The Siren's Code (Siren Legacy Book 3) Page 24

  Robin was quiet, her whole body still.

  “I assume you know who it is or will be? You had a small knowing, right?”

  The red bun bobbed again.

  “Well, my advice is to keep it to yourself. You’ve never really listened, though, have you? So do what you will. Just try not to hurt anyone.”

  “I still don’t understand why you can’t leave Dad.” Robin picked at some imaginary lint on her jeans as she spoke.

  “Because my banshee doesn’t want to. As much as I hate him, I still love him. He will always be my true love. I just wish my heart had picked a more responsible true love than him.”

  “How’s Caitlyn?”

  The question seemed to be out of place to Hal, but then when he thought about it, he could see why she had connected it. She was still scared for her sister, still looking out for her. Even after all she’d been through, she was still worried that her father would sell out Caitlyn too.

  “She needs her big sister. She needs to know you’re okay, that life will be okay again. It’s not something she’ll listen to coming from me, and you know how stubborn she can be.”

  Tamara smiled tentatively, as though waiting for Robin to shut her down. When his beautiful banshee didn’t respond either way, Tamara’s face crumpled just a little. She stood, pulling on the edge of her T-shirt, as though she wasn’t used to being so underdressed. “You should talk to her.”

  With that, she left the room. Hal looked at the woman next to him. She might be slender and seem breakable, but inside she was pure titanium. Her big gray eyes looked up at him, worry pinching the corners.

  “I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable,” she said, tucking imaginary hair behind her ear.

  “What would make me uncomfortable?”

  “My feelings for you.”

  A bark of laughter escaped him. “Rin, nothing you could feel or do would make me uncomfortable. You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I’m not giving you up without a fight. And you should know I feel the same way.”

  She grinned, the pinch of worry leaving her eyes. “And what way is that?” He knew that she wanted to tease him, but there was an underlying seriousness to the question that made him cautious. When Robin had admitted her feelings before, she had probably felt like she was dying, judging by the screams that came from her. He got the sense that she wanted him to admit his feelings first since they were both conscious, sober, and neither of them were in peril. He understood, but his nerves still jangled in response to his coming declaration.

  “That I’m in love with you.” His voice was quiet, nerves getting the better of him at the last moment. He watched her absorb the words, her eyes glittering as they filled with tears.

  “I love you too.” Her voice was hushed, as if they were sharing a secret. It wasn’t a secret he would be able to keep for long, though. Joy filled him. He wanted to shout from the rooftops, but he settled for a kiss.

  It wasn’t like any of their other kisses. The passion was still there, but the sweetness, the tender emotions, added new layers. His lips brushed against hers, feeling the velvet of her mouth against his own. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, and his hand came up, cupping her cheek as he deepened the kiss. His tongue tangled with hers in a possessive way, and yet, when hers did the same, it was a welcome feeling. He wanted to possess her just as he wanted her to possess him. They belonged to each other now, and that was just fine by him.

  Something inside him locked into place in that moment.

  He could tell Robin felt it too. For a moment, she paused, her breath caught as the connection settled between them. He could feel her emotions radiating out of her more clearly than ever before. As his lips brushed hers once more, he felt the spike of excitement, lust, and something deeper than he had ever believed possible—love. Hal knew as his hand brushed down to her hip, squeezing and pulling her closer, that Robin was debating asking him if he wanted to sneak out and make love in the forest. An idea that had its merits, but one that he knew they shouldn’t act on. One day he would claim her in the forest, but when they had plenty of time so he could love her as thoroughly as she deserved.

  “You feel that, right?” He had to know he wasn’t alone in this new connection.

  “Yeah.” Robin’s breath tickled his lips as he dipped his head once more, unable to resist the warm honey flavor of her. It seemed to crash into him whenever he kissed her, and he loved it.

  “Um, excuse me, lovebirds? Food’s getting cold and there won’t be any left if you don’t hurry,” Aster’s voice called out from the doorway behind them. “Just thought you should know.”

  Hal could tell she had been smiling as she spoke, and he was relieved that some of the anger that had almost swallowed the petite blonde whole seemed to be passing.

  “We should eat.”

  “Umhum.” Robin nodded, her eyelids heavy as dirty thoughts ran through her head. He couldn’t wait to explore those later.

  “You’ll need energy for what I have planned for you.” He planted one last hot kiss on her before standing and hauling her to her feet.

  He watched her walk into the kitchen in front of him. The sweet curve of her ass and hips swinging to and fro as she moved made his mouth go dry, his need for her becoming a finely honed edge. Later he was going to show her exactly how much he loved her and what a siren was capable of, but that could wait, though. For now, it was family time, a time to be thankful that they had all come through the last few days relatively unscathed.

  Robin’s head was spinning, and not just from the kisses, although those were phenomenal. The connection she now had with Hal was almost overwhelming. She was surprised by the depth of the emotions she felt coming off him.

  She moved along in her dazed state, through to the kitchen, where someone clapped as they walked in, and as her eyes scanned their faces, she saw happiness all around. Even a flash of it from Dem before he fell back into his permanent scowl. She picked up a plate and loaded it with food, intending to make sure that she had plenty of energy to play with her siren later.

  His hand never left her. Whether he was holding her hands or it was resting on the small of her back, it comforted her. As they sat, she looked at her sister, her emotions raw. Glancing over at her father, she was swamped by rage, most of which wasn’t her own.

  Looking up, she saw that Hal was watching him as well, his face almost contorted into a snarl. She reached out under the table and stroked his thigh, bringing his attention back to her.

  “I can feel you now, remember?” she said quietly.

  “What he did to you was unforgivable.”

  “I agree, but once we get them off the island, I won’t have to see my parents again unless I want to.”

  Hal grumbled an agreement, and she felt him rein his anger in. Her mind churned over the possibilities of what had given them this new connection. She doubted her parents had it—otherwise, her mother would have warned her—so this was something from his side of their magics. He had told her he had a small talent with emotion, sensing vibes, putting his own out there. Robin wondered if this was the result of that skill.

  As they finished lunch, his hand ran up and down her back, sending shivers along her spine. Finally, after saying their goodbyes and Robin promising a big-sister chat with Caitlyn, they were free. She stepped out of the door onto the deck. The warm salty water of the ocean seemed to brush up against her, greeting her in a way she had never experienced before.

  “Do you feel that?” An elated smile spread over her face.

  “What?”

  “Like the wind and the ocean are greeting you?”

  “No, but I feel something like that whenever I go somewhere new.”

  “It’s amazing!” She held her arms out as the breeze wrapped around them, playing with her hair as it left. “Can we fly home?”

  Hal’s dimples popped out as he wore the biggest smile she’d ever seen on him. Her heart lifted with joy that they could make
each other so happy.

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  He pulled her tight once more and took off as she reveled in the hard muscles pressed against her. Robin could feel his blissful exhilaration as he swooped and soared through the sky. Their trip down had been nothing like this. Now he was showing off, but not just that—he was showing her the joy he found in flight, in the ocean and feeling the air on his snowy white wings. She felt euphoric. Not only was she free but she was in love with the most amazing man, and he loved her back with all his gigantic heart.

  Her banshee side had picked a good one. She knew that life was never going to be easy as long as Randall and the Order of Talos were still out there, but at least now they could face it together. Feeling Hal’s arms squeeze her a little bit tighter, she knew he agreed. Together they could take on the world.

  Epilogue

  Two Months Later

  The golden light of the last gasps of summer glittered across the waves as they lapped at the shore. Robin had never been more content than she was at that moment while she waited for Hal to join her on the beach. The memory of the first time she swam in the ocean flashed over her mind. At the time, she had felt like a child, filled with awe and wonder at this amazing part of the earth she had never had a chance to experience before, while he watched with love in his eyes and that adorably sexy smile on his face. Since then, he had indulged her, and they went swimming almost every day.

  It was later in the year now, though, and although the weather might have been nice above the water, it wasn’t warm enough for the water to retain its heat. The September sun just wasn’t as powerful, so instead, he took her on hikes and flew her over the ocean. She had nothing to complain about.

  A rustling sound came from behind her, but when she turned, no one was there. The woods that came down to the small beach were filled with animals, so she brushed it off. The salty air coming in from the ocean caressed her skin, and as she lay back on the sand, her troubles seemed to melt away.

  Robin was still worried about Caitlyn. She had refused to go to the new safe house with her parents and had transferred to a community college on the outskirts of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Ellie was letting her live above the magic shop the Scotswoman ran. It wasn’t the one she’d inherited from her grandfather, but it was hers and contained everything the original shop had. She also let Caitlyn work some shifts there to earn some money. The problem was, there was still something off about her sister. Something had broken in her, and Robin wasn’t sure how to fix it.

  Sighing, she picked up her margarita and took a long sip, the salt and tequila biting her tongue. When she heard another rustle, she turned, glimpsing nothing but swaying leaves. Turning back around and taking another sip of her drink, she tried to focus on loosening the tension that had her body tightly strung. Ever since she had gained her freedom, she had struggled with the feeling that somehow she was going to get dragged back to Eclipse. She knew she wasn’t and that it was just anxiety in her mind making her feel that way, but nonetheless, the years of being prepared for Randall to do anything he wanted were making it hard to fully relax.

  Hal cleared his throat behind her as he came up. She turned, expecting to see him with a book and a beer. What she saw instead stopped her heart.

  Everyone was there—all the brothers, Ellie, Cin, Aster, Nimue, Caitlyn, even her mother. Hal stood front and center, holding a giant cake with candles.

  A chorus of the traditional birthday song broke out, and Robin wanted to disappear. She hadn’t celebrated her birthday since she was sixteen; it was just after her seventeenth birthday that her father handed her over. No one in her family wished her a happy birthday that year, and no one ever knew it was her birthday after that.

  “Happy birthday, Rin.” Hal smiled at her.

  Everything she was melted in the warmth and love that flowed out of that smile. She loved his nickname for her. It was different from anything anyone else had ever called her, which made it all the more special to her.

  “How’d you know?” Her voice was a whisper as she looked down at the decadent cake in front of her. The flames of the candles danced merrily in the breeze, while the frosting on the cake read “Happy birthday, songbird.”

  “Your mom. She messaged me a while ago, and we figured a surprise party would be just what you needed.”

  For the first time, Robin’s gaze took in everything behind Hal. Everyone, even Dem, was wearing a party hat and smiling at her. Streamers hung from the trees, and balloons were tied to their branches. Her eyes sought out the woman responsible, but when she found her mother, she wished she hadn’t. Tears streamed from her eyes as she covered the lower half of her face with her hands, muffling the sound of her sorrow. When she noticed her daughter looking at her, she turned and walked off through the trees. Robin knew she would eventually have to make peace with her mother, but the pain of everything was still too close. Even though it tore at her heart to see her mother upset, she let her disappear into the woods to cry in private. There was nothing she could say right now that would make her feel better. The only words she had were hard and a little unkind, but she was trying to work past that.

  Alec and Thad carried out a cooler filled with beer, while Ellie and Cin did the same with one filled with snacks.

  They had brought her a picnic on the beach.

  Setting the cake down on the makeshift table, Hal grinned at her. “Make a wish.”

  She took a deep breath and blew out the candles. Her brain blanked on making a wish. Right now she had everything she wanted.

  Hal smiled down at her as he began plucking the candles from the cake. The thick white and yellow frosting stuck to the bottoms of the little wax sticks. As he collected them, he wiped the frosting off with a finger. Robin looked up at him, a hunger burning inside her, not just for the cake, although that looked delicious, but for the man who had brought such happiness into her life. When he held out his frosting-covered finger, she smiled and locked her lips around it, sucking his finger clean of the sweet treat. Hal’s own eyes filled with desire then. Her movements had ignited a flame within him that she knew they would quench later that night, once everyone else had left. The promise of the coming pleasure shone in his gaze.

  “You know, some of us actually want to eat that cake,” Alec’s voice called out.

  “Oi, leave them alone, ye big bully.” Ellie’s sweet chiding came a moment later.

  Robin backed up, letting Hal begin to cut the cake. He slid thick wedges of it onto paper plates, leaving white and yellow smears behind on the cake sheet.

  “I wasn’t sure what flavor you would like, so half the cake is marble with vanilla frosting and the other half is chocolate with a mint frosting, which is my favorite. His dimples winked at her as he smiled. She could see the slightly different colors of the frosting now that he had pointed it out, a fact she would have missed if he hadn’t said anything.

  “I don’t remember, if I’m honest,” she said quietly, not wanting to bring the mood down.

  His smile flickered for a second. It was so fast that if she hadn’t become so familiar with his face over the last few months, she would have missed it, and then it got even bigger. “Then you get to try a piece of each!”

  He cut two slices and put them on a plate with the skinny ends facing each other. “Don’t want to mix the frostings and skew the results of your taste test.” He winked at her, and she went back to her seat.

  The metal of the fork was cool in her hand as she picked it up, the tines slicing into the marble cake, creating a small mouthful for herself. The chocolate and vanilla flavors swirled on her tongue as the richness of the cake invaded her senses. Taking a sip of water to cleanse her palate, she tried the other slice. The tang of the mint frosting mixing with the sumptuous chocolate almost overwhelmed her.

  “By the gods, woman, I could watch you eat cake for the rest of my life and be happy.” Hal’s voice came from next to her.

  She hadn’t heard h
im sit down or been aware that she’d closed her eyes, but both had happened while she was taken in by the luxurious flavors that danced on her tongue.

  Smiling, she took a long, sensual pull on her fork, the tines slipping slowly through her lips as she took another bite.

  “If you keep that up, we will be leaving the party early.” Hal’s eyes, filled with lust, were trained with a laser-like focus on her mouth.

  Robin giggled at the idea. He was heaven to her, and if he wanted to sneak away from the party, she would gladly join him.

  The rest of the afternoon was filled with jokes and laughter while they ate and drank their way through the picnic. She had never been happier. As people left, the party dwindled down to just the two of them, lying on a blanket on the beach, watching the sunset.

  Her life had turned from pure hell into pure magic.

  “Take a photo with me.” Hal’s voice was tender and quiet, as though he was afraid of her reaction to the request.

  Her heart swelled with joy at the thought of him wanting to document their lives together. After she nodded at her love, he took her by the hand and led her to the edge of the ocean before pulling out the phone and snapping a couple photos of the two of them. Before she knew what was happening, he picked her up and tossed her into the water. She squealed as she moved through the air, feeling weightless for just a moment.

  The cold sucked the air out of her lungs, and as her feet connected with the bottom, she realized she hadn’t gone far. It was only waist-deep water. She lunged at Hal, tackling him down into the surf. Laughter rocked through his body as they rolled around, their hair getting matted with sand. When they stopped, he looked at her. The purity of the emotion shining from his eyes had her kissing him before she could stop herself. Sand coated some of her face, and when they parted, he gently brushed it away.

  He pulled out his phone once more.

  “A, how did your phone survive that, and b, I have to look like crap now.”