Free Relentless Flame (Hell to Pay) by Jillian David Page A

“living” going on here.
    “Sis, I feel awful. You’ve got to help me.” Scott’s whining voice drifted out of his bedroom.
    Not again. She hadn’t recovered from yesterday’s transfer of his hangover and Mildred’s arthritis pain. And what about the revelation about Ray? The suffering that news brought on wasn’t physical, but it hurt just the same. Every piece of her body throbbed with a deep, bone-grinding ache. Except that one finger felt completely fine where she had touched Dante. How strange.
    “Hannah!”
    She ran into the bedroom. Scott had passed out on the floor this time, urine staining his clothes. Her eyes watered at the stench, and she tried not to inhale too deeply. At least he didn’t appear injured, only hung over, or still mildly inebriated, she couldn’t tell which.
    “Please. I’ve got to get to work.” He moaned.
    She stood a few feet away from him, out of his sloppy grasp. “I’m sorry, I can’t take more right now. Yesterday about ruined me.”
    “Bitch.” The word stung, even though she knew her brother was still impaired. “You’re the only one who can make this go away. Why won’t you help me?”
    “I can’t, Scott.”
    “You’re so selfish.”
    “I love you, but I can’t do it this time.”
    Her tears welled up at the pitiful picture her brother made on the floor. It hurt, leaving him there. But she couldn’t take on more pain and hope to function today.
    How much
could
her body take? What would happen if she went past the limits of her healing power? She’d gotten a glimpse of those limits when she put her hands all those years ago on Aunt Linda’s cancer-riddled body.
    Hannah’s heart still beat wildly as she recalled her terror at Ray’s demand. But just like always, Hannah had agreed to try. She had placed her hands on the basketball-sized rock-hard tumor in Aunt Linda’s abdomen, expecting to encounter the pebbles of cancer, and released the dam holding back her power. The gift should have exchanged Aunt Linda’s illness for Hannah’s wellness, but instead the voracious cancer overwhelmed Hannah, consuming all her healthy cells. Her senses failed until she couldn’t sort out any specific sensation in the melee. Before Hannah had absorbed a measure of the disease, her aunt had pulled away with an expression of horror and sadness that Hannah had never forgotten.
    Aunt Linda might have saved Hannah, but the failed healing sent Ray’s fury into orbit. Hannah only remembered bits and pieces of the rest of that devastating evening. It was probably for the best. Thankfully, Scott hadn’t been there that night.
    “I should’ve left you in Philly.”
    Coming back to the present, she blinked. “What?”
    “You’re ungrateful.” He groaned. “Look, if you can’t help me, then at least do one useful thing.”
    He hit her where it hurt, right in the guilt complex.
    “Sure, Scott.” Tears burned her eyelids.
    “Just stay away from the giant asshole you brought home last night.”
    “What?”
    “You heard me; he’s bad news. I’m laying down the law on this one, sis. You might be older than me, but I’m the man of the house. Don’t hang around with him anymore.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I said so.” He moaned and held his arm over his forehead. “God, can’t you follow one simple direction? For me?”
    “Um, sure. But you should know he gave me some news yesterday.”
    “Like what?”
    “Like that Ray was dead.”
    “Bullshit.”
    “He saw Ray die.”
    “He’s lying.”
    “What?”
    “To get into your pants. He’s lying.”
    “That makes zero sense. Why should he go to the trouble to come all the way across the country just to lie to me?”
    “He didn’t travel that far. He’s making up the story so you’ll do him. Look, just steer clear of that ass clown.”
    “Um, sure.” Totally a moot point. After the warm welcome Dante had received last night, she doubted he’d want to be in her company anytime soon. But it still didn’t