Lynne Connolly - Pure Wilffire 04 - Thunderfire.pdf - Lynne Connolly - kiten1

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Thunderfire

ISBN 9781419920219

Edited by Briana St. James.

Photography and cover art by Les Byerley.

Electronic book Publication January 2009

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in

part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing,

Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of

this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or

print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement

without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and

a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print

editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your

support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales

is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

T HUNDERFIRE

Lynne Connolly

Dedication

To all the ladies of the Soon To Be group—Donna, Jayelle, Judi, Angela and Maggie.

Onward and upward!

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the

following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Gibson Guitar : Gibson Guitar Corp

Harley Davidson: H-D Michigan, Inc.

Kawasaki Ninja: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Madison Square Garden: Madison Square Garden

Mercedes-Benz: Daimlerchrysler Ag

Savoy Hotel: Regalton Hotel Management Corp

Stratocaster: Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc

Suzuki Hayabusa: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Author Note

In my salad days, I knew many rock bands. All of them were awesome and all

contributed a tiny piece of Chris, Jake, Ryan, Aidan and Corinne. I couldn’t have

written these books without a soundtrack, and the tracks have formed a backdrop to

my life. If you see an echo of Robert, Jimmy, James, Paul and many others, you’re

probably right.

Thunderfire

Chapter One

Ashley Westfall loved to stand in the audience to one side of the mosh pit. Out of

the way of the frantic bodysurfing and head-banging but close enough to feel the action

and be part of it. And rock concerts were her favorite spectator sport.

The sight excited and sickened her in equal measure. Pure Wildfire, “the hottest

rock band on the planet”, according to the media, was dynamite onstage. Ryan, the

vocalist, tore out the soul of the audience and then hurled it back, owning the

thousands of people gathered here in Wembley Stadium. Jake Keys, bass, and his

brother Chris on drums provided a heavy, steady thunder that rolled behind every

number and came to the forefront in a few inventive solos.

Then the two lead guitarists, Corinne Hawthorne and her husband, the legendary

Splinter, aka Aidan Hawthorne, astounded and rocked. Splinter played like a man

possessed and Corinne’s more precise, cutting-edge style complemented him

faultlessly, keeping his wilder excesses in check, framing his solos and extemporizing

her own.

Nobody knew when Corinne and Aidan would perform their “double guitar” solo

or even if, but tonight, halfway through “Lost In Space”, Splinter handed his

Stratocaster to a roadie and headed across the stage to stand behind Corinne and her

Gibson. His long-fingered hand controlled the individual notes and Corinne kept her

hand on the fret, reaching with her other hand to grab Splinter’s thigh while he palmed

her breast.

Ashley’s body heated under the influence of the music and the fantastic sight of two

people in love all but getting it on in front of several thousand people. When Corinne

was onstage she somehow became something different, a performer, someone Ashley

didn’t know, not the sister she’d grown up with. The glittering, sparkling notes

sounded pitch-perfect, even when Corinne bent the strings. Nobody knew how they

played as one person like this. The music press speculated wildly about it but Ashley

knew, though she wasn’t supposed to.

Telepathy.

Her knowledge came from a chance conversation she’d overheard one sultry

afternoon through the open windows of the studio where Corinne and Aidan were

practicing. It had taken Ashley a while to come to terms with the idea but she could see

it clearly now. Corinne and Splinter played like a single being in a way that crystallized

both their styles, their solo a distillation of some of the best guitar playing in rock.

Ashley had a gentle empathy, she could sense people’s moods without any

outward sign but she couldn’t do any more. Her twin Paige couldn’t even do that, so

their older sister Corinne had all the luck. It didn’t seem fair. Corinne had it all. Out of

Lynne Connolly - Pure Wilffire 04 - Thunderfire.pdf

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