He scooped Jeanie into his arms, cradling her gently against his chest and turned. “Tell them she’s with me. She is staying at Homeland.”
Midnight’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t think that will work.”
He growled. “I’ll fight anyone who attempts to take her away from me. She’s mine to protect.”
“You need to clear that with Justice.”
“I don’t. I take full responsibility for her. Give me five minutes before you make the call to inform them that I’ve taken her home. She’ll be safe with me.”
“At the men’s dorms?”
“Yes.”
“True, be reasonable.” Midnight stood. “Just let them know what is going on and we won’t send her to Fuller. I’m sure that Justice, Fury and Slade will be happy to come here to discuss this with you if you are worried about leaving her alone. I wouldn’t allow anyone to take her until you return if you wish to go to the offices instead. I’m your friend and you can trust me to protect her.”
“She’s been through enough. I just want her to wake someplace safe.”
The female Species shook her head. “I think she’ll feel safer if you return her to that bed and I’m the first face she sees. I wasn’t the kindest to her but that’s because I believed she was our enemy. I’ve learned otherwise.”
“Tell them she’s with me.” He stalked forward, the urge to take her home too overpowering to resist. “She’ll stay inside my home until she’s no longer in any danger of being sent to Fuller.”
“I want to help you figure this out.”
He paused at the door. “Share what we’ve learned with our people. I’ll talk to her when she’s not drugged and get more details. Thank you for your help.”
“Wait!” Midnight grabbed a blanket and covered Jeanie with it. “She chills easily.”
Chapter Five
True expected stares when he entered the men’s dorm with a female cradled in his arms. The blanket was tucked around her enough to hide most of her but her sex was obvious from her small shape and her long hair falling over his arm. The males watching the sports game on the large TV turned their heads, all gawking at him.
“She’s fine,” he called out. “She’s just sedated.”
Book stood. “Who is she and why do you have her?”
“She’s human.”
Darkness exited the bathroom and halted. “What is going on?”
True turned to stare at him. “This is Technician Jeanie Shiver.”
“She’s the human the task force team wanted me to interrogate? I said I wouldn’t do it. Take her back to Medical. I haven’t changed my mind.” His nose flared and he growled. “It smells as if you terrified her enough without me. I have no stomach for menacing a female.”
“That’s not why I have her. They were going to transfer her to Fuller. I won’t allow it.”
“Why?” Book took a few steps closer, openly curious.
“She’s not my enemy and she doesn’t belong with the humans who live there.”
“Security allowed you to just walk off with her?” Darkness lifted one eyebrow and didn’t look convinced. “What have you done? I know protocol.”
“I took her from her bed at Medical.” True tensed, prepared to fight anyone who interfered. “She wasn’t safe there. The task force called Fuller for pick-up.”
“Justice approved this?”
“No.” True showed his sharp teeth. “I didn’t ask. He has no say about what happens to her. She’s mine to protect.”
“She’s your mate?” Book took a step back. “She agreed to that?”
“She’s not my mate but I owe her my life.”
Darkness approached him but stopped three feet away, his confusion clear. “What are you talking about? I read her file when they approached me to perform the interrogation. She worked for two suspected research subsidiaries of Mercile Industries. One of them was where you were kept.”
“Yes. She saved my life in New Mexico. I haven’t figured out what is going on yet but I believe she was there helping save the lives of Species.”
Darkness shook his head. “She was a valued and obviously trusted employee of high rank to work at both facilities.”
“She drew blood from me but she wasn’t a doctor or a high-ranking employee,” True growled, angry the male stood too close. “There is a human pretending to work for the NSO who used her. She believed she was helping us through him. That’s why she was at Cornas where she was captured. She thought she was saving our kind by giving him information.”
“What human?”
“I don’t know. I need to figure that out. He claimed to be an agent and sent her to the last location.”
“You have proof?” Darkness backed away a step but withdrew his cell phone from his jeans pocket. “Let’s deal with this in a rational way. I’ll call Tim Oberto and Trey Roberts.”
“She told me this while drugged.”
“There is no proof then.” The male touched the face of the phone.
“Don’t do that,” True demanded. “Hear me out first before you get them involved.”
“They are already involved. They work for us, deal with the humans.”
“I don’t want them near her. They didn’t believe what she said, but I do.”
“He is highly attracted to her,” Book whispered. “Look at how tense he is and the protective stance. Don’t get close to her again, Darkness.”
True growled, turning his head to shoot the male a dirty look. “This isn’t about attraction. It’s about a debt. I owe her enough to allow her to prove her innocence. She can’t do that from Fuller.”
Book lifted both hands, palms out. “She smells good. I totally understand the desire to just take her home with you. I’ve been there myself. She is out cold, so easy to just pick up and walk off with, and you probably imagine she’ll wake happy to be naked in your bed. I’d be tempted to do the same. I’ve had that fantasy but I’ve been assured they would scream and not be as impressed as we would wish at the sight of an aroused male, ready to pounce on them for shared sex.”
“Shut up, Book.” Darkness sighed. “You’re not helping.”
“Fine.” The male shrugged. “I was attempting to talk him down from the ledge.”
“What ledge?” True snarled.
“It’s a saying.” Darkness drew his attention. “A stupid one that doesn’t apply here. You can’t just steal a female from Medical and bring her home. We have rules and regulations. You believe something she said and think she was set up by another human? Is that the gist of it?”
He was relieved someone had listened. “Yes.”
“Do this through proper channels. We’ll return her to Medical and put one of our males at her door to make sure she remains there. You and I will sit down with Justice, Fury and Slade to discuss this.”
He debated it. “What if they don’t believe her?”
“You must comply with their decisions.”
“I won’t.” His temper flared again. “Not when it comes to her. She saved my life.”
“I understand you believe whatever she said.” Darkness lowered the phone and returned it to his pocket. “This isn’t the way to handle it though. You don’t comprehend how wrong your actions are.”
The elevator doors opened and Flirt strolled out. The male paused. “What is going on?” His nose flared. “Who is that female? Why is she so still?”
True was grateful to see the male. “Tell them I’m not irrational.”
“Okay.” Flirt shrugged, glancing at Darkness. “He’s not irrational.” He looked back at True. “Why do you have an unconscious female in your arms? I’m trying not to judge but she smells of fear. Did you scare her enough that she fainted and now you’re pulling a caveman stunt to carry her off to your room to kiss it all better?”
“No.” He clenched his teeth, trying to calm his quickly escalading temper. “I didn’t steal her for sex. Why would you think that?”
“Um, the half-nake
d human you’re holding and she isn’t exactly telling us she wants to be here.” Flirt chuckled. “That hot, huh?”
“It’s Technician Jeanie Shiver,” True growled.
Flirt’s expression sobered. “What?” His nostrils flared again as he inhaled before he quickly advanced, trying to get a better look at her. His hand rose as if he planned to remove the blanket to see her more clearly.
True snarled in warning. “Don’t touch her.”
Flirt’s catlike blue gaze narrowed. “She smells different. I want to see her face.”
“It’s her.”
“Let me see. Do you think I’d harm her?” He appeared outraged. “What is wrong with her? What did you do?” His voice deepened. “Give her to me.”
Darkness moved between them. “Don’t fight. She could be harmed.”
“What did you do?” Flirt roared. “I’ll kill you if you hurt her.” He extended his arms. “Gently hand her over to me.”
“What is going on?” Darkness glared at both of them.
“I’m protecting her,” True stated to Flirt. “They wanted to send her to Fuller. I won’t allow it.”
“The human prison?” Flirt calmed enough to speak in a normal tone. “She doesn’t belong there.”
“I know,” True agreed. “I was taking her to my home to keep her safe. The males believe I’m going to molest or mount her. I’d never cause her harm.”
“What is wrong with her?” Flirt inched closer.
“She’s drugged with a sedative. She’ll wake in a few hours.”
Darkness sighed. “You’re from the New Mexico facility, too, Flirt. You knew the human as well, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Flirt nodded. “She’s not bad. It’s not irrational to want to keep her from being sent to a prison. Take her upstairs, True. I’ll help keep her safe. Don’t try to stop him, Darkness. I will fight to protect her.”
“What the hell?” Book gasped.
“Everyone needs to calm down,” Darkness ordered. “I’m not fighting with anyone. I’m just trying to figure out what is going on.”
“She’s Jeanie Shiver,” Flirt growled. “I’d die to protect her.” He turned his head, studying True. “Are we in agreement? No harm is to come to her.”
“I stole her to prevent that.”
Flirt glared at Darkness. “I’d have stolen her too if I’d known she was at Homeland and in danger of being sent to prison. Let him take her upstairs.”
Darkness backed away. “Why is she so important to you? True said she saved his life. I just want to understand what is going on and why both of you are ready to attack others in defense of that human.”
Flirt reached down and gripped the waist of his shirt, tore it over his head and tossed it to the floor. The scars covering his chest, belly, and back were revealed. They were thick in some places, thin lines in others. “This is what happened to me when they moved us from Mercile to Drackwood. The abuse increased until I nearly died, often. Jeanie Shiver kept me alive by sitting at my bedside during the worst of the pain and told me stories that made me fight to keep breathing just to hear the end of them.” He paused, his eyes sheening with tears. “One of the guards took it too far before I was freed.” His hand rubbed the thicker scars near his lower belly. “He gutted me with a knife. The doctor didn’t want to operate to save me, complaining I wasn’t worth his time. The operation would take hours. Shiver shamed the male into it. She argued with him until he agreed and she stayed with me to make sure he wouldn’t break his word. I’d kill to protect that female. I was still recovering in bed when the NSO came. I wouldn’t have survived long enough to be here and know this life if it weren’t for her.”
Darkness lowered his head, nodding grimly. “I understand.” He held True’s gaze. “Take her to your home. I have no idea what the blowback on this will be but you have my support.” He stared into Flirt’s eyes. “I respect a life debt. Help him keep her here until something is worked out. I’ll do my best to convey why she’s worth breaking some rules. I’m not big on following all of them either.”
“Thank you.” True nodded and strode away. He pushed the button to call the elevator.
“Are you sure she’s okay? She’s so limp.”
He didn’t like Flirt standing so close to his side or the way the male fondly gazed at the female. “She is highly drugged but fine.”
“Hand her to me.” He opened his arms. “I’ll carry her.”
“You won’t touch her,” True warned.
Flirt growled low. “She doesn’t belong to you. She saved my life.”
“She saved mine too.”
They glared at each other until the doors opened. True stepped inside, keeping to the corner as far from the male as possible in the confined space. Flirt refused to give up easily.
“We should take her to my home. She will be happy to see me when she wakes.”
Jealousy raged inside True. “You don’t know that.”
“She spent a lot of time with me.” Flirt puffed out his chest. “I was injured more frequently than you were. They had me on some trial for drugs to mend broken bones. I made her laugh. Did you?”
“She asked me to help her, not you.”
“I didn’t know she was here or I would have gone to her.”
The doors opened at the third floor. True stepped out and stomped to his apartment. He tugged his keycard out of his front pants pocket—leaning back a little to balance her weight in his arms—as he tried to ignore the male following too close to Shiver.
“You can guard the door.”
“I think she’d feel safer if she wakes looking at my face,” Flirt protested.
True spun, snarling. “She’s mine to protect.”
“She’s mine too.”
A horrible thought struck. “Did you agree to Polanitis’ deal? Did you mount her?” He wasn’t sure what he’d do if the male said he had. He’d want to kill him for sure.
“No!” Flirt snarled. “Did you? Polanitis offered you a deal to mount her?” He snarled again, his hands fisting. “Is that how he got back at her for making him angry? Allowed you to hurt her?”
“I never touched her.” He fought the urge to punch the male in the face but only because of the weight of Shiver resting against his chest and in his arms. He’d have to put her down and out of the way first to fight the male. “What do you know of Polanitis?”
“He came into the clinic room a few days before we were rescued. She was there with me and he demanded she go with him. She said she was busy but he grabbed her arm. He was furious. I wanted to kill him when he dragged her out of her seat but they had me chained down. He struck her across the face before he forced her to go with him. She returned a few hours later with bruises on her arms. She refused to tell me how they got there but I thought he’d done it. You’re telling me he offered her to our males, to mount her as punishment?”
True felt a stabbing sensation in his chest. It hurt hearing confirmation of why Shiver feared Polanitis. He’d been in charge of Drackwood, therefore responsible for all that had been done to her. He was convinced now that she’d been forced into breeding experiments.
“It seems so.”
Flirt snarled. “Who accepted? I want their names.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t touch her.”
Flirt closed his eyes and turned away. “Ask her or I will. I want to know if any of our males hurt her.” He took a few ragged breaths. “They’ll pay if they did. She was kind to everyone they brought in for medical treatment. I was there a lot and saw her interaction with our kind. She didn’t deserve that.” He slowly turned, opened his eyes, and studied True. “You know that, right? She wasn’t like the others.”
“I know.”
“She had a heart.”
“I know.”
“I saw pain in her eyes often when we were hurt. She cared about us.”
“I know that too.”
“She was afraid. I asked her once why she would work for them.” He
hooked his thumbs in the loops of his jeans. “Do you know what she said?”
“What?” True really wanted the answer.
“They’d kill her if she stopped and she wouldn’t be there to help us. She whispered that to me and meant each word. She was as trapped as we were.”
True had heard enough. He swiped his card to unlock the door and pushed it open. “Don’t allow anyone in. She’ll be safe here.”
“Don’t hurt her in any way, True.” The threat hung in the air. “We’ll make the NSO understand she’s not like the other humans and gain her freedom. She deserves that for all she did.”
His temper flared. “Do you think I’d cause her pain in any way?”
Flirt hesitated, closely studying him. “I’ll kill you if you do.”
“Kill Polanitis. He’s responsible for her being harmed at Drackwood. I think she was given breeding drugs.”
Shock widened the other male’s eyes.
“She admitted he had that done to her. That’s why I refuse to allow her to be sent to Fuller. He’s there.”
“Son of a bitch,” Flirt snarled.
“It seems she made a deal to allow them to dose her with the drugs to save my life. That’s what stopped them from killing me that day they were leading me to the outer building and that’s why she’s staying in my home. Don’t insult me again. I’d break my own fingers before I’d lay one on her that would cause her any more pain.” He stepped inside and closed the door with his foot.
One quick survey of his home assured him he needed to clean the place before Jeanie woke. He worked a lot of shifts and his uniforms were strewn across the floor. He slowly tugged the blanket away from her body, no longer worried about concealing her modesty. She looked peaceful in her drugged sleep as he cradled her in his arms, carrying her into his bedroom. The bed wasn’t made but the sheets were semi clean since he’d done two loads of laundry the day before. It helped that the covers were shoved down as he crawled onto the side of the mattress and gently stretched her out on her back.
She looked tiny in the center of his large bed as he pulled his arms out from under her and adjusted her hospital gowns down over her pale thighs. It was a temptation to remove the scratchy material—he hated to sleep in clothing—but she might be alarmed if she woke naked. He climbed off the bed and pulled the covers up to her chest.