Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

government."
     
    "They're not losers," Riley said quietly. "They're people who never had the basics to improve their lives. I try to help with that."
     
    "I'm sorry. I know you do. You're right, they're not losers. And you're pretty much a fucking saint to do what you do. But my path is a little different."
     
    Ven suddenly whistled, staring at Quinn with admiration evident in his gaze. "Takes a street fighter to recognize another one. You're in the rebellion."
     
    Quinn inclined her head, unsmiling. "Yeah. And telling you this could get me dead in a hurry, so consider it an even trade for what you told us about Atlantis."
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    She paused, sucked in a deep breath. "I'm not just in the rebellion. I'm one of its leaders. And those wolves your pals killed? They were on my team. So I'm responsible for their deaths."
     
    Quinn snapped her mouth closed when Brennan walked into the room, staring at him with suspicion.
     
    "It's okay, Quinn, this is Brennan," Riley reassured her sister. "He—"
     
    "He has a nifty trick of burying his emotions way, way down, doesn't he?" Quinn said, eyes narrowing. "I almost didn't feel them at all, dude. Nice hostility, by the way. How'd you manage, the emotional block?"

Chapter 23
    Riley stared through the window into the night. "I can't believe she left. I can't believe my sister, the rebel leader, just took off into the night on an urgent mission. I keep thinking I'm trapped in a B movie, and I'm going to wake up any minute."
     
    Conlan couldn't stay away from her any longer. He'd watched her courage as she'd learned and accepted everything he and her sister had thrown at her that day.
     
    It had been far too long since he'd touched her, and his hands craved the feel of her skin. In two strides, he crossed the bedroom and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, mi amara. I hate that you were forced into this rude awakening to the ugly reality of what's going on now."
     
    She pulled away and turned to face him, hands fisted on her hips. "Ugly reality? You want to talk to me about ugly reality? My clients routinely kill each other in their homes.
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    can get them any help at all, thanks to Senator 'I'm a master vampire' Barnes and his slash-and-burn job on social services for humans. So don't tell me about ugly reality."
     
    He leaned against the wall, forcing himself to stay back from her, in spite of his body's demands that he pull her close again. "Children are often the first casualties of war."
     
    She spun on her heel and walked away from him, then sank down to sit on the bed.
    Putting her head in her hands, she moaned. Then she looked him in the eyes. "When did it become a war? Nobody declared a war, not that I know of, and yet suddenly I'm on the front lines."
     
    He crossed to her, sat next to her. Everything in him rebelled against the words that he forced out, but she'd earned his respect with her courage.
     
    She deserved her freedom.
     
    "If you want out, just say the word. I believe that your empath power may be enormously helpful to us in our battle to protect your people. That is the truth."
     
    She said nothing, merely gazed at him, unmoving. Her emotions shielded from him.
     
    "But this is also the truth," he rasped. "Somehow, I have feelings for you beyond anything I ever dreamed possible. Even now, my body is raging at me to take you. To strip you bare and have you underneath me on this bed."
     
    She gasped a little, but didn't move away. Conlan chose to take that as a hopeful sign.
     
    "I need you, Riley. Yes, Atlantis needs you. We need to study this power you have and see if we can duplicate it. If Quinn hadn't convinced us that her mission was so urgent, I would have tried to persuade her to come with us, too."
     
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    "She felt emotions from Brennan, Conlan. That has to give him hope."
     
    "May it not be false hope. Brennan deserves better than what life has doled out to him."
     
    He tried to focus. Tried not to be distracted by the scent of her. By the desire swamping him. "The aknasha ability—we hope to discover if it can be used against us. Or maybe used for us. But, in spite of this need—both of these needs—in spite of my duty as future king of the Seven Isles, I would let