Fighting the Flames (Firefighter Romance #1)(50)

Scowling he pressed toward her. She countered by taking another step away.

“Stay right there,” she said holding her hand up. “I have a cell phone in my pocket, and I'm not afraid to use it.”

“What are you going to do? I could take it from you before you even had a chance to dial.” Toby smirked at her threat.

“Oh yeah?” Jacqueline yanked the phone from her pocket, trying to ignore how shaky his words made her. “Take that.”

She threw the phone at Toby's head, childishly pleased as it hit him square in the forehead. The look on his face of pure astonishment would have made her laugh, but she decided to use his shock to her advantage and take off running.

“Oh, shit,” he muttered.

She'd just reached for the handle of the bar's door as a tugging sensation stopped her. Her body moved in slow motion, as if frozen in some sort of invisible gel. Though she tried with all her might, she couldn't seem to reach the door. What was going on?

Toby strolled up next to Jacqueline, unaffected by whatever force held her.

“Sucks, doesn't it?” He shook her cell phone. “I'm a wizard, Jacqueline. Though I admire your tactic, a cell phone to the head is hardly going to stop me.”

She tried to open her mouth, to say something, but nothing came out.

“Don't bother trying to talk. This spell kind of puts everything in limbo.” Toby stroked his beard and released a long sigh of frustration. “Look, you didn't give me a chance to explain what I meant. I don't intend to actually murder you tonight or anything like that. So you can relax where that stuff is concerned. But like it or not, you are a banshee, and we need to talk a little bit about what that means, how it happened, your husband, and a whole bunch of other unpleasant shit that will be tough for you to wrap your mind around.”

Her husband? What did Eric have to do with anything? But even as she thought that, the memory of those crazy sparks she'd witnessed flying from Eric’s hands the night of his death came back to her. She'd tried hard to forget about the light, tried to pretend she'd imagined it. Denial held more appeal than facing the fact that something strange had happened to her, to him. But …

And what did Toby's ominous words about not murdering her tonight mean? That he would kill her tomorrow? Two weeks from now?

“I'm going to release you from limbo, but I want you to sit down. Give me a chance to explain.” He waved his hand in front of her saying, “Release.”

The tugging sensation stopped; her muscles relaxed. Jacqueline breathed deep and faced Toby. He flashed a small smile and gestured her toward the chair. Wary, she followed his direction, fighting off the exhaustion and dizziness threatening to overtake her. Toby held out the chair; its legs screeched against the barroom floor as he slid it beneath her butt.

“Now let's start from the beginning. When did you first become a banshee?” he asked, sitting opposite of her.

“A year ago today.” Toby nodded, as if this wasn't news to him. “This is the anniversary of my husband's death.”

Jacqueline blinked at the ease of her words. Despite the time lapse, she usually stumbled over emotions anytime she spoke of Eric’s passing.

“I'm sorry.” Toby's voice was a low rumble. “How did it happen?” She met his gaze. “I remember reading about it in the papers, but the details are fuzzy. He was a cop, right?”

Jacqueline nodded. “I'd been out with some friends, a girls' night thing. When I turned onto my street, I noticed right away that something was off.” She closed her eyes a moment and recalled the haunting images. “It was raining, but… well, it looked like it was raining only at my house.” She paused and rubbed at her temples. “I didn't know what to make of it. I pulled into our driveway, and just as I was getting out of my car, a man grabbed me.”


She shuddered at the memory, not of the death, but of the man they never found. Toby leaned forward and brushed her hand, but he didn’t hold it. “Go on, Jacqueline. Tell me the rest. I'll believe you.”

A half smile pulled at her lips. “Sometimes I don't even believe it.” The magic, the song, the whole night had been bizarre just like tonight. At least she hadn’t witnessed it alone this time.

“Give me your hand,” Toby instructed her. “I can make this easier.”

Hesitant, Jacqueline held out her hands. Reliving the night wasn’t easy. A spark of electricity jumped at their touch. Surprise crossed his face, but he gripped her hands tighter.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Ever been touched by someone and had a little shock?”

“Of course.”

“That means they have some magic in them somewhere.”

Her brows furrowed. “That happens to everyone, though.”

“Everyone has a little bit of the gift.” He smiled at her doubt. “I can't believe your husband never explained any of this to you.”

“Why would he?” Eric had been a cop, and while he would talk about his day, he'd never been graphic in the details. She'd never wanted him to be.

“Because he was a wizard like me.”

Her eyes widened. Eric? A wizard?

“I see your doubt. Close your eyes,” Toby said. “I'm going to look at your memory of the past. I want to see that night for myself.”