Forged in Flames (Made of Steel Series Book 2) Read online

  "Why would someone assume I did it?"

  "Why would anyone in their right mind assume someone else did? Is there anything else you're not telling me? Think, Sadie."

  She had gone back to calling me Sadie. I think she was doing it out of spite since I kept refusing to change my name. She thought sleep would have brought sense to me. But the joke was on her because I hadn't slept at all.

  "I've told you everything. I think we need to go back to how Mr. Crawford might be involved in this. He seemed like such a nice guy. I thought he cared."

  She gave me a sympathetic smile.

  Seeing someone smile at me like that made my skin crawl too. It reminded me of the months following my parents' deaths. Everyone had walked on eggshells around me. And I hated it. Stop looking at me like I'm damaged.

  "You know I can't do anything without a picture of him. I can't do facial recognition to figure out his real identity if I don't have an image of his face. Are you sure he said he was with the foster care system?"

  "I'm positive."

  "Well, just because he lied doesn't mean he's necessarily aligned with Don. There could be other reasons."

  I stared down into my coffee cup that was still full. I didn't like coffee. It reminded me of being back at the coffee shop with Mr. Crawford. I tried to think of anything that would give me a clue about who he really was. "You know, every time I talked to him, he always said he hoped it would be the last. It was kind of...rude almost."

  "Hm." Liza took a sip from her cup. "Maybe he just didn't like you."

  "That's not really helpful."

  She shrugged. "I doubt you're everyone's cup of tea."

  Tea. Now that was something I actually liked. But I didn't say a word. I just kept staring into the coffee cup.

  "I think you should talk to that friend of yours and see if you can get him to divulge any information."

  I looked back up at Liza. "Who?"

  "The one with all the tech."

  "Eli? He's bad news. I'm pretty sure he's working for Don too."

  "Or maybe he's working with Mr. Crawford," she said.

  "We don't know if there's a difference."

  "But what if there is?"

  "I can't get any information from him. We're...fighting." I almost said we broke up, but we had never technically dated.

  "So make up."

  "He's not going to tell me anything."

  "Then persuade him."

  "How?"

  She shrugged. "You can start by seducing him."

  "I'm not doing that." Just thinking about the way his touch set my skin ablaze made me start to panic.

  "Well, figure something out. I did a background check on him and it turned up zilch. No one is that perfect. Whoever created that facade was in a hurry. He'll crack, trust me."

  "You act like you've done this before."

  "Of course I've never done anything like this! I'm not a crime fighter. And you're the one that's insisting on pretending everything is normal." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "If you're not going to follow any of my advice at least you can go out and get us a new lead. So go be normal and sleep with your boyfriend. I don't have time to babysit you all day. The suns out. You're safe. Go figure something out that I don't already know. And next time our vigilante friend wants to send you here, tell him to ask me in person."

  Her chair squeaked on the wood floor as she stormed off.

  What the hell was her problem?

  ***

  I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one was near me before waving my access card in front of the reader. The sound of the door clicking closed behind me made me relax slightly. Ever since I left Liza's apartment I had been on edge. It was weird staring at other pedestrians, searching for my face. I was hoping whenever I did run into Sadie Davis, I'd be able to see the differences instead of the shocking similarities. I needed to not freeze.

  Even though my body ached from slamming into a brick wall, I forced myself to take the stairs. I kept hoping the vigilante would contact me about helping me train. I wasn't going to back down from anything he wanted me to do. So I certainly wasn't going to back down from some stairs.

  My motivation didn't stop my thighs from protesting though. I was completely spent by the time I reached my floor. As soon as I opened the door my eyes gravitated toward Miles' room like they were magnetized. He claimed he still wrote to Summer Brooks. Now I didn't have any reason to doubt his word. Don had changed my name probably in part to keep me hidden. Maybe that was why we had moved so much too, so that I would never get Miles' letters. But why? Why was Don so hell bent on ruining my life?

  My feet paused in front of Miles' door. It was selfish, but I wanted to knock. I wanted him to hold me again. We were just kids when we fell in love. He was supposed to move on. I had been angry at him for the past five years for doing just that. And now I was angry at him for not moving on. How could I walk away knowing that what we had was real? That he still loved me too?

  I shook away the thought. I needed to be selfless. He had a life that could still be lived. I wasn't Don. I wasn't hell bent on ruining anyone's life. Especially not Miles'. I would not lead him down a path of darkness and destruction. There was nothing to debate. I turned away from his door and walked down the hall to my dorm room.

  Kins had sent me about a hundred texts with varying degrees of her freaking out. If I was going to play all of this off and try to be Sadie Davis again, I'd need to spin a web of lies. It shouldn't be hard. I had always been an expert at make-believe. I put my key into the lock and opened the door.

  I thought Kins would launch herself at me. I thought I'd spend the afternoon explaining away my crazy. But all my plans went out the window when I saw who was sitting on my bed.

  "Eli?"

  Chapter 9

  Saturday

  Eli gave me his best boy-next-door smile as he slid off my bed.

  A week ago, his smile would have made my stomach flip over. But a lot had happened since then. "How did you get in here?"

  He put his hands up, like he wasn't going to hurt me.

  I didn't believe it for a second. I took a step backwards and grabbed the handle to my door.

  "Kins let me in," he said. "She just went to the bathroom so we only have a minute..."

  "Get out."

  He lowered his eyebrows slightly. "Sadie, I'm sorry about our fight. I didn't mean what I said, you know that. I was just upset."

  I tried to steady my rapid breathing. It felt like my mind was going to explode. He was working for Don. Or for someone else. I could feel his flames from across the room. I gulped. "I asked you to leave. I'm not going to ask you again." He was clearly good at sneaking into my dorm room. Maybe he was the one who had left the box. Maybe it was him who snuck me back in here after I was kidnapped. It felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

  "I'm not going anywhere until we talk about this. Kins called me. She's been worried sick about you. She said you didn't come home last night."

  Maybe it was anger that flashed across his eyes. Or maybe it was something else. I truly didn't know him. Everything I had learned about him was most likely a lie. But there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind. I needed information from him. I wasn't sure Liza was ever going to speak to me again unless I got her what she wanted. The problem was that I didn't know how dangerous Eli really was.

  I took a deep breath. "What I do is none of your business."

  His smile faltered. "Look," he said, lowering his voice. "We really need to talk."

  "I just...I need some time to think about everything." It wasn't a lie. The room was stifling. I was finding it hard to breathe. I needed to think about what taking Liza's advice would entail. I wasn't sure I knew how to get information from Eli even if I tried.

  "Please, Sadie..."

  "I asked you to leave." I turned around and opened the door.

  "I know that your real name is Summer."

  My hand fell to my side
and the door closed with a loud bang. I turned around to face him. "What?"

  "I know your name isn't really Sadie Davis. I know you're not from North Dakota. I know your parents are dead. And I know you're tied up in something that you don't understand."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Because I've been watching you."

  A chill ran down my spine. It couldn't be him. Could it? I looked down at his hands. His hands had burned me, but the vigilante wore gloves. He hid everything from me. Except his eyes. I looked up into Eli's eyes. He had brown eyes too. The anger was gone. There was just the kindness there that had originally attracted me to him.

  "I know that you're scared." He stepped toward me. "But I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere ever again. I can protect you."

  I thought about the late nights he claimed he was boxing. I thought about the bruises on his skin. I thought about the blue hoodie in his drawer. It's him. It was obviously him. I had made him the villain in my head because I was scared. But I could see it now.

  "I'm sorry that I lied," he said. "I should have told you the truth, but..."

  "It's you."

  He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. I knew I had forced him to tell me before he was ready. Last night when we had talked on the computer, I could see that he was fighting with himself. He was tortured, but so was I. Now we didn't have to face any of it alone. There didn't have to be any more secrets. I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around him.

  He immediately pulled me even closer.

  I exhaled slowly. Everything was going to be okay.

  The door creaked open. "God am I glad to see you two made up."

  I turned my head to see Kins standing there with a smile on her face.

  Eli slowly let his arms fall from my waist.

  "Oh, no, don't let me interrupt. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do." She winked at me. "I'll be at Patrick's if you need me." She walked back out of the room without another glance.

  I had a million questions for Eli. I reached up and touched the side of his face. There was scruff along his jaw line. I had been dying to see what was under that mask and it was right in front of me the whole time. "You're so handsome." Why would he ever hide his perfect face?

  He smiled. "And you're beautiful."

  I suddenly realized that I was finally allowed to see all of him. My questions could wait a little longer. I undid the top button of his shirt. This time, my hands didn't shake. It was almost like him wearing a mask at first had cured me of my fear somehow. I wasn't scared. I wanted him. I undid another button as I thought about him pressing my back against the rock in Central Park. And the feeling of him taking me right against a wall. I needed him again. He made me feel alive. He made me feel whole.

  "I thought you'd have some questions," he said.

  I took a step back and pulled my shirt off over my head. I watched his Adam's apple rise and fall as I unclasped my bra. I finally got to see his reaction to my body, and I wasn't disappointed. The want in his eyes was almost palpable.

  I swallowed hard. "We can talk later."

  He took a step toward me. "That's probably a good idea." He hooked his finger between the cups of my bra and slowly pulled it down, exposing my breasts. His throat made this sexy, guttural noise. It reminded me of how his voice rumbled when he was dressed like the vigilante. Just the thought turned me on even more.

  He put his hand behind my head and drew me in for a kiss. This was better than any other time I was with him. This was more real. He trusted me with the truth. That meant more to me than I could even express.

  "I'll go as slow as you want," he whispered against my lips.

  "I think we both know that I like it a little rough."

  He groaned into my mouth as he lifted my legs around his waist. He set me down on the edge of the bed and leaned into me. I could feel how hard he was against my thigh. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and let my fingers explore his biceps. He really could protect me. He really could be everything I needed him to be. My hero.

  "It's you," I whispered against his neck. "It's really you."

  "It's me."

  I closed my eyes and let the sensation of his lips on my skin take over. I let myself feel the fire from his touch. I let myself trust him. Because the truth was, I loved to dance in the flames. It made me feel alive.

  The rip of foil made me open my eyes. We hadn't used a condom before. He always just took me like I belonged to him. Before I could say anything, he thrust himself inside of me.

  Oh, God. He felt different with a condom. Not bad, just different. It didn't take away from the intimacy of the moment. It still felt like we belonged together. But right now, there was no pain I needed him to take away. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. I wanted to let go.

  His fingers dug into my hips as he slammed into me.

  "Eli," I moaned.

  "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say my name like that." He leaned into me, pushing my back down on the mattress.

  I buried my hands in his hair as his lips found my neck. I had never been able to completely give myself to someone. But I found myself slipping there. I found myself believing in him. Trusting him. Falling for him. I was sick of living in fear. I was sick of living alone. I didn't just want him. I needed him.

  He shifted his hips, somehow going even deeper inside of me. He groaned, feeling the same pleasure as me.

  Jesus. I was glad it was him. I was so happy that I could finally let go. "Eli, I'm so close."

  "Say my name again." His breath was hot against my neck.

  "Eli!"

  "Summer," he whispered in my ear and gently bit down on my earlobe.

  I didn't have to hide anymore. He could see me. And he wasn't scared of what I was. "Oh, God, Eli!" I felt myself clench around him.

  He pulled me back to a seated position and held me close. I felt his body shudder again mine and he moaned my name. I wanted to hear it over and over again. I loved the sound of it on his lips. For the first time in as a long as I could remember, it felt good to be Summer Brooks. I didn't feel broken anymore.

  I leaned back and looked up at him. A bead of sweat fell down his forehead. I reached up and wiped it away. I felt this connection between us. Not built on fear, but on hope. "I'm sorry I pushed you away." I locked eyes with him.

  "I'm sorry that I gave you a reason to." He put his hand on the side of my face.

  Fire. But I knew I could live in the flames with him.

  Chapter 10

  Saturday

  We were a mess of knotted limbs. I couldn't keep my hands off of him. I let my fingers trace the contours of his six pack as I stared into his eyes. There was this peace settled around us, but I still had questions. He probably did too.

  "Why didn't you just tell me who you really were?" I finally said, breaking the silence.

  "Honestly, I thought you'd be upset. This wasn't the reaction I was expecting at all."

  Upset? "I'm definitely not upset. I'm thankful that you trusted me to know the truth."

  He reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "And I'm thankful that you're giving me a second chance."

  I moved my hand to the side of his face and let his stubble tickle my palm. "I'm falling for you." It fell out of my mouth before I even knew what I was saying.

  He smiled. "Last time we talked about this, I'm pretty sure you had a panic attack."

  "Because I knew you were holding something back. But I get it now. I know why you didn't want to tell me. We don't have to hold anything else back now, though."

  He smiled.

  "You know," I said as I propped my head up on my hand, "this is definitely going to make our psychology project easier."

  "Now that we're not fighting?" He smiled. "Absolutely."

  I laughed as he rolled onto his back and pulled me against his chest.

  "You smell different." I thought about the expensive cologne that his vigilante clot
hes always carried. "Not in a bad way or anything." I placed a gentle kiss on his chest. "I love the way you smell. It reminds me of sunshine."

  "Well, you smell perfectly the same." He touched the bottom of my chin so that my eyes would meet his.

  "I do have more questions for you. A ton of questions. But I could seriously just stay like this forever."

  "You know, I was thinking." He intertwined his fingers with mine and kissed the back of my hand. "What if we just put a pause on all the questions. What if we just acted like two normal college students for one day."

  I smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

  "Hmm." A smile formed on his lips. "What do normal college students do on a Saturday afternoon?"

  "Study?"

  He squeezed my hand. "I said normal, not nerdy."

  "Hey!" I lightly swatted his arm.

  I laughed as he rolled on top of me, pressing my back against the mattress.

  "I was leaning more toward staying in bed all day."

  I wrapped my legs around his waist. I'd give up anything to be normal for just one day. And staying in bed with Eli sounded like the best afternoon ever.

  ***

  It was easy to forget my problems when I was with him. I didn't feel like I was out of my mind. I didn't feel like I was in danger. I stabbed at the rice with my chopsticks as I stared at him out of the corner of my eye.

  "You're missing the best part." He gestured to the TV screen.

  I looked back at the TV. We were watching a rerun of The Office. Jim had just played an epic prank on Dwight. Even though I loved the show, I couldn't pay attention. Not when I could stare at the corners of Eli's lips turning up into a smile. Or hear him laughing. God, I had been so stupid to push him away. I was lucky that he was willing to give me a second chance.

  The afternoon had been great. It was just what I needed. I felt calmer and more centered. But now I wanted to sort out the huge mess that was my life. I couldn't just hide in this room forever. He had promised me he'd help me learn how to defend myself. And we needed to sit down with Liza and figure all of this out together. I didn't know when Don would be back, but I had to be prepared. A day off from everything was what I wanted. What I needed was a whole different thing.