Amber Fire Read Online Free PDF Page B

That can’t be true. No one on my team would do something like this. No. You’re wrong.”
    He could see the struggle inside her reflected in her eyes, and the instant rejection. The defensiveness. She did not want him to be right, but on some level, she knew he was. Jareth drew her hands into his. “It’s true, Amber. I’m sorry.”
    â€œWho?” she demanded. “I want to know who on my crew is involved in this.”
    He braced himself for her reaction. “If they sense you are on to them, or that you, or anyone you care about, might be a problem, they will react, Amber. And you won’t like that reaction. These are cold-blooded murderers. Once you are out of here, I promise you, I’ll make sure you know what you need to know.”
    She pushed to her feet, hands on her hips as she glared at him. “Damn it,” she said, the look on her face incredulous. “I deserve to know who is involved.”
    â€œAnd every innocent person on your crew deserves to survive this,” he ground out. He’d already said more than he’d intended to. “Get your people out of here.”
    â€œIf it’s so important that we leave,” she asked suspiciously, “why did you let us stay this long? Why wait until now to come to me?”
    â€œI didn’t show up in your camp last week just to save you from those jags,” he admitted. “I came to see how close you were to getting inside that cavern. I had to decide how much longer you could stay.”
    She waved a frustrated hand in the air. “Even if we leave,” she said, touching her temple, taking a moment to calm herself, “these Hunters know where the cavern is now.”
    â€œPlans are underway to remove all sensitive information.”
    She fired back another question. “Then why let us stay at all after we found the cavern?”
    â€œYou’re nowhere near the area we feel is sensitive,” he said. “It was decided that if you were allowed to work and found nothing, it would discourage Hunter interest. And I wasn’t going to allow you to leave being marked a Hunter, as an enemy of Yaguara for the rest of your life, if it was undeserved.”
    She paled, settling back down on the rock. “Marked.” Her delicate throat bobbed as she swallowed. He remembered kissing it, the gentle curve. “What does that mean?” she asked.
    Dragging his gaze to her eye level, he replied, “Yaguara want to know their enemies. I’m sure you understand why this is critical.”
    â€œDo you hunt them as they do you?”
    He did not miss the direct question. He answered it indirectly. “Killing a human without cause is a criminal offense among Yaguara, and before you ask, yes, the Yaguara is organized. It has government. It has soldiers. It has rules. And those rules are taken seriously. Every kill is documented and justified before their leaders.”
    She drew a long breath. “And I’m traveling with people who are ‘marked,’ as you call it. That’s how you found me?”
    He gave her another grim nod. She hugged herself, stared at him, distress overflowing from the rims of her big, green eyes. “I can’t believe you thought I was one of them.”
    â€œI didn’t,” he said. And that was the truth.
    Her lips tightened. “You seemed pretty damn convinced in that pond at one point.”
    In a flash, he leaned into her, wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She was so tiny, delicate in body, but so tough inside. Her arms wrapped around his neck, offering the acceptance he’d longed for from her, as he had not from any other woman in his very long life. He brushed his lips over hers.
    â€œDid I?” he whispered. “Because I’m pretty damn sure what you felt out there was how much I wanted you to be innocent.”
    Her lips quivered next to his, a challenge following. “Why do you