Sin of Fury

Chapter 8





“Ah, sir, I think there might be a problem...” The tech rubbed his forehead, brows drawn low. Lucian looked at him for all of a second before storming over and jerking the monitor to his face.

He stared. Bit out a curse. Listened as the tech’s chair rolled back. “Very few things piss me off,” he started, his voice a deep baritone. The room, with all of it’s clicking and scrapes of paper, stilled.

“Sir, if I could just —”

“This,” he said, jabbing a finger at the monitor, “pisses me off. That right there is bullshit.”

The shout rang around the room. At that moment, it seemed as if the world had stopped. Time was still, people were still — hell, even the fax machines were silent. Lucian took a breath, clenching his hands at his sides. Carefully, oh-so-very gently, he set the monitor back on the cluttered desk and let out a breath.

“Who let this happen?” he demanded, ignoring the tech who tried to talk to him. The man had ruined his day more than once, and he swore if he heard one more thing from him, Lucian was going to rip him a new one.

No one answered. “Who let this happen?”

His bark had a young woman, short with blonde hair curled into a tight bob, jumped to her feet. Everyones’ eyes turned to her.

“Mr. Xanthis, I emailed you about it only an hour ago. I had hoped that you would...”

“You would email me about something like this?” he shouted, storming over. One of the men sitting near her stood to his feet, ready to defend her. Lucian snarled at him and jerked a thumb at his office. “In.”

She moved like a hare, practically running to his office.

The tech tried to intervene, face beaded with sweat. Lucian just looked at him and he fell back, eyes helpless.

He slammed the door shut behind him. “What were you thinking? Email? Seriously? We both know that’s bullshit.”

“Mr. Pontros, I’m so sorry!” she rushed out, eyes wide in her pale face. “I didn’t know that it was so important, or I would have came to you directly.”

He pinched his nose between his fingers, fighting for patience. “Everyone was told to come straight to me if anything like this happened — “

“I know, but —”

“Do not,” he barked, eyes flashing, “interrupt me. You’re lucky you’re a damn fast typer or you would be out of here. F*ck, you’re lucky you’re still alive.”

He strode to behind his desk, pushing a button on the stationary phone. “Harper, send in Levi and Devlin with their second in commands.” He let go of the button, turning back to the nervous woman.

“When I say ‘straight to me’ I mean it. Get out.”

The door slammed with her departure.

Lucian shoved himself into his chair, eyes staring at the wall as if he could make it explode — which he could. Long fingers curled into a tight fist. F*ck, everything was messed up now. Just f*cking everything.

That man had been the one purpose for the whole mission. Now that he was gone... Lucian banged on the desk, the hard oak wood shuddering. How had they not found out sooner? Everything had been carefully placed, carefully monitored, carefully everything. No one had been allowed a break, least of all Lucian himself. The long nights at the office, monitoring, searching, filling out papers and search warrants and controlling the quickly depleting time — it had all been for nothing.

He barked out a curse, stomping to the door. It opened in time for Devlin and Levi to walk in. Devlin was tall, elegant, long haired and thin. Her hair was a fiery red, the colors mixing mysteriously in the light. Levi was dark, dull, and almost lifeless. The only reason the dead man was even on his team was because he had skills that Lucian suspected matched his own.

And Lucian was always right.

“Did anyone come to you about this? It’s been f*cking months and we are just now noticing this,” he snapped, slamming the door closed behind them.

“I’ve never seen you so angry before,” Devlin purred, saddling up to his side. Her lithe body slid against his. Levi looked at her with unreadable eyes, then turned to the wall, looking out of the window that reflected the room before them, behind him..

It might be small and crowded, it might be messy and smelling of too much perfume, but it was home. On the other side of the office, the gas station that they used as a front was set up outside. The large Sinclair building had been refurbished recently, earning much more work and money for Lucian.

That’s what it was all about.

The money.

Money that they had f*cking lost within two minutes.

“Touch me again and I’ll rip your left tit out.” The threat was not an empty one, and Devlin knew it. She stepped back, crossing her arms over her large breasts. Her lips pouted downward, but the trepidation in her eyes went unnoticed to Lucian.

“Neither of you answered my question,” he lashed out, sitting on the edge of his desk. Devlin became serious, dropping her eyes to her steel toed boots. Her tight, sprayed on suit clung to her curves, material tight and revealing. It wasn’t actually sprayed on, but it looked like it. Her breasts were outlined clearly, her shapely legs muscular and lean.

Once upon a time, they had been together with much more than friendship in mind.. Of course, that had been a long time ago and they both had changed.

Levi’s lifeless tone came from the corner of his office. As always, he was hidden in the shadows, droll and unmoving. When you got him going, though, he was a monster and close to unstoppable. The Terminator had no shot against Levi.

“I heard jack squat.”

“Same here,” Devlin pipped in, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. She cocked her hip, hands planted on them. “Jessi is out for the day — there was some business about her mother in the ICU and I just couldn’t put up with her crying.”

Lucian nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. “So much is wrong with that family...” he sighed, looking at Levi. “Where is your second? If it isn’t —”

“His daughter has ammonia. Wife is out of town for a campaign.”

Lucian growled, getting up from the desk with a jerk. “The f*ck is this all coming to? I need to get one of you and a team of mine out there. I can’t believe that no one saw this before — I mean — F*ck, this is crap. Get Jared and get out. I’ll email you a file on the two people and you sure as f*ck better get going.”

“Tell us some BG right now, babe, and take a chill pill. I have some Midol in my purse...” Devlin said, raising her perfectly threaded eyebrows. She shifted her weight, drawing his eyes look over her suggestive body.

“Devlin,” he growled in warning, hands fisting.

Trimmed nails gleamed in the light, hands raising defensively.

He decided to ignore her and started talking. The sooner they got the information, the sooner they could get on with the mission and getting it over with.





“I could kill you.”

Jamie was held frozen in place with fear.

“So easily. Snap your neck, tear your jugular, bruise you, hurt you...”

The cadence of his voice was pleasurable, as if he were not only considering it, but wanting to and getting ready for her. She couldn’t move — the tenseness of her muscles wouldn’t let her.

“What would be the point of trying to leave,” he growled, “when they catch us and give us enough pain to f*ck with your body and mind? You think that I will help you escape — why should I? I know what happens. I know what they will do. What kind of sick woman are you to put your trust in a f*cked up man who doesn’t even have a soul anymore?”

Jamie flinched, dropping her eyes. Pain licked at her heart, her mind.

“Wouldn’t it suck if I just left you? Right now? Can you imagine the shit they would do to you?”

Tears started to build in her eyes. Jamie shook her head, covering her ears. “I would...”

“You would what? Beg for your life? F*ck them and hope they give you freedom?” His voice was nothing but a whip against her already fraying mind. “Baby, I’ve been there. Done that. Don’t think you would want the same disappointment I felt.”

She stared at him, eyes wide. Horror dawned on her as she realized the implications of his words. Before she could get a word out, he was on his feet and striding around the room, like a caged tiger looking for freedom.

“Talon,” she whispered, getting on her knees. Her heart broke at the haunted look in his eyes that hadn’t left, even when anger had shrouded them. The closer she looked, the harder she stared and tried to understand, the more it dawned on her that he was right. About everything, about her.

Chris had been her second misjudgment, her father the first. Talon, it seemed, was to be the next. Yet she still stuck with the plan that they needed to escape, and they needed to do it soon. If she had to, she would find a way to force him to listen to her.

“You want to be their bitch in heat?” he snarled, rounding on her. “Fine by me. But don’t drag me down with you. I would kill you in a heartbeat if it meant leaving this hell of a place. Don’t doubt that, princess.”

She jerked back, staring at him.

What happened next was done so quickly, she barely knew what happened.

In only a second, his arms were around her waist, crushing her to his body. His lips, so hard and demanding, almost punishing, came down on hers.

Jamie fought, she kicked, she hit...but when his tongue licked along her lower lip, she went limp. Moaned. Curled her fingers in his hair with a strength that surprised her. And began to kiss him back.

The anger and hate turned into something so much more. Fire curled in her stomach, the icy fear turning to liquid heat as he pushed her down into the bed. His body covered hers like a blanket, his hips settling into the cradle of hers as he slowed their kiss.

She shivered, arms wrapped around his neck. The slow, languorous motions of his lips against hers was going to kill her. It was everything she could do not to rip that towel from his hips and settle him against her.

His lips opened her mouth, gentle and coaxing. Jamie was weak to deny, and gave into him. She wrapped her legs around his hips and, as her body seemed to turn even hotter at the feel of him, she began to moan.

The sounds of pleasure were new for her. Chris had never been this good, even in the early part of their relationship. And Chris had also never made her feel as if she would orgasm just from their kiss. Jamie arched into his chest, drawing him closer. His hands, which had been near the top of her head, slid down to hold onto her waist.

She whimpered. He bit her lip and began to slid his hands under her Columbia, then her shirt. Jamie could only help him as fire ran along her body, the small tingling sensation causing her to gasp. At the sound, he jerked back and stared at her.

Jamie stared back, breath coming in short jerks. His eyes were so dark...if it was possible, they were blacker than black. Passion and desire rode high in them, animalistic almost. She bit her lip, feeling lust flash through her.

His hands slid under her, to her back. The clasp of her bra came undone quickly, and then, with the shirt and jacket still on, he brought one hand around her body with agonizing slowness. Jamie made a small sound in the back of her throat before grabbing his wrist and dragging his hand to her chest.

The contact had a gasp of surprise springing from her lips. It was amazing. It was heavenly. It was f*cking perfect. Talon made a rough sound in the back of his throat, eyes glazing.

Jamie tangled her hands in his hair and dragged his lips down to hers, but before the hungry kiss was met, he pulled down and began nuzzling her neck. His hot breath fanned over her skin, drawing a shocked moan from her. Never had anything in her life felt so amazing, so...right.

He took a long breath.

And then bit her.

Jamie cried out, rocking her hips against him as desire, intense and real, flared inside of her. Not only in her body, her mind, but her very soul. It felt so right, like this had happened before and was meant to happen more. It was as if the feel of his lips made it so much more real, made them one.

And he hadn’t even entered her yet.

The thought had her desperately grabbing for his towel. She wanted to see him. She wanted to see him hard, ready, hot. All for her. She needed it.

Yet as her hands latched onto the edge of the towel, his bite turned harder, rougher. Jamie’s hand fell limp as pleasure coursed through her, the towel forgotten. All she could think about was the feel of him against her, covering her, taking her as his.

His tongue flicked out, tasting the small droplets of blood. Talon almost got lost in her taste, almost gave into taking her as he wanted to. Except that something was wrong. Dangerously, horribly, blindingly wrong. Light flashed before his eyes, his body turning aggressive as he continued to hold her, to touch her. Her breast was a heavyweight in his hand, the full mounds delightfully his and peaked with a pink, hard nipple. Talon jerked his mouth away from her neck, mutely realizing that his teeth had lengthened.

Jamie undulated against him.

He forgot about everything else except her. He took his hand away from her breast, listening with relish as her soft sounds of pleasure reached his ears. Talon took her jacket and threw it to the floor. Her shirt was next, and then her already unclasped bra.

Talon froze as he stared down at her, bare from the waist up.

Her breasts were large, enough that they filled his hands and then some, yet not large enough to seem like it was too much. Her waist was small, trim with a stomach that was flat and strong. Desire pounded through him, and he felt himself get impossibly harder. Talon might not remember much of his life, or any at all, but he knew how to pleasure a woman. And as much as he wanted to hate Jamie, watching her in the theros of passion was something that he thought was a once in a lifetime moment. Tenderness ran through him, his eyes softening. Soon after that, though, was possessiveness.

Slowly, watching her eyes, forgetting about Auro and their deal, he leaned down and realized that this was about her. Not him, not their situation, but them. In just a night she had won him over — or at least for a moment. God, he could get lost in her eyes, in her body...

His mouth covered her nipple, the cry she emitted as sweet as an angels voice to his ears. He wrapped his hands around her waist, drawing her flush against him. At the way her body shuddered, he could tell that she was pleased by him.

Talon growled.

It was like a chain-reaction. Jamie heard him growl, he felt her body clench underneath his, and then her soul-shattering cry echoed through the room. Her arousal permeated the air, her need just as high as his. As her scream of release died down, Talon pulled back and licked his lips.

So responsive, he thought. So deliciously his... Talon stared at her face, running his eyes down her body. Her cheeks were flushed, full lips parted, eyes hooded and dazed as if she couldn’t believe what was happening, but wanted more of it. Her body was arched, convulsing as the remnants of her release sifted through her. Talon felt fierce, damning male pride course through him.

Talon... take her... You will be free... Do it now...

All he would have to do is tear down her pants, rip off the panties, and he could be inside her...he could be free... He could watch her die.

He stared down at her, growling with rough pleasure as he worked over her. Her body was willing, in as much of a fever as his was. Her lips, swollen from his kisses, begged for him to go harder, giving praises of love in between. The soft canopy above them covered them from the light of the window that was beside their bed.

He pushed deeper, grimacing as she clenched impossibly tight around him. His lips met with her shoulder, power surging through him as his wife’s body turned pliant against his, rocking with the motions of his hands on her hips.

The field outside of their window was full of men, working and clearing the land. He licked along her neck, hearing her sweet moans of pleasure. Her core was hot, slick, desperately grasping him as he moved quicker, the fire around them building, the light that was engulfing him making his hips move faster as pure male aggression took over.

God, she was so hot. On fire. Demanding and begging, all in one. Just as they themselves were one. He reached down, smirking against her neck with absolute male pleasure as his thumb found the most sensitive part of her.

She came apart around him. Her eyes shone with tears as her head was thrown back, ecstasy making her body convulse against his. Her hot liquid, the feel of her tightening around him, had him groaning as he too found his completion.

He fell against her weakly, arms wrapping around her. His wife’s eyes stared up at him, watery and dazed. “I love you,” she whispered, curling into his side trustingly. The heat of her body, how small and delicate she was around him, made him feel twice his size.

The smile she gave him damn near broke his heart. “And I love you,” he murmured into her temple, kissing her. Her form was one with his, melting so completely into his that it felt as if she were trying to join them together again.

He chuckled, the deep baritone of his voice making her shiver. His voice was full of love as he said, “Forever...”

“And always,” she finished, a tear slipping from her pale blue eyes.





Talon yanked back from Jamie, staring down at her in horror. Her hair was not braided, there was no medieval dress on the floor, and they didn’t own land for men to work on. Talon fell numb inside, fell silent against her sounds of passion.

Jamie noticed.

“What... What’s wrong?” she said, starting to reach for him again. Her eyes were still glazed with passion.

Talon yanked back, the angry snarl he gave off resounding through the room. “You did not see that?” he demanded, eyes flashing. The passion that had been in them was replaced with fury, the haunted look returning once again.

Jamie frowned, starting to cover her chest. Desire for him quickly dissipated, as if now that the rain were over, the more gentler mist would take its place. Her eyes searched his, confusion and embarrassment running through her.

“See... what? Talon, what’s going on?” Her concern for him almost made him return to her arms. But the image of the love in that woman’s eyes...eyes so alike to Jamie’s that it scared him... He shook his head, grabbing for the towel that had fallen.

Talon forced himself to ignore the site of her breasts, full and high and begging for his mouth again. The earlier tenderness fled, replaced by disdain. Either she was a witch or some old bitch who was great at acting. Talon stood, furious. Shit like that never happened to him — he knew it. He had never had flashes of another life, never had anything to even do with history. Sure, with his job at the —

Pain flared in the center of his head. The collar around his neck, invisble to Mary, felt like it weighed the world as it helped drag him to his feet. Distantly, he heard Jamie’s alarmed cry and the sound of the bedsheets rustling.

“Talon? Oh... Talon, please!” Hands, delicate and polished, latched onto his shoulder. Pain once again wrenched him. It felt as if he were swelling from the inside out, like his skin was going to burst. Her hands on his skin felt like fire with knives, slashing at him.

He shouted, flinging himself away from her. Blood lust roiled through him — Talon stared at her, enraged, his complete and total fury almost making him attack her. For what reason? his inner voice asked, the question but a whisper. He struggled against the claws that raked him mentally.

Talon needed to kill her. Needed to take her. Needed to hurt her. She is nothing to you, a demonic voice screeched to him. Nothing but a whore who will ruin your life — our life.

He surged to his feet, a sick grin curling his lips. The woman’s fear called to him, enraptured him. Power trickled through his palms, obsessive hate curling through his gut. The woman was meant to die, and so she would.

She backed into the bed again, eyes wide with fear. “Talon?” she whispered fearfully. Her legs hit the back of the bed, and she fell into it. Jamie didn’t recall their moment of passion — the fear inside of her was too great.

He stood to his full height, looking like a warrior on a mission. His muscles were drawn tight, eyes darkly shadowed, the intense hate that they held completely at odds with what had been in them only a moment before. She felt no tender emotions coming from him, felt no...desire or caring. Nothing except the cold truth in his eyes.

Talon was going to kill her.

Something started to curl around him. It was black and foggy, like smoke. It came out of nowhere, like a deadly phantom reeking its revenge. Jamie’s breath rushed out of her mouth, bile filling its place.

Auro and Lyne had scared her — Talon terrified her.

He took a step toward her, a hand dripping with black... whatever that shit was almost touching her. She screamed, saw the sadistic pleasure in his eyes, and ran for the door. She tripped, falling over a piece of the sheet that was hanging over the bed. Her hand fell close enough to the door that she could touch it, but Talon was close behind her.

Panic had her shaking. Shaking enough that she could barely get on her feet. Her chest was still bare, but she didn’t notice. Modesty was the last of her worries.

A sick, rumbling sound came from behind her. Her blood chilled in her veins, fear causing her breath to stop. She scrambled to her feet, latching onto the doorknob that she already knew would be locked.

Jamie wheeled around, chest panting. “Talon!” she screamed, thinking that if she were loud enough she might be able to break into the side of him that she knew wouldn’t harm a woman. “Talon! Come on!” Desperation had her almost mindless.

He kept coming, step by step, foot by foot. What had gotten into him? Why did he look like he wanted to kill her? Only a second ago he had been all over her, making her feel like the woman that she had never felt like before. A thought came to her. Lyne was strong, nonhuman. Her mind raced, her hand latching onto the knob.

“Lyne!” she screamed, praying that his perversion toward her would come in handy. Talon’s eyes flashed, more animal than they had been before. She forced herself to look away, pressing harder against the door, shoving herself against it. “Please, God... Lyne!”

Jamie cried out, shocked, as the door gave away behind her. Her heart pounded in her chest, amazed that he had even come and even more so that Auro wasn’t there with him. His eyes were stark against his pale skin, and his lips were drawn back to reveal something that looked like...fangs. Just staring at them she grew lightheaded.

Talon stopped moving. His eyes were glued to Lyne, emotions roiling within them before he stilled completely.

He burst into action.

Jamie cried out as her body slammed against the wall next to the door, thrown aside by Talon as he lunged for Lyne. The guy was so shocked that he didn’t move until the last minute, but of course it was too late.

Talon struck him, then yanked the man inside the room. The door slammed shut behind them, stopping the actions of the men outside from getting in. Jamie was close to puking as Talon let out an inhuman roar.

Except, a look came into Lyne’s eyes. A deadly, sinister, I-own-you-bitch look that had Jamie pressing further against the door. She felt her heart go out to him a second before the furious sound of his pain rang around the room.

He fell to his feet, convulsing. The towel that had been partially around his hips fell as his broken body shuddered and drew in tight. “Talon!” she cried out, forgetting about Lyne and rushing to him. “Oh, god... What did you do?”

Talon’s back was a bright red, his skin moving like snakes were under his dermal layer. The tightness of his muscles and the fact that his flinch from her touch almost moved him across the room was a testament to how much pain he was in. “Lyne,” she panted, going to him again. Sweat was starting to form on him, beading and falling almost like rain. He was deathly silent. Her heart stopped.

She took a look at Lyne, hate roiling through her. Jamie was weak compared to him, she had heard so enough, had even seen it. But that didn’t stop the fist she swung at his face from connecting and shoving him into the wall. “Bit —” His ragged snarl was cut off as his head slammed against the door.

A crack resounded around the room.

He fell to the floor — and stayed there.

Jamie didn’t give herself time to marvel over his defeat. He could have easily broken her arm. But the fear for Talon and the adrenaline running through her was enough to set her mind and body racing. Jamie returned to Talon, listening to his horrible moans of pain.

“Jamie —” He coughed, drops of blood accenting his pained voice.

“Oh...Talon... Goddamnit, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, trying to find a way to sooth him. What ever Lyne had done had put him through such a pain that he couldn’t even move from her. She grabbed the towel from the ground, pressing it to his neck, and then sliding it down his back.

She pulled the thing back and it was damp. From him. Her heart stilled and then went into overdrive as his eyes started to close. “Talon, what did he do? Tell me, I can — I can hel — Please, just tell me...”

He heard the sound of her voice. She was pleading with him, and she sounded like she felt the same pain he did. Talon cracked open an eye, getting a good enough look at her before it closed again. Her pale blue eyes had been like crystals, he thought, gasping at another round of pain.

The f*cking collar around his neck was tightening, sending jolts of black shit into his system. He could already feel it settling in, burrowing in to deal out the worst part of the experiment. Pain had cleared his mind, and now he wondered what had even happened to make him want to...want to...kill her.

He balked, a roar springing from his chest. Jamie flinched back, the dull warmth of her hand leaving his skin for only a second before returning, moving frantically. Her hands hit the outside of his collar, and he felt a surge of hope before they left again.

The thing was not only invisible, it was untouchable if you didn’t know it was there. Auro and Lyne were smart bastards. “Jamie,” he said raggedly, ignoring everything but her. If he could look at her, see her and feel her, maybe...

“Talon?” she asked, scrambling around to face him in the front. Her voice was laced with panic, fear, the devastation showing clearly on her face. Something abnormal happened within him as he realized this.

“You feel...bad,” he choked, hands moving of their own accord to wrap around the collar on his neck. It was activated, and wouldn’t shock him now that he was touching it. The scene was all too unreal for him.

The woman in front of him, Lyne in the corner, seemingly passed out.

“I feel...F*ck, I don’t know what I feel. I just know that we need to...we need to leave...okay?” she whispered, the tears in her voice showing in her eyes. She was wavering in and out of his vision, like an ethereal dark angel.

Her hand came up to cradle his straining face. His jaw was locked tight, hoping that it would lessen how much everything ached. He pulled at the collar, a thought coming to him. Maybe...if she looked and realized...His heart did weird things in his chest as she looked at what his hands were doing. They were formed like they were holding a rod, making a doughnut hole out of his fingers. As he pulled, the pain in his eyes increased, yet his hands moved as if...something were there.

Jamie touched his hands lightly, getting him to move. Something was there. Something that was giving him pain. Would it hurt her to touch it? Jamie realized she didn’t give a f*ck and took a breath, latching onto whatever was there with a firm grip.

How had she not noticed this? The minute her hands touched his neck — they had done that more than once, so why now? — the thing began to appear before her face. It was like metal, yet a leather material that was cold to the touch.

It was so cold, she realized, that it was burning her hand. She cried out, jerking back. The thing in all its glory came into her view, and so did the marks around his neck. Talon cried out, and his large body shuddered as she pulled away.

“Took it...away,” he gasped out, black eyes latching onto hers. “Took...the pain...away.”