Fighting the Flames (Firefighter Romance #1)(70)

“Yeah. I'm fine.” He focused on her. “How would you feel about playing bartender for a little while?”

Angela blinked and ran a hand through her hair. “What do you mean?”

“I need to run an errand. I'd like you to run the bar for an hour or so.” Toby retreated from behind the counter.

“Uh… I did some bartending back in college, but that was a long time ago.” Angela stood up as he pulled her from the stool.

“You'll be fine.” He led her behind the bar, handing her a calculator and a beer opener. “Use this to add up the tabs and this to open the beer. Show some cleavage and you'll have better sales.”

“Do I get to keep my tips?” she called after him as he strode toward the front door, assuming he was going after Jacqueline.

“Sure.” And with that, he left.

Angela shrugged. Oh well. She liked adventure. Unbuttoning her blouse a little more, she shouted, “I'm running a drink special, boys. Who's thirsty?”



****





Toby stormed home. His fists balled at his sides.

The woman had gone to dinner. Jacqueline had left the safety of her house and stumbled right into the hands of Derek Spark. Dammit. Why had he ever left her in the first place? What had he been thinking? Give her space? He should have closed in tighter.

What if she was dead? Oh, god. Toby clutched his chest. Would he know … would he feel it?

“No,” he muttered aloud. “Spark wouldn't kill her. He wants her to be his weapon.”

But Toby was ready to kill Derek.

Thoughts of Gabriella drifted through his mind, but he shoved them away.

Focus on the here and now with Derek. Don't let him take another innocent woman and hurt her. Can’t let him hurt me again either.

Once inside his house, Toby marched directly to his cellar. Dank and dark, making it the perfect place for storing his alchemy tools. A would-be burglar, a nosey neighbor—neither would spend precious time in such a creepy place. He blew dust from the top of one of his books and searched through the pages for a scrying spell.

“There you are.” He tapped the spell on one of the pages and drew an old silver amulet from a nearby box. Raising it high, he chanted, “Master of Wisdom and fierce skies, let the one I seek materialize. As I will it, let it be done.”


The amulet vibrated in his hand. Holding on tight, steam slipped from the metal. Wispy tendrils of smoke formed a pattern in the air, scrolling until the letters molded into a single word: Harrington.

Harrington. The only place called that was the local cemetery.

Why would Derek take Jacqueline there?

It didn't matter. All he needed was to stop him.

He just hoped it wasn't too late.



****



“Where am I?” Jacqueline's head throbbed, and she couldn't fully open her eyes. The lids felt too heavy.

“Someplace safe.”

She knew that voice. Derek. The wizard had captured her. Fear thumped in her heart, pulsing in time with her pounding head.

“You don't need to be frightened.” He placed a hand on her leg and caressed her. “You're just feeling the aftereffects of a little spell I put on you. It's powerful stuff.”

“My head hurts.” She tried to sit up and forced her eyes open.

“Oh, it will for a while. That's part of the process.”

Jacqueline surveyed her surroundings, taking note of the tiny room. Long tables with wheels blinked into view. Something about them was familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. A sharp stab of pain in her head caused her to cry out.

“There, there,” Derek soothed, continuing to rub her leg. “It will pass. The spell takes time to get used to. Don't fight it.”

His voice was hypnotic. She could listen to it all day. Nice. Relaxing.

“There you go,” he whispered and moved closer to her, brushing fingers through her hair and massaging her head. “That's better. Don't fight, just listen to me.”

“All right.” She stared into his eyes. They were so pretty… such a rich hazel color.

“You are under my command now,” he said. “You will do as I tell you.”

“Yes.” She nodded and winced from the motion. “I can do that.”

“Do you know where we are?”

Jacqueline studied the place more carefully. “Some sort of ER room or doctor's office?”

He laughed softly and briefly kissed her lips. “No. This is the embalming room at Harrington's Funeral Home. It's owned by a friend of mine, one you've met, I believe.” Derek inclined his head toward someone rustling behind her.

Gabe stepped into her line of vision.

“Hey, Jacqueline,” he said, smirking. “Bet you wish I'd killed you now.”

“Gabe?” She blinked at the man, the man she’d trusted.

His smile grew bigger, and he shook his head. “No. My name isn't Gabe, and I'm not the real Keeper of Souls. I was only in that box as part of a bargain I made with your family banshee—you know, the hag that Toby killed for us,” Gabe said. “You should really lock up your house more carefully from now on. It was easy to break in and find the box. A little magic helped the hag open it.”