Dante's Fire Read Online Free PDF

The man. The one who'd saved her. He was here.
    She paused in her bed, heart hammering, and took stock of the scene before her. She lay under the covers, fully clothed, in her own bedroom. The room was dark, the blinds shut tight, and the weakest flicker of light cast the man beside her bed in deep shadows, as he had appeared in the alley. He sat in a chair at the side of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus, but only got a shadowy impression.
    The safety of her own room allowed her to drag in a shaky breath and calm. She was home.
    “Drink this.”
    She reached out with a trembling hand and grasped the glass of water. Her aching throat welcomed the cool gush, and she took the next few seconds to study her savior.
    Dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Black t-shirt and jeans. Strong jaw, square chin. Carved lips. A stretchy black fabric mask hid most of his face, clinging to his cheeks, brows, and leaving only his eyes, nose, and mouth open. Almost like a Zorro mask but without the flash. But his scent...like his voice, seemed so familiar.
    She forced the words out of a mouth that trembled. "Who are you?"
    "My name is Dante. I saw you getting attacked and I was able to get to you before they…" He kept his voice low and soothing, as if trying to speak to a rabid animal. "You fainted, so I brought you here first."
    "I live here."
    "I know."
    Her hand touched her jaw, which felt double the size and hurt like hell. "How did you know where I lived?"
    "I found your purse. Your license gave me the address."
    "Why didn't you wait for the police?"
    He hesitated. "I didn't know if you were ready. I wanted to check your injuries first, let you get your bearings. If you'd like, I can take you to the police station to make a report."
    The memory of hands ripping at her, touching her was too much. She shuddered and clutched the blankets in an effort to ward off the horrible feelings. "Where are they? What happened to them?"
    "I tied them up. Sirens were close by so the police probably took them into custody."
    Selina shook her head, and then stopped as the shooting pain stabbed behind her eyes. "No, there was more. I remember…I remember..." she trailed off and reached for the misty tendril of memory. "Fire. There was fire."
    "Perhaps you imagined it."
    The image exploded before her in slow motion. Screams. Flames. A symbol marking burnt flesh. "You caused a fire. They were marked with something strange on their arms, and you said something..."
    He sighed deeply. "Okay, so you did see it. Selina, listen to me. I can't explain what happened in that stairwell. All I can tell you is they will never be able to hurt another woman again. Ever. I swear to you on everything I hold dear."
    Selina would've blamed the whole messed up evening on a bad dream, but her head throbbed, her stomach ached, and bruises covered her body. It had all happened. It was all real. She had almost been gang raped, and if it hadn't been for this man, she could've still been there.
    She usually believed in logic, hard work, and success. But right now, she believed in only one thing. Dante. The man who saved her. Her words broke on a whisper. "I don’t understand what’s happening. How could you have—have done those things?”
    He nodded. "I'm going to ask you to trust me. I only want to help you. Will you let me?"
    The warped reality of the scene hit her. She didn’t know this man who wore a mask to cover his face. He’d come in a burst of fire, brought her home, and swore he meant no harm. What if it was a set up? He had her ID, her keys, and the power to do whatever he pleased. If she was smart, she’d thank him, ask him to leave, and deal with the aftereffects herself. Like she always did.
    Alone.
    Her body shook as if gripped with fever. God, she was so tired of being alone. Yes, it was her choice, but tonight, she needed someone to help. Her mind was so foggy and confused; she didn’t trust herself not to shatter in a million pieces if