Read Forged in Fire for Free Online Page B

well, bloody.
    He carried me through an open brick archway into a dark alcove, stopping at a tall, wrought-iron gate. Leaning against the wall for about two seconds, he fit his key into the lock. The gate swung open and clanged shut behind us. We passed through a smallish courtyard, water gurgling somewhere. My head felt heavy, falling onto his shoulder as he opened the door to the house. The small foyer led straight up a flight of stairs into a spacious living room.
    He set me down on a plush, tan sofa. A shiver ran through me as he walked with long strides down a hallway. The décor was stark but beautiful in warm colors of brown, red and gold. An old fireplace was set in the far wall, the cherry mantel in Baroque style with an elaborate roaring dragon curling along the top of the fireplace. French doors stood behind me, most certainly leading to a balcony overlooking the courtyard. I pivoted onto my side to get a better view, wincing with pain.
    “Damn.” I hissed in a breath, lifting my red-soaked tank.
    A six-inch slash cut through the skin and muscle from my belly button down to the top of my jeans. Jude settled beside me, placing some kind of kit on the mahogany coffee table. Adrenaline shot through me anew. Perhaps from seeing the injury or Jude’s sudden closeness, I wasn’t sure.
    “Lay back. Relax.”
    “Do you really know what you’re doing? I don’t want to get butchered.” My voice quavered, not as confident as my words.
    “I know what I’m doing.”
    “I don’t even know you,” I protested. My stranger-danger antenna kept popping up, then lowering at random. This guy could be a killer. Hell, I knew he was. I just watched him stab Pit-bull boy to death on the street. Of course, he was apparently possessed by a demon and was trying to kill me at the time, but that didn’t mean R-and-B was truly on my side. Then again, there was that strange aura of fire. What was that all about?
    “How did you know I was in danger with the demon guys?”
    “It’s my job to know.”
    “It’s your job to know when I’m being attacked by demons?”
    “It’s my job to know when someone is in danger from demons. It’s my job to expel them.”
    “So, am I the only one in this city in danger, or are you following me?”
    “Genevieve, you’re currently a magnet for every kind of spawn of hell. I knew it wouldn’t take long for them to find you.”
    “That’s not an answer.”
    He dabbed my wound clean, not meeting my eyes.
    “Try to stitch it closely. I don’t want an ugly scar across my stomach.”
    “Would you rather continue arguing while you bleed to death, or would you like me to close the gaping wound in your abdomen?”
    I scowled, reclining back at the same time. My pride clamped my stupid mouth shut.
    He pushed my tank up a little higher. I shivered, wondering if it was the injury or something else. He spread his left hand along my ribs and stomach, flattening the wound evenly. I found myself holding my breath, trying to ignore the effect of his hands on my bare skin.
    “Relax.”
    His deep, soft voice eased the tension from my rigid body. Ironically, a good bit of that tension came directly from his touch. After wiping the blood clean around the wound and dabbing antiseptic with a gentle hand, he took out a needle and vial, then leaned close to the cut.
    “Good thing this was done with a knife.”
    “As opposed to?”
    “Claws. Teeth.”
    “Yeah, good thing.”
    What planet was I living on? Geez. He gave me one of those looks saying I had no idea what I was in for. He was right. I was in way over my head, and I wasn’t afraid to admit it at this point.
    “This will sting, but I need to give you a local anesthetic to dull the pain of the stitching.”
    I nodded, biting my lip and closing my eyes. I tried not to think about his hand splayed across my rib cage. The sting of the needle jarred my wayward thoughts. I didn’t cry out, squeezing my eyes shut tighter.
    After a minute, the pain