The male whimpered again. “What do you want to know?”
“I want the name or names of your contacts in the FBI. I want to know why they give a shit about you. I want details. Why would anyone want to retrieve you from us? That plan failed, by the way. There is no rescue for you, Boris.”
The male swallowed. Darkness dug the metal tip into the man’s skin, opening a small cut on his chin. Jerry cried out. Darkness paused.
“Talk.”
“My brother-in-law,” he blurted. “Robert Mason. I was married to his sister. He’d try to help me.”
“Why?”
Jerry grabbed hold of Darkness’ wrist but failed to tug his hand away to remove the nail file from his face. It was a useless attempt since the human was weak. It angered Darkness though. He released the male’s head and applied pressure on two of Boris’ fingers until he felt bones break. Jerry screamed and lost his grip on Darkness’ wrist.
“Don’t touch me again,” Darkness warned. “I’ve seen what you like to play with when you’re alone. Keep talking and don’t stop until I have heard enough. Otherwise, I’ll take one of your eyes.”
“Robert knew I worked for you.” Jerry rushed his words. “He knew what happened while I was the director at Homeland. He sent some of his people to arrest Jeanie Shiver because I told him she was a lying cunt trying to help New Species get me fired from Fuller. I told him the NSO held a grudge against me because I had tried to prove they were incompetent to run Homeland.” He sucked in a breath. “I warned him you assholes would make me disappear. And I did but he knows I’m here.”
Darkness eased the pressure on the nail file against the male’s face. “Keep going.”
“I don’t know what else you want me to say. Robert is family. He’d do anything he could to help me. He knows you bastards had it in for me.”
“You extorted blood money for information to rescue our people. That’s on you.”
“You owed me!” Jerry cradled his injured fingers against his chest.
Darkness snarled. “You’re owed death for what you’ve done. You allowed Species to needlessly suffer while you played games and tried to shift the blame to a female who only wanted to help rescue my kind. That makes you a piece of shit.”
“Robert will get me out. He’ll have a federal judge order you to hand me over to his custody.”
Darkness straightened. “It’s just paper here. Your laws don’t apply.”
“He’ll get me. He knows where Fuller is. I told him.”
That news irritated Darkness. Fury’s soft growl was proof the Species had overheard their exchange. “Too bad you won’t be sent there then.” He lunged and gripped the male’s neck. It was tempting to snap the bone. One good squeeze and a twist would end the male’s life. He might need more information later though. He tightened his hold enough to choke off the human’s air supply, watching his face change color and his eyes bulge.
“Darkness, enough.” Fury spoke softly but his voice carried.
Several seconds passed before Darkness released the male and backed up. “You think on the matter. I’ll be back. I want more information.” He lifted the nail file to remind the jerk. “Next time I’ll bring pliers. You don’t need fingernails and you don’t need eyelids if you don’t have eyes. Or I could bring a sewing kit. I could practice putting stitches in you.”
Boris whimpered and his body quaked. Darkness backed out of the cell and locked the door. He spun and stomped across the room. Fury stood next to the elevator with his arms crossed over his chest. He said nothing as he inserted his key to open the secure elevator. They stepped inside and waited for the doors to close.
“Would you have really killed him?”
“No. I just wanted him to think it.”
“I smell his blood.”
“It is no worse than a few paper cuts. I did break two of his fingers. He grabbed me so I grabbed back. We have a name and an association. We need to run the name Robert Mason.”
“It will alert him if we look into him through regular channels. Word will spread among the medical staff about Boris’ new injuries and I’m sure the human will protest what you did. Justice’s father-in-law might be able to get information without raising any suspicions. Justice is going to find out either way.”
Darkness considered it as they left Medical. Fury had sent an officer down to watch Boris again. “I could say I stopped in to check on the male and got the name. We leave Kat out of this.”
“I assumed.” Fury paused by his Jeep. “Let’s go talk to Justice now. It’s better he hears about our little visit from us before the officer calls it in.”
Darkness climbed into the passenger seat. “Just remember that Kat stays out of this.”
“We’ll also ask for the names of all the agents who work with Mason. That way we’ll at least find out your girlfriend’s real name. I think the Senator would agree with that since this Mason might be a threat to the NSO if he’s trying to get his brother-in-law back.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.” He shot Fury a glare. “Are you going to drive or harass me?”
Fury started the engine. “Do you think Mason helped Boris with his extortion scheme?”
“I don’t know but Boris’ heart rate was too high. I needed to end the interrogation or he might have had a heart attack. That is one out-of-shape male. I’ll go back later, when he’s more stable. I got the information I needed most.”
“We have a name,” Fury sighed. “That’s good.”
Darkness silently agreed. Mason would have to be in a position to give Kat orders. He hoped pictures could be obtained of the agents involved with Mason. Otherwise he’d have to guess when he saw the list of names.
The drive to Justice’s home was short. Fury parked at the curb, turned off the engine but hesitated. “Maybe I should call him outside.”
“Jessie will want to know what is going on and it’s her father we need to contact.”
“Agreed.” Fury slid out of the seat. “Let’s go.”
Darkness followed him to the front door and pressed the bell. Jessie answered. She grinned. “Hello. I didn’t expect you two. Come on in. Justice is on the phone but he’ll be off in a few minutes.” She waved them inside.
Darkness peered around the cozy living room. Pictures of the happy mated couple adorned every wall. The place smelled of freshly baked cookies and the lingering scent of shared sex. He studied Jessie, noticing her dress was creased in a few places and her hair mussed. He hid a smile. She noticed his look and arched her eyebrows.
“Don’t assess me,” she whispered. “He had a rough day and I wanted to make it better. I know you can smell what we did but you don’t need to be so obvious about it. You single males are too curious. Fury didn’t do that.”
“I’m smarter.” Fury chuckled. “And have a mate who greets me at the door when I have a bad day. We’ll avoid sitting on the couch. My nose tells me where you shared sex.”
“Don’t let your nose tell you anything else. Got it? Follow me into the dining room. I just took out some cookies. I’m baking a shitload of them for tomorrow.”
“What is tomorrow?” Darkness pulled out a chair at the table and sat.
“We’re flying up to Reservation in the evening. We’re going to spend a few days in the Wild Zone. Justice needed a break and I demanded he take a few days off. You’d be surprised how friendly the residents become when you bring them oatmeal cookies. They love them.” She smiled. “Do you want a few? By that, I mean a dozen. I know how you guys eat. I’ve been in the kitchen all day. I’m turning domestic. It’s scary.”
Fury grinned. “I’m taking over while they are on a mini vacation. You’re good for him, Jessie.”
“That phone has been attached to his ear, unless he’s been in the shower, naked with me, or sleeping.” She pointed a finger at Fury. “You better not call unless it’s major, mister. I mean it. I want him to relax. He needs to have some fun without hearing bad news.”
?
??I promise.”
“Then it’s your turn. You guys need a few days alone together. I’ll babysit. Ellie said you’re hardly home and you’ve been fighting with another male.” She glanced between them. “I hope you two worked it out.”
“We are getting there,” Fury assured her.
“Good.” She spun and went to the kitchen. “I won’t ask.”
“You’re a good female,” Fury called out.
“No need to kiss my ass. I said I’d babysit. I love kids.” She returned with a plate of cookies, setting them on the table. “Dig in. I’ll get Justice. I’m a pro at luring him off the phone.”
She headed toward Justice’s home office. Fury grinned at Darkness. He frowned back.
“What?”
“You should see the look on your face. You keep staring at everything.”
“I haven’t been inside Justice’s home since Jessie moved in.”
“Nor have you come to mine. This is what a mated home looks like. Did you expect something different?”
“I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
“Mine looks like this but with a lot of toys. They practically explode out of the boxes they are supposed to be kept in. You have to learn to watch where you step. Otherwise you curse often from pain and your child will repeat every word. Ellie has a sense of humor about it, luckily.”
“You’re going to allow Jessie to babysit?”
Fury nodded. “She does it whenever Ellie and I want alone time. Children can interrupt sex. Salvation does it often. We appreciate the break.”
“You trust her?”
Fury’s eyes narrowed. “Yes I do. I’d ask you to watch my son occasionally too but you won’t have anything to do with us.”
“You’d trust me with your offspring?”
“He’s your nephew.” Fury leaned back in his chair. “I would.”
“I know nothing about children.”
“You should learn. Salvation is pretty tough but you’d have to keep a close eye on him. He’s fast and is prone to finding trouble.” Fury chuckled. “He tried to leap off our roof after I dropped him off today. We visited Valiant and Tammy a month ago and he watched their son leap from one of the ceiling beams onto the couch. Noble is a terror with his claws and climbs everything.”
That alarmed Darkness. “Is Salvation okay?”
“I went up after him and explained the differences between canine and feline. Ellie had called me. I was close. She had gone to use the bathroom and he was out the door that fast. She found him on the roof. I had a talk with him about how he could harm his mother if he ever did that again. She was ready to try to catch him.”
Darkness winced. “He could have done damage.”
“I know.” Fury sobered. “It’s tough for her to try to keep up with a Species child. She had to stop tussling with him after he bruised her badly. He didn’t understand how strong he could be. I’m at work often. He grows bored. Some of my friends have come forward. They take him to the park to run and play games. It would be nice if he had an uncle who could take him out to play when I’m busy though.”
“I’m not fit to be around a child.” He scowled. “He could learn nothing good from me.”
“We’ll never know for sure unless you try. It might be good experience if you ever have children of your own.”
“That won’t happen.”
Fury shook his head. “Says the male who is obsessed with a female.”
“I’m not.”
Fury snorted. “Justice comes.”
Darkness turned his head, his keen hearing picking up the slight footfalls. “So does Jessie.”
“Here we go,” Fury muttered. “I hope he’s not pissed.”
“Why would I be?” Justice stepped into the dining room, holding Jessie’s hand. “What have you two been up to now? I don’t see any bloody knuckles.”
* * * * *
“So there you have it,” Kat announced. “He’s totally wrong for me in every sense.”
Missy buttered toast and dropped each piece on a plate. She turned, setting it down on their dining room table. “You’d have problems with any normal guy anyway. I can see why you’d be attracted to a New Species.”
“I don’t see it.”
Missy sat. “Eat breakfast.”
“You’re bossy today.”
“I’m grumpy. We didn’t get enough sleep last night and I’m kind of jealous. The only guys who are interested in me are creeps. They find out what I do for a living and instantly assume I’m some kind of porn star/sex fiend. The only action I see is what my imagination comes up with.”
“Did you hear the part where I mentioned how he’s never going to see me again? He was a control freak too.”
“You intimidate men so you need a strong, take-charge guy.”
Kat lifted her toast and bit into it. She chewed and swallowed. “He’s over the top.”
“Says the woman who made her last boyfriend cry.”
“He wasn’t a wuss. He put his foot down eventually.”
“He stood up to you right until you told him to shove it up his ass if he thought you were going to quit your job to make him happy. Then came the tears and the shitload of flowers he sent. I was the one who had to sign for them and read the cards to you since you were too swamped at work to make the drive home. Do I need to remind you of the begging that went on?”
“We still would have had the same issues. I did him a favor by not calling him back. He was too needy.”
“You walked all over him. Let’s just cut to the chase.”
“Jason was a great guy.”
“He was. He was too nice though. You need someone tougher than you are and those men are hard to find. You aren’t the easiest person to get close to. You need a man who won’t allow you to keep him emotionally distanced.”
“Well, Darkness knows all about building walls and keeping people out. I could take lessons from him.”
“Exactly. He made you feel when you didn’t want to. That’s what you need. You’re both hardheaded and stubborn. It sounds like a perfect match to me.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I said more than enough last night.”
“So you’ve reached the deny-he-means-anything-to-you stage now?”
“Shut up.”
Missy threw a piece of crust at her. “Are you at the anger stage yet? We really need to do something about this kitchen and I’m not doing it alone. How do you feel about knocking out cabinets?”
“I’m not in the mood.”
“You’d get to smash shit.”
“Then we’d have to put up the new ones.”
Missy sighed. “Right.”
“We should just hire someone.”
“You can afford that but I can’t. Fifty-fifty, remember? I’m sorry. I’m hoping this new series I’m working on will hit a bestseller list. That stove is one of the things we most need to upgrade. I’m tired of having to light the burners.”
“You’ll get there.”
“I’m a poor artist but at least I can pay my bills. Why did I quit my day job again?”
“Because we both have faith that you are an excellent writer. Give it more time.”
Missy wiped her mouth with her napkin. “You should call Homeland and talk to this Darkness. You look miserable and you only left there yesterday. Just admit you have it bad for him.”
“It was just great sex.”
“Right.” Missy rolled her eyes. “Because you haven’t ever been exposed to hot guys before while on the job and you risked your ass for all of them.” She stood. “Lie to yourself but don’t forget who you’re talking to. I see through your bullshit.”
“I only knew him for a short time.”
Missy rinsed her plate, turned and leaned on the counter. “Sometimes you just know when it’s right. I believe that. Hell, I make a living writing books about it. I write from my heart and I’m hopeful that I’ll meet some guy who makes me feel. Love is messy and terrifying
, Kat. It’s not going to be the guy who is your type or someone you can walk all over. You’d be miserable within a year. I’ve seen it go down before. This is the first time you’ve met a guy you can’t control, who doesn’t bow down to your strong will, and he made you take risks you never thought you would. Use that intelligence of yours and figure it out fast because let’s face it, you’ve got it bad. This is the guy. Go after him.”
“No. He doesn’t want me. He made that clear.”
“You don’t want him either, according to you. You’re both full of shit. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you lose it, Kat. It’s for a reason. You really feel something for him and it scares the hell out of you. You’re into giving reality bitch-slaps. This is me calling you to the mat. POW!” Missy grinned. “Bitch-slap delivered.”
“You spend way too much time with fictional characters.”
“Did you think I’d really slap you? Give me a break. You’d beat my ass.”
“I’d never hit you.”
“That’s because you know I can’t fight and it wouldn’t be any fun whaling on someone who just lay there and screamed. Stop being such a wimp and call Darkness. You’d be all over me if I had it bad for a guy but was too chickenshit to give it a shot.”
“He doesn’t want a relationship.”
“What’s your motto? Oh yeah. Shit happens. Deal with it. Neither of you were looking for someone but he nailed you. You said he avoided all women and hadn’t had sex in a long time. He broke his monkhood streak for you.”
“Monkhood?”
Missy nodded. “Is he religious?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Exactly. He couldn’t resist you. If he’s as cold and controlling as you say, that’s big. You are a robot when it comes to your job and you broke rules. Big. Huge.” Missy pushed away from the counter. “Stop being a dumbass and go after him. You two sound well matched.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“You do that. I’m going to go write. Give a yell if you decide to rip stuff apart. I have my own frustrations to work out.”
“Are you okay?” Kat turned in her chair, studying her friend.
Missy paused by the door. “Don’t blow what could be a good thing. I’d kill to meet a guy who flipped my switches and made me feel what I think you do. I get to watch other people live through books and out my window. One of us deserves happiness. Go full-out, balls-to-the-wall for this guy. Life is too short and regret is the worst thing to live with.”