The Hart Brothers Series Box Set (Including the bonus book Sabin: A Seven Novel): Freeing Her, Freeing Him, Kestrel, The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart, Sabin: A Seven Novel

by A. M. Hargrove

  “No, L’han, she is not. Her body temperature is kept a constant ninety-eight point six in the unit. She is not cold.”

  I don’t have a chance to take comfort in that when Edge practically tears down the door, without asking permission to enter. Normally, I would severely reprimand him for this, but I can’t. I wonder who’s more upset about Serena—him or me.

  “How is she? Will she be okay?” he asks.

  “Physically, yes. Mentally? Time will tell.”

  Her appearance is already improving in the short time she’s been immersed in the unit. “Her body needed to be restored to homeostasis. She was severely compromised.”

  “I’m afraid her friend is in worse condition,” Edge informs me.

  “Did we ever find out her connection to Serena?”

  “Verus says she’s some diving friend.”

  “Why the hell would he have taken her?”

  Edge only shakes his head. “She isn’t used to intergalactic travel. Add that to her unstable condition. I hope she makes it, Sabin.”

  “I do too.”

  “How long will Serena have to stay in here?”

  “Not long, I think. I’m going after him.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “No. I can’t let you. It’s too risky.”

  Edge doesn’t speak for a bit. But then he says, “It’s not your choice. You give orders on things that affect our world. This is a personal matter for you. It is for me, too. Serena is like a sister to me. I want him to pay for this.”

  I digest what he says. He’s right. I can’t make this decision for him. “When we go, he pays with his life. We don’t return unless he dies. That means either he goes or we do.”

  “I know, and I’m willing to take that chance.”

  That’s quite a testament of Edge’s loyalty to Serena. But I’m not at all surprised. The two of them have shared a tight friendship from the start. I believe it began the day she stepped up and claimed she went into the kitchen on her own accord, covering up for Edge. She earned his respect that day, and it’s continued to grow. “Were you able to find Judgment Day?”

  “No. We ran out of time. Drey grabbed the girl and needed help getting her ready for the trip home so I had to assist. That took me out of the hunt. Then it was down to the final minutes and the others had to abandon the search. You already cleared the place, so we left.”

  “Good. We’ll get it after we kill him. And we’ll take out the Shaurok that are in the way while we’re at it. But Edge, I want to be clear on this. I won’t return until he’s dead. This is the end.”

  “I’m with you, Sabin.”

  “So am I.” I look up to see Rafe standing there. Neither Edge nor I heard him enter the room, as our backs face the door.

  “I want him dead every bit as much as you. I’m responsible for this,” he waves his hand through the air over where Serena lies, “and I want him to pay for it.”

  I watch him as he looks over Serena. This has totally set him back a notch or two. “I am here to offer you, once again, my apology. What’s Serena’s status?” Rafe asks.

  I fill him in. I’m still not satisfied with what he did and the way he acted toward her. I don’t understand it and I need to get to the bottom of it. But it will have to wait because I refuse to leave Serena’s side until she is awake and responsive.

  That takes days. The SIMD confirms the baby will survive and that is good news. When Serena awakens, sedation is required because she is so confused and disoriented. The SIMD recommends an implanted MSI to try and rearrange her brainwaves. Edge, Verus, and I discuss this and we decide to consult with the engineers on it. They agree with the SIMD.

  “Is there any way to confirm he’s out of her head? We need to verify that before we do anything.”

  The engineer, whose name escapes me, says, “We can send in an MSI probe, sir.”

  “Is there any risk to her if we do?” I ask. “I don’t want to compromise her any further than she already is.”

  “No risk. I can have the SIMD insert it at the base of her skull and it will travel and do an entire scan of her brain, sending back any anomalies as it goes. It’s extremely thorough. If he’s in there, he’ll never know the probe was there.”

  “Do it,” I order.

  The engineer programs the SIMD to make it happen and I stand by, along with Edge, Verus, and Rafe as we all observe. The process takes about two hours. The engineer reads the reports and tells me the bastard is not there. The only brainwaves are Serena’s.

  “Is there any way he can disguise his own as hers?” I want to be confident of this.

  “Yes, but with his capabilities and intelligence, we would’ve picked up on that. We only detect hominid.”

  “Good.”

  The engineer has another recommendation. “I think she would benefit from an MSI to help her brain reestablish itself. It’s been traumatized from the invasion and it would help it heal.”

  “Do it, as long as it won’t harm her.”

  “It won’t,” he says.

  “How long before we see improvement?” I ask.

  “It’s hard to say. It can vary, depending on the injury.”

  “I may need you to check on another human we brought in.” Turning to Edge, I ask him to take the engineer to Serena’s friend.

  After they leave, I look to Rafe. “This isn’t over between us. I need to know why you acted the way you did toward her.”

  “I was an ass.”

  “That’s not enough, Rafe. There’s more to it.”

  He shifts his weight from one foot to the other and looks up at the ceiling. “Sabin, it’s Cherise.”

  “Cherise?”

  “Yes. I was upset over Andros and she came in wanting to know how to help you. I acted like a shit. Part of it was jealousy. Maybe I wanted someone to care enough about me to try and help me out. It brought back all my memories of Cherise—ones I thought were locked away forever. I should’ve been a better man, but I wasn’t. I don’t know what else to say other than I’m sorry.” He rubs the back of his neck. “If you want in my head, have at it. But I’m telling you the truth.” He faces me square on and doesn’t flinch.

  Shit. Cherise. His lost love from years ago. I never thought of that.

  “Why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you tell her you couldn’t deal with it? Look at her. And … I shouldn’t tell you this because she doesn’t even know, but she’s pregnant.”

  His lids squeeze shut and he drops his head down. “What do you want from me? I’ll go back and kill him for you, or die trying. This is all my doing, so it’s me who should try to fix it.”

  “No! I want his neck for doing that.” I point to Serena. “I want the revenge. No one else gets it.”

  “Then I’ll have your back, because I’m the one who deserves to hang for this.”

  “I think we’re both taking it too far, maybe. We all need rest. Andros pushed us over the edge. Serena is sensitive, but don’t ever speak that way to her again.”

  “Honestly, I doubt she’ll ever speak to me again.”

  “Yeah, she will. It’s her way.”

  All of a sudden, a yapping puppy barges into the room.

  “Walter. Will he ever stop?” I ask.

  “Don’t ask me. I’ve never had one of those things.”

  As we watch Walter, he runs around in a circle, wagging his tail, and then promptly squats and pees between us. In its monotonous voice, the SIMD states, “Four-legged earth creature has urinated on floor.”

  “I’d like to annihilate this little shit,” I say.

  Rafe laughs at me. “Yeah, but then Serena would be really upset. And look how cute he is.”

  I raise one brow, bend down, pick him up, and hand him to Rafe. “Go feed him and get someone up here to clean his urine up, if you think he’s so damn cute.”

  We keep vigil for several more days before Serena wakes up again. This time, her condition is improved but she acts strange, and I
don’t know what to do. One glance at me and she immediately takes off her clothes.

  “Serena, how do you feel?”

  “I … I … need.”

  Her hand clamps around my wrist and she tugs. I have to brace myself against the edges of the unit she lies in just so I don’t fall on top of her.

  “Serena, I think we need to get you out of there. You’ve been unconscious for days.”

  Her breathing is slightly erratic and she’s flushed. I look to the SIMD for help. “What’s happening to her?” I ask.

  “L’han, I’m registering a powerful sexual response and activation of her limbic system, particularly the amygdala.”

  “Why is this happening?”

  “I do not know, L’han.”

  The fluid is not emptied from the unit and Serena keeps grabbing my arm. “I think I need to get her into the shower.”

  “Yes, L’han. Perhaps it will soothe her. She should also eat solid food.”

  That would be great if I could get her to focus. She’s practically crawling over me right now.

  “Serena.”

  “Need you.”

  The SIMD says, “I shall shut down, L’han.”

  Yeah, fine. What the hell is wrong with her? Her hands tear at my clothes, like talons.

  “Serena, calm down.”

  She growls something I can’t quite make out. To hell with this. I pick her up, lift her over my shoulder, and carry her to the bathroom. Not chancing it, I program the shower still holding her, though her hands find their way past the waist of my pants. Seriously. What is wrong? I’ve been worried sick about her, haven’t slept, and now she’s practically raping me. Okay, maybe not raping me, but sex isn’t high on my list of priorities right now.

  The shower is ready so I set her on her feet. Hands literally rip my shirt open. For being suspended in that unit for as long as she was, her strength is astounding. The shower door slides open and she shoves me in. I’m still half clothed. When she opens her mouth to speak, I’m horrified. She speaks in his language. Now I’m not so sure he’s left her head. But there’s nothing I can do about it at the moment because I have an insatiable creature on my hands, and she wants one thing.

  “Serena, are you here with me? Do you know who I am?” Somehow, the thought of fucking her in this state isn’t exactly what I had in mind. She grinds herself against me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me close.

  “Yes, you’re Sabin. I need you.”

  This was the last thing I thought I’d be doing, but the way she says my name and what her body is doing to mine, changes my mind. I grab her chin and force her to look at me.

  “Are you sure?” I want recognition in her eyes.

  “Yes,” she says, twisting her fingers in my hair and pulling me close for a kiss. And then her scent explodes all around me. I practically have to pry her away from me in order to get a hand between us so I can unfasten my pants. When she sees what I’m doing, she helps me and soon I’m as naked as she is. This is no sweet joining. It is rough and almost violent. Her nails gouge my skin as her teeth also find purchase on my shoulder. I don’t care. I will gladly bear these wounds. Right now, she’s all I want. Her wet hair is plastered to our skin as the water rains down upon us. My mouth grazes down her neck to her chest, where I find her nipples pointed and ready to be sucked. When my mouth fastens on to one, her head falls back and her leg tightens around me. That won’t do. I push her back so I can feel her pussy, but she moans, protesting when I do. She doesn’t know my intentions, though. As my fingers find their way to her lovely sex, her protests turn into moans of ecstasy.

  “You’re so ready for me.” And she is. Wet and even swollen, as I push two fingers inside of her. She is slick with need.

  “Need. I neeeeed you. Now. Please.”

  If that’s what she wants, that’s what she’ll get. I remove my hand and grasp her under her ass, lifting her. Seconds later, my cock spears her.

  “Yes,” she cries.

  Her hands grab my shoulders as her legs wrap around me and squeeze.

  “Harder, Sabin.”

  I walk her to the wall and brace her back against it. And then I give her what she wants. There is a small part of my brain that is afraid I’ll hurt her, but the way she urges me on lets me know this is more than okay. Maybe it’s because she’s been held hostage, or maybe it’s because he trapped her mind, or maybe it’s because he enslaved her. Whatever the reason, if this is what she insists on, then I’m happy to give it to her.

  Watching her face is like seeing the sunrise for the first time, or floating in space for the first time. Her eyes are half-lidded and her mouth is slightly open, but the way her breath moves in and out and the sounds she emits, coupled with the way she feels sliding tightly against my cock, is nothing short of miraculous. Without hesitation, I plunge my tongue into her mouth to match the way my cock thrusts into her, and I can hear the sounds of her skin slap against the wall of the shower. Over and over, I move. It’s exquisite and I’m so close, but when I feel her tighten on me, I pull my mouth away from her so I can watch her come. She arches into me as water sluices over us, her nipples like perfectly sharpened tips. Her moans send me over to my own climax. Dropping my head onto her neck, I breathe heavily, trying to catch my breath. Her heart rumbles beneath me, as I’m sure mine does the same.

  Her words come to me, soft, yet firm. “You came for me.”

  Raising my head, I find her deep green eyes, centered on me. “Of course I came for you. Why would you think I wouldn’t?”

  “I … because you didn’t talk to me anymore. I thought you stopped caring.”

  “Never. I could never stop caring for you.” I nuzzle her neck. Then she puts her hand on my cheek.

  “Why wouldn’t you talk? You didn’t come to our room for days? I didn’t …” her voice trails off. Then something terrifying happens. When she speaks again, it’s in his language. The words are genuine, and she tells me what Rafe said and how she went to him for help, but the words aren’t in her native tongue and she has no idea she’s not speaking English.

  She notices my reaction. “What’s wrong?” she asks.

  I smile and say, “I think we should get out of here and get dressed so we can talk.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Again, it’s all in the Mastermind’s language. Is he still in her head? I need to get the SIMD to check her and possibly even the engineers again. She notices I’m upset.

  “What’s wrong, Sabin?”

  “Let’s get dressed first, okay?”

  We get out of the shower and I towel her off first and then me. After we’re dressed, we go to where the SIMD stands by, and I ask her if she recognizes the language she spoke. Then I tell her.

  That’s when she breaks down and sobs.

  Twenty-Four

  Serena

  I’m floating on a calm sea, the soft ripples of water carrying me gently toward … where, I’m not sure. But wherever it is, I know it’s safe. Sabin is here. I smell his spicy scent. It floats around the sea, which supports me, soothing me. I am home.

  My lids flutter open to find myself in some contraption that resembles a bathtub. But when I see Sabin, desire—strong, urgent, and potent—takes every other lucid thought away. All I can imagine is the two of us, naked and fucking. Need drives me to my feet and it’s staggering. When we get to the shower, he satisfies me, but after we dress, he drops the bomb on me. And it comes back to me in tiny bits. The way I felt around him—the Mastermind—how he made me want him … and I hang my head in absolute shame.

  Sabin knows something is horribly wrong.

  “Tell me, Serena.”

  I move away from him, feeling dirty. How can I tell him I wanted that … that man? How can I say the words? My arms wrap around myself and I want to hide. Hide from this glorious man who risked his life … again … to save me. My back’s up against the wall, literally, and I slide down, knees touching my chest. I’m so ashamed of myself, of feelin
g like I’ve betrayed him and myself, that I can’t bring my eyes to meet his.

  His voice comes to me from inches away, telling me he’s right next to me. “Serena, you can tell me, whatever it is. Did he rape you?”

  “No,” I say, my head buried in my arms.

  “Then what? Did he hurt you?”

  “Please. Can you drop it?”

  “No, I need to know. Tell me.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  Oh, God, then he sits next to me and pulls me into his arms. Now what am I supposed to do?

  Holding me close, he caresses me. “Yes, you can. You can tell me anything. You’re safe here and nothing will hurt you.”

  “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

  He rubs the side of my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Sometimes the worst fears are the fears themselves.”

  “I wanted him. Sexually.”

  He tries to hide his surprise, but I see his eyes widen fractionally. Then he glances down momentarily. “Did he make you feel that way?”

  “I don’t know. Yes. My mind is kind of foggy now. All I remember is this intense sexual desire.”

  “But he didn’t …”

  “No. He didn’t want me.” I start to weep again. Big fat tears that roll down my cheeks at the speed of light. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to want him. And he did this thing with his voice that hurt me.” My whole body shudders with the memory. My fingers touch my head because I remember hitting it on the floor. I wince when I find the tender place where I must’ve bruised myself.

  He sits there motionless, as though he’s in a trance. When I try to extricate myself from his arms, he tightens them. It makes me cry harder.

  “Please,” I begin.

  “I’m going to kill him, Serena. Did he hurt you anywhere else? Do anything else to you?”

  “I don’t know. I hit my head, but then I kept getting weaker and weaker until I don’t remember anything. He must’ve drained all my energy or something. I tried to touch him and couldn’t.”

  Sabin stiffens. “What do you mean?”

  “My hands couldn’t get through whatever surrounded him. Some type of invisible wall, I think.”