Kissed by Smoke Read Online Free PDF Page A

could bench press a Mustang. Inigo had the chains
on in a fraction of the time it would have taken me.
    The highway twisted itself up around Mt.
Hood, through a forest of fir trees and frozen creeks until it
finally spilled out onto the high desert. We were on tribal lands.
Excitement thrummed in my veins. Ever since I was a kid I’d been
fascinated by the rich culture of the Native American people,
especially the Oregon tribes.
    Might have had something to do with my uncle
having been a cop on the Reservation. Or maybe it was just my own
interest in history.
    My phone jangled, jarring me back to the
present. Which was probably a good thing, seeing as how I was
driving. “Who is it?”
    Inigo snagged my phone out of the cupholder
where I’d stashed it and glanced at the screen. “Jack.”
    “Crap.” I searched Inigo’s face for any hint
of jealousy, but there was none. I guess 400 years gave a person
some perspective.
    I pulled the Mustang to the side of the road
and hit the call button. No doubt Inigo would be able to hear the
entire conversation anyway, but holding the cell to my ear made me
at least feel like I had some privacy. “What do you want, Jack? I’m
wearing the amulet.”
    “I just spoke to Kabita. She said you’re
headed to Warm Springs?”
    “Yeah. So?” I barely refrained from rolling
my eyes. I was doing way too much of that lately.
    “Why didn’t you call me?”
    “You’re my Guardian, Jack, not my Dad.”
    “Yes, I’m your Guardian,” his voice turned
testy. “You should remember that more often. As your Guardian I’m
telling you not to go to Warm Springs.”
    I did roll my eyes then. “Oh, for crying out
loud.”
    “It’s not safe, Morgan. What you find there
will put your life in danger. You need to turn around and come back
to Portland.”
    Like anything in my life was safe these
days. “Get a grip, Jack. I’m meeting my brother. I’ve got a job to
do.” With that, I hung up the phone.
    Inigo raised an eyebrow. “What’s his
problem?”
    I shrugged. “He’s being his usual
overprotective self. You’d think I was some kind of helpless
twit.”
    He laughed. “You are a lot of things,
Morgan, but a helpless twit isn’t one of them. Jack knows
that.”
    “Well, he sure doesn’t act like it.” I
managed to keep the snarl out of my voice. Just. “He kept going on
about how it wasn’t safe. That whatever I find in Warm Springs is
going to put me in danger. Ridiculous.” Besides, it wasn’t like my
life was exactly safe in the best of times.
    Inigo frowned. “Did he say why?”
    I shook my head. “Are you getting some kind
of vibe or something?”
    “No, but Jack’s not exactly the overly
emotional type. If he says something is dangerous, there’s likely a
good reason for it.”
    “Fine, take his side,” I grumped as I pulled
the car back onto the highway.
    “I’m not taking his side.” There was
laughter in Inigo’s voice. “It’s just not a bad idea to exercise a
little caution.”
    “I’m full of caution.”
    This time the laughter was full blown.
    ***
    We arrived at the cafe a good hour before
the meeting time, which was fine with me. Thanks to my worry about
the meeting with Trevor and my hurry to get to the cafe, I’d missed
lunch. My stomach was letting me know about it.
    “Come on. I’m hungry.”
    “You’re always hungry.” Inigo smirked at me,
but followed me into the cafe.
    Warm Springs Cafe was a dinky little hole in
the wall. I’d never been there before, but in my experience, such
places survive because the food is cheap and damn good. I figured
this place was no exception.
    I was right.
    The waitress brought us plates piled high
with food. I dug into my pancakes with gusto. They were divine.
    “I can’t believe you’re eating
pancakes.”
    “Uh, yeah,” I managed to mumble around a
mouthful of syrupy goodness.
    “It’s lunchtime.”
    “So? Pancakes are not a breakfast food,
they’re an anytime food.”
    He shook his head and