He forced his head up and held the other male’s gaze. Tears shimmered in his eyes but he didn’t glimpse hatred there.
“I’m so sorry,” Fury rasped.
“So am I.”
“I would have done the same. You couldn’t allow him to strike out at the innocent.”
“There’s more to tell. Don’t feel compassion for me yet.”
“Nothing could be worse.”
“The human in charge was enraged and began to curse. I returned to my spot in the line. I thought he’d either detonate my collar or order the guards to open fire on me. I was ready to die. I’d lost my brothers and the grief was deep. I’d never felt such pain before.”
“I feel it with you.”
Darkness held his gaze. “They returned me to the tent. I didn’t understand why they allowed me to live until about half an hour later. The human in charge entered with six guards and Galina. I saw her and knew it was punishment. They planned to kill her in front of me to make me suffer more.”
“Fuck.” Fury reached up and used his finger and thumb to wipe away tears that threatened to spill.
“I apologized to her. She was going to die because of my actions. I thought if I attacked that they would kill me and she might live. I tensed, prepared to do just that.”
Fury sucked in a breath. “They probably would have killed her anyway.”
“She laughed, Fury. She told me I should apologize for all the times she’d had to pretend to enjoy my touch when I revolted her. At first I believed she was just saying the words in order to stall for more time but she kept going. She had lied to me. All of it was a lie. She worked for them for money. She’d had young but assured me she’d given them away at birth since she wasn’t the motherly type. I stood there stunned while she berated me for being stupid and how she’d shared everything I’d told her with Darwin Havings. They knew we had flaws and she was brought in to gain my trust to discover them. They’d sent us to that camp knowing it only held females and young to see if we’d become the weapons they wanted us to be. We failed.”
Fury snarled.
Darkness looked at his hands. “She’d been told the test was over, the program closing down, and that they were going to kill me. Darwin Havings had promised she could watch me die and she’d come to see it. She voiced her disappointment over not witnessing our brothers’ deaths.”
He looked up then. “Darwin Havings entered the tent and told her she was fired. He wasn’t going to allow her to sell the information about what she’d been a part of and he’d never trust a whore to keep her word. He looked at me and said she was one woman I shouldn’t mind killing. They left her alone with me.”
“You killed her.” Fury’s tone was soft.
Darkness didn’t flinch. “I did. She pulled a knife and came at me. I could have disabled her without death. I didn’t. She attempted to stab me in the heart but I was faster. It was over in seconds. They trained us to kill with efficiency. I made it painless and fast.”
“She deserved to suffer,” Fury whispered.
Darkness nodded in agreement. “I cared about her though. Even then, after learning what she’d done. I had trusted her, had made that fatal error. I cost our brothers their lives.” He got to his feet. “I’m sorry.” He spun, heading to the door.
He tried to open it but Fury’s hand darted out to press against it. He turned and looked into his eyes, the male standing inches away. “Do you want to fight? I won’t hit you back. I deserve a beating at the very least.”
Fury surprised him when the male grabbed him and jerked him against his body. He thought he might go for his throat but the male just kept his arms around him. It sank in that he was hugging him. He hesitantly lifted his hands but didn’t know what to do or where to put them. Males didn’t hug other males. At least never where he was concerned.
“You’re my brother,” Fury stated. “I don’t want to hit you and I don’t want to cause you any more pain. You’ve carried this burden far too long. No more. Let it go.”
He relaxed. “I can’t.”
“I wish I’d been there with you.”
“I’m glad you weren’t.”
“Hug me back.”
He still hesitated.
Fury slowly released him and stepped back a foot. “You can’t make me hate you and I sure as hell don’t hold what happened against you. To trust another isn’t a crime. The blame was on that female. You’re a better male than I because I would have made her suffer. Do you understand?”
“You wouldn’t harm a female.”
Fury leaned closer, staring deeply into his eyes. “I would have in that case. You were kinder than I would have been. You have no idea the murderous thoughts in my mind when Ellie wiped that blood from her kit on my hands while I lay there helpless on that floor. It’s a good thing I was paralyzed. I told you I kidnapped her to do harm. I wasn’t ready to kill at that point but the payback would have been hell if my attraction for her hadn’t prevented it. Galina got our brothers killed for a stupid test result and money.” His breathing increased. “You were more merciful, Darkness. Trust me.”
“I even failed you there then. I should have taken a more vicious revenge for our brothers.”
Fury gripped his arm. “Don’t say that ever again. I’m just stating that you think you should be punished for your actions but I don’t see it that way. You never let them or me down. You did your best to keep them alive and survive. Their deaths are on those humans. There was no way for all of you to walk out of there alive from what you’ve told me. The test was doomed to fail if they believed our wills could be broken to the point of no return.”
“I don’t think I should be punished but there’s no room for forgiveness or redemption either. Parts of me died with our brothers and that female.”
“You’ve saved lives, Darkness. Focus on that. You just helped us locate a Gift. We rescued her today.”
“Her condition?” He hadn’t heard that news.
“She is surprisingly well.” Fury grimaced. “The humans seemed to treat her as if she were a pet.”
“No sexual abuse?”
“Not that we’re aware of but the reports are still coming in. We don’t like to go at them full-force with our questions when they arrive. Medical has done a workup, though, and she’s very healthy. There are no outward signs of abuse or scars to indicate anything severe in the past.”
“Good.”
“There’s one problem we didn’t expect.”
“What is that?”
Fury hesitated. “She wasn’t pleased to see other Species. There was some trauma in her past involving a male. We have no details yet but let’s just say Jaded set her off. She hissed at him and was terrified.”
“That’s not good.”
“No. A human had to be assigned to stay with her. It was at her request.”
“Trisha?”
Fury hesitated. “It’s one of the male task force members.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Nor do we but we want her to remain calm while she settles in at Homeland. We need to earn her trust. She feels more secure in his presence and that’s the important part.”
“Were the humans who were holding her caught?”
“Not yet. They were out of the country. We have the humans who were assigned to guard her and keep her prisoner.”
“Do you want me to question them?”
“It’s being handled. I want you to give yourself a break, Darkness. Leave the past behind and have a future.”
He had no words.
“Kat isn’t Galina.”
“She came here under false pretenses.”
“They aren’t the same. Kat left that note and it tipped us off to a connection between Boris and Mason. I’m sure they didn’t want her to do that.”
“It could be a setup to gain my trust.”
“Or she could have chosen to give her loyalty to you instead.”
“No female would do that.”
Fur
y smirked. “Not all human females are heartless. Ellie is a good example.”
“She’s special.”
“Perhaps your Kat is too.”
“She. Is. Not. Mine.”
Fury dropped his hand away. “You care about her whether you’re willing to admit it or not. You want her protected. She’s a trained agent. She could handle herself if she’s in danger but you won’t leave that to chance. You want her here where you can be certain no harm comes to her. I think part of you just wants to see her again.”
“Mason could order her killed to protect his own ass. He sent her in here after Boris. That had to have broken some of their laws. She could testify against him.”
Fury nodded. “True.” He moved away from the door.
Darkness opened it. “I’m going to go home and shower while I wait for the file to come in. I’m leading the teams to bring Kat here as soon as we have confirmation of her identity.”
“Brother?”
Darkness slowly turned. “What?”
“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other but I plan for that to change. You aren’t going to keep me distanced any longer. Is that clear?”
“It’s better that way.”
“It’s not happening. Ellie and I are going to invite you to dinner soon. We’ll keep asking until you accept.” The corners of his mouth curved upward. “I can be very annoying.”
Darkness muted a growl. It sounded more like a threat than an invitation.
“I do know you well enough to say you’re spewing bullshit about not having an attachment to Kat. Denial is a waste of time but regrets never fade. You’ve got a second chance when she is returned to Homeland.”
“I won’t spend time with her. I just plan to bring her to safety.” He exited the office.
“I never pegged you for being an idiot,” Fury called out.
Darkness halted and turned, glaring at the male.
“You heard me. She might be your one shot at happiness. Be a smart male and acknowledge that possibility.”
He spun before he could say something he regretted. Fury didn’t understand. He had good intentions but Darkness would never be the kind of Species to take a mate. He wasn’t fit for a female. He had no heart. It had been destroyed long ago.
Chapter Fifteen
“Kat!”
She bolted upright, Missy’s alarmed tone waking her instantly. She grabbed for the nightstand drawer, fumbled for the knob and yanked it open. She felt for her gun and grabbed it.
“Black SUVs just blocked off both ends of the street.” Missy lowered her voice. “I was people watching out the window and saw them. I was kidding about the damn cookies.”
Kat kicked off her covers. “They wouldn’t be SWAT. They use vans.” She rolled out of bed. “You said black?”
“Yeah. No lights or anything. They are just sitting there and nobody got out.”
Kat made out her friend’s shape near the doorway. “Do you think they saw you?”
“No. I was trying to clear my mind before bed and sometimes that hunky guy down the street goes jogging at odd hours. That’s when I saw them pull up. I got out of bed for a better look. There are two on each end of the street, parked side by side, blocking the road. Do you think they are coming to arrest you? They are other agents, right?”
Kat moved around Missy and entered the hallway. “I want you to go up to the attic and hide. Leave Butch and Gus in your room so they don’t give away your location. Shut the door first to contain them.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Missy trailed her down the hallway.
Kat walked to the window and used the barrel of her gun to part the curtain an inch and peered out. She had a good view of one side of the street. Two dark SUVs were there. The doors were closed and they didn’t have running lights. She studied the vehicles.
“I don’t think they are FBI.”
“DEA maybe? I told you I thought that guy four houses down looked like a pothead. Maybe he’s growing plants and they came to raid his house.”
“No.” Kat had a bad feeling. She carefully let the curtain drop and spun. “Get in the attic. I mean it. You know the hiding spot I’m talking about. Don’t come out for anything unless I give you the all-clear.”
“I bet they aren’t here for us.”
Kat grabbed her arm. “The DEA doesn’t use black SUVs with tinted windows or this strategy.” She heard something and peeked out the curtain again. All the doors were open on the SUVs and men dressed in black outfits, including headgear, got out. She saw white lettering on their chests and the assault rifles cradled in their arms.
“It’s the NSO.”
“Are you sure?”
“They are coming for me. Get your ass up in that attic.”
“Why would they do that?”
Kat shoved Missy, herding her toward the hidden attic entry. She paused at Missy’s bedroom door, glanced in to see the curtains pulled back and enough of the streetlight poured in to assure her the dog and cat still slept on the bed. She closed the door and forced Missy forward.
“I don’t know why they are here but it can’t be good. Hide. I don’t want you involved.”
“I’m scared.”
“I don’t have time to argue.”
She pushed the panel on the wall and it popped open. Missy hesitated. “Maybe you should put the gun away or hide with me.”
“No.” She nudged her friend inside. “Move!”
Missy ran up the flight of stairs, her bare feet quiet on the carpet. Kat closed the panel and shoved the table in front of it. Why would the NSO come? It wasn’t for a visit. They were in full tactical mode and ready to hit her house in the middle of the night. It pissed her off.
She rushed into her room, grabbed a bottle of perfume off the dresser and entered the hallway again. She sprayed it a few times as she moved down the hall. Darkness had told her it interfered with their sense of smell. She hoped it would hide Missy’s scent trail.
A soft pop sounded from below and she gritted her teeth, stopping at the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath and peered down. It was dark at the bottom but the first few steps creaked. She inched her elbow over and waited. Her heart pounded as she slid the safety off her gun and gripped it firmly with both hands. They thought they were going to surprise her but they were the ones who were about to be caught unaware.
Wood creaked and she jerked her elbow, hitting the light. The stairwell and hallway below lit up. She aimed at the first man who came into sight when she glanced around the wall at the top, keeping most of her body behind it.
“Freeze, asshole!” She hoped she sounded as angry as she felt.
The guy in full gear paused, his face hidden by the shielded helmet. She adjusted her aim, pointing it at his throat area. Two more men were behind him and they raised their weapons, trying to get a bead on her.
“You take one more step up and I’m going to shoot you. What are you doing in my house? What does the NSO want?”
A loud snarl sounded and a fourth man appeared. His gloved hands gripped the barrels of the lifted rifles and shoved them downward to point at the floor. His helmet tilted upward as he seemed to stare at her. “Don’t shoot her.”
She recognized that voice. “This is how you visit, Darkness?” She didn’t lower her weapon. “What is going on?”
He released the weapons, reached for his helmet and tore it off to glare up at her. “Stop pointing that weapon at Trey.”
“You break into my house and have the nerve to give me orders?” She inched away from the wall a little but kept most of her body shielded. “No. Why are you here?”
“We need to talk.”
“My doorbell works. So does the phone. Have you ever heard of either of those things?”
“Put down the gun, Kat.”
“No. Explain to me why you brought an assault team into my house. Did you come to arrest me? This isn’t NSO land. That shit doesn’t work here. You want me? Get a warrant and send real cops
to haul my ass in. I’m not going in willingly.”
Darkness scowled. “Please aim your gun at me at least. You’re making Trey sweat. I can smell him.”
She glanced at the man she kept her gun trained on. “Fine. Tell them to back off.”
Kat adjusted the barrel of her gun, lowering it slightly so the guy felt safe to move. He backed down two steps, spun and walked out of sight. He muttered something but it was too low for her to catch. Darkness jerked his head and the other two men left him standing alone.
“May I come up?” Darkness took a step forward.
“Nope.” Kat aimed at his thigh. She would hate to have to shoot him but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t if he left her no choice. “What is going on? Why are you here to arrest me?”
“What makes you think that?”
She tilted her head and arched her eyebrows. “Really? You brought four SUVs full of your task force guys and you breached my house as if I’m some dangerous felon. Give me a break.”
“We didn’t see any cameras.”
“There aren’t any. I have a dog and a cat. They let me know something was up.” It was a lie but she didn’t want to mention Missy. Both of the animals were dozing. Butch was a horrible guard dog. He was a wuss and slept like the dead when he went to bed. He’d lick an intruder to death if he were awake. “What are the charges?”
“I need you to come to Homeland with me.”
“No.”
He took another step and gripped the banister. “Put the gun down.”
“Start talking or get walking, Darkness. You didn’t do all this for a booty call. People use the phone for those these days, just so you know. I didn’t do anything wrong but say too much. You told me to leave and I did. We ended it on good terms.”
“You could be in danger.”
“You mean from the group of heavily armed men you brought into my house? There isn’t a second stairwell up if they are looking for it and the windows on this floor are painted shut. The last owner was an idiot and I never got around to unsealing them. That’s the nifty thing about central heat and air. That is one thing in this house that works well. Tell them not to bother to try to sneak up behind me. They can’t. I’ll also be furious if they hurt my pets.”