Siren's Fall [Siren's Mark: Book 2]

Chapter 49

𝔸𝕧𝕒

After about an hour on the road, we pull into the parking lot of a run-down church. Its red-brick facade is stained and crumbling and the property is overrun with sprawling vines and weeds.

"Well," Kami says, looking to Zane and me, "this is it."

I have to admit, the last place I expected to be meeting a human trafficker was at a church.

Finn's car pulls up beside us and he hops out with Morgan and Kieran close behind.

Zane lets out an exasperated sigh and gives my hand a squeeze before getting out of the car. Kami and I join the group, now standing in a half-circle in the empty lot.

"You lot good to go?" Morgan asks.

"Always," Kieran says with a smirk.

"We've got this," Finn says, looking to Zane as if he's talking to him in particular.

"Somebody's got to grab...uh...her," Morgan says, glancing in my direction.

Zane takes a heavy breath in and swallows hard, grabbing my forearm and closing his eyes for a minute. He looks at me with wide, sad eyes, as if to ask if I still want to go through with this. I reply with a small nod. Almost instantaneously, his expression morphs into a cold, lifeless one that I've never seen on him before. But I know this is him playing a role, one he knows all too well—the immovable Iron Siren.

He tugs me forward as we walk toward the entrance of the church. I know this is all just for show, but I'm surprised by how uncomfortable it makes me. It's not that my boyfriend is manhandling me, but rather than seeing them all so serious is just unnerving.

Kami knocks three times on the tall wooden door and a large, imposing man opens it. His broad shoulders fill the doorway. He looks like a bodybuilder, but his top half is twice as big as the bottom.

Somebody skipped leg day.

"We're here for Syllek," Kami says. "We have merchandise for him."

She tips her head toward me. I say nothing, since I've been instructed to say as little as possible and let her and Zane do the talking.

The man with the Hulk torso comes up to me and leans into the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent.

"Interesting," he says in a low, gravelly voice. "One moment."

He retreats into the church, shutting the door behind him as we wait.

"You're doing great," Finn's voice echoes in my mind.

The door opens again and Mr. No-Leg-Day stands before us.

"Syllek will meet you," he says. "But only two."

The group exchanges looks for a moment while I attempt to keep my head down and play the role of prisoner.

"Then it's me and my bodyguard," Zane says, looking to Morgan, who nods.

The big guy steps aside and lets us pass into the church.

"I should be able to reach your thoughts in there," Finn says in my mind. "If anything goes wrong, tell me right away, and we'll bring the cavalry."

I will.

We're led past dusty church pews and stained glass windows to a dimly lit stone staircase that heads underground.

Yeah, this is definitely the kind of place in a horror movie where you know everybody is about to die.

At the bottom of the stairs is a system of wide archways and tunnels, lit by electric sconces.