Free A Hunter's Passion by Gwen Knight Page A

when he caught sight of the flames dimming. “That’s it, love,” he urged, his hand resting against the small of her back.
    Jenna extended a hand, her teeth digging into her lip. Ryker hadn’t a clue what she was doing, until the fire leaped from the window and flew through the room before settling in the palm of her hand.
    His chest hitched, burning eyes flying wide as he watched her handle it lovingly. “Jenna...” he whispered, veneration stealing his thoughts.
    “I did it!” she laughed, the fire slicking up her arm.
    Ryker would have loved nothing more than to celebrate with her, but their escape took precedence. Gripping the hand not engulfed in flame, he yanked her to her feet and rushed toward the window. A part of him feared the fire raging toward them, but one glance showed Jenna at work, moving the flames about with little effort.
    “Jenna,” Ryker called. “We need to get out of here, now.”
    Her attention snapped back to him, flames alive in her eyes. Forcing his thoughts to the matter at hand, he jerked his chin toward the broken window frame. “I hate to say this, but I need to go first.” He needed to ensure the hunter wasn’t waiting for them, and he had to admit that Jenna was safer in the flames than he was. But who knew what lay in the shadows beyond.
    She nodded, her fear replaced by strength. “The flames won’t hurt me.”
    Gripping his gun, Ryker dropped down and kissed her, confident that he would return to her. He’d underestimated the hunter once already, he wouldn’t do so again.
    “Wait until I call for you. Don’t come out until then.”
    Her gaze strayed to the nearing flames, her mouth quirking in a pleased smile. “Be safe.”
    “You too,” he whispered before leaping out the window, the shards of glass slicing into his palms.
    Ryker rose from the charred bushes and darted into the nearby shadows, studying his surroundings for the other hunter’s position. But beyond the blaze, there seemed nothing out of the ordinary.
    Unwilling to leave Jenna alone any longer, he raced back. “All right—” he started, breaking off when a sharp crack suddenly sounded. “Get down!” he shouted, throwing himself between her and what had sounded like gunshot.
    “I suppose I should have anticipated this,” a familiar voice called across the yard.
    Pushing back to his feet, Ryker’s eyes narrowed as he took in their unwanted visitor. Long, dark hair pulled back to reveal sharp cheekbones and a wide mouth. It was her eyes that sparked recognition. He’d seen them before, peering up at him as she spouted the world’s worst pickup lines.
    But it couldn’t be.
    Ryker shifted his body, protecting Jenna not only from the gun but also the betrayal. Her fingers dug into his arms, her voice shaky as she whispered, “Kara?”

Chapter Nine
    The revelation was astounding—Jenna’s heart pattered wildly in her chest. It couldn’t be, not Kara. Without thought, Jenna lunged forward, prepared to launch herself out the window, when a bullet whizzed into the ground near Ryker’s feet.
    “Tsk-tsk. Move again, and the next one goes into Loverboy,” Kara mocked, before stepping into the firelight.
    Jenna’s wide gaze took in her supposed friend. Clad in skintight pants and a slinky leather halter, she looked nothing like the woman Jenna knew. Dangerous, sleek and deathly—nothing like how Jenna felt in her sooty sundress.
    “ You’re the other hunter?” Jenna demanded.
    A grim mask slipped over Kara’s face as she sighted down the barrel of her gun. “Did you think the renowned Bennetts were the only ones out there?”
    Ryker drew to his full height. “You aren’t supported by the Church.”
    “The Church!” Kara threw her head back and laughed. “You think I care about the Church?”
    “You should. They sanction the kills—”
    “Yes, hide behind your belief and faith.” She sneered, and in the harsh light she looked demonic. “The truth remains that there are more of us