“I could kill Brice.” She was livid. “That son of a bitch.”
“Some believe you knew what he was doing.”
It was a verbal slap in the face and it hurt. “I didn’t.”
“Did you receive any money from him? The task force team is checking your finances.”
“Not the way you’d think.” She really wanted True to believe her. “The only time he helped me financially was when I moved to South Dakota. I had to rent a truck to move my stuff and needed enough money to get into my apartment. I couldn’t afford the first and last month’s rent because I hadn’t planned to go there until he told me about Cornas. Someone had to prove New Species were there so he could get them free.”
“How much money did you accept?” He didn’t look happy.
“He gave me two thousand dollars.”
True stood, pacing the room. Jeanie watched him, worried he’d think the worst.
“I only accepted that money because I didn’t have the funds to move. I swear I didn’t know he demanded a ransom from the NSO for the information I gave.”
He stopped, stared at her. “Okay. I’ll relay that to the task force members.”
“Did Agent Brice give you the names of the employees at Cornas? How many of them were arrested?”
“Just you. We were given no list of employee names.”
She pushed at the sheet, trying to climb off the side of the bed. “Do you have a pen and paper? I want to write them down. They’ll try to flee the country.”
True blocked her from standing by stepping next to the bed. “Stay down. You’re healing. I’ll bring you something to write on.”
“Thank you.” She covered her legs and leaned back against his padded headboard.
True walked to the bedroom door but then paused, turning to face her. “You should also write out a list of personal contacts so we can notify them of where you are. I’m sure your loved ones are worried.”
“No one will notice I’m gone for quite a while.”
He tilted his head, frowning. “What about the male in your life? He must be frantic, attempting to discover your whereabouts.”
“You mean a boyfriend? I don’t date.”
He stepped closer. “Why not?”
She dropped her gaze to his chest again. “I just don’t.”
“Jeanie? Answer me.”
Her gaze lifted to his. “I just don’t. Can’t we leave it at that?”
“No. You’re an attractive female. There should be a male in your life.”
She glanced anywhere but at him, her cheeks warming from embarrassment. It made her feel elated that he thought she was attractive. That feeling quickly faded. He could have said it to be polite.
“I just thought it was safer. I was living a lie, unable to trust anyone because it could get me killed. A boyfriend could have been a plant hired by my bosses to see if I was trustworthy or not. I also didn’t want either of those places to think I had close ties to anyone who could be hurt by association. They loved to make threats about killing the people we cared about if we betrayed our confidentiality clauses.” She paused. “I distanced myself from my friends and family to protect them. They only hear from me on birthdays or Christmas. I knew they weren’t empty threats after…” She just couldn’t say it.
“They forced you to become a test subject,” he guessed.
“Yes,” she whispered. “After that I had no doubts about how evil those bastards could be.”
“I’ll be right back.”
He left the room. One glance at the nightstand assured her he’d taken the cell phone. She really wanted to dial the number for Agent Brice. He had a lot of explaining to do and she had some choice words to say to him. He’d lied and she’d been used. True wouldn’t make that up.
She huddled on his bed. One sweeping glance across the room revealed he didn’t display many mementos or personal items. It reminded her more of a hotel room than a home. It made her sad. She wished there were mementos on his walls or at least some photos of friends to indicate he had a lot of people in his life.
True disconnected the call and ground his teeth in frustration. The task force team seemed leery of Jeanie’s story. Trey had listened to him until Tim came on the phone a few minutes into the conversation. The male again demanded she be returned to his custody. It wasn’t going to happen.
A slight noise in the other room alerted him to Jeanie’s movements. He stalked to the doorway and peered inside. She’d slipped out of bed, had crossed the room and stood in front of his dresser.
“What are you doing?”
She jumped and spun around, eyes wide. Suspicion surfaced that she might be searching for a weapon. He wanted to trust her but refused to be made a fool of again.
“I didn’t want to disturb you but I was hoping I might be able to borrow some of your clothes.”
“Why?”
She waved a hand down the front of her body. “I’m not a huge fan of these gowns. They are kind of uncomfortable and they didn’t have anything else for me to wear at the hospital.”
“There are shirts in the top drawer. You may borrow one.” The idea of his clothing against her bare skin created an odd, possessive reaction inside him. He didn’t like it one bit but refused to deny her comfort.
“Do you have any boxers or drawstring shorts?”
“Third drawer down.”
“Thank you.” She appeared emotionally torn as she just stood there. “I hate that this is so awkward between us. I imagined things would be different if we ever saw each other again.”
Curiosity became too strong to resist. “How so?”
“It never crossed my mind that you’d think I was one of the bad guys.”
“You’re female.” He hoped a little humor would ease the tense situation.
“You know what I mean.” She sighed. “Thank you for at least giving me the benefit of a doubt by bringing me here instead of allowing them to take me to prison.”
He took a cautious step closer, then another, before coming to a halt. “You never harmed me or any others I spoke to from Drackwood. Fuller is a bad place for females. One was killed there a few months ago. I refuse to allow you to be put in danger.”
“Killed? You mean executed?”
“Not by us.” He regretted the fear he identified on her features. “The guards there allow the inmates a little exercise sometimes by having them walk between the cages. The female’s cell door wasn’t locked by mistake and she was attacked by other prisoners when they freed some of the males. The guards weren’t able to save her.”
She took a step back and bumped into his dresser. “That’s horrible. They beat her to death?”
“You don’t want the details. She didn’t die well.”
“Thank you for believing me. I’m afraid of Polanitis. He has to know I’m the reason Drackwood got busted. I never called in sick for work except the day of the raid. He’d do anything to get even.”
True felt grateful she didn’t question him further about the human who was killed. “I want to believe everything you say.”
She flinched. “It’s hard to trust me. I understand.”
He didn’t enjoy seeing the unhappiness on her face. “You can change your clothes in the bathroom.” His gaze ran down her body, lingering a little too long on her shapely, attractive legs. “I want you comfortable.”
She turned away. The dresser was tall and she had to ease up on tiptoe to peer inside when she opened the top drawer. He immediately went to her aid. True’s torso pressed against her back when he reached around her, his hand brushing hers as he grabbed a shirt.
Jeanie sucked a sharp breath, her head jerking in his direction to stare at his face. He studied her features. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I know.” She didn’t edge away.
She smelled sweet. The lingering scent of her fear played hell on his libido. It would be easy to wrap an arm around her waist, lift her off her feet and carry her to his bed ju
st steps away. He became aware of their size differences. He’d never mounted a human but wanted to.
The golden brown of her eyes was absolutely beautiful. His gaze lowered to her slightly parted lips. The urge to kiss them formed as his body responded to the soft curves of her ass lightly touching his thighs. The two hospital gowns she wore were thin, easy to get rid of. He fisted the shirt and pulled it out of the drawer.
“Go into the bathroom to change. Close the door,” he managed to get out as he put a little space between them. The way his voice deepened couldn’t be helped.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’ve barely gotten any sleep in the past two days.” He refused to admit his bad mood wasn’t the result of weariness. He wanted Jeanie. She’d probably scream if he attempted to mount her.
“Go now,” he ordered, his control about to slip. She smelled too good, was too close and his dick grew harder with each passing second. She’d notice if he didn’t get her away from him. He shoved the shirt at her. “Take this. It’s really soft and one of my favorites.”
“What about boxers? Or shorts?”
“You’ll be in bed recovering from your injuries. You don’t need them and the shirt will fall long on you.” She’d be bare from the waist down beneath it. His imagination went there. Flame had said she shaved most of the hair from her sex. He’d never had the urge to explore a human female’s anatomy but Jeanie was different. There wasn’t one inch of her that he wouldn’t like to memorize by touch and taste. “Go on. I need to change out of my uniform.”
She accepted the shirt. He turned his back in case she noticed the way the material of his pants strained to contain his erection. He wanted her in another room and away from him.
He gripped the bottom of his shirt, knowing the sight of him stripping out of it would motivate her to flee. The door clicked closed before he pulled it over his head and tossed it to the corner. He glanced at the bathroom door and cursed softly.
I’m supposed to protect her but who will keep her safe from me?
Chapter Seven
Jeanie studied her reflection in the mirror as she removed both hospital gowns. Bruises still marred one side of her face and her chin but the colors were wrong. They should be black and blue, not greenish yellow. The bandage covered her lower abdomen on one side, gauze sealed beneath a clear plastic cover. It was ugly but she worried that what hid under it looked worse. She hesitated before carefully tugging at the edges, the adhesive a little painful when it pulled away from her skin. She dropped the bandage in the trash next to the toilet.
The bullet wound wasn’t a hole. It was a two-inch red line with tiny dots from staples. They hadn’t bothered with stitches. She brushed her fingertip over the jagged, angry line marring her skin, stunned. She hadn’t torn open her lab coat to examine how badly she’d been hurt when she’d been shot but there had been a lot of blood.
Something was off. There should have been a bloody hole, not a mostly healed incision line. Her knees weakened and she swayed, having to grab the counter to keep upright. A small noise escaped her parted lips while she tried to figure out how that was possible.
“Jeanie?” True’s voice startled her from the other side of the door. “Are you all right?”
She lunged at the shirt she’d laid on the counter, grabbed it, and pulled it over her head. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”
He jerked open the door before she managed to tug the shirt all the way down to her thighs. She gave him her back in an attempt to maintain her modesty. The quick action made her dizzy and she almost tripped over her own feet. A big, solid arm wrapped around her rib cage to anchor her upright and he used his body to support her.
“Jeanie? What’s wrong?”
She didn’t twist her head to peer back at him but instead met his gaze in the mirror. “How long was I out?”
“I don’t understand. Did you faint?”
“No! I was shot! I felt the pain, saw the blood, but I just removed the bandage. Was I in a coma or something?”
He adjusted his hold enough to turn her around to face him. She noticed he was shirtless. She couldn’t help but stare at all that tan skin. The well-defined muscles of his arms were imposing but fascinating at the same time.
“Take a deep breath and calm down,” he demanded.
“I just saw where I was shot. It’s almost healed. How is that possible? When was I shot? How many days was I in the hospital before I woke up?”
True shifted his hold until his arm hooked her at her hips and his free hand pushed the hair away from her face. “You were given Mercile drugs. The same thing they used on Species to help us heal fast.”
She was glad he held her when that information sank in. “The ones the FDA banned?” She’d read about that in the news. Once it had become known that Mercile Industries had used illegal methods to produce some groundbreaking pharmaceutical drugs by abusing New Species, every product they’d made had gone under extensive investigation. The results had been appalling when they found evidence that human drug trials had ended with fatalities, something Mercile had managed to cover up until that point. “They are dangerous, aren’t they?”
A muscle along his jaw jumped. “You were in critical condition and the doctors felt they had nothing to lose. You responded well to the healing drug but were taken off it as soon as you were out of danger.”
“When was I shot?”
“Yesterday morning.”
“That’s impossible.” She reached between them, pressing her palm over the wound. “I’ve had surgery before. This looks at least two weeks old. It should still be raw and need stitches or something. It doesn’t even need a bandage. I…”
Her mind blanked, too overcome with conflicting thoughts. It shouldn’t be possible but she saw the evidence. What kind of damage had been done to her internal organs if the drugs were flawed? What kind of long-term side effects had she been exposed to? She tried to remember the exact details of how those people involved in the drug studies had died but couldn’t.
True growled and bent, scooping her into his arms. She didn’t protest when he carried her to the bedroom. “Dr. Harris should have explained this to you.” He gently deposited her on the bed and crouched.
She held his gaze.
“You are fine. The drug helped you heal faster. You would have died without it.”
A detail surfaced. “Some of those poor people had seizures and strokes from medications made by Mercile.”
“I didn’t know you were dosed until after it was done. I made Dr. Harris take you off it as soon as I learned the risks. Some of it is still in your system though so your healing is continuing. We’re given it regularly when we’re injured.”
It was sobering. “Your people purposely take Mercile drugs?”
“They used us to perfect their performance.” He shrugged. “They work fine on Species but apparently are too strong for humans.”
She touched her cheek. “I’m healing at an accelerated rate.”
“Yes. Now you’ll heal normally after they completely leave your system.” He reached out and took her hand, gently holding it. “That’s why you need to take it easy and get plenty of rest. Don’t worry about anything right now. Stress is bad for your recovery.”
She couldn’t prevent the bitter laugh. “Right. Don’t be stressed. I just discovered I’ve been working for some asshole who used me to screw over the NSO and I was almost sent to prison. I’m considered to be a bad person by your task force guys but all I wanted to do was save people.” The reality of her situation slammed home. “You’re not even sure if you can trust me.” She ducked her head, not wanting him to see her blink away tears. It was embarrassing to seem so weak after all he’d survived during his lifetime.
“Jeanie.”
The way he said her name in that sexy, husky voice drew her gaze. He released her hand and stood. She wondered if he was disgusted with her tears. He did the unexpected though by sitting on the edge of the bed and leaned sidew
ays enough to brace one hand on the other side of her hip. He closed the space between them until their faces were inches apart.
She forgot how to breathe. There were no chains holding his arms above his head now, nothing to stop him from doing anything he wanted. He sniffed as he leaned in, seemingly interested in her neck as his nose brushed it. She held very still, unsure what his intentions were.
“True?” She whispered, drawing in a sharp breath.
He backed up a little to stare into her eyes. “You’re not aroused. I used to smell it on you when we were this close.”
Jeanie swallowed, stunned. Her cheeks warmed. “What?” She really hoped she’d passed out and had entered a nightmare. Wake up! Nothing changed as he blinked, the appealing brown of his eyes revealing darker flecks near his pupils as she stared deeply into them.
“I’ve thought a lot about our interactions in the past and if you’d still react the same way now that I’m no longer restrained.”
She had no words.
“I wasn’t sure if you were into control or if it was my body you found attractive.”
“I…” She swallowed again. “Control? I don’t understand.” She didn’t want to talk about his body. It was half bare and way too close to her.
“Some humans feel sexual excitement when they have physical dominance over another person. You could do anything to me without consequences. Was that why you were aroused?”
“I hated you being in chains. Not a day went by that I didn’t wish you were out of them.” That was honest.
He frowned. She glanced at his wide chest, the perfectly defined muscles of his pecs, at the dusky-rose color of the flat disks of his nipples. They were slightly stiff, the centers beaded. She swallowed hard, unable not to glance downward to his washboard abs that nearly begged to be touched. She quickly looked up but her blush intensified when she realized he’d caught her perusal.
“It was my body that drew that reaction from you?”