Hell Fire (Wild Fire: 2) (FINISHED)

18 - Well, that was violent

"EMBER!" Max screamed, making her exhale a sigh. "Where are you?!"

"Down here!" she called.

The basement door crashed against the wall as he threw it open, and his footsteps receded down the stairs at an inhuman speed as he came down.

"Where?" he said, gasping as he searched the floors for her, clearly panicking. "I can't find you!"

"In the closet," she said. "The one that looks like a wall."

She heard him gasp and step over to her, and she stared up at him as the door creaked open.

Ember was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to her chest, and he was staring down at her in relief, black eyes glittering.

"Why the hell are you here in the dark?" he questioned then, kneeling before her.

"You told me to hide," she stated, irritated. "And you were right," her head dropped with a sudden guilt, "they came searching for me."

"Elijah?" Max uttered in shock, glancing around. "Oh, no. Where is he?"

"No!" she almost shouted, shaking her head to soothe his fears. "No! My sister and her friend."

He blinked, staring down at her in disbelief. "And you hid down here?"

She nodded, smiling softly. "Quiet as a mouse."

He smirked, eyeing her with amusement. "I taught you well. Once upon a time, you'd be screaming to run away, going to the police and telling them I'm a serial killer."

"That was once upon a time," she repeated. "I'm not like that now."

He eyed her over in amusement.

Wow, he really expected her to go with her sister, didn't he?

"You do know," she told him, shuffling closer to him, "that I'll do anything you say?" She tipped her head to the side. "Even if I don't want to?"

He smirked.

"Even if I bitch about it," she added with a small smile.

He laughed softly then, tilting his head back before gazing down at her with an indescribable emotion. "Come out of there, Angelus."

She listened, pushing her legs to get to a standing position and walked out with him, staring up at him curiously as she followed him up the stairs.

"I bought some Chinese," Max stated as they walked across the hall and to the kitchen.

"Max?" Ember whispered as he made his way around the counter and shuffled some fortune cookies out from the bag.

"Yeah?" he uttered.

"Where's my old phone?" she asked him.

He raised his brows, leaning his elbows on the counter while eyeing her suspiciously. "Why do you think I'll disclose that information?"

She rolled her eyes at his comment. "Because I just hid from my sister to be with you? Someone who is very pissed at both of us, by the way. Someone I kind of want to go back to but refrained because of you."

He kept his raised-brow expression.

She sighed. "Also, by the way, she told Stella she wants to kill you. And I don't think she was joking."

Max shrugged, clearly not phased by the information. "It's whatever."

"No, seriously," she uttered, voice growing stern. "Where is it?"