Page 27 of Ensnaring the Siren

Together, they peeked around a corner.

A white warehouse loomed ahead, larger than the ones surrounding it, with Nautic’s navy blue logo emblazoned across the side in giant letters. Two eighteen-wheelers with the same branding were parked outside, backed up to loading bays. All was quiet, for now. Nautic’s crews were likely still offloading at the docks.

Goddammit. There was no way what came next would be legal. She was hunting for proof and staking out the place didn’t seem like her style.

She started for the warehouse, but Reid pulled her back. “What are you doing?”

“Going to have a look inside.”

Breaking and entering was more like it. And it was a bad idea, but she probably didn’t care much about legality when she thought her people were intentionally being killed, so he tried a different tactic. “What’re we going to do if we get caught in there? You’re not going to knock them out and eat them, are you?” He was only half joking.

“Too full,” she deadpanned, patting her belly. “Already ate today.”

Good Lord. “I can’t tell if you’re joking.”

“About being too full?”

“No, about tactically eating someone.”

“Too inefficient. Was planning to sing.”

“Uh, weird but charming. How’s that help us?”

“Our song has compulsion qualities.”

“For weak-minded folks, maybe.”

She snorted.

There wasn’t much research on siren singing. What little was known about it was either conjecture or anecdotal, and while Reid could see there being a kernel of truth to the latter, it was likely exaggerated to suit the myth. And he’d admit that the merfolk’s ability to shift from one form to the other seemed more fantastical than biological, but at least metamorphosis had a precedent in nature: caterpillars to butterflies, tadpoles to frogs.

Merfolk just did it at will, and he looked forward to the day when science caught up and could explain that biological process.

“Oh, you’re serious. You don’t think it works?”

“I believe in the power of suggestion. But outright controlling someone with supernatural abilities? Nah.”

A slow smirk crept up her face. “Think you can resist me?”

“Sure, why not?” He shrugged. “Weak minds don’t become Aviation Survival Technicians.”

Her expression turned feral. “We shall see, Coast Warrior.”

He should’ve known this creature would enjoy a challenge.

Whisking the hood of his rain jacket over his head, Reid grumbled, “Just keep your head down. There’s a security camera above the door.” Around here, security cameras were often just for show, and sure, sometimes corporate companies cheapened out and cut corners, too, but he didn’t like the odds of that being the case.

Nireed swiped strands of hair in front of her face, and it made her look like The Ring girl, which was terrifying, but at least it obscured her features.

With their heads bowed, they approached the warehouse’s side entrance. The mermaid beside him appeared perfectly calm, while his stomach knotted with nerves as he watched her test the door handle. It was locked.

“Going to have to break it,” she muttered, undeterred.

Stilling her hand, he quickly searched for a key code panel. If there was one, it might mean that busting in would trigger an alarm.

This was such a terrible idea.

Although Reid didn’t find a panel, he swiped a hand over his face. He could get into a lot of trouble for this if they got caught. Lose his job. Get slapped with criminal charges. Possibly go to jail. But if Nireed was right about Nautic, the stakes would be even higher for her. If they truly were mermaid-killers, and they realized what she was, this could get her killed.

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