I woke up after what felt like a week. But a glance at the alarm clock told me it was right around ten hours. This bed was amazing. And it was inside a freaking mountain. I was going to have to ask Turo what kind it was so I could get one for home. I did my full body stretch, winced as that sharp pain in my side attacked again. I grabbed up the spirometer as I slid my feet over the edge of the bed so I could sit up straight. I blew into the little device. Focused on keeping my breaths slow and even. That damn coaching indicator mocked me as it bobbed up and down in its little sleeve. I coughed after each rep. Thanked the universe when I made it through ten reps. The last cycle I actually got the indicator to stay between the two arrows. I considered that a win. I got up, walked to the natural stone shower. If I hadn't known this place was literally inside a mountain, I wouldn't have guessed it from the rooms. Done in a white stucco that was soothing and calm, it looked more li
I saw her push the statement away. Saw her twist it somehow in her brain. She either didn't or couldn't believe me. Not right now, anyway. But I would show her. I would tell her every day that I chose her. Let her see the evidence she relied so heavily on. She was mine. It was time I started showing her that. "So Lily Sterling ordered the hit on me?" she asked quickly. I let her have the small buffer for now. I'd pushed her far enough today. Nodding, I said, "Apparently so. Foster and Ryker found some emails on Bitchcock's system. They need your help for any deeper hacking, especially into the Sterling system."Like putting a well-watered plant out into the sunshine, she came alive. Her cheeks flushed slightly as her eyes twinkled. "Damn right they do."Smothering the chuckle, I wondered at this woman. Tough, but sensitive. Solid self-esteem, but still insecure. She was a kaleidoscope of surprising contradictions. And I intended to find each and every one. "So, we ne
His warm hand on the base of my neck should have felt stifling. Instead, I felt a curious sense of belonging. I wasn't going to tell him that. The contrary man would probably remove it. So I would enjoy it while it lasted. Headed back to the rooming section of the mountain facility, I let my eyes take in everything around me. It really did remind me of a seaside town on the sparkling edges of the Mediterranean sea. Soft-looking stone in blinding whites and beiges. Crisp blues and greens that had been painted or glazed to create visual interest and the appearance of the outside world. It was truly a wonder. "How the heck did you guys build this inside a mountain?" I looked up at the man who was taking me to the gates of Valhalla with the promises of coffee.He smiled, his white teeth bright in his burnished face. "According to family legend, the original Amatucci came here in the mid-1880s with the original familial migration. They bought land here in Upstate New York. Since the
"Shut it down," I snapped. I wasn't going to question her on it. The woman had probably forgotten more about computers than the whole of the people in this room had ever learned. Combined. I walked over to her. "Why do you think they're trying to hack us? We have no outside signal or terminal."She smiled at me like I was the stupid kid in class. "Turo, you've got a live feed camera that not only takes pictures, but uploads those pictures directly to your system. Of course you have an outside access point. And signal." She tapped the operator's shoulder. Jerked her chin at the computer he was working at when he looked up at her. "May I?"He got up without me having to demand he do it. I made a note to give him a bonus. I appreciated people who didn't create hassles for me. Cricket sat down at the computer. In moments, she was into a screen I'd never seen before and probably never would again. Her fingers flew over the keys like barracudas on fresh meat. At one point, sh
I slipped into one of the chairs in the courtyard section. Silently fumed at myself. Why not just lay down and expose your belly, you idiot? It would make it easier for him to slide the knife in. A warm palm engulfed the back of my neck. Immediately that stupid feeling of belonging swamped through me again. Asshole. I tried to shrug him off. He tightened his grip. "You're driving me crazy. Do you know that?" He took a seat next to me without letting me go. Pulling my face forward, he crashed his mouth to mine. I sank into his heat. My hands came up, gripped his shirt. And he was claiming I was driving him crazy? It was the other way around. As if he could read my body, he pulled away right before my lungs started aching. His pupils were dilated as he sucked in air through his nose. A slight flush rode his cheeks. "I need to taste you. Every single part of you. These kisses are doing nothing but whetting my appetite." My ovaries sat up and started dancing. Finally. I n
Don't screw this up. Don't screw this up. Don't-for the love of all that's holy-screw this up. I chanted it to myself as I sipped and sucked at her lips. The taste of her mixed with the essence of her. I was rock hard and trying not to think about her naked body stretched out underneath me. The beckoning heat of her cunt. The tightness of her pussy after her orgasm. The dripping wetness that sang a siren's song. They all urged me to claim her. Take what was mine. This woman-all of her-was mine. Now I just needed her to stop freaking out long enough to believe me. Conscious of her healing body, I eased back after a long count of ten. I wanted to ravage her, destroy her world and body. But I needed her to be healthy to do that. I couldn't get her healthy if she couldn't use her lungs. Fucking Lily Turner Sterling. She would die. Soon. By my hand. Nik's eyelids fluttered open as a bemused smile tugged at her delicious mouth. "If you think kissing me into silence is going to
My stomach churned even as my blood raged in hate. They hurt him. The sweetest man on earth and they bloodied him. I started tracing the call, even as Peter and Bentley came rushing back in. With my free hand and part of my brain, I followed the familiar path to initiate communication with my collective. Five new pictures popped up on the main screen. "Who the fuck is this?" Turo demanded. I'd never heard his voice so cold. I wanted to cuddle him. Offer some kind of comfort. You will. Find this fuck and kill him. I nodded. Yes, I would. For Papa. For Turo. For me. These assholes were messing with my people now. My family. They shouldn't have even tried. I've got a video call live in my location. I need it tracked and traced with highest accuracy as quickly as possible, I typed out over the collective's secure channel. On it, four of them typed. I'll get the backend, Hamster responded. Do not engage. They have two hostages. At least one is beaten. The other is
I gritted my back teeth as Beverly mocked and giggled like a school girl on Speed. I was going to have a discussion with our soldiers back home. They should have been on top of this. Should have alerted Nico that somehow this crazy bitch was free. Speaking of Nico, I pulled my phone from my pocket. Dialed his number. When the call went live, I handed the phone to Edi. My second in command went out of the ops room, filled in my little brother. As I focused back in on the conversation, I saw Bentley and Amato slide over into Nik's space. They pushed their heads together as they carried on a whispered conversation. I saw Nik rip the duct tape off her mouth, but keep it stuck to her finger. She answered back to whatever they were saying. Soon, they were zinging back to their own stations, fingers dancing over the keyboards once again. Play into her narcissism, she thinks she's won. Let her believe she has, Mercy's words floated through my mind again. "Tell me how, Beverly. P