Page 21 of Stone Seduction
I grabbed the damn thing, yanking with all my might. “Get off me!”
With every tug, it contracted, the pain becoming unbearable, the metal heating up.
“Get off me!”
Oh my God. It’d burn my finger off
“The key will be silent!” Sharky snapped.
“Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!” White hot pain engulfed my hand and arm, spreading up my neck. A dozen drills screamed in my skull, violent tremors declaring war on my body.
“Get off me!” I bellowed again, the words burning my throat.
Still, I tugged at the ring, fighting the pain.
I slipped away into an opulent bedroom decorated in rose gold and silver. The scent of patchouli wafted thickly in my face, clothes strewn across the plush carpet. There was no sign of anyone.
“Hello?” I said, my voice echoing around me.
The French doors stood open, silky drapes rippling on the breeze. I moved toward them, stepping over underwear, trousers, and a crumpled red gown.
No one came to answer my call.
The bed on my left had been used, the sheets a mess. A glass of water sat on the right bedside table, a clock on the other. Beneath the patchouli scent were hints of a musky, masculine perfume.
Where the hell was I?
I reached the doors, the drapes appearing to part for me. Creepy, yes, but I stepped out onto the balcony anyway, shielding my eyes against a sudden burst of bright light.
My belly flipped, the light glittering around me. Within a few seconds, I was back in Sharky’s bubble, the ring no longer tight, the pain gone.
What the hell?
“Did you want to tell me something?” I asked the ring, slightly breathless but fine.
The tiny fires dimmed to subtle hints of flame.
Sharky roared, the bubble flickering as a sharp jolt forced me into an aggressive roll.
“Pickles!” I yelped, arms flailing.
“Be gone with you!” the monster cried.
The bubble rocked, shaking like a bag of popcorn fresh out of the microwave. I hit the sides, the top, then cracked the back of my head on a surprisingly solid bottom.
“Dammit!” I yelped, the bubble rolling.
Now I knew how laundry felt when caught in a spin cycle.
Another quake split the sides of the bubble open. Cold air rushed in, stealing my breath. Gravity took over, slamming me onto the bubble’s new floor. My poor spine complained against the impact.
Screw. This.
The cracks widened, letting the rain in. I forced myself onto my knees. More cracks fissured beneath me, moving far too quickly.
Uh-oh.
“You will not have him!” the monster bellowed, the top of the bubble tearing open.
