Page 48 of Inferno

“What’s wrong, Emmaline?”

Josh startles me, and I spring to my feet. Slowly, I walk toward the bed, my eyes raking over Steph’s dead body. I don’t know when he got her, but it had to be somewhere between the office and her apartment. Not that it matters.

She’s gone, and it’s my fault.

Fury slams into me like a freight train, and I whirl around, swinging my arms wildly at Josh. He does his best to ward off my blows, but I get some good knocks in.

Blood drips from his face and my knuckles, but I’m oblivious to any pain. All that matters at this moment is making him suffer for what he did to Steph. An image of her naked, bruised, and battered body flashes in my mind, fueling my actions, but somehow, it isn’t enough.

“You’re gonna pay for all of it,” he snarls as he manages to grab my arm and yank it behind my back.

I ignore the pain that I’m now feeling and try to break free, but my efforts are futile. He’s too strong, and I’m getting weak and tired.

Josh shoves me toward the bed and pushes my head down until the tip of my nose hits Steph’s bare stomach.

“This is on your head,” he screeches. “Do you hear me? Your fucking head!”

I continue to struggle, and all that does is poke the bear. Josh spins me around so I’m facing him, hauls his arm back, and punches me in the jaw.

My head whips to the side, and I end up splayed on top of Steph. Josh grabs my arms and ties them behind my back. Then he ties my ankles together. Once I’m bound, he starts to back away from the bed.

“It didn’t have to end like this,” he says, suddenly calm. “All you had to do was die back then, and Steph would be alive.”

“Fuck you,” I snap.

“We’ll see how tough you act when this house is burning down around you.”

25

Inferno

The ride to Emmy’s location seems to go on forever when in reality, it takes less than twenty minutes to turn onto the gravel lane leading to the house. Sure, I was speeding the entire way, but what are they gonna do? Throw my ass in the pokey?

Smoke billows ahead, and flames lick the sky.

No! No, no, no. Not again!

The acrid smell of fire invades my nostrils as I ride as close as I can get, and I pull my shirt up over my mouth and nose. My brothers skid to a stop behind me as I jump off my Harley, letting it fall to the ground.

“Emmy!” I shout. “Emmy, I’m coming!”

“Inferno,” Viking snaps and grabs my arm to halt my movement. “Take a minute and think this through.”

“No fucking way,” I bark and pull away from him. “I’m going in there, and I’m bringing her back out.”

“Viking,” Acid begins. “You and Inferno do your fire and water thing, and we’ll find the guy responsible. I highly doubt he stuck around to burn in the house.”

“Good thinking.”

Viking and I race to the abandoned, and now blazing, farmhouse, while our brothers spread out on the property in search of my next kill.

The porch has already collapsed so I search for a window or another way in.

“Over here,” Viking shouts from the side of the house. “Open window.”

I race to join him, and he’s got his arms stretched out and a look of concentration on his face.

“Please tell me there’s a water source,” I plead.

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