New Species 05 Brawn (25 page)

He glanced down at her and arched an eyebrow as he carried
her through the house. “I’m aware of some of your laws. Possession is nine
tenths of it and I have you.” He adjusted her in his hold to secure her tighter
against his bulky chest. “You are safe.”

She knew she couldn’t get away from him and he wasn’t going
to change his mind. She studied his handsome face, didn’t see anger there, but
pure determination was easy to read. Flame was taking her to Reservation come
hell or high water. She heard the helicopter approaching as he reached the
front door. It was wide open now, something he must have done before startling
her in the kitchen, making her suspicious that he had planned to carry her out
in the first place.

Please don’t be my dad’s pilot
, she prayed silently,
watching the helicopter land between the tree line and her rental cabin. She’d
met her father’s pilot but couldn’t remember his name. He’d remember her though
for sure. Her dad boasted that he kept pictures of her in his office at work.
The pilot might have forgotten her from the brief meeting they’d had at her
dad’s house but looking at her pictures in an office almost every day tended to
make someone learn a face.

Relief swept through her when she saw the helicopter pilot.
He was much older than her father’s pilot, not anyone she’d ever seen before.
The back doors opened. She tensed again, praying none of the task-team members
were inside. It was two Species males who jumped out. No one else was inside
the belly of the helicopter and she relaxed. She was still safe and unknown for
the moment. Her dad wouldn’t be getting any calls that would trigger a rampage.

Flame carried her down the porch steps and addressed the two
NSO officers who stood next to the waiting helicopter. “Get her things and lock
up the cabin. She has food on the counter that needs to be put away. The
helicopter will return for you in half an hour,” he yelled.

The men nodded. Becca glanced at the new faces, neither
familiar, and gasped when they suddenly gripped Flame’s upper arms. They lifted
him, with her still resting in his strong arms, off the ground and into the
helicopter. Flame ducked his head, carried her to a bench and sat. The doors
closed.

He adjusted her to put on his belt but was careful to keep
one arm hooked around her ribs at all times in case she bolted. She considered
it but the helicopter lifted off. It was too late and she wished it wasn’t so
loud inside. She’d love to try to convince him to take her back, even if it was
pointless. The guy was stubborn and she knew the type well. Her dad’s image
flashed through her mind. He’d murder Brawn, go ballistic and maybe even take
out other Species. No way would he believe she hadn’t been forced to have sex
with Brawn. Even if he accepted that she’d been attracted to him, in her
father’s eyes, the circumstances would have made her consent invalid.

Memory surfaced of two days after she’d been home from her
ordeal. Her father had suddenly walked into her home, hugged her and pulled
back to study her face. His words still haunted her.

“It put me in a hell of a situation when you were taken,
baby. I swore to protect them but damned if I wouldn’t have killed New Species
if that had been some kind of breeding project they’d taken you to. I wouldn’t
have cared if they’d been drugged or victims. You’re my girl and every single
one who touched you would have had to die. I couldn’t sleep nights knowing that
you were helpless in there, scared. I couldn’t bear to think that anyone had
laid a finger on you.”

She’d lied and assured him nothing had happened but he’d
refused to stop going on about what he’d have done. She’d stood there and let
him hug her again, knew he’d go to prison to show her his version of love and
been terrified of what he’d do if he ever found out she’d had sex with Brawn.

The helicopter hit a little turbulence, pulling her from her
thoughts and panic struck. Doctor Trisha would recognize her the second they
met. She’d been the doctor who’d examined her after she’d been rescued from
that warehouse basement. She turned her head to stare at Flame.

“You can’t do this to me. Let me go, damn it. You don’t
understand.” She yelled to be heard, knew he caught the words and it encouraged
her. “Please?”

He looked apologetic look but shook his head. His hold on
her tightened as if he feared she’d try to get up and rush for the door. She
wasn’t stupid or suicidal. More turbulence shook them roughly and Becca felt
suddenly sick. She threw her hand up to her mouth to cover it.

Flame cursed and lifted her off his lap, holding her inches
above it to lessen the motion of flying. “Close your eyes and breathe through
your nose,” he ordered loudly. He adjusted his hold enough to grip her wrist
and tapped her skin there with his thumb over her pulse.

It distracted Becca enough that the nausea eased but not by
much. His hold on her was very gentle, almost reminded her of Brawn. She closed
her eyes and buried her face against his neck. His warm skin, the strong arms
and the big body felt eerily similar to Brawn as well.

“We’re almost there,” Flame said loud enough to be heard.
“I’ve got you and it’s almost over.”

Becca’s thoughts ran rampant. Brawn was going to find out
about the baby soon. Her father had told her he was a council member. He’d be
informed she was at Reservation as soon as Doctor Trisha recognized her. Tears
filled her eyes and she hated how some of them spilled out against Flame’s
neck. He nuzzled her with his head, probably trying to comfort her and that
made it worse.

She didn’t want to see Brawn. He hadn’t called and she was
still hurt and angry that she’d meant so little to him when she’d believed they
had shared something special. He’d be shocked to learn she was pregnant,
probably as stunned as she’d been, but she worried he’d be mad too.

Worst-case scenario—Brawn might want to take the baby from
her. Flame had said they wouldn’t do that but she knew enough about New Species
to know most laws didn’t apply to them. Could they just toss her outside the
NSO walls after she gave birth and keep her from ever seeing her baby again?
Who would stop them? Their property was considered
sovereign
territory
. They answered to no one, had their own laws.

Obviously Brawn didn’t give a damn about her but he might
want the baby. More tears spilled and the idea of her father killing him didn’t
seem that horrible anymore. She forced her mind to stop that line of
contemplation. She didn’t trust men, they lied and pretended to be what they
weren’t. She’d learned that painful, horrible lesson with her first marriage.

She’d never have pegged the big, fearless Species as an asshole
but she’d been wrong. He had a reason to return to her house—to collect his
belongings—so they could talk in person after they’d been freed but he’d
avoided the entire issue by having her father pack his things. He wanted to
forget all about Becca and what had happened between them. The message had been
loud and clear, a severely painful one for her.

The helicopter set down, bumped the ground hard and shook
her from her thoughts about Brawn. Flame rose to his feet, tucked his head and
walked to the door that opened from the outside before they reached it. Becca
lifted her head, glanced into his eyes and swore she saw pity there.

She turned her head to stare outside, worried someone who
knew her would be waiting. A female New Species stood there instead and smiled.
She was tall, muscular and sported an NSO uniform. Her gaze fixed on Becca’s
midsection and she had no doubt the New Species knew she was pregnant. Worry
ate at her that word might be spreading far enough to reach her father but so
far she didn’t think they knew her name. It was only a matter of time.

Two male New Species startled her when they stepped from
each side of the open doors and reached up. Becca hadn’t known they were there.
Once again Flame was gripped by his upper arms and lifted. The males placed him
gently on his feet. The redheaded Species flashed them a thankful look.

Her captor strode toward a waiting black SUV and she looked
over his shoulder to watch the female follow. When they were clear, the
helicopter lifted off again. Becca jerked her head back around to avoid the
rush of air from the big blades.

“It’s nice to meet you,” the Species woman called out,
rushing to catch up. “I’m called Pink.”

Becca met the woman’s eyes. She’d only seen a few of the New
Species women but they were very attractive if the ones she’d seen so far were
an indication. The males were photographed sometimes but never the females. It
was rumored they had to look pretty bad for them to be hidden from cameras. It
just proved how wrong rumors could be.

“What is your name?”

Becca opened her mouth but then closed it. “Just call me
Screwed.”

The woman blinked, her smile faded and her gaze dropped to
Becca’s round stomach. “You certainly were at one point, to get in that
condition.”

Becca suddenly laughed, unable to help it and liked the
woman instantly. “Yeah. In so many ways. I’m sorry. That was rude of me. I’m
just in a world of trouble and having a really bad day.”

“You’re safe here.” Pink smiled again. “No one is going to
hurt you. You and your baby are welcome at the NSO and are considered family.
Your baby is New Species and you are considered as such, as the mother.”

“Thank you. I mean that.” It touched her that strangers were
trying to be so kind. She really wished they’d just let her go. That would be
the best thing of all but it wasn’t going to happen. “Where are we going?”

“The Medical Center,” Flame answered as he waited for Pink
to open a back door so he could place Becca in the seat. “Doctor Trisha is
waiting for you.”

Becca turned her head to glance at the open terrain with
tons of grass and a lot of trees in the distance. She’d never been to
Reservation. No pictures of it were ever released and all helicopters and
airplanes were banned from flying over it. The NSO guarded their home
territories with relish.

Pink walked around the SUV to drive while Flame climbed in
the backseat with Becca as if he worried she’d try to flee. It wouldn’t have
done any good. She knew security walls totally enclosed the vast property of
Reservation and she’d never get away. They drove slowly away, toward buildings
that were within view.

Becca studied the two-story building they parked in front
of. It didn’t have a wall of glass at the front like the Medical Center at
Homeland. This building had small, blacked-out windows that were high above the
ground. Flame opened the door of the SUV and slid out, holding out his hand to
help her. His cat eyes stared at her grimly.

“Should I carry you or will you walk on your own?”

She hesitated. “Do you have a gun?”

He blinked. “It’s holstered at my ankle but you won’t be
able to take it from me.”

“Could you just shoot me? Trust me. We’d all be better off.”

Pink laughed as she rounded the front of the SUV. “She’s
Screwed.”

Becca nodded. “That’s exactly what I am.”

Flame wasn’t amused as he sighed and reached for Becca. She
slapped at his hands. “I’m going. I can walk on my own.”

Flame kept close as Becca slid off the seat and stood. Pink
kept a few feet away but the New Species remained on each side of her, probably
worried she’d bolt. They had reason to worry, Becca admitted, and was tempted
to try. Reality set in though and she lifted her chin. There was no way to
avoid facing what awaited inside. She took a hesitant step and then another,
feeling like a condemned person.

Flame opened the door and ushered her inside. Becca stepped
out of the sunshine into an air-conditioned, large waiting room. It was totally
empty, silence greeted her and it felt a little eerie.

“Trisha had everyone leave,” Pink informed her softly. “She
cleared out the human and New Species staff. She wanted you to feel safe. We
are taking you to an exam room where she can make sure you are well and plans
to look with her machines at the baby. She said this will be good for you to
get to see your child on the monitor.”

Becca’s legs felt like they were filled with sand as she
took every step through reception and down a hallway. She caught a glimpse of
the doctor. Trisha’s back was to Becca, her blonde hair in a ponytail and she
spoke to a tall New Species male with streaked hair. He was smiling at Trisha
and he leaned down to plant a kiss on the doctor that was a lot more than
friendly.

Flame cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds
but here she is. She won’t give her name and she resisted coming.”

The New Species male released Trisha and she slowly turned.
Becca met her gaze and watched recognition register as the doctor’s eyes
widened. She instantly turned to the male she’d been kissing.

“You better call Justice and tell him to get here right now.
Lock down the Medical Center and tell him shit has hit the fan. No one goes in
or out, Slade. No humans near her, period. None. And especially not the task
team.”

He frowned and glanced at Becca. “Why?”

Trisha stared at Becca. “This is my husband, Slade. Slade,
meet Rebecca Oberto. She’s Tim Oberto’s only daughter, the one he brags about.
The one who is in Europe. He showed me the postcard he got from her two weeks
ago. Call Justice, damn it. We’ve got a bigger problem than we thought.”

Chapter Fourteen

Becca managed to stay on her feet but her knees felt a
little shaky. Her secret was out, at least to the people in the room and she
blinked back tears. No words came at first. She just stood there trying not to
be sick. Her stomach churned from nervousness and fear.

Slade frowned while studying Becca grimly. “She doesn’t seem
to be in Europe.”

“Nope,” Trisha agreed. “You should have told us right away,
Rebecca. How did you send your dad postcards anyway?”