Page 43 of Surge of Fire

I don’t know how he can answer so calmly. Like this happens every day.

“Yes, I met a man. Captain Evander. He works for the group that funds the institute and–”

“Who are you talking to?” The voice is low and masculine with a drop of something that makes me feel uneasy.

“No one, just my friends,” she says. “Now, listen, he wants me to go back to the base, as he calls it, where Specter Inc. operates out of. The scientists he works with know a lot about dragons. They’ll be able to help me.”

Fuck.“No, Sam, don’t go with this strange guy. Don’t listen to him, and sure as hell don’t turn yourself into scientists. You’ll become their guinea pig. You need to get out of there.”

She’s breathing so hard that her panting fills the phone. “I understand.”

“They don’t need to know more. The less they know, the safer you’ll be,” he says, and my hands tighten on the steering wheel. He’s full of shit. If Sam goes with him, we’ll never see her again, dragon or no dragon.

“Don’t listen to him. Don’t trust him. Where are you?”

“Our tire popped on some debris on the way to town.”

“What the fuck are you doing?” he hisses.

Then there’s silence.

“Sam?”

“Sam!” Granger shouts.

But the call ended. He tries calling her back, over and over again, but there’s no answer.

So I do the only thing I can and drive faster.

SIXTEEN

Samantha

I’m standingbeneath the shade of a tree at the side of the road, far enough away from the truck where Captain Evander was changing the tire that I thought he wouldn’t hear me make my call.

I was wrong.

Not only had the bastard heard me, but, apparently, he had a problem with me talking to my friends, which was like red flag number fifty with this guy. At this point, he has enough red flags to wave down a spaceship, and I’m planning on getting as far away from him as possible, as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, as much as I want to head back to Granger and Aydan at the institute, I’m not willing to run into the green dragon again. I need to get off this mountain… and my friends need to too, which means meeting up in town and getting the hell out of here.

But that plan will be a hell of a lot harder if I can’t get in contact with Granger and Aydan.

“Give me back my phone.” My gaze moves to the phone clenched in the asshole’s hands, and I try to embrace my anger so my fear doesn’t take over. “Rightnow.”

His dark eyes hold mine, and a flicker of hatred rises inside of me. This man oozes arrogance and a deep desire for control unlike anyone I’ve met before, and I’ve spent a lot of my time around Fire Science majors, so that’s saying something. “No one can know what you are or where you’re going. It’s not safe, do you understand me?”

My gaze slides from his dark hair to the black shirt and military vest covered in pockets that seems to fit him too tightly. His thick arms are left bare, but they’re covered in tattoos. One tattoo is of a threatening looking gray dragon that hugs his entire arm, shifting in the shaded sunlight as his muscles move. As much as I hate it, I don’t think I can take him. I don’t want to play nicely either, but Idoneed to be smart rather than impulsive.

Not my greatest strength, but I’ll give it a try.

“Fine. Give me back my phone, and I won’t call anyone again.”

Humor is there and gone in a flash. “I’m afraid I don’t trust you not to call yourboyfriendagain.”

He says the word “boyfriend” in a possessive manner, like he’s some guy I’m on a date with who feels jealous of a man from my past. Like he has a right to feel possessive over me, which is yet another red flag. Wherever this man wants me to go… I’m staying the hell away from. If he’s already treating me like an object he owns, I can’t even imagine what his bosses will do to me.

I’m about to snag the phone from him when a large shadow passes overhead. I flinch, ducking down further instinctually. The green scales of the dragon are so close that I can see them flashing in the sunlight. My heart races, and I picture those bigclaws. The naked man. For a terrible moment, I think he’s found me, but then he keeps flying past us.

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