Free Passion Ignited by Katalyn Sage Page A

much as she possibly could.
“I’ve never seen her like this,” he admitted to Garrick
apologetically before facing Nitro. “You shouldn’t get drunk around
the humans.”
    She waved her hand dismissively. “Humans spumans .” She looked over at a group of twenty-something
girls who were dancing together, and suddenly her glazed-over eyes
grew sad. “They don’t know how lucky they—”
    “Nitro,” Ash warned.
    “They don’t, ” she hissed
angrily.
    The waitress approached again and started
placing drinks on the table. Ash grabbed one of the fancy drinks
his sister had been sucking down and took a swig. “What is this?”
he asked the waitress.
    “Oh, that’s our house special.”
    “And what’s in it?” Garrick asked.
    “It’s a proprietary blend. That gentleman
right over there keeps buying these for her.” She hiked her thumb
back at another table, and then toward Nitro.
    “Who?” Ash demanded.
    “That guy right over th…oh, he’s gone now.”
She shrugged.
    “Alright, you’ve had enough,” Ash said. He
slid the rest of the drinks away from Nitro’s side of the
table.
    She scowled at him before darting her hand
across the table to grab one more of the specialty drinks. She
slammed it back before Ash had a chance to get it back.
    “You’re no fun here,” she said, dropping her
chin into her hand. Leaning on her elbow, she glared at her
brother.
    The song over the sound system changed.
“Buttons” by The Pussycat Dolls boomed throughout the club. Nitro
perked up instantly. “I love this song!” Rolling out of the booth,
she staggered her way to the dance floor, grabbing onto the first
guy she came across.
    Garrick and Ash watched as she made friends
with the local guys, practically having sex right on the dance
floor without actually doing it.
    “What’s in the drink?” Garrick asked,
gesturing to the glass in Ash’s hand.
    “I haven’t figured it out yet, but whatever it
is, it’s strong. I’ve never seen her get like this .” He
pointed at his sister as she writhed on the dance floor. “She
mostly only drinks a lot when something’s eating at her. But, she’s
had a lot tonight.”
    “Clearly an understatement,” Blaze said. He’d
just approached the booth with Thrash following close behind.
Garrick and Ash bumped knuckles with the guys before they took
their seats at the booth. “I take it your sister has had a chance
to get acquainted with Rapture?”
    Garrick looked at the Guardian questioningly
before flicking his gaze toward Ash, who currently had an eyebrow
cocked in question.
    Blaze snorted. “The drink. By the looks of her
I’d say that she’s had her fair share of them tonight. Not to
worry, though. She won’t be in any danger from drinking it, as long
as she doesn’t suck down too much. Its affects will wear off soon
enough.”
    Ash started to ask more questions, and Garrick
quickly turned to Thrash. The two had become sort of friends since
Garrick had arrived in Jersey. With the two of them dominating the
other Guardians by way of speed, they had sparred with each other
frequently, learning from each other.
    “So,” Thrash said. “How many are you up
for?”
    Garrick glanced around the room, before facing
the Guardian again, a wide grin spreading across his
face.
    ****
    Raider stared down at the surface of the water
he was standing in. Above him, the windowed ceiling let the
moonlight shine down, illuminating the water and creating sparkles
in the surface as it rippled around him. He raised his face to the
moon and basked in the power of its light. Lowering his gaze again,
he looked down at the scars that were still visible on his left
arm. They were the only scars on his body; they’d been there a
long, long time, and they forever branded him for what happened
that day. He was grateful for the reminder. The story behind them
wasn’t a good one, but the memories of his wife and children were
something he’d never wish to forget.
    He wasn’t sure