New Species 05 Brawn (22 page)

“That’s true but they call us humans. It’s starting to rub
off on me.” He smiled. “I’m going to sleep downstairs on the couch tonight
unless you want me to sleep on the floor in here. I could.”

She was touched that he’d offer. Usually he drove her nuts
but after what had happened, she didn’t really want to be alone. “You’re too
old to sleep on the floor,” she joked. “You’d never get up. My couch pulls out
into a king and the mattress is pretty comfy. Thanks, Dad.”

He released her and stood. “I’m just downstairs. Do you want
me to leave the light on?”

Becca admitted to being tempted to do just that but she
shook her head instead. He was being really sweet at the moment but she didn’t
want him using her moment of weakness against her later. Her dad had a way of
doing that. Before she knew it he’d be trying to talk her in to moving back
into the main house.

“When is Brawn returning?” She really wanted to see him.

“He’s not.”

Shock struck, quickly chased by pain. “What? I was under the
impression when I reached Homeland that they’d take his statements and
afterward he’d be coming back to my house.”

Anger deepened Tim’s voice. “Tiger is in charge while
Justice is on vacation and he deemed it a failure having one of their men live
here. They were pretty helpful today getting you back but it’s just not safe
for them to live outside those walls. It puts anyone they are with in danger.”

“It wasn’t his fault.”

“I know but I’m glad he’s not coming back. I have a meeting
in the morning to go over different scenarios to get some of their guys to
integrate with my team. I just have to figure out how to do it safely.”

“I’d like to talk to Brawn,” she braved, risking her
father’s temper.

He paused by her door. “That’s not going to happen. I was assured
that he’s done with humans. I know something happened between you, you refuse
to tell me the details, but I was assured he wants nothing to do with humans
ever again.” He flipped off the light and closed her door.

Tears fell. Brawn was done with humans? As in he never
wanted to see her again? She remembered how he’d reacted when she’d touched his
arm and yelled at Trey to get her out of there. Maybe he’d lied and he was
angry at her.

It hurt. She’d fallen for him but should have remembered he
didn’t want to get involved with her. He’d made it clear, yet she’d hoped.
Becca turned her face into her pillow and clutched it. She missed Brawn and it
tore her up a bit that it was over without even getting to say goodbye to him.

Chapter Twelve

Nine weeks later

Becca wandered around the cabin, bored and lonely. She
finally settled on the couch, curled into a ball and used the arm of it for a
pillow. She was due to contact her dad soon and she’d have to think up a new
lie. He thought she was traveling through Europe and would be shocked if he
knew she’d never left California. They kept in touch via her computer.

It was much easier to lie that way than to figure out how to
route calls with her dad’s caller ID. She had friends and family who lived in
France and Germany, they knew her dad was a tyrant and were sympathetic enough
to send the occasional postcard his way to keep him fooled. They thought she
just needed a break.

That part had been true up to a point. Her dad had driven
her nuts after she’d come home and she’d needed a break from him charging into
her home trying to draw her out. She’d been depressed after her kidnapping, had
taken time from work and hated to admit she’d wanted to stick close to her
phone in case
he
called.

The thought of Brawn made her sit up and clench her hands
together over her thighs. She’d been sad at first when he hadn’t tried to
contact her but as the weeks passed, it had turned to anger. How dare he not
even check on her? It would have been polite to at least get in touch to see if
she had recovered from their traumatic ordeal. The fact that he’d had sex with
her made it twice as unforgivable not to make that effort.
So much for being
a team.

His belongings were taken away by one of her father’s men
the day after she’d returned home. She’d had to deal with repairmen for two
solid weeks, patching up her poor damaged house, and she’d closed the guest
bedroom door after they’d left to avoid being reminded of him. It hadn’t worked
though. Every single time she passed through the hallway to go to her bedroom,
she caught her glance straying there.

Four weeks later she’d made a shocking discovery that had
changed her life. She’d had to plot and plan, make up a bunch of lies and move
to a cabin in Northern California. She’d worked quickly to make calls to set up
an elaborate deception. She discovered she was good at it and believed she’d
covered all her bases. Her dad would have tipped her off if he grew suspicious.

Worry struck hard and pitted inside her stomach at the
thought of making a mistake. Even the memory of the dreaded phone call she’d
made three weeks ago on her way to the cabin had her tense.
I bought a
disposable cell phone, paid cash, kept the call reasonably short and it was far
from here. I even remembered to remove the battery from it and throw it in the
trash in case someone tried to track the phone
. She took deep breaths.
You
did it all right and no one knows it’s you.
That calmed her a bit.

The phone had rung twice when she’d placed that call. The
NSO operator had answered and she’d asked to speak to Doctor Trisha, had lied
and said the woman was expecting her call. Becca had given a false name and
even used a Texas accent. She’d lived in that state for five years when she’d
been a kid while her father was stationed there as a combat instructor. She
felt sure she could pull it off and believed she hadn’t forgotten to keep her
voice altered.

Doctor Trisha had picked up after four rings. She would
never forget the way her stomach heaved at hearing each ring, her heart had
raced and fear had gripped her. It was too dangerous to make the call but she’d
needed some answers to some important questions.

“This is Doctor Trisha.” The woman had a cheerful voice.

Becca knew that would change. “Hello,” she’d managed to get
out. “I don’t have much time, I’m afraid you’ll trace the call, but we need to
talk.”

“Um, okay.” The doctor’s happy tone changed to one of
hesitancy.

“Is it true that some New Species are allergic to chocolate
and it makes them really sick?”

The silence had stretched longer than Becca liked, every one
of them counting since time was limited. They could try to track the phone but
by the time someone got there, she’d have disabled the battery, been gone and
planned to dump it somewhere else in a trash bin.

“You need to address all your questions to the public
relations department of the NSO,” Trisha had finally responded. “Have a nice
day.”

Panic gripped Becca. The doctor planned to hang up. “Wait!
This is urgent.”

More seconds ticked but the line remained open. “It’s urgent
that you know if they are allergic to chocolate? What kind of nut ball are
you?” Anger altered her voice again.

“I’m pregnant,” Becca blurted, clenched her teeth in regret
but knew she’d have to reveal that fact to get the answers she so desperately
needed. She took a calming breath to remember to talk with the false accent. “I
slept with a New Species and I’m pregnant. I’m afraid that if I eat chocolate
that I’ll hurt the baby. I need to know if that’s a possibility.”

“That’s not funny.”

“I’m not laughing.” Becca hesitated. “It’s true and I am
afraid to go to a doctor, considering who the father is. Will a doctor be able
to tell that right off? I know they take tests and give ultrasounds. Is it safe
for me to go see someone or do I have to avoid that to prevent them from
finding out?”

“Don’t you have better things to do than make prank phone
calls? I do.” Trisha sighed. “I’m hanging up now.”

Panic gripped Becca again. She knew the doctor didn’t
believe her but she needed to. “His sperm is noticeably hotter than other men.
They are also well endowed, at least he was and he growls a lot during sex. He
has sharp teeth, likes to grip skin with them and enjoys sex on the rough
side.” She hesitated. “This isn’t a joke and he was circumcised.”

“Who is this?” Trisha’s voice came out soft. “Is this for
real?”

“Yes.”

“You need to come to Homeland, just tell them you need to
see me and they’ll escort you in. I’ll personally examine you. I don’t believe
you since Species can’t breed but it will end this nonsense.”

“I am pregnant, the father is New Species and no way am I
coming there. Just please answer my questions.” Becca hated the desperation she
heard in her own voice. “Can it hurt the baby if I eat chocolate? I crave it
but I’ve avoided having it. I’m taking over-the-counter prenatal vitamins but
I’d like to see a doctor. Will he know if he examines me that something is off?
It’s two questions, two answers and that’s all I need.”

The silence made Becca realize she’d wasted money on a
disposable phone and making the call. No New Species baby had ever been
conceived before, everyone knew it was impossible and the doctor didn’t believe
her. She’d risked it though since she was on her own without medical help. It
terrified her not knowing if the baby was okay.

Trisha finally spoke again. “That’s not possible.”

“Well, it is. I’m definitely pregnant and too afraid to go
see a doctor. I didn’t want to risk a test coming back weird and them figuring
out my baby is mixed race. Please just answer the question. I have to get off the
phone soon. I don’t want you to trace the call. I know y’all can do that.”

“Why don’t you come to Homeland? I’ll personally examine you
myself. It’s free if you’re worried about money.”

“I can’t do that.”

Trisha spoke fast. “This is a prank, right?”

Becca fought tears. “I wish it were but no. I’m scared,” she
admitted. “I know about the hate groups and I’m the first woman to get pregnant
by one of them, which would be huge news. I don’t want my baby to be the center
of a freak show or to be targeted by idiots. I’ve rented a remote cabin. No one
but you knows about this. I don’t trust anyone.”

“You need to see a doctor. Come to Homeland. It will be
safe. No one will hurt you.” Trisha took a deep breath. “Or I’ll come to you if
this is real. Just tell me where you are. No one has to know.”

“It’s not happening.” Becca hesitated. “I can’t let my
family find out. It’s hard to explain and complicated but that’s how it is. The
baby’s father is New Species. Is there anything special I can’t eat or drink
besides the regular stuff? Do I need to consume more meat? I know they eat a
lot of it.”

“Tell me something else so I know this is real.”

Becca bit her lip. “I’m gaining weight fast and showing
already when I shouldn’t be. I had morning sickness within a few weeks of
getting pregnant but I thought I caught the flu until I started gaining weight
and my breasts grew tender. I’ve had friends who had babies and remembered them
complaining about that when they were pregnant.”

“Tell me where you are and I’ll come to you. You need
medical supervision immediately if you are pregnant and it’s a New Species. How
far along are you?”

“I’d rather not say. You could ask who’s slept with a human
woman and narrow it down to find me. I won’t take that risk.”

A soft curse issued from the doctor. “You don’t know how
dangerous this could be if you are alone. Are you really going to a remote
cabin? You can’t do that. You need medical help close by. I need to know how
far along you are.”

“I have to go. Do I need to eat more meat or avoid any
foods? Can I see a doctor safely without it ending up on the evening news? Just
answer that. I don’t want to harm the baby by not giving it what it needs or
eating something it can’t tolerate.”

The doctor softly swore. “Yes. Eat more red meat. Some New Species
get sick on chocolate. I don’t know if it would affect a baby but it can make
some of them really ill. Don’t chance it. A doctor would get odd results right
away if it were a Species baby and think something was wrong with your
pregnancy. He’d run more tests and they would figure it out quickly. Come to
Homeland. You—”

“That’s never going to happen. I’m sorry but forget that. I
won’t see you.”

“Can you at least call me every day? Do you have a pen? I’m
going to give you my cell phone number. We’ll talk and you’ll get to know you
can trust me.”

Becca hesitated. “You won’t try to trace the call or
anything?”

“I swear.”

Becca reached into her purse, knew it was a bad idea, the
doctor was probably lying, but she was desperate. “Give it to me.” She wrote down
the number. “I’ll call you in a few days. This isn’t a prank. I really am
pregnant and it really is by a New Species.”

“Please, I’m begging you,” Doctor Trisha urged softly. “Let
me come to you or you come to Homeland. Just walk up to the gate and tell them
to page me. No one but me needs to know right now. Please just—”

Becca had hung up the cell phone and slid the back off to
remove the battery. Two miles later she’d ditched the phone in a trash can and
continued on her drive to her rented cabin. She pulled her thoughts from that
conversation and stood from the couch. She stretched and knew she needed to run
errands soon. She had to make one more call first. Yesterday something had
happened that left her no choice. She needed to talk to Doctor Trisha again.

The new disposable phone lay on the dining room table. She
bit her lip, debated taking a long drive to hide her location better, but her
father would know if something were up. He never said anything in his emails,
she felt safe no one suspected her of anything and she probably was safe.
Doctor Trisha might honestly be trustworthy when she said she’d never try to
track the phone calls. Some people were.