Read Fire Rising (Dark Kings) for Free Online

admitted.
    Banan took the seat Jane had vacated and leaned his forearms upon his thighs. The frown he wore no longer held anger, but concern. “Who is after you, Sammi?”
    “Bad people. Very bad people.” God, why had she let that slip? It wasn’t too much, at least, and as Banan had mentioned, an idiot could’ve figured that out. Still, she shouldn’t have told him.
    Tristan walked to the foot of the bed and braced his hands on the iron footboard. “How long have you been running from them?”
    They were asking such simple questions, but if she wasn’t careful, they would get it all out of her piece by piece. “A while.”
    Banan exchanged a look with Tristan. “Vague answers again.”
    “It took verra little to discover what happened to your pub,” Tristan said. “Why did you no’ want Jane to know that it was blown up and that your business partner is missing?”
    Sammi squeezed her eyes shut. Poor Daniel. She’d known he was dead, but hearing it brought a fresh wave of pain. Even though Daniel had brought it on himself by being involved with such people.
    “Where is Daniel?” Banan asked. “You doona seem the type of woman to blow up your own pub because your ex-lover pissed you off.”
    Sammi’s eyes flew open as she glared at Banan. “Daniel was my friend and had a good head for business. He made me money.”
    “Did you know he had spent some time in jail for petty crimes?” Tristan asked.
    She glanced at him but couldn’t look in his eyes. “Not at first. Only once we realized we made better friends than lovers. He told me about his past, but he said he had changed.”
    Banan sat back, causing the chair to creak. “Daniel lied, did he no’?”
    “Yes.” And that’s all she would tell them. Let them dig into Daniel’s past or hers. She wasn’t going to say any more, and the first chance she got, she was leaving. The more distance she put between her and Jane, the better.
    “You should eat,” Tristan said into the silence.
    Sammi looked at the tray loaded with fruit, meats, bread, and fried eggs that were now cold. She had been famished when Jane brought in the food, but then the questions had begun.
    “When was the last time you had a good meal?” Banan asked.
    Sammi scrunched up her face and looked at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “You’re skin and bones. No’ the way Jane and I last saw you.”
    “Maybe I’m on a diet,” she said with a shrug, hoping he bought it and had forgotten how much she loved junk food.
    Banan gave a loud snort, telling her he knew she lied.
    “Fine,” she said. “It’s only been a day since my last meal.”
    “You’ve been here three,” Tristan said.
    No. That couldn’t be. The last time she had remained at one place for longer than two days, the Mob had come close to catching her. She had learned the hard way to stay on the move and talk to as few people as she could.
    It was always the tingle at the back of her neck that alerted her she needed to move on. That tingle was back, something she hadn’t expected while at Dreagan.
    Then again, she hadn’t intended to stay but one night. What had she done? What had she brought to Jane?
    The dread, the anxiety was like acid churning in her stomach, making her sick.
    “Sammi?” Banan said as he jumped up and came to stand beside her, his hand on her arm. “What is it?”
    “I have to go,” she said and tried to lift the tray off her. Her shoulder twinged, the stitches pulling at her effort.
    Tristan was immediately at her other side. “Easy,” he said and took the tray. “You’ll bust the stitches.”
    Even with the tray gone, she couldn’t leave the bed because Banan kept ahold of her arm. Then Tristan was back, boxing her in.
    “You don’t understand,” she cried. “If they come, they’ll destroy it as they’ve destroyed my life!”
    She was panting from the exertion, sweat dotting her skin. Something warm and wet ran down her arm, but she was too upset to worry about