Read Online Vendetta Nation (Enigma Black Trilogy #2) by Sara Furlong-Burr - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sara Furlong-Burr
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all right?” Ian asked. “You look like you’re going to be sic…Christ, what happened to your neck?” Ian ran his fingers over the red fingerprints that marred my neck.
“Victor,” I winced.
“Victor hit you?” Ian asked, enraged. “That son of a…Ah!” He rubbed his chest to ease the pain brought forth by his sudden movement.
“In his defense, I was planning on doing him great bodily harm.”
“That’s no excuse to hit a woman…Wait, how strong is he? Did you get any punches in at all?”
“No, that’s just it, he was so…fast. Ian, I’ve never seen anything like it. I had no time to react, no time to think before he threw me up against the wall. It’s almost as though he’s…”
“One of us?” Ian finished my sentence.
“You don’t suppose?”
“It would make sense. Think about it, Celaine, why make us the only superheroes on the block? If you had that kind of technology at your fingertips, wouldn’t you try to benefit from it?”
“If I had another agenda, maybe.”
“Well, then, let’s figure out what that agenda may be,” Ian said.
“Count me in on that.”
I watched as Ian moved his hand over the red scorch marks on his skin until he bumped into the lead situated just inches away from his heart. “For once, I’m happy that they’re monitoring my every bodily function.”
“Yeah, they saw your cardiac episode coming before you collapsed. That little invasion of privacy just may have saved your life.”
“That and the CPR I received.”
My face flushed, matching the shade of the marks around my neck. “You remember that?”
“No, not one bit. I did, however, go back and forth from being completely out of it to being somewhat lucid. I heard Harris and Martin talking about it. You may have saved my life. I guess I should thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Just return the favor sometime,” I said.
“I honestly hope I never have to.” He smiled his off-kilter smile; a smile that reminded me why he’d been a hit with the ladies back in Norfolk.
“Becca was here for a little bit,” I said, changing the subject. “She left when she was satisfied that you were going to be okay.”
“That’s good to know. I was beginning to think you were the only one who cared enough to see me,” he said.
“Nope, your fan club is still very much with you.” I stood up and stretched, eyeing the door.
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
“I thought about it. You seem better.”
“And you still owe me. It’s my turn to make you spend the night.”
“First of all,” I admonished, “I don’t recall making you stay anywhere.”
“Seriously, Celaine, I’d like somebody here. Almost dying has a way of making you a tad clingy to the living.”
I looked at Ian, seeing a vulnerability I hadn’t been privy to before. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll stay.” I climbed over him to the other side of the bed, situating myself on my left side, the only side I could ever really fall asleep on. “I think we should stay put tomorrow night so you can recoup.”
Ian carefully rolled onto his right side, putting us face-to-face. “You know, I’m not afraid of death,” he said, looking me in the eyes. “There were days when I would sit in my apartment welcoming it, in fact. I hadn’t accomplished much with my life, and I never really thought I ever would. Being here has changed that. It’s given me purpose. I think this is what I was born to do, and I’m not going to miss any opportunity to catch the man who murdered my father, whether I’m in pain or not.”
“I thought you’d say that,” I sighed. I closed my eyes in the hope that he would follow suit and get some rest.
“So…” his voice forced my eyes back open.
“What?”
“We still haven’t discussed that whole CPR thing. I know I was unconscious and all, but seriously, was it as good for you as it was for me?”
“Call me picky, but I usually prefer men with a pulse.”
“You and your high
“Victor,” I winced.
“Victor hit you?” Ian asked, enraged. “That son of a…Ah!” He rubbed his chest to ease the pain brought forth by his sudden movement.
“In his defense, I was planning on doing him great bodily harm.”
“That’s no excuse to hit a woman…Wait, how strong is he? Did you get any punches in at all?”
“No, that’s just it, he was so…fast. Ian, I’ve never seen anything like it. I had no time to react, no time to think before he threw me up against the wall. It’s almost as though he’s…”
“One of us?” Ian finished my sentence.
“You don’t suppose?”
“It would make sense. Think about it, Celaine, why make us the only superheroes on the block? If you had that kind of technology at your fingertips, wouldn’t you try to benefit from it?”
“If I had another agenda, maybe.”
“Well, then, let’s figure out what that agenda may be,” Ian said.
“Count me in on that.”
I watched as Ian moved his hand over the red scorch marks on his skin until he bumped into the lead situated just inches away from his heart. “For once, I’m happy that they’re monitoring my every bodily function.”
“Yeah, they saw your cardiac episode coming before you collapsed. That little invasion of privacy just may have saved your life.”
“That and the CPR I received.”
My face flushed, matching the shade of the marks around my neck. “You remember that?”
“No, not one bit. I did, however, go back and forth from being completely out of it to being somewhat lucid. I heard Harris and Martin talking about it. You may have saved my life. I guess I should thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Just return the favor sometime,” I said.
“I honestly hope I never have to.” He smiled his off-kilter smile; a smile that reminded me why he’d been a hit with the ladies back in Norfolk.
“Becca was here for a little bit,” I said, changing the subject. “She left when she was satisfied that you were going to be okay.”
“That’s good to know. I was beginning to think you were the only one who cared enough to see me,” he said.
“Nope, your fan club is still very much with you.” I stood up and stretched, eyeing the door.
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
“I thought about it. You seem better.”
“And you still owe me. It’s my turn to make you spend the night.”
“First of all,” I admonished, “I don’t recall making you stay anywhere.”
“Seriously, Celaine, I’d like somebody here. Almost dying has a way of making you a tad clingy to the living.”
I looked at Ian, seeing a vulnerability I hadn’t been privy to before. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll stay.” I climbed over him to the other side of the bed, situating myself on my left side, the only side I could ever really fall asleep on. “I think we should stay put tomorrow night so you can recoup.”
Ian carefully rolled onto his right side, putting us face-to-face. “You know, I’m not afraid of death,” he said, looking me in the eyes. “There were days when I would sit in my apartment welcoming it, in fact. I hadn’t accomplished much with my life, and I never really thought I ever would. Being here has changed that. It’s given me purpose. I think this is what I was born to do, and I’m not going to miss any opportunity to catch the man who murdered my father, whether I’m in pain or not.”
“I thought you’d say that,” I sighed. I closed my eyes in the hope that he would follow suit and get some rest.
“So…” his voice forced my eyes back open.
“What?”
“We still haven’t discussed that whole CPR thing. I know I was unconscious and all, but seriously, was it as good for you as it was for me?”
“Call me picky, but I usually prefer men with a pulse.”
“You and your high
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