things like that because it always made her eyes prick with tears. She looked into Jane’s amber eyes and knew everything would be all right.
    “I’m so glad you’re here,” Jane said and rushed to her.
    Sammi tried not to grimace when Jane hugged her, but she didn’t hide it quickly enough. Jane pulled back at the same time Rhys faced her.
    Jane’s gaze silently probed her for several minutes before she asked, “What happened?”
    “Nothing. Why? Can’t I come see my half-sister?”
    “Absolutely,” Jane said, her gaze still searching. “It’s just … well, to put it bluntly, you haven’t.”
    Sammi cringed. “I know. I’m sorry. I wanted to take a few days and see you. If you aren’t busy, that is.”
    “Not at all. I’m beyond happy that you’re here. Are you sure everything is all right?” she asked again.
    Sammi forced a laugh. “Of course it is. Why would you keep asking that?”
    “You’ve lost weight, not that you had a lot to lose to begin with. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes too, and you’re holding your left arm oddly. And is that blood coming through your shirt near your shoulder?”
    Suddenly, the past four weeks slammed