Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

Riley said, at first startled and then resigned. "Well, since it's already open, let's go for broke."
     
    With that, she lifted her hands to his face, braced herself, and for the first time in her life sent her emotions, her thoughts, and her curiosity winging inside of another person.
     
    And was nearly brought to her knees.
     
    Strength. Courage. Honor. Duty.
     
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    Glimpses of the past.
     
    A man, graying, with Conlan's eyes, stood next to a woman so beautiful that Riley gasped.
     
    Mother. Father.
     
    Shift: A boy, it had to be Ven, and another, the scary healer guy, maybe? She wasn't sure, since the boy with the green eyes so like Alaric's was smiling.
     
    She didn't think the healer had ever smiled.
     
    All of them riding horses, laughing.
     
    Shift: Rows of men, all huge, muscled, gorgeous, naked to the waist, sparring with swords and daggers in some kind of arena.
     
    Shift: Fires. Knives. Teeth, no, fangs. Pain. Searing, agonizing, ripping pain. She was dying—no, he, he, it was Conlan, they were torturing him, they were killing him…
     
    "No!" she screamed, her hands falling away from his face as she fell backward into the strength of his arms. "No, no, no, no, no."
     
    As he lifted her gently, held her in his arms, all she could do was sob.
     
    Conlan stared down at the woman crying in his arms and felt the walls he'd built around his heart start to crumble. He literally heard the crashing sounds of the bricks and mortar, and all he could think of was how badly he needed to get away from her.
     
    As he started to release her, she clutched at his arms and looked up at him through pain-drenched eyes. "Damn them for what they did to you. I hope you track them down Atlantis Rising – Warriors of Poseidon 01
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    and rip their bloody guts out. I'm so sorry, Conlan. I should—I should never have intruded on your privacy."
     
    She slowly reached up to touch the scar at his throat. "I'm so sorry," she repeated, whispering. Then her eyes narrowed and she met his gaze again, her expression ferocious. "I hope I get a chance to run into any of the ones who hurt you. They won't hurt anybody else, ever again."
     
    He blinked, unable to remember when words had touched him the way hers did. She wanted to protect him. She wanted to avenge him.
     
    The cracking sound of those walls he'd built up inside himself turned into an avalanche.
     
    He tightened his arms around her again, burying his face in her hair. "Never apologize to me for your grace and your light, mi amara aknasha."
     
    She pulled away a little and looked up at him through the tears running down her face.
    "What does that mean?"
     
    He shook his head, the lump lodged in his throat rendering him unable to form the words in English. She'd really think he was insane if he let her know he'd called her his beloved empath.
     
    Speaking of insane, he probably had about ten seconds before Ven came pounding on the door. He sucked in a huge breath and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then dropped his arms and stepped back. "Riley, I know this must feel like you got dropped into the middle of one of those horror movies Ven loves so much, but you have to trust me—"
     
    Riley flashed a brilliant smile at him, wiping the tears off her face. "Trust you? Are you kidding? After what I just saw, I'd trust you with my life."
     
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    Relief washed over him, loosening the clenched muscles in his neck and shoulders.
    "Good," he said, trying to smile. "Because you may have to."

Chapter 17
    Riley followed Conlan down a long hallway lined with classic horror movie posters. She stopped, laughing, in front of the toothy tomato decorating the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes poster and then turned her gaze to The Blob.
     
    "Steve McQueen," she mused, tracing the edge of the frame with one finger. "I loved this movie."
     
    Conlan held his hand out to her and grinned. "You and my brother are going to get along just fine."
     
    As they rounded the corner into some kind of large games room, she jerked to a stop at the sight of the crowd of enormous men who sat, stood, leaned, and basically filled up every ounce of space. Well, the men and the cartons, boxes, and trays of food that covered every spare inch of surface. The room looked like an invading army had stopped by for breakfast.
     
    God, they were huge. No wonder they needed to