Ashes to Flames by Nichelle Gregory Read Free Book Online

dollars and fifty cents,” the taxi driver called through the safety glass partition.
    Sabria blinked in surprise. She hadn’t noticed they’d even stopped. She paid the taxi driver, exited the vehicle and stood in front of Jai’s building with butterflies in her stomach. The wind whipped around her and she welcomed the chilled air washing over her heated skin. She pushed the bell for Jai’s place, expecting to hear his voice asking who she was, but he buzzed her in.
    She knocked and waited. Seconds went by, feeling like hours, with no signs of movement inside then she saw a shadow of light beneath the door before it was opened.
    All the questions faded the moment she saw Jai. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze ran over his unshaved beard, the dark circles beneath his eyes and the ragged jeans, unfastened and riding low on his hips. “Jai?”
    He didn’t answer, barely looked at her before turning to let her inside his dim apartment. A blast of heat scattered goosebumps over her skin.
    What the hell?
    Her kind avoided unnecessary heat like some people avoided the sun. Every single curtain was drawn in Jai’s place. The only source of illumination came from the wood kindling in the ornate fireplace in the living room.
    “Jai, it’s way too hot in here. What are you trying to do to yourself?”
    “I was going to call.” His voice sounded as rough as he looked.
    “Jai, what’s wrong?” She reached out to touch his arm and was taken aback when he moved out the way.
    He finally met her gaze and the agony mirrored in the mocha depths of his eyes tore at her heart. Beads of sweat dripped from his bald head, down his proud jawline to splash on his bare chest. Sabria had never seen him in such a state. He was tortured by something…something they’d never dealt with before.
    “Is it Melanie?”
    Jai turned his back on her again with the mention of the other woman’s name. “She didn’t deserve this.”
    “I know it couldn’t have been easy to end things with her.” Sabria watched him cross his arms, mahogany muscles momentarily taking her attention. “Especially when you couldn’t tell her the truth.”
    “She opened her heart to me and what did I do?” Jai asked, absently scratching at his beard.
    Sabria resisted the urge to walk over to him and wrap her arms around his waist, fearing he’d pull away again. “You did what you had to do. I know it couldn’t have been easy—”
    “There was no easy way to tell her I couldn’t give her the love she deserved.”
    “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Sabria said softly, wishing she knew the right comforting words to say.
    Jai cursed. “The look in her eyes when I told her I loved you…”
    His voice had lowered to a hoarse whisper and Sabria felt guilty for feeling a spark of happiness at the mention of his love for her. “Jai, I know you didn’t want to hurt her.”
    “Hurt her?” Jai pivoted quickly to face her. His handsome face was a mask of pain and anger. He walked up to her and took hold of her by both arms and the heat from his touch seared her skin.
    “Yes, Jai, I know you didn’t want to hurt her.” Prickles of awareness zipped through where his fingers bit into her flesh.
    “I didn’t just hurt her, Sabria. I killed her.”
    The ferocity of his words shocked her almost as much as what he’d said. She flinched when he released her and almost flung her away from him. “What?”
    “She’s dead. Melanie’s dead. I told her we couldn’t be together and she was so upset…so heartbroken. She rushed out of her place. I went after her and I guess she wasn’t looking…didn’t see the van coming.”
    “Oh my God,” Sabria gasped, feeling the blood drain from her face.
    “I couldn’t save her.”
    Sabria’s eyes widened in horror as Jai shook his head and paced the floor. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye. She died thinking I didn’t care about her.”
    He stopped pacing and Sabria yelped when he smashed his hand