Kat took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’ve been where you are. That’s why I work for the NSO now. I made a choice to do the right thing over the pressure I got from my boss. Plus, I won’t deny that the benefits here are way better. Candi isn’t dangerous. She’s a survivor. Follow the facts and do the right thing. It won’t make you popular, but it will help you sleep better at night.”
“We’re tracking down the financials at the hospital. It’s going to take time, but the account linked to the payments where Candi was held helped us figure out where Christopher Chazel might have been living. We’ll make certain that information is correct, and if he is in fact deceased.” Garza looked at Candi. “If he’s not, we’re going to move heaven and hell to get him brought back here to stand trial for what he did to you, the victims of Mercile, and for the double homicide he committed.” She wrote something on the folder and stared at Candi. “Would you testify against him in a court of law?”
Candi nodded. “I would like to know if Penny lied to me about his death. I want him to pay for what he’s done.”
Garza looked at Kat. “I’m trying to do the right thing, Perkins. Believe it or not, I wasn’t dancing with her. I feel bad. Everything I’ve learned substantiates what she said.” She looked at her partner. “Kether and I both agree on that. I’m just trying to cross all my t’s and dot all my i’s. Otherwise my boss is going to raise hell and question it.”
“He’s known for reassigning agents if they don’t file reports he likes,” the male muttered.
Kat winced. “Jorginson? I thought he was retiring.”
The male agent snorted. “He changed his mind. Again.”
“Shit. He’s an asshole.” Kat leaned back, and relaxed in her chair. “Let’s play ball on the same team. How about it? What can I do to help make this work?”
Garza smiled. “I heard you were a bitch, Perkins. You’re not so bad.”
Kether glanced at the camera. “Can you delete anything on that and make it disappear?”
Kat nodded and lifted a hand, making a slicing motion. “They stopped recording. Only NSO is watching or has access to it. What do you want to say off the record?”
Garza closed the file and stood. “Demand copies of all the evidence we collected. Justice North can get it done. There’s no way anyone can view what we’ve acquired and still think any charges should be filed for Pess’s death, or doubt why the NSO is stating she’s one of yours.” She looked at Candi. “I am sorry for all you’ve endured. I wish I could arrest some of the staff at that hospital for stupidity. Unfortunately, it’s not a crime to be morons.” She looked at Kat. “I’d sue the shit out of them. The NSO has lawyers. Use them to get a little payback for her. She’s owed it.”
The agents left and Candi looked at Kat. “It’s okay now, right?”
She smiled. “It’s all good.”
Kit growled. “That wasn’t eventful.”
Breeze snorted. “Were you hoping for a fistfight?”
“Perhaps.” Kit spun. “I’m out of here. It’s my day off.”
Candi stood and glanced at both females. “Thank you.”
“Go find your male.” Breeze hung back and picked up the badge. “Where did you get this, Kat?”
“Trey Roberts was hanging out in Security. I told him I wanted to borrow it, and why.” She grinned. “He didn’t hesitate.”
“I’ll return it to him.” Breeze pocketed it. “Nice job.”
“I hate bullshit posturing. I hoped Garza would feel the same.” Kat walked past Candi and reached out, squeezing her arm. “You did great. I’m going to go talk to Justice North about pulling some strings to access everything the FBI has.”
Candi walked out of the conference room and headed toward where she’d last seen Hero. She spotted him pacing in front of the double doors leading into the building, not far from where he’d parked the cart. He stopped as soon as he saw her. She smiled and he closed his eyes.
Candi was fine. Hero tried to let go of some of his anxiety. Her gentle hands took his and he looked down at her. “They listened?”
“They did, and believed me.”
“How do you feel?”
She seemed to debate a moment. “Good.”
“They didn’t upset you at all?”
“No. They were mostly nice. Kat and the lead agent had words, but they worked it out. She said it’s all good.”
“They couldn’t have done anything to you.”
“I know.”
“Doc Trisha called me. The last of your test results came in.” He smiled. “You’re good. She wants us to go speak to her about your nutrition though. She said I can’t feed you unhealthy things to get you to gain weight.”
“Do you have time before your shift? Otherwise I could ask someone else to take me.”
“I traded shifts. I wasn’t prepared to leave you alone if the interview went bad.”
“That was so nice of you.”
“You’re my mate. You are my priority. You always come first.”
“In that case, can we go see Doc Trisha later? I’d like for you to take me home.”
“You are upset.” Anger surged. “Who upset you? What did they say?”
She went up on tiptoe and leaned against him. “I want the canine experience. We should celebrate.”
He wrapped his arms around her and his temper faded as fast as it had appeared, changing to amusement. “You’re soooo bad.”
“I am. I’ll let you tickle me if we’re naked.”
He let her go and clasped her hand. “Let’s go.”
Her laughter made him happy.
Epilogue
Two months later
Hero entered his apartment and flipped on the light switch. Nothing happened. A giggle sounded from the far corner of the room. He growled low and closed the door behind him.
“What are you doing, Candi?”
“Waiting for you to come home. Do you remember playing hide and seek?”
He gripped his vest straps, tearing at them. “Of course.”
“How is your eyesight in this light? It’s not as dark as our cell used to be.”
He spotted her near the bedroom door. She was just a darker shadow in the room. He removed the vest and dropped it. His belt and weapon came off next. “You want to play?”
“I always want to play with you. We have more space in here than we used to have at Mercile. Can you see me? I tried to cover all the windows but it’s still lighter in here than I wanted.”
“What do I get if I catch you?” He bent, removing his boots.
“What do you want?”
“You naked.”
“That’s not fair.”
He straightened. “Why not?”
“I’m already without clothes.”
He softly growled. He inhaled and picked up the scent of her arousal. It stirred his own. “What have you been doing while I was gone, my Candi?”
“Thinking about you, my pup.” She stepped in front of the open bedroom door. “Come get me.” She ducked inside the bedroom.
He followed, careful not to slam his knees into the coffee table. He entered the bedroom and glanced around. She’d covered the smaller bedroom window more effectively, leaving him without enough light to see as well as he had in the living room. He sniffed the air, tracking her by scent. She was near the bed.
“Not fair,” she whispered.
“Who said I had to be? You’re naked.” He caught her quickly, chuckled and swung her up into his arms.
“You’re not supposed to use your senses against me when I don’t have the same. Remember?”
“You used to wear clothes. Things change. I never wanted to catch you this bad before.” He sat on the bed with her on his lap. His hands roamed her body and he cupped one of her ass cheeks. He gently squeezed. “I love how you feel.”
“You like my curves.”
His other hand caressed her soft, warm stomach. “I do.”
She turned into him and
wrapped her arms around his neck. “Can I throw away the condoms? Trisha said I’m healthy. I’m a few pounds over what she wanted me to gain.”
“You want to try for a baby now?”
“Yes.” She brushed her mouth over his chin, nibbled up across his jawline and whispered in his ear. “We’re making up for lost time.”
“It might not happen right away.”
“I know. I heard what Trisha said. She didn’t want us to be disappointed if I don’t get pregnant on the first attempt.”
“I’m going to turn on the light. I want to see you.”
She was the one to lean toward the nightstand and switch on the lamp. He blinked to adjust his vision and grinned. He studied his Candi. She projected a healthy glow now, and no longer looked as she had when she’d first come to him. She was even more beautiful. “You take my breath away.”
“You always say that when I’m naked.”
“I say it when you’re clothed too.”
“You don’t take on that husky tone though.”
He stared into her eyes. “That’s because I want to lick you all over right now and be inside you when you start moaning my name.”
She smiled and fumbled for the bottom of his shirt, tugging to get it out of the waistband of his pants. “Let’s get out of these.”
He leaned back to help her and she shoved the shirt upward. He lifted his arms and she got it off and tossed it onto the carpet. He fell back on the bed and watched as Candi straddled his thighs, her nimble fingers opening the front of his pants. He loved looking at her, watching her. She glanced up and paused, tilting her head slightly.
“What?”
“I’m just happy.”
“You’ll be more so if you stop lying there and help me get these pants off you.”
He reached out and wrapped his hands around her hips. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I once told you that you were my weakness. I was wrong. You are my strength.”
She bent over him, bracing her hands on his upper chest. “You don’t have to say that.”
“I do. I was afraid at the time. I mistook how I felt about you as weakness. You mean everything to me and I only existed after I lost you, but I wasn’t really alive until you found me again. Thank you.”
“You’re going to make me cry.” Tears filled her eyes. “But they are happy tears.”
“I want you to know how I feel.”
“I know every time you look at me and touch me.”
He rolled over, pinning him under her. He scooted down her body, kissing her lips, her throat, and teasing her breasts with his mouth. She moaned and spread her thighs. He lifted his hips to get his pants off, and shoved them down as he reached her stomach. Her fingers stabbed into his hair, pushing him lower. He chuckled.
“Someone is impatient. I thought you wanted to play.”
“I love sharing sex.”
“I’d have to work harder if you didn’t.” He kicked his pants and boxer briefs away, finally free of all his clothing. He reached her pussy and gripped her thighs to hold them open. She had a habit of trying to close them right before she climaxed. He growled when he caught her scent of need, his cock rock-hard and hurting to be inside his female.
He played with her clit. She loved his tongue, but she also enjoyed when he used his lower teeth to gently rake over the soft bud. Her moans filled the room and he released one of her thighs, automatically reaching for the box of condoms on the nightstand that he always kept stocked and ready. His fingers brushed it, but then he remembered they no longer planned to use them.
The idea of nothing between them, and being able to come inside her, drove him a little insane. He lifted up and grabbed her hips, flipping her over. “Crawl to the middle of the bed,” he snarled.
She didn’t hesitate, getting on her hands and knees for him. He followed her up and put his legs on the outside of hers, using his calves to brace her feet. He was excited and knew she was close to coming. So was he. He’d make it up to her later by taking his time making love to her. They could spend hours touching and kissing.
He reached down and gripped her hip with one hand, using the other to guide the crown of his dick to her opening. He pressed against her, rubbing against it, teasing before he entered. She was wet and ready for him. They both groaned as he pushed forward, taking her.
He released the shaft of his dick and came down over her back, using one arm to support his upper-body and reached around her stomach, sliding his palm lower until his fingers brushed over her clit.
“My pup,” Candi moaned.
“My Candi,” he growled back.
He moved, taking her fast and hard as he pressed against her clit so every drive of his hips rubbed her sensitive bud. Her broken cries and moans told him how much she enjoyed being claimed by him. He loved being inside her. There was nothing that ever felt as right as she did to him.
Sweat slicked their bodies as passion burned them up until she climaxed, his number on her lips. He didn’t care that she sometimes fell into old habits and forgot to use his name. She could call him anything she wanted since he was hers and she was his. He drove into her one last time, her vaginal muscles milking him as his seed erupted and filled her.
He howled and threw them both onto their sides so he didn’t crush her small body with his own. He curled around her tightly while he came down from the high of making love to his mate.
He lifted his head and put his cheek next to hers. He pulled his fingers away from her oversensitive clit and placed his hand on her stomach. “I might not get you pregnant with the first attempt, but I’m going to really enjoy trying.”
She chuckled and her hands gripped his arms where they encircled her. “Me too.”
“I won’t miss the condoms. It’s so much better without them.”
“I agree. You feel even better. I didn’t think that was possible.”
He closed his eyes, just holding her as they caught their breaths. “Anything is possible, my Candi.”
“Yes, it is, my pup.”
About Laurann Dohner
I’m a full-time “in-house supervisor” (sounds much better than plain ol’ housewife), mother and writer. I’m addicted to caramel iced coffee, the occasional candy bar (or two) and trying to get at least five hours of sleep at night.
I love to write all kinds of stories. I think the best part about writing is the fact that real life is always uncertain, always tossing things at us that we have no control over, but when you write, you can make sure there’s always a happy ending. I love that about writing. I love to sit down at my computer desk, put on my headphones and listen to loud music to block out the world around me, so I can create worlds in front of me.
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Also by Laurann Dohner
Cyborg Seduction 1: Burning Up Flint
Cyborg Seduction 2: Kissing Steel
Cyborg Seduction 3: Melting Iron
Cyborg Seduction 4: Touching Ice
Cyborg Seduction 5: Stealing Coal
Cyborg Seduction 6: Redeeming Zorus
Cyborg Seduction 7: Taunting Krell
Cyborg Seduction 8: Haunting Blackie
Lacey and Lethal
Mating Heat 1: Mate Set
Mating Heat 2: His Purrfect Mate
Mating Heat 3: Mating Brand
Mine to Chase
New Species 1: Fury
New Species 2: Slade
New Species 3: Valiant
New Species 4: Justice
New Species 5: Brawn
New Species 6: Wrath
New Species 7: Tiger
New Species 8: Obsidian
New Species 9: Shadow
New Species 10: Moon
New S
pecies 11: True
New Species 12: Darkness
New Species 13 Smiley
Riding the Raines 1: Propositioning Mr. Raine
Riding the Raines 2: Raine on Me
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 1 anthology
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2 anthology
Zorn Warriors 1: Ral’s Woman
Zorn Warriors 2: Kidnapping Casey
Zorn Warriors 3: Tempting Rever
Zorn Warriors 4: Berrr’s Vow
Print books by Laurann Dohner
Claws And Fangs anthology
Cyborg Seduction 1: Burning Up Flint
Cyborg Seduction 2: Kissing Steel
Cyborg Seduction 3: Melting Iron
Cyborg Seduction 4: Touching Ice
Cyborg Seduction 5: Stealing Coal
Cyborg Seduction 6: Redeeming Zorus
Cyborg Seduction 7: Taunting Krell
Cyborg Seduction 8: Haunting Blackie
Mating Heat 1: Mate Set
Mating Heat 2: His Purrfect Mate
Mating Heat3: Mating Brand
New Species 1: Fury
New Species 2: Slade
New Species 3: Valiant
New Species 4: Justice
New Species 5: Brawn
New Species 6: Wrath
New Species 7: Tiger
New Species 8: Obsidian
New Species 9: Shadow
New Species 10: Moon
New Species 11: True
New Species 12: Darkness
New Species 13: Smiley
Riding the Raines 1: Propositioning Mr. Raine
Riding the Raines 2: Raine on Me
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 1 anthology
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2 anthology
Zorn Warriors 1 & 2: Loving Zorn
Zorn Warriors 3: Tempting Rever