Finding Fire: Paranormal Romance (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 1) by Mallory Crowe Read Free Book Online Page A

after him, he will kill me before I ever get close.”
    “But with my help, you’ll be able to get to him?”
    He gave her a confident look. “I know I can get to him with your help. I’ve always known how to kill him. I’ve just never found anyone stupid enough to help me until I met you.”
    She smiled sarcastically at him. “You have such a way with words.”
    “In all honesty, this will be very dangerous. But you will get the answer to all of your questions.” Her uncertainty must’ve been evident, as he continued, “You’ll be safer with me than you would be with anyone else.”
    She was skeptical about that. In his presence, she’d felt more fear than any other time in the past fifteen years. Anna couldn’t agree to go with him to kill this Aleksander. She wasn’t certain she could actually kill anything. The idea of it turned her stomach. “Can I think about it?”
    He stepped closer, invading her personal space. “How much time would you like?”
    She put a hand to her now throbbing head. “I don’t know. A day?”
    “I can allow a day.”
    She held back a laugh at the idea that he was “allowing” her time.
    She crossed to the door and pulled it open, but turned back and took one long look at Nicolas. He looked so beautiful, standing there alone. So dangerous at the same time. The combination was frightening. It made her want to run to him and as far away as possible at the same time.
    She took in his long legs, strong torso, the cords that stuck out in his neck, thick black hair, and finally the dark eyes that always drew her gaze.
    She shook her head, turned and walked out the door, but something stopped it from shutting all the way. He’d put his hand on the door and held it open.
    “One more thing.” Once again, he stood too close.
    “What’s up?” she asked, wishing she’d made a clean getaway.
    “You never told me your name.”
    “You never asked,” she shot back, remembering their awkward introduction.
    He shot her a smile that she was sure had appeased his king many times in the past. “May I have the honor of knowing your name?”
    “You don’t have to joke about it,” she said at his playful tone, almost wishing that knowing her name would honor him. “I’m Annabelle Roberts.”
    Quick as lightning, he grasped one of her hands and lifted it to his mouth. His breath brushed over her knuckles. “My name is Nicolas Zolkin.”
    He brought his lips to her knuckles and laid a gentle kiss on them. Anna felt like an electric current connected that small spot on her hands to more private parts that had not felt much of anything lately.
    As his mouth started to lift, she felt the soft caress of his tongue. She jerked her hand away and almost ran out down the stairs. She was exceedingly proud of the fact that she never once turned back to see his reaction.
     
    ~~~~~
     
    Nicolas was surprised to see how close Annabelle lived to him. He stood in the shadows as he watched her enter her building.
    He was half tempted to bang the door open and take her up against the nearest wall. It was obvious enough he scared her, but he could tell there was more than fear when she looked at him. That hint of desire was a definite advantage.
    He couldn’t scare her away yet. There were still too many questions. He said he would give her time to think, but one way or another she would help him get his vengeance. It would be easier on her if she offered herself out of her own free will, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’d taken the hard route.
    He felt foolish for not offering her something more to wear on her way home. By the time she’d finished the two-mile walk to her apartment, she was shivering. He shook off the feelings of guilt. He’d not lied to her earlier when he said she would be safer with him than with anyone else on her mission to question Aleksander. He would keep her alive to question him, but he couldn’t promise that by the time Aleksander was dead, the intriguing