The Siren's Code (Siren Legacy Book 3) Page 22

  Finally, out in the fresh air, the sounds of Robin’s family imploding were fading, and she could breathe again. Although, without them to distract her, her mind inevitably drifted back to the one place she had been trying to keep it from going all day.

  Dem.

  What the hell had he been thinking showing up in the kitchen like that? He seemed just as confused by everything as she was, and it pissed her off. He was supposed to be this immortal warrior. Surely he should have some parts of his life figured out by now. She kicked a rock, wanting to scream and throw a temper tantrum, but that made her feel like a little kid. She had to let her frustrations out somehow, though. She couldn’t help it, not if she wanted to stay sane. When the rock hit something metal, she stopped, her head turning toward the sound.

  There was nothing there.

  No structure, no seats, nothing that should have made that sound, and yet she had heard it. Walking over, she had to maneuver around some trees and under a bush. The rock had traveled further than she had intended, but then she felt it. Something hard under her foot. It wasn’t a natural hard, either; no rock or tree stump felt like that. She scuffed her foot back and forth, scraping away some of the dirt and leaves that had built up over the top, before hearing that familiar echo of metal.

  Dropping to her knees, she began scooping away all the leaves and dirt that she could, following the line of metal she had found until that line became a patch, which became a square, which became a door. There was something hidden beyond it—she just knew it. Not like a vision or knowing, but on a gut level, she could feel it.

  There had to be a handle somewhere. A door didn’t exist for no reason, especially not on an island untouched by anyone other than four siren brothers. Her fingers slid around the edge, the rough edges of metal scraping and pinching as she went. When she finally found it, her breath caught.

  Pulling with all her might on the lever she had found, she expected something to happen, but nothing did. Bracing her feet on the dull sliver of metal she had dug out, she pulled again. It gave just a little, but it lit a fire in her. She pulled again and again. Each time the door gave a little more.

  The lever gave way, like a damn breaking, little by little at first, and then all at once. She fell flat on her ass, but she didn’t care. Her arms might be jelly tomorrow, but it would be worth it if she found The Surgeon. Swinging the metal door up, she could see that it was built like an old cellar door, two sides opening out, and the lever had been locking them together. She didn’t need both of them open, though. One was enough for her to slip through and begin searching for her prey.

  The tunnel beyond the door was dark. She could see that it sloped down fairly sharply, but after a few feet, all visibility ended. Before she went down, she wedged the door open, holding it down with a few rocks. At this point, she highly doubted her arms would be functional the next day.

  Pulling up the flashlight app on her phone, she began to descend, slowly at first, but by the time the descent ended, she was jogging down. As she rounded a corner, lights flickered on around her, evidently motion-activated. The floor she had been walking on was packed dirt, but now it was concrete, smooth and hard under her feet. A shiver went down her spine as she remembered the concrete room from when Randall held her captive.

  She was in control now, though, and that bastard would get what he deserved one day. She would make sure of that.

  The air was dry and almost musty, but there was a slight breeze coming from vents that were positioned every once in a while. The tunnel curved, and she noticed a pathway going off to the side that went back up. Instinctively she knew up would take her further away from her goal, so she pressed on, following the curve of the tunnel.

  A second pathway split off to the right, and she followed it. The ground stayed flat under her feet, and as she walked, more lights flickered on, illuminating a door ahead of her.

  Her heart jumped in her chest.

  If she was going to lock someone in a theoretically unbreakable cage, then she would probably put it underground behind more than just a couple doors, but then, she wasn’t an immortal warrior. The sleek metal door loomed large in front of her, a flat handle the only thing standing between her and what she hoped was on the other side.

  Doubt swamped her before she could press the handle. What if she couldn’t take seeing him again? If she flipped out and had one of the panic attacks she had been hiding from everyone? It would make her just as weak as Randall thought she was. That thought above all others drove her forward.

  Pushing the door open, she didn’t expect the large room on the other side. The ceiling was much higher for most of the room than the ceiling in the tunnels, coming down lower in the back. Workout equipment covered most of the space. Huge free weights were just on the edge of the mat next to her. On her other side were a series of machines, a few of which she even recognized, although they looked much beefier than any she had used.

  Cautiously, she put one foot in front of the other until she saw it. The cage.

  It was in the back where the ceiling was lower. The bars actually went up into the surface and down into the cement floor. She could understand why the brothers thought the cage was impregnable. She inched closer, her feet silent on the workout mats that covered the floor.

  He was there, up against the back wall of the cage, asleep.

  Rage coursed through her. How dare he sleep peacefully? He should be tormented by the memories of what he had done, and not just to her but to those who had come before her. Aster wasn’t naive enough to think that she was the first or the only one he had experimented on. His breaths came slow and steady as she crept around the outside of the cage, silently picking up a jump rope abandoned on the floor.

  If he was truly asleep as she suspected, then she would only get one shot at this. Her heart beat in her throat as she secured one end of the jump rope around a bar of the cage. She took the other end and tied a trucker’s hitch knot, making the tightness of the jump rope adjustable. Now came the scary part.

  Making a loop over his head, she was ready. All she had to do was get the rope around him. She balanced on one foot, the other raised, ready to push him forward as her hands got the rope in position.

  Nudging him with her foot, she was able to get the rope in place before he fully woke up, pulling it tight around his neck.

  “What the hell?” he yelled as his hands tore at the rope now securely positioned around his throat.

  Turning his head around, he saw her as she finished the last knot. Instinctively he reached for her, which just ended up choking him as she danced out of reach. She sat down on the cold concrete floor at the other end of the cage and waited while he struggled, trying to get the knots undone so he could breathe easier.

  It wasn’t going to work.

  Eventually he would accept that and they would talk, but for now, she would wait. A smile crossed her face. She knew without a mirror handy that it wasn’t a happy smile. It was one comprised of the grim pleasure of vengeance.

  “Whenever you’re ready, I have some questions I would like answers to. Whether I loosen or tighten the rope around your neck depends on your responses.”

  He turned to her then, his pitch-black eyes trying to intimidate her. The trouble was, she had known he was a monster before she set foot in there. Taking off the mask of faked emotions didn’t show her anything new.

  “I can wait,” she said, watching his anger and hatred toward her rise.

  There was nothing he could do to escape the net she had him snared in, and he was going to answer her questions whether he liked it or not.

  Chapter 26

  Robin knew she was in the cabin, but she didn’t know how she had arrived there. The last thing she remembered was Hal’s green-blue eyes staring up at her as she screamed her head off while Nimue removed the mark.

  The mark.

  She twisted, trying to reach around to feel her back. She hissed as pain shot through her.

  “Rin
?” Hal’s voice made her heart want to stop.

  “Hal?” She turned again to find him waking up from sitting in a chair next to the bed. He must have moved it up there while she was passed out so he could keep watch over her. The thought made her melt toward the man who had become altogether too important to her.

  His face hovered over hers, his sun-bleached hair hanging down, a curtain of dark gold in the light streaming in through the window. “How are you feeling?”

  She felt like she was seeing him again for the first time. His dark blond and brown stubble highlighted the soft curve of his lips and his square jaw, while his eyes captivated her, the dark lashes resting on his cheeks for a moment as he blinked, only to reveal the green-blue eyes that looked more like they belonged in space than in this gorgeous man’s head. Her hand came up and stroked some of the long, soft hair that hung down beside her, hiding the rest of his body from view. Her heart stuttered at the memory of how it had felt to touch and be touched by him.

  “Rin? Are you okay?” Hal ran a knuckle down the side of her face, his rough hands making her shiver in pleasure.

  “I’m good,” she whispered. “How are you?”

  “I’m glad you’re awake and so far seem to be okay.”

  The bed dipped as he sat on the edge, tilting her body toward his.

  “Are you really fine?” Robin remembered how he had looked when they were finally able to get to him. Her big strong warrior had been crumpled and unconscious. It had scared her more than she wanted to admit. The idea of losing this man who had made her feel at home in the world for the first time in forever was too much. A tear escaped her at the rush of emotion.

  “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Worry clouded his face as he moved from sitting to kneeling beside the bed, their faces only inches apart.

  “I thought you were dead.” The words came out in a strangled whisper.

  “I’m fine, though, see?” He stood. Spreading his arms, he gave her a twirl and a bow. The sweatpants sitting tantalizingly low on his hips revealed a strip of sun-kissed skin that lay underneath as his T-shirt rose up.

  “Come here.” The hoarseness in her voice betrayed her need to touch him, to feel the warmth of his body now that she knew he was safe.

  She watched as he walked around to the other side of the bed, the sweats making her want to bite the round globes of his ass as they flexed and released under the material. Finally he was in bed with her, his warmth seeping into her as his arms circled around, pulling her close.

  He was quiet a moment while they both absorbed each other’s presence. “We both made it out alive, and that’s all that matters.”

  The hitch in his voice made her look up.

  Hal’s eyes were shinier than normal, concern filling them and drawing the chocolate-brown slashes of brow together.

  “What’s wrong?” Her hand came up and pushed some of the brown and gold locks out of his face so she could see him more clearly.

  “I woke up, and you were screaming in pain at the hands of my brothers. It scared the shit out of me. If Alec hadn’t been there holding me down, I would have tackled both of them and beat their asses for hurting you.” A dark fury flashed behind his eyes as he spoke.

  Robin knew he was a warrior, and in that moment, she saw the fighter within him come to the forefront. It didn’t scare her, though. It made her feel safer than she had in a long time.

  “They were only doing what I asked them to,” she said against his chest, kissing the very center as she ran her hand up and down the smooth skin of his back, soothing her warrior.

  “I know, but it didn’t make it any easier to watch.”

  “If we had had another option, I would have taken it, but we didn’t. Now, because of your brothers’ help, I am free of the mark and my tie to Randall.”

  She nuzzled against him, wishing she could express how she felt, but not knowing how to put it into words without either sounding crazy or scaring him. Somewhere along the way, she had fallen for this brave, sensitive man with eyes that seemed to see into the very heart of her.

  A knuckle under her chin pulled her gaze to his. “Me too.” His eyes shone with affection, the sincerity of the statement obvious on every inch of his beautiful face.

  Robin raised an eyebrow in question.

  “I have a small talent for sensing emotion.” He gave her a lopsided smile, which made her heart melt even more.

  A blush flew up her cheeks at the realization he could sense her feelings toward him.

  She studied him for a moment, the eye contact they shared more intimate than anything she’d ever experienced. Pushing herself toward him, her lips brushed his in question. His response was a blistering kiss that seemed to claim her as his own in a way that left her dizzy. He nipped her lower lip, sucking it into his mouth before releasing it and exploring her own with his tongue. The kiss left her gasping for breath with her heart galloping in her chest. Her body turned to fire under his touch, her core a molten heat.

  “Rin, you should rest,” Hal said, pulling away.

  “If I should, then so should you.”

  “I can’t stay in this bed with you and not touch you. I know that sounds weak, but it’s the truth. To me, you’re magnetic. Trying not to touch you, trying to be away from you, means fighting myself.”

  He trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck as he spoke.

  “Then don’t. I want you, Hal. I’ve told you that from the very beginning, and now, if we are being honest, I want more than just sex with you. It wouldn’t be enough anymore, not after everything—”

  His mouth claimed hers again without warning. His tongue swept against her own as his hands gripped her waist, pulling her against him. She could feel his rigid need pressed against her belly as his hands slid behind her, pressing her against him from head to toe.

  “If we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to.” The words came out of her mouth unexpectedly in a gasp between kisses. She didn’t take them back. They were completely true; she just hadn’t planned on saying them.

  Her whole body was one big nerve that had been exposed. Every touch was half pleasure, half pain. His hands left a trail of fire in their wake as they slid down her side and around to her butt.

  “If you think I don’t want you as much as you want me, then you’re crazy. If you want to stop at any point, just say the word. I don’t care how far into this we are—I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.

  Her heart had been melty before, but now it was just a pile of goo. This man could not be any sweeter or kind. She watched him for just a moment before kissing the daylights out of him. His hands gripped her hips, and he rolled so she was on top of him, the unyielding line of him pressing against the very center of her.

  His hands slid under the T-shirt she was wearing, smoothing over her waist and around until he cupped her breasts, her nipples taut peaks under the thin material of her bra. Sitting up, she whipped off her T-shirt, the cool air kissing her skin as it became exposed. Hal’s mouth took the place of his fingers on one breast, sucking and kissing through her bra. Her breath came in short gasps as she rocked herself back and forth on the ridge of his cock.

  The back of her bra snapped open with a little help from his talented fingers, exposing her breasts completely to him. The sensitive skin of her nipples was now at the mercy of the heat of his tongue and the rough skin of his fingers. Her hands began to roam under his own T-shirt, pushing it ever higher, exposing the sun-kissed skin underneath. As she tugged at his shirt, he understood that she wanted it gone, but instead of just taking the one item of clothing off, he rolled her off him, stood and, in the blink of an eye, was only wearing boxers.

  She lay back on the bed and took in the unbelievably sexy sight of him. Golden brown hair dusted his chest, and a trail of it led down to the waist of his boxers, disappearing behind them. Her eyes traveled down to the tented material, and her whole body quivered with anticipation.

  “Want these off?” His voice was rough
with need as he nodded at her jeans.

  Biting her lip, she nodded. She wanted everything off, wanted them both naked more than she wanted to breathe at that moment.

  His hands came up and deftly undid the button, pulling the fly down excruciatingly slowly. The zipper finally halted, and his warm fingers slid inside the waistband of her jeans, tugging them off. She raised her hips to help, and his gaze darkened as he took in the sight of her in nothing but panties. She felt like she should be self-conscious, but he made her feel glorious.

  Once her legs were exposed, he picked each one up, kissing the tips of her toes. It made her squirm with how unusual the sensation was, until he started kissing a line up her leg, his big hands gently squeezing her thighs as his tongue traced patterns on her skin. His fingers skimmed the thin cotton that prevented her from being completely bared to him.

  It was as if a jolt of electricity went through her. She arched up off the bed into his hands, a gasp of pleasure escaping her. His fingers pressed down on her core, moving in slow, agonizing circles over her panties.

  “Please, take them off.” The words escaped between breaths, her body clamoring to be closer to his.

  She felt his fingers hook into the fabric by her hips, and then the cool air was caressing her sensitive skin. His hot skin took the place of the cool air, and suddenly he was leaning over her. His kisses were like fire as he made his way down her neck to her breasts once more as his fingers began exploring her most intimate area. Robin knew she was more than ready for him, her body pulsing with need.

  Hal slipped a finger inside her, and she moaned. The sensation was more than she expected, but not enough. Her body ground against his hand as he thrust in and out of her. The pad of his thumb came up and circled the neglected nub of pleasure. She cried out as the sensation rocked through her.