I crinkle my brow as I stare up at Luca from the floor, unclear if I should be feeling insulted or not, and trying to read between the lines.
“Not important. You’re going to go over there and distract the torturer while Saedie and I get the fuck out of here, or I’m going to put a bullet through your brain right now.”
“The tor—Mr. Price?” Luca inquires, not at all fazed by Cade’s threat.
So that’s Mr. Penguin, AKA Asshole’s name. I think I’ll keep calling him Asshole — suits him better anyway.
“Yes.” Succinct as always.
“You don’t need to threaten to blow my brains out to get me to help you, Calder. But you can’t leave now.”
“Why the hell not?!” I demand, speaking to him for the first time since he discovered us.
Luca’s gaze flashes to mine, and I see fear there — fear for me?
“Because Robert and his men are on their way back from the noon-day meal. They’ll be here in a few minutes to check on the subject’s progress.” He replies, his tone softer now he’s speaking to me and not Cade. Luca seems to hold a vast knowledge of how things operate here that he didn’t bother to share with me when we had our little chat. I wonder what else he’s keeping from me in the name of ‘protection’.
“That changes things.” Cade snipes.
“If you hurry, you can hole up in the specimen room until they’ve come downstairs. The door is hardly ever locked.”
It’s an option. Don’t much like the sounds of ‘specimen room’ though.
“How long?”
Luca glances down at his watch - one I’ve never seen before. It looks fancy, like it can do a lot of tech-y shit. I wonder if it’s an Atlas perk because watches aren’t all that common anymore. “About five minutes tops.”
Cade’s response is immediate. Stowing away his handgun, he pushes me up so we’re standing side by side, still tucked back into the corner. It’s a tight fucking squeeze, but thankfully the cages are large, and raised off the floor to eye level, so we’re relatively hidden.
“Go distract Dr. Price.”
Luca gives a brisk nod, walking away and across the room. He glances back at me once, his expression forlorn yet seeking. I don’t know what he’s looking for, so I choose to ignore it.
“As soon as he has the doctor’s attention, we move.” Cade whispers in my ear, causing a dancing parade of shivers to cascade across my skin.
Fucking distracting men. Now is not the time.
“Got it.”
Luca passes through the automatic doors of the lab, calling out to Asshole. They start a conversation we can’t hear. The fact we can’t makes me think what George-Ann said is likely true - the room is soundproof. Luca has Asshole facing away from us in no time.
“Let’s go.” Cade commands.
I’m right on his heels, darting across the large expanse. We make it up the stairs and through the door quickly, Cade leading me into the room he’d found unlocked before. The door closes behind us just as we hear the locks springing free on the bottom stairwell door.
Too close. Way too fucking close.
This room is not soundproof apparently, as Nyler’s voice bleeds through quite clearly. “I want updates on Subject A-56 as soon as you have them. A-57 and A-58 need their doses upped, and I want clean samples collected….” His voice fades as they move past the specimen room — specimens I’ve thankfully not laid eyes on since we elected to hide in the dark — and we hear the sounds of several feet following suit.
Waiting until there’s complete silence in the hallway, Cade taps my shoulder, indicating it's time to go.
Right there with you, Hulk-man.
The way out of Atlas’ lair is much simpler and quicker than our trek in. Now we’ve navigated the stairwell once, it’s not as daunting, but we still do our best to remain quiet as church mice on the metal stairs.
“Let me go first.” Cade demands as we reach the top.
I don’t object, and since there’s no keypad on this side of the steel door, a simple tug of the handle has us free.
Thank fuck!
I’d expected there to at least be a guard at the entrance, since Nyler’s in residence, but much to my surprise, the outer hall is completely clear. Suspicious or ominous? I’m not sure.
Cade grabs my hand, hauling me along our pre-planned exit route through the half-dark passageways. To say it’s a strain to keep up with his longer stride would be a vast understatement - I may be in better shape than I’ve ever been, but the man’s legs are long - but he’s measuring his steps to make it less so. I almost punch his fucking duffel bag as it repeatedly knocks into my forearm while we exit the building — damn thing hurts!
Maybe it’s the adrenaline of a job well done hitting me, causing me to focus on the silly things, but I find I don’t fucking care.
We did it. We made it in and out without getting caught.
Now it’s time to use what we’ve learned and take Atlas the fuck down.
CHAPTER 19
The evening after breaking into Nyler’s house of horrors, Cade and I are holed up at my place. We decided to switch things up, attempting to throw Luca off when he eventually comes to call. And he will — I just hope it’s later rather than sooner.
The adrenaline of the day has started to wear off and I’m feeling weary all the way to my bones. My mind keeps superimposing Dad’s face onto the Subjects in the plexiglass boxes and it’s fucking with me. Cade, too, isn’t his usual self — quiet as always, yes, but there’s a lack of light behind his shining green gaze that tells me he’s feeling it just as much as I am.
The weight of what we know is a fucking heavy one to bear.
“Why do you think the Subjects keep dying, if Atlas has been at it this long?” I ask around a piece of dry bread. The human body is a funny thing…. I may be nauseous from all I’ve seen today, but I still need to eat, dammit.
Cade contemplates the question, like he might actually come up with a logical answer. Who knows, maybe he has knowledge of science and medicine that I’m unaware of — we haven’t known each other that long, after all.
“They must not be getting the extractions right. Or… I don’t know.” He sounds defeated when he adds, “I wish I did.”
“No, I think you’re right. Whatever splicing they’re doing is incomplete somehow. Leaving too much of ODR in the system to prevent necrosis and eventually death.” I’m speaking fast, the words coming out in a huff. “I mean, did you see the way their veins turned black? Like they had liquid sludge coursing through them — exactly like the Zerks.”
A heavy grunt is all I get in reply.
“What if ….” Pausing, I shake my head to clear my rapidly expanding thoughts. “No. I’m not going to go there. What they’re doing is sick. Wrong. No matter if they’re ever able to perfect it, they shouldn’t be playing around with humanity like they are…. Kidnapping ‘Subjects’ and forcing them to be guinea pigs in a race against the clock of Death.” A growl of frustration escapes me, “They’re despicable.”
“I’m not going to argue with you there.” Cade agrees, giving me a calculating look.
All I can do is shrug it off. It’s not a secret that I love medicine, and science plays a gigantic part in that. I can’t help it if my mind runs away with the possibilities, despite my definitive stance against the deeds.
Taking a bite out of his own stale bread, it looks like he’s having a hard time swallowing — physical or mental factors, I wonder. I offer him some filtered water we nabbed from the cafeteria before settling back into my favourite thinking place; the pillow corner.
A question pops into my head, and I force myself to ask him it, even if I don’t believe I’ll like the answer. “Do you really think we can take them down…. Just the two of us?”
Cade pauses with the water bottle halfway to his mouth. “Honestly? No, I truly don’t.”
Staring down at the bread in my hands, I toss the hunk of rock-hard shit to the side. “
Me either.”
Reality fucking sucks.
“What are we going to do?”
Twisting the cap back on the water bottle, Cade sighs. “Whatever the fuck we can.”
My eyes dart to his, surprised by his harsh tone. “Details, Cade. I need a plan with well thought out details, and maybe diagrams, too, for fucks sake.”
“Don’t take your anger of the day out on me, Saed. It won’t get us anywhere.” The command in his voice stalls my tongue, making me bite my next words back.
He’s right, I’m sniping at him when the real villain in the situation is Nyler and his Atlas crew.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m pissed, too.” He soothes, reaching out to run a warm hand back and forth along my arm.
The touch has me asking something I normally wouldn’t, spurring me into bravery, even if it shows my weakness. “Will you stay here with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”
In answer, he gathers up the remains of our failed dinner, storing them away for later. You wouldn’t think saving old bread would be important, but we’ve both lived through barely having any food to eat — not wasting any has become habit.
Coming back over to my side, Cade arranges the pillows just so in an effort to keep his bulky frame up off the hard observatory floor as much as possible.
When he opens his arms to me in welcome, I don’t hesitate, crawling into the space between them and allowing him to envelope me in his embrace. His scent washes over me, smoothing out my jagged nerves and I quickly fall into a mindless sleep.
◆◆◆
The heat is what wakes me. I’m surrounded by it. Suffocating in its completeness. I can feel sweat pooling at my lower back and under my boobs.
Fucking gross… whyyy?
It takes me a second to remember where I am… Who I’m with.
And that explains it.
Looking up into Cade’s sleeping face, I can’t find it in me to be annoyed at the fact I’m going to have to do another load of laundry soon, to get the stench of stale sweat from my clothes.
Keeping my body loose and limber, as not to wake him, I take the uninhibited moment to just stare. He’s so handsome it almost makes my eyes hurt to look at him. This close, I can see a tiny scar on his left eyebrow that I never noticed before. Its edges are jagged, not smooth, and I wonder how he got it.
Eyes landing on his plump lips, I find myself lost in a fantasy of leaning up and pressing a kiss there, ever so gently.
The urge is so strong, I start to shift my body closer to him without noticing, only stopping when those lips I’m staring at tilt up the smallest bit into an easy smile. He’s awake.
His glittering eyes are open when I find the courage to meet them, staring right at me. “Good morning, Saedie.” He greets softly. You’d think I’d be hit with morning breath, but no, why would the Gods make things that easy? Instead, all I smell is mint, however the fuck that’s possible. Unless he woke up sometime in the night and ate some leaves he had stashed somewhere.
Right. Highly unlikely.
“Morning.”
In the early hours of dawn, I haven’t yet started thinking about the worries of the day, and I allow myself to succumb to the feelings of the moment - ignoring, briefly, our vast responsibilities outside this room. I’m here, in the now.
And unless he keeps a steel rod in his pj’s for safekeeping, Cade’s really fucking happy to be waking up with me in his arms, too.
“Saedie,” he whispers inquisitively, breaking me out of my musings.
“Cade?”
“I need to know something before I do anything with this moment.”
Um… Okay?
“What do you mean?” The question comes out a little high-pitched, with a hint of hope lacing my words as ‘before I do anything with this moment’ dances around my consciousness. Hope that his current physical state is because he wants me. And not just because it’s morning, he’s a man, and he woke up in bed with a woman, relaxed and pliant, in his hulking arms.
“I know you fancy Luca,” not where I saw this going, “but… do you think you could ever have similar feelings for me?”
If I laugh right now, I know it will shatter the bubble of vulnerability he just pulled me into, but damn… Does he really need to ask that?
“I already do, Cade. I have for a while,” I confess easily, not ashamed to admit it. I do feel a glimmer of guilt for not arguing the point about Luca, but that’s flipping complicated.
My words seem to be what he was waiting for, because in one swift movement, he’s tugged my body underneath his, caging me in with his arms on either side of my head. Our height difference proves to be a bit of a problem, and I have to scoot up on the pillows to keep him from craning his neck down to my level.
Dropping into a low push-up, Cade’s lips land on mine. It isn’t like our first kiss at all. Not sweet, or gentle, or soothing. It’s none of those things, and yet I find I don’t need them in this moment.
Cade takes so much care, making sure not to hurt me, or accidentally crush me under his substantial frame — it’s sweet and endearing all at once.
Our lips move together in perfect harmony, each giving when the other takes. Back and forth it goes.
When I feel the tip of his tongue sliding along the slit of my lips, I don’t hesitate, opening up to allow him access. He sweeps in, tasting me, and moans. Fucking moans, like he can’t get enough.
Coming out of my blissful stupor, I slide both hands around the back of his neck, pulling him impossibly closer, forcing him to close the last few inches between our bodies. When his full weight presses against me, pushing me farther into the pillows, I can’t help but groan in pleasure. I briefly worry he’ll move away, thinking he’s hurt me, but he continues, even pressing harder in certain places.
He feels so good. I can’t get enough, but it’s honestly getting hard to breath we’ve been kissing so long. Cade breaks the kiss, trailing his lips along the line of my jaw and down to the sensitive space behind my ear.
When he bites there, I fucking melt. That’s the only way to describe it. My entire body goes languid as I heave for air, trying not to pass out from sensation overload. His chuckle brings me back to earth, and I smile with him. Happy.
What a fucked up time to be happy.
Brushing the unwanted thought away, I smooth my hands down his bulging biceps, not letting go. When he lifts up to adjust the slightest bit, I take the opportunity to wrap my legs around him and squeeze.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I tease.
“Wasn’t planning to, Sunshine.” His playful stare is intense, full of need, and I know mine is an equal reflection.
“I want you.” The admission tumbles out without my say so, but I don’t try and take it back. It’s true — I do want Cade. So fucking bad it hurts. My body is taught with need, suspended in anticipation of where this will go.
“Then have me, Saed. I’m yours.”
Fuck.
He leans back, putting all of his weight onto one arm as his free hand grabs the hem of my over-sized tee, pulling it up and over my head with my help.
This is really happening. Oh my gods.
When his gaze lands on my exposed chest - sans bra for sleep - it stays there, almost like he can’t look away.
“Sweet Gods, you’re perfect,” he breathes, making me blush. It’s not every day a girl gets compliments when a man is staring straight at her tits.
“Th-thank you?”
The stutter gets his attention, and his gaze jumps to mine. “Are you okay? Are you sure you want this?”
I wait a moment, wanting him to see I’m truly thinking about his question, before offering a resounding ‘yes’.
“Thank fuck.” The words come out in a rush.
I giggle, wiggling underneath him and dropping my legs free from their tight grip on him. “You next.”
We take our time undressing each other, exploring each new pane of flesh that’
s exposed. Placing soft kisses here, gentle caresses there. By the time we’re both fully naked, my breathing is harsh once again — anxious with excited anticipation.
Cade is lying beside me on the pallet, fingers trailing feather-soft along my skin, as he stares at my body like it’s something to be worshiped. Devoured.
I love it.
“Are you a virgin, Sunshine?” The quiet question throws me, but not enough to cool my heated desire.
Shooting for complete honesty, I meet his ardent gaze with only the tiniest bit of embarrassment. “In the biblical sense, yes, I am. But I’ve done other things,” I rush to add.
I wait for him to put on the brakes — to change his mind and not take this any further. Cade seems the type to not want to corrupt another person.
But he surpasses my expectations, taking my admission for the words they are and nothing more. When his wandering fingers move down low over my belly, stopping at the apex of my thighs, my body flushes cold then hot, goosebumps flaring on my heated flesh.
“I swear to be gentle,” he murmurs into my hair, then captures my lips with his once more.
I don’t tell him I’m not in to gentle right now. That I want him to ravish me, uninhibited. Instead, I cherish his promise for what it is — him caring. Ravishing can come later.
When his thick fingers slip between my slick folds, a keening sound escapes me, fanning out across Cade’s lips. His fingers are calloused, rough and worn, but they feel like magic dipped in dreams as he explores places I’ve only ever allowed myself to venture before.
His skilled attentions are like nothing I’ve ever experienced at my own touch. Alien and yet so fucking good — better than I could have imagined.
Pumping his finger into me, once, twice, again and again, he doesn’t let up on our kisses, keeping the pace slow and sweet. When he adds a second digit, scissoring them wide to stretch me, I nearly combust right then and there. It’s fucking heaven, what he’s doing.
I want more.
My breaths are coming in panting gulps, hips rocking in time with the thrust of his hand, and it’s all I can do to not scream at the top of my lungs as I tumble over the edge so abruptly, I’m struck speechless. Toes curling, nails digging into my sweaty palms, I ride the waves of bliss as they roll through me.
Atlas (Apocalyptic Cries Book 1) Page 18
