Spark Read Online Free PDF

didn’t make a move, but he very clearly wasn’t backing down, either. “Don’t push me, kid.”
    The lighter sat tucked between Gabriel’s knuckles. It would take nothing to have fire in the air. He could almost taste smoke on his tongue.
    But he kept thinking of the fight on the field, how they’d lost control.
    No, how he’d lost control.
    You’ll start a fight we can’t win.
    He shoved the table away and got to his feet. “Fuck you.”
    He didn’t realize he’d bolted from the mall until cold air slapped him across the face. At least he was outside.
    Nick had the car keys, so Gabriel walked along the side of the mall. There weren’t many cars out here anyway, in this space between the food court and the nearest department store. He flipped the lighter open and ran fire through his fingers, snapping the flame off the wick to cradle it in his palm.
    Dead leaves were caught against the curb here, and Gabriel scooped a few into his palm, feeding them to the fire one by one, the way you’d sneak scraps to a dog under the table. Each sent sparks curling into the night air.
    He felt calmer already.
    “Got a light?”
    Gabriel whirled, feeling the flame blaze between his fingers just not with his own power. Hunter stood there, close enough to touch, as still as the night was dark.
    “Go away.” Gabriel crushed the flame to nothing and shook the ash from his palm. He turned to walk toward the far corner of the mall, where all the delivery bays were. “Shouldn’t you be back there macking on Becca, anyway?”
    Hunter followed him. “You don’t want to provoke him.”
    “Actually, that’s exactly what I want to do.”
    “He’ll kill you,” Hunter said. “He’s trying to play nice, to help because of Becca, but if you push him to it, he’ll ”
    “Oh, how do you know?” Gabriel rounded on him, his breath clouding in the air. “You don’t know shit, Hunter. You don’t know ”
    It felt colder suddenly, and Gabriel wondered if Hunter was responsible. The change felt different, subtler than when Nick affected the air. “I knew my father.” Hunter’s voice was low.
    “Don’t cry to me about Daddy. I’m not in the mood.”
    Hunter moved closer. “Becca’s father is stronger than you are. If you push him, he’ll retaliate.”
    Gabriel craved that, a knock-down, drag-out rematch. It was almost enough to send him back into the mall, throw caution to the wind, and fight.
    Almost.
    He ducked his head and started walking. “Go away.”
    “I don’t know why I was worried,” Hunter said from behind him. “Considering you only seem to know how to run and hide.”
    Gabriel swung around and hit him.
    Or he tried to. Hunter had some serious military training, and he deflected the blow easily.
    But Gabriel was no stranger to fighting dirty. He caught Hunter with a solid punch to the stomach.
    Hunter got him in the jaw.
    And then they were fighting in earnest.
    Christ, it felt fantastic to drive his fist into something. Especially when Hunter fought back with enough force to really make it worth it. Enough force that Gabriel started to wonder if this would turn into a test of endurance.
    Enough force that Gabriel started to wonder if he could win.
    His back slammed into the concrete wall of the mall. Breath rushed out of his lungs. He braced against the wall to throw Hunter off, getting enough leverage to shove the other boy to the ground. He followed him down to pin him there.
    “Whoa, hold up,” Hunter said, breathless. He made his hands into a T. “If I tear my clothes, my grandmother will shit a brick.”
    Gabriel stared down at him, unsure whether to let him go.
    Then he caught the glint of light on steel under Hunter’s jacket.
    “You are one crazy bastard. You really did come armed.”
    “Sure.”
    “You had a gun and you still fought me like that?”
    Hunter grinned. “Wait you were fighting for real? ”
    Yeah, he had been but suddenly it didn’t seem so important.
    Gabriel let him