Free Fire of My Heart by Erin Grace Page B

energy she had. “Rowan, where are you?”
    “Rowan,
where are you?” The bastard flattened his palms against his cheeks, mocking her
in a singsong voice. “Who the hell is he, then, yer boyfriend? Don’t you worry
none. Me and the lads will take good care o’im. Though, after you’ve ’ad me, I
don’t think you’d want ’im anymore!”
    He grabbed
at her ankle, and she tried to kick him away, but couldn’t. Her injured leg
muscles had stiffened up from the fall, leaving her unable to strike back.
    “Rowan,
please!” Sobs wrenched her. Still no sign of him, only the distant shouts of
laughter as the other two assailants cheered their comrade on. Bastards.
    Pinning her
ankle under his boot, he set the flashlight on the table and began to unbuckle the
belt on his jeans.
    “Stay
still, bitch. You got this coming for what you did, and I’ve got somethin’
special in mind how’s you can make it up to me.” He lowered his pants.
Disgusting. When she tried to kick out again, he leaned over and laughed. “Come
now girlie, you know you want it. We could have a real party, you and me. Hell,
you might even like it--”
    He stopped
and stood up, turned his head toward the doorway as though someone called his
name. But there was only silence from that direction. His carousing friends
could no longer be heard. Frowning, face pale in the torchlight, he darted a
look around the room. He seemed perturbed, even hesitant. Then he turned back
to her.
    His
underwear had barely reached his knees, when she felt an icy mist creep around
her fingers where they lay on the floor. The bastard looming above her had
paused. Perhaps he was aware of the sharp coldness chilling the room too. In
the dim light, subtle fog billowed from his mouth. A shiver gripped her body.
    His eyes
widened.
    The torch
went out. A deep, muffled cry sounded from somewhere in the darkness. Then, nothing.
    Fear
quickened her breathing so her lungs refused to pull in air. Drawing up her
bruised legs, she wrapped her arms around them and tried to keep a clear head.
Which was impossible. What had happened? The intruder. He’d vanished, but to
where?
    “Rowan?”
she called out in shaky tones. “Are you there?” Fighting her body’s protests,
she dragged herself up and leaned on the kitchen bench.
    “Argh!” A
surge of pain seared through her leg, making her clench her teeth, and it took several
deep breaths through her nose until her lungs finally gave way.
    A shred of
moonlight peeked through the kitchen window, outlining the table and chair. Using
the furniture as a crutch, she hobbled to the hallway door. It was locked.
    Wait a
minute, there wasn’t even a latch, so how could it be locked? No! Only a little
claustrophobia. It had been all she could do to get on the airplane without
sedation. Hypnotherapy had done the trick this time. Going to the Amazon had
required valium. But, standing there with a dark, eerie silence around her, she
felt the room closing in.
    Placing her
ear against the timber, she strained to hear what might be going on. Nothing.
No footsteps or talking. Even the storm seemed strangely mute. A torrent of
tears fell as she pounded on the door in earnest, her grazed, bloody hands
becoming bruised. Then her body sagged to the floor.
    “Rowan!
Rowan, please answer me...please.”
    She didn’t
want to be alone. For the first time in her life, she was truly afraid.

Chapter Nine
     
    As Rowan slowly opened the
kitchen door, Ellen’s head fell back and landed on the toes of his boots.
    “Are you
all right?” He reached down, helped her to her feet. She looked cold and
frightened and angry. Very angry.
    “All
right?” Her eyes blazed with amber fire in her pale, gaunt face. “Why wouldn’t
I be all right?” She pushed his hands away and tried to steady herself, though
she looked likely to collapse at any moment. “I t-t-told you before I can take
care of myself. I d-don’t need your help!”
    Hell. She’d
every right to be