Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

name of freedom."
     
    He put a hand up to touch her face, stopped with his fingers an inch away from her skin.
    "And I've done nothing. In the name of a god."
     
    He flashed back a dozen or so paces, stood staring at her. Letting the full impact of his hunger and his wanting thunder toward her. Into her.
     
    She bent at the waist, wrapping her arms around herself. Started to cry. "I have no right to ask it, but please go now," she said, a fractured dignity in her voice. "We'll work together tonight, and then we'll never see each other again. But go now. Don't torture me with visions of what I can never have."
     
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    He bowed to her, and then somehow he found the strength to walk away. Knew that facing Barrabas would be as nothing to the courage he called upon now.

Chapter 35
    Riley stumbled, grabbed the edge of the counter where she'd been looking for the cookies Quinn had mentioned. The blast of pain sheared through her, nearly driving her to the ground.
     
    "Quinn. Oh, Quinn," she moaned.
     
    Instantly, Conlan was at her side, putting his arms around her and growling at Jack, who'd moved to help her. "Riley? Are you okay?"
     
    "Yes. No. I don't know. It's Quinn, she—" The flow of torment abruptly stopped. Quinn had slammed shut her shields.
     
    Riley sent sympathy and love to her sister.
     
    Quinn, I'm here for you. I love you. I'm not sure what's going on with you, but I'm here for you.
     
    But the only response was silence.
     
    Ven walked into the room. "Hey, we're going to scout out the area now that it's getting dark. We'll pick up some food while we're out. Justice is pretty familiar with D.C. and of course Quinn's men…"
     
    His voice trailed off and his focus zoomed in on Jack. "What the hell are you? I've never smelled that before."
     
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    Jack scowled at him. "Great manners, asswipe. Go around sniffing people all the time, do you?"
     
    Ven smiled. "You wanna go? 'Cause I'm sitting on a shit-load of tension, and I'd be happy to rearrange your face just for fun. So let's go."
     
    Jack's mouth was suddenly crowded with teeth. "Maybe you want to check the state of the moon before you go challenging the alpha of my streak, water boy."
     
    Riley pulled away from Conlan, stepped between the two men. "Do we have a measuring tape in the room?"
     
    Ven blinked, shot her a puzzled look. "What?"
     
    She put on her best sweetness-and-innocence smile, and Conlan fought to keep from laughing. He knew what was coming.
     
    "Well, I figured you two could whip them out, and we'd measure them and get it over with," she said, voice lilting.
     
    It took a beat, but then both Ven and Jack roared with laughter, and they held their hands out to each other to shake.
     
    "Ven. Want to show us the lay of the land, jungle boy?"
     
    "Jack Shepherd. And it's jungle man to you."
     
    Ven looked to Conlan, who nodded, and Ven and the tiger left the room. The plan was a good one. Although they had no reason not to trust Quinn, her judgment in the people around her was a question mark until proven otherwise.
     
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    Doing surveillance in advance was a no-brainer.
     
    Riley snorted, shaking her head. "Boys will be boys, right?"
     
    A dark shadow twisted through the room and materialized into Alaric. "What is the plan?"
     
    "Where's my sister?"
     
    "She's on her way. She wanted… a moment alone."
     
    "If you hurt my sister, I'll—"
     
    Conlan put a hand on her shoulder and sent his thoughts to her.
     
    Riley. Look at him. Look with your heart. He'd die before he'd hurt her.
     
    She paused, turned her focus to Alaric, then glanced back at Conlan.
     
    Perhaps. But there are more ways to hurt than only one.
     
    "The plan is that we wait and attack at dawn, when the vamp strength is at its nadir,"
    Conlan replied to Alaric.
     
    "Then I will return just before dawn," Alaric said, voice rough. "Guard her for me, Conlan." His gaze flicked to Riley. "Guard them both."
     
    Alaric lifted his arms and vanished.
     
    Riley shook her head. "I'm never going to get used to that, am I?"
     
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    Conlan moved to the door, checking to be sure that Ven had left sufficient guard.
    Knowing that his brother would have it covered, but needing to move. Needing to do something.
     
    "Sitting and