Fire Angel by Susanne Matthews Read Free Book Online Page A

victimized. She’d felt that way herself far too many times.
    The wind had picked up and was stronger now than it had been earlier in the evening. It had blown away the clouds and the fog, leaving behind a sky awash with stars and an almost full moon.
    She shivered and wished that she had remembered that hat and gloves. Jake put his arm around her, pulling her close, and tucking her into his left side providing some heat and protection from the wind.
    Surprisingly, his action did not set off her usual “hands-off, Buddy” attitude. Somewhat muddled, Alexis relaxed into his heat, amazed to find that, for the first time in a long time, she felt safe.
    â€œI guess I didn’t need this,” she said holding up the folded umbrella. “But I should have remembered how much colder it is up here.”
    She looked up at the sky and smiled. Despite the note and the unwelcomed memories that Allan Sinclair had raised, she felt contented, and put that down to her companion. Some people just made you feel good by being around them, and she knew that Jake was one of those people. She needed more of that in her life.
    The boy she remembered had fought for the underdog; more than once, he had stood up to James, her bullying cousin and his band of misfits, saving her from their cruel and humiliating pranks. He had not made friends with her cousin or the others by doing so, but it never seemed to bother him. With his thick glasses and short, dark hair, Jake had reminded her of Clark Kent, Superman’s alter ego. Why was it that no one ever recognized the hero behind the flimsy disguise?
    She had never understood why James would back down when J.J. told him to, because to her, he had seemed as defenseless as she was. Now she knew that bullies were really cowards and would back down if confronted, but back then, she had thought of him as her only friend, afraid to let herself feel any more than that for him, because in the end, he had not been able to protect her and keep her there. She sighed.
What would my life have been like if my parents had lived? Would we have been more than friends? Would we have gotten married? Had children?
    â€œA penny for your thoughts,” he said.
    Startled, Alexis stalled. She couldn’t very well tell him that she was thinking of having his babies, now could she?
    â€œYou can see so many stars here; at home, even though I don’t live right in San Francisco, you never see this many, nor are they this bright. When I’m on a case, I try to get away for a few hours here and there to enjoy the scenery and get my thoughts organized. I have some awesome pictures on the walls at home.”
    â€œYeah, I know what you mean. I never tire of admiring something beautiful,” Jake replied, but he was looking at her, not at the sky. She blushed.
    â€œI saw incredible skies and all kinds of shooting stars when I was deployed. It’s at times like these that I remember all the things I can’t do anymore, but there are still a lot of things to enjoy.”
    Alexis smiled, about to ask him why he could no longer do certain things when she realized how dark the walkway to her cabin was. She stopped and stared.
    â€œHere we are,” announced Jake halting beside her. “You really should have turned on the outside light before you left. I know everyone wants to conserve energy, but this isn’t San Francisco — no streetlights. It’s dark out here, and you could easily trip and hurt yourself.” He flipped the switch on the small LED flashlight he took out of his pocket.
    Alexis’ss heart had tripled the pace of its beating as they approached the cabin. Her breathing became shallow. The yellow bug light that had glowed so brightly when she had locked the door was dark.
    â€œI did turn it on,” she whispered. “I know I did.”

Chapter Four
    The trembling in her voice told Jake that something was wrong; she was terrified. He took the key from