Frozen Heart of Fire Read online

  Frozen Heart of Fire

  Julie Kavanagh

  Frozen Heart of Love

  A Books to Go Now Publication

  Copyright © Julie Kavanagh 2013

  Books to Go Now

  For information on the cover illustration and design, contact [email protected]

  First eBook Edition –February 2013

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

  If you are interested in purchasing more works of this nature, please stop by

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  Look for Julie Kavanagh’s other titles

  Christmas Kisses

  The Seventh Son

  Jessica’s Diary

  Christmas with Mr. Jeffers

  Night

  Sunside

  Loving Lies

  Frozen Heart of Fire

  Chapter One

  “Boss, you’re gonna want to see this.”

  Noah moved stealthily toward the bank of television screens on the wall, showing several shots of the club on the floors below. He leaned forward, both hands resting on top of the wooden desk. Two other men looked up from the consoles they watched, their eyes curious. He glanced at them for a moment before returning to the dark-skinned man who’d called for his attention.

  “What is it?” Noah asked. He’d been pleased with how smoothly everything had gone in the club with his brother, Joshua, temporarily out of the picture. The business seemed to run itself. What could be wrong?

  “Watch the female on screen four,” the man in the chair pointed out the figure as he zoomed in on the internal camera. She was slight in build, average height for a woman, wearing tight, dark trousers and jacket with a skimpy, sequined top beneath. There was nothing exceptional about her, but he’d never known Brendan to overreact to anything.

  She stood in the Gallery, a long corridor leading from a dancing area to restrooms and stairs, and to other clubs in the building. They catered for all types of music lovers, but the woman on the screen didn’t appear to know what she wanted as she peered around her. Was she looking for someone?

  “So, what’s wrong with her?” Noah leaned further onto the desk, his serious eyes scanning the figure and decided that she was a cute little thing, although unremarkable otherwise. She looked like a hundred other woman who came there seeking companionship, fun and maybe a little romance. Her hair was pale, short and sticking out in every direction, revealing a pretty face with large expressive eyes and high cheekbones. He didn’t see anything wrong with her, but Brandon wouldn’t have called him without a bloody good reason. Checking the varied clientele frequenting their establishment was part of his job and he was very good at it. Brendan’s dark fingers moved skillfully over the keyboard as the Gallery’s ceiling lights on the screen began to filter out.

  “Now you see her, now you don’t,” he muttered, waving a hand at the screen. The shape of the unknown female disappeared when the ‘normal’ lights were switched off, although every other person on the screen could still be seen. By all rights, by all expectations and with this exceptional equipment, her body should have emitted enough energy to be detected. Her absence of an image wasn’t right and Noah knew instinctively Brendan was right to bring it to his notice. A soothing female voice could be heard calming the occupants of the club, assuring them that it was just a technical error and there was nothing to be alarmed about.

  “How the hell…?” Noah gasped. “What is she?”

  “That we don’t know. We’ve conducted several tests since she’s been here, but nothing shows up as it should. All we do know is, she isn’t human.”

  ****

  The woman looked up as the lights failed, pausing in her steps as a voice from the speakers above warned of a technical hitch. But to her mind, it meant something else. The atmosphere around her changed, but since none of the huge, hulking doormen ran toward her, offering hostility, she relaxed. No one knew she was here and no one expected her. Face it; no one knew she was alive so why would they be expecting her? It was just a glitch in the system and she should be safe. Only a moment passed before light and calm were restored and she flexed her hands, testing the icy cold emanating from her fingertips, before continuing on her way toward the restrooms and the prey she sought. He couldn’t have gotten far.

  ****

  “Better send someone to get Joshua,” Noah crossed his arms over his chest, an odd expression crossed his face.

  “Are you sure? I heard he wasn’t well.” Brendan looked up, a deep frown etched into the skin of his brow.

  “He’s fine,” Noah insisted, the tone of his voice harsher than the question warranted, but he didn’t want unnecessary rumors circulating about his older brother. He didn’t want to disturb him either, but Josh would want to know about it. “I’ll get him myself. Don’t let the woman leave.”

  The lift was lavish with deep, cream carpeting and expensive pale wood inlay on the walls. Joshua didn’t stint on luxuries, but he drew the line at tinny music so Noah travelled in silence to the top floor where his brother lived. Only a few moments passed and Noah was stepping into his brother’s private apartment and heading to the room where Joshua slept. A soft tap on the door was enough to snap the other man from whatever slumber he had managed to catch.

  “Josh, you awake?” Noah paused in the doorway. His brother was unreasonable when he didn’t sleep well, and lately Joshua had barely slept. There was no telling what kind of mood the older man might be in. He was a dangerous man at the best of times and there weren’t the best of times.

  “I’m awake.” Joshua sat up in the huge bed, his hand pushing a mass of unruly hair from his face. “What’s wrong?” Noah wouldn’t have woken Joshua if everything was going right because he was a clever, capable man and perfectly able to manage the club and business in Joshua’s absence.

  “There’s something I need you to see,” Noah said enigmatically, backing into the living area as Joshua climbed agilely out of the bed. He was a tall man, long of limb but lined with taut muscle. His hair was dark, like his brother’s, like all of their kind but the tendrils thickly covering his head turned from black to red and orange at the very tips. As he sauntered nonchalantly after his brother, his head shone like the very pits of Hell, flames licking through the shoulder-length waves of hair.

  “Brendan, can you relay that tape to Joshua’s laptop?” Noah muttered into a handheld device and, with a flick of a button, the images of the unknown woman flashed onto the huge, sleek plasma on the far wall, relayed through the expensive laptop resting on the desk in the far corner. Joshua settled into the comfy couch despite his near nakedness; he wore nothing but boxers.

  “Well, that’s interesting.” Joshua leaned forward as the images passed over the screen. He turned to stare at his younger brother, an eyebrow raised. “She’s not human,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

  “She’s still here; do you want to see her?” Noah awaited his brother’s decision. How important did Joshua think this was?

  “Might be wise,” Joshua announced. “Give me five minutes and I think both of us should go talk to the magic lady.”
<
br />   The shower was hot, just as he liked it but he didn’t notice for his thoughts were full of the woman with the cold blood. That’s all she could be. Joshua knew of all other magical races and any of them would have announced themselves to him or one of his team, as a courtesy and to safeguard their lives. His mind leapt through the list of species other than human and he couldn’t think of a single one with her lack of body heat. All the security equipment running throughout the building had the technology to detect every known species of non-human beings. Joshua Ravenwood of the Xandry clan was reputed to run a closed shop, and any race other than human would be wary of stepping into Ravenwood territory. He stood for two minutes under the steamy water, lifting the need for sleep from his mind but seconds after stepping out, his body was dry, a boon of his unusual blood. Three minutes later, he left the sumptuous apartment, heading into the lift with his brother. They wore matching white shirts and dark trousers, their taste in clothes explaining their link if their similar good looks weren’t enough.

  Noah whispered into the upmarket walkie-talkie as his brother took a deep breath, fingers rubbing at his forehead. The dark headache hadn’t faded but as the doors slide open, his hands dropped to his side and none would know of his pain.

  “She’s in the Cave,” Noah told him as they both turned right and proceeded down the slight slope towards the darkest bar of the club. Each level, each section of the club had a different theme, the Cave was the lowest level and two floors below where she had been spotted. It was shadowy as Noah and Joshua descended down two flights of stairs toward their prey. This being Valentine’s Day, huge pink hearts adorned the walls and hung from the ceilings, highlighting the romance of the day.

  “There, that’s her.” Noah nodded at the slight figure perched on a tall stool, her back facing them.

  What’s she drinking? Joshua sent a deep thought to the barman, one of his clan, who could read the energy sent his way.

  Water, but she wanted it to look like an alcoholic drink, Aden replied.

  Joshua smiled. As he slowly approached her, he noted how she sat, who sat around her, and her possible escape routes. Two large men lounged at each of the three exits, their determined eyes watching the woman’s moves; she wouldn’t get past them. Joshua nodded at Noah as they took seats on either side of her.

  Chapter Two

  “Let me buy you a drink.” Noah smiled into her pale face as she turned at the sound of his voice.

  “That’s very kind of you, but no thanks.” Her voice was soft, but told of living nowhere near there. She wasn’t local, which would explain why she hadn’t announced herself to the staff.

  “Please, let me get you a drink.” Noah leaned in closer, knowing his brother listened intently, breathing in her energy, absorbing knowledge about her.

  “Thank you, but no thank you.” Eva’s voice dropped its niceness and she thrust a little burst of winter chill at the good-looking man with the awesome eyes. He was definitely her type; she liked them dark and his face was the best she’d seen all night. Wasn’t it a shame she was working, she may have enjoyed spending a little time with him, particularly on an evening like one. Wasn’t it typical that she should be working on the most romantic day of the year?

  “Surely, another glass of water wouldn’t hurt?” Another voice, deep and cold, demonstrated he knew what her glass contained.

  If she’d thought the first man was good-looking, she hadn’t seen anything yet. The voice came from her left and she spun in her seat at the sound of his darkly delicious tone. He was grinning, a smile that didn’t leave his lips and failed to warm up the coolness of his dark eyes. If she thought the first man was handsome, then she needed to rethink her levels of gorgeousness. Yes, this man was beautiful, with a mop of dark hair and a face that belonged to an angel.

  She knew this man, recognized his face from the many photos she’d scanned. This was the man she’d been warned to avoid and she realized, all too late, that the first man was the younger brother, Noah who managed the club and oversaw the clientele, which meant the man she stared at was Joshua Ravenwood—her most fearsome enemy.

  “What are you?” Ravenwood asked, his tone expecting no lies, no refusals.

  “I have to go.” Eva slid off the high stool, but before her feet could touch the floor, the elder Ravenwood, caught her arm. His fingers dug deep into her flesh, preventing her escape, his palm hot on her skin even through the thickness of her jacket.

  “I asked you a question.” He leaned in toward her, his breath warm on her neck and his words demanding an answer.

  “I came here for a quiet drink. Is this how you treat your customers?” Eva snarled but she could see he wasn’t fooled. She’d been warned of his acute ability to sense minute details; to know the wrongness of a situation without knowing why.

  Joshua’s smile didn’t fade as his determination increased. He still couldn’t determine her kind—her clan—but there was something about her which touched something deep within him. She seemed pretty enough, her short hair a mess of pointed tendrils and a temptation to his hands. He wanted to know how it would feel against his skin, but he had no time for idle fancy. He needed to determine what she was doing here, how much of a threat she offered and most importantly, he wanted, needed to know what and who she was.

  “Most of my customers are human. You are not. Most of the others announce themselves to my staff so we don’t think of them as a threat. You didn’t, and that makes me wary. So answer my question. What are you?” Joshua bit down the pain echoing through his brain at the sound of his own words. He could barely think straight, but the safety of this club, of his world, came before any damn headache.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eva spat as a gasp of breath caught her attention and the demon she’d been trailing all night stood up at the brothers’ approach. Recognizing her, he made a quick exit from the room, relief shadowing his rapid walk. She sighed; it would be hell to catch up with him now. He knew she was on his trail. There went three weeks of work down the drain, but she had more immediate troubles at hand.

  “Your lover left.” The younger brother noticed her dismayed glance and whispered cruelly in her ear as she faced the older one, but she swallowed down the insult growing on her tongue. It would be foolish to rile either of them, although Joshua Ravenwood was the dangerous one.

  “It would be better to deal with this somewhere a little more private.” Joshua leaned into the woman, his hand on her arm tight enough so she would know there would be no avoiding this. She had two choices and neither of them suited her. She could walk—or be carried. She decided to walk, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t fight back once they reached that private somewhere.

  The huge, mean-looking bouncers at the door, stepped back as Ravenwood led her to a lift she hadn’t noticed wandering through the building. There were four separate areas— four different places to drink, socialize and dance—each of them adorned with those ridiculous hearts to mark the occasion. She’d noted every exit, every way her quarry could escape, but she hadn’t planned on falling prey to the one man she’d been warned to avoid.

  Noah, the brother, stepped into the bright lift first, waiting for them to follow, but Eva had other plans. With a soft sigh, she dropped to one knee, thus loosening, by the element of surprise, the hand on her jacket sleeve. With a fist in the small of his back, thrusting the older brother into the younger man, she leapt up, turned and prepared to run back down the way she’d come and out the first fire exit.

  Unfortunately, she wasn’t prepared for the quick recovery of the two men. She was forcefully lifted off her feet and flung casually over the elder Ravenswood’s shoulder as though he’d expected some show of rebellion. One heavy hand clasped her black jean’ pocket as she dangled down his back, catching a good view of his shapely rear. No manner of struggling, shouting or complaining gained her any freedom. Ravenwood was as strong as he was stubborn, and she’d be lucky if she didn’t find herself thrown out
of a high window to her screaming death. Neither man was reputed to be the soft and cuddly type. No one remained alive for as long as they had, by not being as ruthless as or more so than their enemies.

  “Who’s a bad girl then?” Noah smiled into her furious face, a broad grin crossing his lips. “Did you think we were born yesterday?”

  She closed her eyes, and reined in her rage, for it would do her no good. She’d read everything there was to read about these men and still, she’d made mistake after mistake around them. She would need to bide her time, work out her options and find another escape route. There must be one.

  Chapter Three

  “We’re here.” Ravenwood set her back down on her feet and pulled her into a large, well-lit apartment with pale painted walls and comfy furniture placed strategically around the room. “Sit down, and don’t try to escape again.” He pushed her onto the same cream leather sofa he’d sat on when he’d watched the tape of her before, then touched a switch on his laptop and replayed the images for her to see.

  Noah leaned against the doorjamb, his eyes watching the passive movement of the strange woman, but the slow action of his brother drew his attention from their guest.

  Do you want me to handle this? He asked Joshua through his thoughts, concerned by his brother’s wan complexion. The headache he’d been trying not to complain about for the past two days, hadn’t gone away.

  I’m okay, Joshua warned. It was only a headache, a brain-numbing headache but it wouldn’t kill him. Noah was worried and did his best to deflect enquiries about him, but there was only so much his brother could do as Joshua fell victim to the agonizing pain. No analgesic worked; nothing gave any relief. Josh took another deep breath, steeled himself against the thunder in his brain and turned his ire to the unknown woman.