Forbidden Fire (Forbidden #2) Read Online Free PDF

is also my best friend. He walks through walls, or anything solid. There are teens and kids with all kinds of powers—super strength and mind control like Drake, fire starting, the ability to freeze things, seduction."
    Brad's eyes perked up. "Seduction, huh? Is this a sexy girl, by chance?"
    "You are such a man. Yes, she's sexy. No, you can't date her. She's a bitch."
    "Okay, what else?"
    "Hmm... teleporting, floating in the air, levitation—just about anything you can imagine."
    "What's the worst thing you ever had to do for Rent-A-Kid?"
    Five years of assignments, of spying on people with my "gift," rushed through my thoughts. The worst thing? How do you pick out the worst from a sea of awful?
    Images of Tommy flooded my mind. Poor, sweet, innocent Tommy, stuck with a father whose thoughts alone had plagued my nightmares for months. The things he did to those little girls.... I shuddered.
    "I was once sent to get dirt on a guy's business partner. Turns out the dirt was dirtier than anyone had imagined."
    I told them about that last assignment, how I'd stood up to a client and gotten a black eye for my efforts. My thoughts drifted to Tommy and his family. Tommy's father now served time in prison, but the money had all been his mother's. Their wealth was intact but their family had been destroyed.
    Now that I was free, I wanted to check on him as I had promised.
    The sun beat down on the back of my neck and arms, and I could practically feel the vitamins soaking into my pale skin.
    We walked past a large table with ceramic art pieces on it. I held up one of the sun and moon interlocked. "I've always loved this symbol. Wouldn't this make a cool tattoo?"
    Drake raised his eyebrow but said nothing. I winked at him and we continued our walk.
    "Hey, check it out." Drake laughed and motioned to a man with a sign hanging around his neck. Kick My Butt for $1.
    I couldn't help but grin. "Seriously? He lets people pay him to kick him?"
    "Yo, Drake, you should do it. It'd be the last ass-kicking he ever asked for." Brad eyed the guy and clicked off his recorder.
    I was all talked out, and I wanted to enjoy at least some of this mostly miserable day.
    "Leave him alone, you guys. Must be hard enough being him." Something else caught my eye. "Oh, let's go in there." I pointed out a big sign that read, "Venice Beach Freakshow, featuring a five-legged dog, a super tall man, a tiny little woman, a show in which another man swallows a flaming sword, and more."
    We crammed into the small room and watched each "freak" demonstrate their unique abilities. The guy who shoved an entire sword down his throat impressed the boys.
    "Maybe we should join the Freakshow. We might finally find a place to fit in. You could be the World's Strongest Man, and I could be the Mind Reader!"
    Drake smiled. 'You know, I actually thought about it when I was younger. Nearly approached them too, but didn't really want to be the center of attention like that. I just had this nagging fear someone would find me if I did.'
    "Obviously not an unjustified fear." I thought of how they did eventually find him, capture him, and keep him locked up and powerless like a dog.
    'Don't be so sad. I'd go through it all again if that's the only way I could've found you.'
    We had a total tourist moment, taking pictures with the World's Tallest Man and the World's Shortest Woman before joining the stream of pedestrians again.
    My worry about the world eased away, and I found myself feeling normal, just enjoying a sunny afternoon at the beach with my boyfriend.
    "Dude, is that really you?" A tall, lanky guy with sun-bleached hair jogged towards Drake with a surfboard in hand. "Man, where the hell have you been? You disappeared after the competition, and no one's seen or heard from you since. Dude, you were primed to win that day. What gives?"
    Drake plastered a smile on his face and bumped fists with the guy.
    Brad's smile, at least, seemed genuine. "Rick, how the hell are you?"
    "Hey,