Wild Flame Read Free Page A

leaving.”
    “If you do, you die,” Christian said calmly. He faced her and held up his hands. “We can help, Ivy.”
    The man glowered at Christian. “The hell we can. She knew what she was getting into.”
    “I don’t think she did.”
    The porch light came on, and Ivy got her first good look at the other man. He looked so similar to Christian that it was obvious they were brothers. They had the same coal black hair, the same build, and the same angry looks that they were throwing at each other.
    “Hold up, Beau,” the blond woman said. “Listen to Christian first.” She turned to Ivy. “My name is Davena.”
    The front door opened again, followed by the screen door. A woman with long, black hair poked her head out. She looked at each of them and walked out onto the porch.
    Christian turned to talk to his brother. “If she knew, wouldn’t she have run?”
    “That’s what they all do,” Beau said.
    “She didn’t,” Christian said and threw a thumb over his shoulder toward Ivy. “She had no idea what they were.”
    Ivy felt as if her life were unraveling. “She is right here, and has no idea what y’all are talking about. Look, I’m not asking for anyone’s help.”
    “But I think you need it,” Davena said.
    Christian glanced at her. “I believe her, Beau.”
    “There’s only one way the Hell Hounds would come for her,” Beau said. “She made a deal, and now it’s time to pay up. With her soul.”
    Ivy choked. Soul. Did he just say soul? First Crossroads demons, then Hell Hounds, and now payment with her soul. Had she stepped into the Twilight Zone?
    Christian walked to her and gently grabbed her shoulders. He looked down at her with eyes so bright, so vivid a blue she became lost in them. “Ivy, did you make a deal for your soul with a Crossroads demon for wealth, health, or...anything? A contract where you got what you asked for for a certain amount of time with the knowledge that you would pay with your soul when the time came?”
    “A Cross... A deal...” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. “No, never.”
    Christian’s smile was soft, his gaze intense. “Your choice then. You can leave, or you can stay here and let me help you.”
    As if Ivy had a choice.

CHAPTER THREE

    Christian glanced out at the darkness before he turned Ivy toward the house. “Let’s get you inside so we can explain.”
    He had never been so happy to have Davena and Olivia there. If the women hadn’t shown up, Christian was sure Ivy would’ve refused his offer.
    Beau stopped Christian before he could follow the women inside. “Are you sure about this? Tangling with Hell Hounds isn’t something I’m crazy about on a good day, but we’ve got our women here now.”
    “And Ivy isn’t important?” Christian wasn’t sure why anger filled him so rapidly, but once there, he couldn’t shove it aside. “I thought it was our job to protect the innocent.”
    “It is. If they are innocent.”
    “Ivy is.”
    “You just met her,” Beau argued.
    Christian crossed his arms over his chest. “Need I remind you of how you met Davena? Or how about how Lincoln and Ava met? Better yet, what about Vincent and Olivia?”
    “I get your point,” Beau said tightly.
    “No, you don’t. I get that you have someone to protect now, but we’ve always had someone to protect. We had each other, and we had the innocents of this parish.”
    Beau ran a hand through his black hair. “It’s different with a woman you love, Christian. I’d die for Davena.”
    “We could argue this point all night, but I’m not going to. I’m going to get to the bottom of this thing with Ivy.”
    “And if she’s lying? What if she did make a deal? Will you really shove her off this porch and let the Hounds have her?”
    That wasn’t something Christian was ready to think about yet. “We protect the innocent. If she made the deal without knowing it, she’s still an innocent.”
    “There’s no getting away from a Hell Hound,”