Free From Burning Ashes (Collector Series #4) by Stacey Marie Brown

some.
    Ryker might be a pain in the ass, but at
least I knew I could trust him. Amara’s willingness to backstab
anyone to protect herself and to get what she wanted frightened me.
She wouldn’t think twice about turning on me. It was in her nature.
What she was.
    I needed to find out why she was here, but
right now Lexie stayed my priority.
    “You need to rest.” I eased my sister down on
the mattress. “Your body is still trying to recover as the drugs
leave your system.”
    Her gaze darted to mine, fear resonating deep
in her brown eyes.
    “I’ll be here when you wake up. I
promise.”
    She sighed and laid back. I pulled the
scratchy blanket up to her shoulders. “Wow, luxury.” She peered
down, frowning at the soiled blanket. “Five stars for this
place.”
    “Beggars can’t be choosers,” I replied.
    “This thing is probably infested with fleas
and diseases.”
    “So dramatic.” I shook my head, smiling. She
was getting back to the sassy girl I knew.
    “Dramatic?” She pointed at the blanket. “Look
at it, Zoey. I think it just growled at me.”
    She was a tough kid, but then she’d had to
grow up in our neighborhood. She came to Joanne’s at age three.
Sometimes I forgot she never had to live on the streets or be
without a bed or a meal, even after the big electrical storm. She
had been tucked away underground with all her basic needs met.
Unlike me.
    “Lex, you are just going to have to deal.” I
stood, rubbing her head, making her dark wavy curls bounce around.
“Now get some sleep.” I kissed her head and placed Sprig near her.
She laid her head down on her arm as I strode away. Exhaustion beat
out her abhorrence to our surroundings.
    Croygen watched her as I walked up to him.
“Has she always been that skinny? The girl could use a burger.”
    I sighed heavily, glancing over my shoulder.
“She’s always been petite boned, but this is way past that.”
    “Maybe feed her straight lard.” He folded his
arms. Both of us watched the two sleeping forms on the makeshift
bed. The moon shrank deeper into the horizon, providing little
light into the building, hinting at the coming dawn.
    “How are you holding up?” Croygen nudged my
arm.
    My automatic response of “fine” sat on my
tongue ready to be used. But it would be a lie, and I was sick of
lying. Instead, I leaned my head against his bicep.
    “Yeah.” Croygen curled his arm around my
shoulder and drew me in. It felt so nice. In his company, I no
longer felt alone in this. We could handle whatever threat came our
way.
    The problem was threats came from
everywhere…even from within our own group.

 
     
FIVE

     
    When Ryker and Amara returned, I pulled them
to the far end of the warehouse, away from the sleeping pair.
Amara’s presence remained on my list of things to deal with.
    “I want you to leave.” The sheer hatred I
felt seeing her cramped my hands, compressing them in fists. “There
is no reason for you to be here.” I glowered at her. I kept my
voice low as not to wake Lexie or Sprig. “None of us trust you, and
I certainly don’t believe your reasons for being here are
unselfish. Whatever the motives are, you can take them with you as
you walk out of here. Run, actually.”
    Amara licked her bottom lip, and a slight
smile toyed at her lips, which only invoked more anger in me. Ryker
stood back, but his gaze tracked us, carefully watching every
nuance of our movements. Croygen looked amused as usual. He always
enjoyed when Amara and I battled. Maybe a little too much.
    “Do you think I’m here to turn you or your
human sister back over to DMG?” She took a step toward me. “Or tell
Vadik where Ryker is? Because risking my life to get him out the
first time was great fun.”
    “I don’t believe you,” I countered.
    “You think I had a choice in turning you over
to Vadik? I agreed to the job never believing I would fall for the
guy I was supposed to be conning.” Amara let her gaze drift briefly
over to Ryker