She reached for his hand, clasped it, and pulled him toward the stairs leading away from this place. The wind moaned and tried to capture her. Suddenly, she had to get off this hill before she became a part of it forever. Ghostly hands reached out to grab at her as she traversed her way to get down as quickly as possible.
She didn’t think it was a place she could ever visit again. Some sense of survival had her running, racing down the slick steps. She jumped from the last one, feeling she was racing for her life. Slipping and sliding, she finally reached the bottom in record time and knelt on the ground, gasping for air.
Long moments later she felt Athan’s hands on her shoulders.
“It’s all right, Korrie. Just take deep breaths.”
“I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I’m used to the feeling. I didn’t realize how deeply it would affect you. I’ve never brought anyone up here before. I should have been more careful of you.”
Stiffly, she rose to her feet and reached for his hand. “I asked you to bring me. I just didn’t realize ‑‑”
He led her away. “I know. It is a sad and lonely place. It’s why she named it Heartbreak Hill. As much as Dr. Sheba felt the sadness, she always came with me to say a last prayer for the soul we buried. Even in later years when it got worse and she could hardly make it to the top, she always came. She felt it was her duty.”
“What about Cornelius?”
Athan was silent for a long time before answering. “Dr. Cornelius only came up here once. When I buried them both.”
Korrie felt goosebumps rise on her arms and then mentally shook away the images. “Let’s leave this place. Take me back to the cottage and make love to me.”
“Don’t I disgust you? Adele called me a monster and she didn’t even know about this place. She killed herself because of what I am and because she couldn’t live with the horrific knowledge of having been made love to by something so evil.”
“My God, Athan, you aren’t evil and I don’t know how anyone could think you are. I certainly don’t. I came here to try to understand a little more of this place. By coming here, it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I just can’t understand how Cornelius Ransom let it go so far.”
“Dr. Sheba tried to stop him. It worked for a time.” He turned away and began to head across the field.
Enough questions for now. There was only so much of the history of this place one could tolerate on a given day. She raced to catch up with him, refusing to leave him alone in the darkness the doctors had created for him. Somehow she had to find a way to help him.
A fatal feeling of foreboding descended over her. Time was running out.
Chapter Twelve
Athan hated to let her go. As he watched, she stretched lazily against the pillows of the bed and smiled up at him. He had fucked women and men, had expended as his humanity demanded, but he had never made long, leisurely love to them the way he did with Korrie. Never so tenderly. She had unlocked a part of him that he hadn’t known existed.
Even with Dr. Sheba, there had been pleasure and enjoyment, but not the same depth of passion he now felt. Not that deeper, elemental connection. Is this what Dr. Sheba had felt for her husband? This sense of commitment, of not being able to breathe without the other person close by? Of a shadow falling to enclose him when she was not with him?
Korrie rolled over onto her stomach and was looking out the window. He sat down next to her and started to massage her shoulders.
“Mmmm, that feels wonderful. You have gifted hands, Athan.”
His hands moved over her flesh slowly, learning every nuance as though for the first time. He loved touching her.
She twisted around and gazed up at him. He saw worry in her eyes. He wished he knew how to make it disappear. He cupped her breasts, leaned down, and started to lick her salty skin.
“You taste beautiful. Just like the sunshine.”
She arched against him and he felt her hands thread through his hair. “Athan…”
He’d hoped he’d forced the memories of the hill away, but there was worry in her voice. He sucked at the gently rounded mound of her stomach, swirling his tongue into her navel. A throaty gasp escaped her lips and her fingers tightened in his hair. He moved downward, needing to taste her.
Athan spread her legs and moved between them. He opened her carefully, breathed in her scent.
“Athan, oh God, yes.” She pulsed and spilled her delicious cream as she orgasmed, and he sucked every sweet drop, licking along her lips, her clit, savoring her. Then he moved over her, sliding inside her, burying himself to her core. He felt the hum of his surges pass through her, pushing her upward as she opened herself to him. He lifted to his knees, his arms anchored around her, drawing her with him.
She bowed over his arms, her eyes closed, her lips parted, arms stretched above her head as she yielded to the electrical waves humming through her. She looked every bit the goddess at that moment ‑‑ the mate of his dreams, the partner he’d never thought to find. Someone who understood him completely, who knew all his secrets and still accepted him for who and what he was.
“No one will take you from me,” he vowed. “No one.”
Pulling her toward him, molding her flesh to his, he spurted his energized seed deep into her womb. She gasped and growled, his cum infusing her, magnifying her desire. Her eyes opened and he saw the primal passion flare brightly.
“I love you, Athan. Give me all of you. Never hide from me.” She dragged his head down and fastened her lips to his. The waves of electricity connected them. He didn’t have to control his own brand of passion. She had seen him at his worst, when he had just come off the electrophasm machine, and still she remained, accepting him just as he was. She belonged with him, to him, and he would not let her go.
* * * * *
Korrie had returned to the house to begin work on creating the report she planned to send to the institute. And she said she wanted to finish reading Dr. Sheba’s journal, but they would meet for dinner later.
Athan’s energy was beginning to drain, and he knew he would need the electrophasm treatment soon. The monster that lurked inside him weighed heavily on his conscience. Paul had been a pleasant, constant diversion. But, Korrie. Her inner beauty lit up his dark world in ways he wasn’t certain he fully understood. He simply knew he didn’t want to lose her. And yet, he didn’t know how to keep her.
He walked toward the walled garden deep in contemplation, planning to prune the roses and trim back the lilacs. Working in the garden always helped to settle him, allowing him time to sort through his thoughts.
“Hello, Athan.”
He stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice behind him, then whirled around.
“Paul, you have returned.” He studied the man who had been his lover, saw him through different eyes. Attractive in his way, Athan now knew why he had never confided in him. There was something superficial about him, a slyness in his eyes, and right now there was something sinister, in some way frantic, in his expression. “I didn’t see your car.”
The twisted smile that rose to Paul’s lips did not seem to be one of pleasure. It was more of a grimace and his eyes remained cold and assessing. Athan’s instinct told him to be on his guard.
“It broke down just outside the gate. Maybe you can take a look at it for me a little later.” His gaze scoured over Athan. “Have you missed me, lover?”
He could not lie to him, but some instinct told him that he must protect Korrie. “You made me believe you might not return.”
Paul’s expression turned stone hard. “You’ve been fucking the Odell bitch, haven’t you? I saw you together, so don’t lie.”
Athan drew himself up straighter. “I have never lied to you, Paul.” Every warning instinct inside Athan shot to alert. “But you were not truthful about her. Why, Paul, what did you hope to gain? Why didn’t you tell me that you were engaged to her? What purpose did it serve to be
untruthful?”
“She’s done exactly what I thought she would. She’s turned you against me, hasn’t she? And you shared with her what should have been mine. The Ransom discoveries belong to me. She’s nothing.”
“They don’t belong to you, Paul,” Athan responded softly. There was a wild glint in Paul’s eyes. He was dangerous, just as Korrie had known he would be.
“Did she tell you why we broke up?”
Athan nodded. What was Paul up to? What did he hope to gain by this discussion? “Yes, she told me you had taken another lover.”
“Did she tell you who that was? Did she tell you it was her father who was infinitely more satisfying than a brainless bitch of a naive college girl?”
Athan took a step toward him. “Do not speak of her that way. You hurt her with your actions.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you? How the hell could you want her after what we had together?”
Athan had hardly admitted it to himself, although Korrie had used that word with him. “We had great sex, Paul, nothing more. You know that. Yes, I love Korrie.”
“You’re a fool,” Paul bit out. “She’ll expose all of this and won’t think twice about it. You’ve told her everything, haven’t you?”
How much did Paul know? “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What could I have told her?” He didn’t like lying, but something told him that he must tread carefully with Paul.
“I’ve been to your house, Athan. I know what’s in the basement. I’ve seen the lab. How long did you think you could keep it a secret from me?”
Athan stiffened. He didn’t dare glance at the main house to be certain Korrie was safely inside and not somewhere close by. “You were spying on me? You broke into my house?”
Paul shrugged. “It didn’t involve much breaking. You left the back door open.”
“When?”
“This afternoon while you were upstairs fucking that bitch.”
Athan took a meaningful step toward him. He hated violence ‑‑ he knew what it could do, how terrible the consequences could be.
He stopped short as Paul drew a gun from his pocket, the ugly, dangerous barrel staring straight at him. “Don’t make another move, Athan. You and I have some unfinished business. We’re going back to that basement and you’re going to unlock that safe. I want everything you have secreted away in there about the experiments.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know what you’re asking of me. I can’t give you what you want.”
“Would you rather I talk with Korrie?” he asked menacingly. “Do you think you can bring her back to life once she’s dead? It might be interesting to find out. Do you want to take that chance? It all fits now. You had what I came here looking for all along. Everything was true, and I want it. And I’ll do whatever I need to get it.”
Athan shuddered to think about Paul following through on his threats. No matter how lonely he got, he’d sworn never again to test the boundaries of life. Even for Korrie, he didn’t think he could bring himself to breach that nightmarish experiment again. But what would happen if he gave Paul the files? What would he do with them? He needed to stall for time to plan a way to stop him.
“All right, Paul. Let’s go back to the laboratory.” He wanted him away from the house, and maybe he could buy the time he needed. “You’ll leave once you have what you’re looking for? You won’t hurt Korrie?” He had to let Paul think he had won. Athan only needed a moment for him to drop his guard.
“If I have what I came for, I’ll leave.”
Athan wasn’t certain that answer satisfied him, but he would have to let it go for now. Paul stepped back as Athan moved past him.
“Keep it slow,” he instructed him. “I don’t want to use this if I don’t have to.”
They made their way back to the cottage and down to the laboratory.
“Tell me about the experiments,” Paul said. “I’m surprised they didn’t go public with their findings. They would have made a much bigger name for themselves and probably gotten some really decent financial backing to continue their experiments. And how do you figure into it?”
Paul obviously didn’t know the whole truth. “A familial relationship. My father knew them.” Lying to him was certainly getting easier. Thank goodness Dr. Sheba’s journal and the earlier research notebooks were with Korrie. At least Paul would not know her deepest, most heart-wrenching admissions, nor exactly how Athan was made. Or for that matter, that Athan was the experiment. The only things left in the safe were a few of the experimental notes of the failures that had resulted in later years. Convoluted and rambling information at best. Some of the more recent information was from his own work with chemicals and powders, including the recipe for the oils he’d used with Paul. But Paul would not know that, not until he began reading through the notes and hopefully he would be far away by that point.
“How far did they go? How successful were they? What were they working on when they died?”
Athan cringed at the memory of the many instances when Dr. Cornelius had attempted to recreate the experiment. Many of those later records were burned up in the other laboratory fire, thank goodness. He chose not to answer Paul’s question.
Paul pointed, waving the gun in the air, toward the wall where the safe was hidden. “Open it and give me those research papers. All of them.”
Slowly, Athan made his way to the wall and opened the hidden panel. Then he opened the safe. Stepping back, he made room for Paul to access the contents.
“Oh no. You reach in and get them out. And it better be exactly what I expect to find.”
Athan leaned forward and pulled down the pouches containing the research records, several computer disks, a few notebooks, and then turned back to Paul.
“Set them on that table and then step back,” Paul ordered.
Athan did as he was told. “You’ll leave now.”
“You could come with me, Athan. You’d have a great life in a foreign country.”
“You aren’t taking these back to the institute?”
Paul shook his head. “Hardly. I have buyers waiting. Very affluent buyers. They’re going to set me up in my own lab and I’ll have unlimited financial backing. This stuff is my ticket out of here. I’d make you come with me, just for any information you might have, but I have a feeling you’d be more trouble than you’re worth.” He tilted his head and looked up at Athan. “Too bad. Really too bad.” His expression hardened.
He looked at the safe and then back at Athan. Stepping back, he levered the gun higher. “I can’t just leave you here, you know that, Athan. Damn, but we’d have made a great team, if only you’d told me what I wanted to know in the beginning. And now Korrie Odell just complicates everything. Well, the whole damn situation has gotten way too complicated and I need to simplify it.” That feral gleam was back in Paul’s eyes, and Athan knew Paul had gone over the edge into madness.
“Paul, you promised not to hurt Korrie.” He took a step toward him.
Paul shook his head as he raised the gun, aiming it at Athan’s chest. “Well, I don’t think I exactly promised that. She’s gotten in my way much too often. I think it’s time to end her interference once and for all.”
“Don’t do this. We won’t get in your way. Take the documents and just leave. There’s no reason to kill anyone.” If he rushed him and failed, Korrie would die. He took another step.
“But I’ve already killed one person. I’m thinking it gets easier each time.” He offered Athan a cold smile, his eyes dark.
Without warning, before Athan could move closer, Paul pulled the trigger. Athan felt the deep burning in his chest before the echoing report of the gun registered in his brain, before he had a chance to duck. He raised his hands to his chest and blood poured through his fingers as he staggered and fell to his knees. He’d underestimated his ex-lover, and now Korrie would pay the price.
If he’d taken care of his electrophasm treatment
he wouldn’t have been as weakened as he was right now. He fell to the floor, unable to move.
He felt Paul’s presence above him. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, Athan. Now I have to go take care of Korrie. Whether you actually die or not, won’t really matter after all, I guess. Especially once I lock that door.”
Hazily, Athan heard him moving around the room. He had to let Paul leave, he was too weak to stop him. Once he was gone, he would have to get to the machine. A treatment would seal the wound and he would be imbued with the electrical resurgence. His flesh did not hold up to such a vicious assault, but it could be mended as long as he could pretend to be dead and Paul left. It was his only hope.
He could only pray that he could complete the treatment before Paul had a chance to get to Korrie. Once he had his strength back, he could stop Paul.
After what seemed like a century of time, he heard the door close and the lock bolt into place, then footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Athan dragged himself across the floor and pushed the buttons on the machine to warm it up. Too much time was passing. He wasn’t certain he could get to Korrie before Paul hurt her. What if Korrie was killed? He couldn’t consider that possibility. It couldn’t happen again. The loss of blood was making him lightheaded, and he forced himself not to lose consciousness.
Holding on to a corner of the machine, he painstakingly pulled himself up. Ripping at his clothing, he finally managed to divest himself of everything until he stood, weaving and naked, blood still pouring from the gunshot wound. Wheeling around, with halting steps, he got himself into position. He attached the wires, positioned the cock ring around his penis, then placed his legs and arms into the clamps. The machine reached the half charged mark and the clamps and chest brace closed, bolstering him up.
Blood pumped from the wound in his chest. Thankfully, Paul had missed hitting anything vital like his heart, but it had been a near miss. Athan watched the dial on the machine as it reached maximum voltage. The steady, loud hum evened out and he felt the first waves of voltage pass through his body.
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