Read Online UNCONTROLLED BURN by Nina Pierce - Free Book Online Page B

throat. “Don’t say another word. Don’t even breathe her name.” Reese’s fingernails dug into the tender flesh as the scent of Ronan’s anger and confusion filled the air around them. “As a matter of fact, if I ever find you alone with Alex again, I won’t be responsible for my actions. You feel me, asshole?”
    “A little bonding time, boys?” Josh’s voice broke through Reese’s fury.
    “Just clearing up a little misunderstanding.” Reese pushed Ronan out of his face, unaware, until that moment, just how much Alex’s safety meant to him. No matter how annoying he found the kid, it was no excuse for his explosive outburst. “Sorry, man. I—”
    Ronan waved him off. “Forget it. I was out of line.”
    “How about you boys kiss and make up? We’ve got some real work to do.” Josh’s half-cocked grin and raised eyebrow implied humor Reese didn’t feel. “I’ve got some information that may finally blow our whole investigation out of the water.” Josh smacked a pamphlet on his palm.
    Reese quickly pulled on jeans and tamped down his frustration, following the guys into the kitchen. He pushed aside his personal life and refocused on their assignment. “I hope you’ve got the silver bullet. I’m ready to take down this bastard.” Reese clapped his hands and rubbed them together in anticipation. Any new information would be better than stumbling blindly forward as they’d been doing for the last year.
    Josh eyed him warily. “Just keep an open mind.”
    “Don’t I always?” Reese asked.
    Ronan let out a snort.
    “I don’t know what I walked in on, but I need you both to let that go and pay attention.” Josh unfolded a California state map on the cracked Formica table. Portions of the map had been marked with colored circles and numbers. “Hope came up with—”
    “Hope?” The name came from Reese and Ronan in stereo.
    “She’s human.” Ronan’s indignation rode tight on his words. “You shouldn’t be involving her. How the hell can she help?”
    “She’s a reporter,” Josh said, the low growl contradicting his calm tone.
    Guess Reese wasn’t the only one who thought their asshole team member overstepped when it came to their women.
    “As I was saying, Hope started cross referencing fires and reported deaths. Every fire in the last two years is highlighted in yellow. The number in that circle indicates how many died. If they were vamps, they’re also highlighted with blue.”
    “Hope knows about vamps?” Ronan asked.
    “What I’ve chosen to tell or not tell Hope about our world is not what we’re concerned about.” Josh’s words came out stilted through clenched teeth. “It’s what she’s pieced together that’s important. And no, she doesn’t, I added that detail myself.”
    Reese knew his roommate had been struggling for the last couple of months with his deepening feelings for Hope and his need to share the truth with her. He’d known Josh long enough not to question his decision one way or the other.
    “Hey.” Reese laid a hand on Josh’s forearm, unfazed when the man growled at him. It seemed everyone was a little short tempered when it came to this investigation. “What douche bag meant to say was …” he swept his hand over the map, “… cut to the chase. We’d like to know what the hell you’re getting at.”
    Tension eased from Josh’s shoulders. He inhaled, reining in his temper. “The thing is, we’ve done this a number of times over the last year, but I’ve never noticed a pattern. The fires in the beginning were all vampires.” Josh pointed to a dozen sites, varying distances from South Kenton. “But in the last six to nine months, they’ve been a two-to-one mix of vamp and human.”
    “What made the rogue change his MO?” Reese wondered aloud.
    “Well, it’s the last piece of information that may give us that clue,” Josh said. “This is where Hope …” he looked at Ronan as he emphasized her name, “took it in a direction