New Species 02 Slade (31 page)

her for a second and then tensed. “Shit.” He nodded.

“Let’s get you settled.”

Brass turned with Trisha and walked toward a Jeep.

Slade moved into their path, still glaring at Trisha. “Nice

to see you, Doc.”

“Hello,” she got out.

His focus tore from her for a few seconds as his

attention shifted from Brass to Harley, to Moon, and back

to her. He finally glared at Brass, locking gazes with him.

“What level of threat is she rated? Justice wasn’t clear

and I had to watch what I said because I had a human

around me during the time of the conversation. He’s

been in meetings ever since, unable to take my calls.”

“Four.” Brass frowned at Slade. “She’s our prime

priority and yours. No one is to have access to her who is

not New Species. No humans whatsoever.”

That information made Slade blanch a little. “No

humans at all? We’re in the middle of large construction

jobs and we have humans crawling all over Reservation.

I have hundreds of them here twenty-four hours a day to

complete all the projects we need done as soon as

possible. We’re doing things in a matter of a few months

that should have taken a good year to finish. It took

almost four hundred humans three full weeks just to

build those security walls to enclose the property. We

have them working in two shifts around the clock, seven

days a week. We’re still wiring the walls for security

purposes and I have a hotel being refurbished at

breakneck speed. We’ll need the housing completed so

our people aren’t living in tents and a clubhouse is being

built still. We have another project going on for the

offices to prevent us from permanently being stuck using

a trailer. On any given second, on any given day, there

are well over four hundred humans here. Does Justice

want me to shut down everything so we can’t get any

work done until the threat is over? He’s been pushing me

hard to get it all done.”

“No,” Harley stated. “He just wants her put

somewhere safe on where humans aren’t permitted.

Moon and I have been going over the layout and we

believe we should hide her inside the center of the wild

zone. No humans would dare go there and they are

forbidden in that area. I’m aware that some of our people

have already been relocated and that makes it even

better since no full human would get past them.”

“That wouldn’t be safe for her. She’s full human.”

Slade’s rage seemed to intensify. “Sure, no humans

would ever be stupid enough to venture there and

survive it, but it would be baiting them. I believe they

would attack if you took her inside their territory. They

are very unstable. The second we relocated them, they

started marking territory and have been vigilant to make

certain no humans breach it.”

“We will protect her,” Brass promised, his voice

firm. “They won’t attack her.”

“They are insane,” Slade snarled. “Some of them will

never calm and hate humans to a degree that is beyond

what you can imagine. They go into rages just by picking

up the scent of one.” He pointed at Trisha. “She’s seen us

but not the failures. Don’t you think they would scare the

hell out of her?”

“What failures?” Trisha glanced at the men.

Slade glared at her. “We look mostly human but not

all of our people were so fortunate. Some appear more

animal than human. We have a few dozen who survived.

Some of our people were tortured until they were left

insane or hold hatred for humans to the point they

would kill one on sight. Those are the ones we relocated

here. You would not be safe inside the wild zone. It’s

where we put the most antisocial of them.”

Brass bent and placed Trisha on her feet when she

indicated she wanted down. He held her waist until she

steadied on her shaky legs. He moved back a foot when

he became certain she wouldn’t collapse. She stared up

at Brass.

“What do you think?”

“I think the wild zone is best. They will not hurt you.

After we were freed, they used females to help care for

all New Species since we don’t attack them. I’m sure that

holds for the wild ones as well. We will be with you and

they will stay back. We can’t get lost any better than that,

Trisha. It would be smart to put you in the center of the

territory since they’ve claimed it. They are fiercely

protective of their domains. They would help keep

everyone at bay.”

“Damn it,” Slade growled. “I’m running this, not

you. I will not allow her go in there since I know what

I’m talking about and you don’t. I’m the one who’s spent

time with them. I know that she wouldn’t be safe. We’ll

set her up at the hotel where the top floor has been

finished. We’ll close off all access and keep her there.”

“No.” Brass crossed his arms over his chest. “Justice

put me in charge of her security. I can and am overriding

you. No offense but I want her where no humans can get

to her, Slade. What if one of those terrorist assholes

decides to pose as a workman and sets fire to the hotel?

Nothing can happen to her. The wild zone is the answer.

Are there any homes there? I am aware we also have

some RV’s here and we could take one. It would be tight

living but it would work. We are to keep her away from

everyone but New Species.”

Slade was furious. His lips opened and his sharp

teeth showed when a deep growl rumbled from him.

“Fine. You can have my home. It’s only a three bedroom

but I’m sure you can manage. It sits away from all other

buildings.”

“We’re taking her into the wild zone. The decision

has been made.” Brass glared at Slade.

Slade cursed and growled again. His gaze locked

with Trisha’s. “Tell him no. Listen to me. Those men out

there are not stable and you’re a full human female. You

are a Doc to boot, two things they will want to kill you

on sight for being. You will die if you agree to them

taking you out there. The wild ones were cared for by

females once we were freed but then they were taken to

remote locations without them. They have spent months

on their own and I’m not certain they’d still resist

attacking a woman. I’m also not willing to chance it.”

Fear inched up Trisha’s spine as she stared at Slade.

“Trust me, Trisha. I would never let you down,”

Brass promised softly. “I know what I’m doing. The wild

zone is the safest place for you to be. They will not hurt

you and I would never allow anything to cause you

harm.”

“Trisha?” Slade shook his head at her, watching her

closely. “Trust me. Tell them to put you up at my house

while I move into the hotel.”

She managed to refrain from flinching. She could stay

inside his house but he’d move out. “Brass?” She turned

her head and tore her gaze away from Slade’s. “I know

you will protect me. Whatever you think is best is fine

with me. It’s your call.”

Brass smiled. “We’re going to the wild zone.”

Slade growled viciously and cursed. “Trisha? Get

over here now. We’re going to have a private talk.”

She tensed as she slowly faced him. “Excuse me?

You’ve known how to reach me for weeks if you wanted

to talk to me. You should have tried to tell me before

now if there was anything you had to say that I needed to

hear.” She started to walk toward the Jeep.

She heard someone snarl and spun back around in

time to see Brass move quickly as Slade lunged for

Trisha. Brass got between them and snarled back at

Slade. Slade stopped. Both men were tense as they

glared at each other. It looked as though they were going

to fight.

“Brass? I really don’t feel well,” Trisha urged

quickly, not wanting them to come to blows. “Can we

go? Thank you for your concern, Mr. Slade, but I have

total faith in Brass, Moon, and Harley to protect me.”

“So that’s how it is,” Slade snarled. “Fine. There’s

one empty cabin out that way. You can have it. I’ll send

someone with supplies immediately. It’s a one-bedroom

but it sounds as though the four of you won’t mind

sharing a bed together.” He spun on his heel and

stormed toward one of the buildings.

Trisha watched him go and fought tears. “Did he just

call me a slut in a roundabout way?”

Moon laughed and wiggled his eyebrows. “I wish

you were. I’d even be willing to share with them if it

meant having you in a bed naked with me.”

She laughed, knowing it was meant as a joke. Moon

could always make her feel better. “You keep wishing.

You guys get the floor if there’s only one bed.”

Brass relaxed and smiled at Trisha. “Not a problem.

You definitely get the bed. You wimpy humans would

never survive sleeping on a hard floor. Us males don’t

mind sleeping on hard surfaces.”

Harley chuckled. “Speak for yourself. I love beds so

maybe I’ll take the night shift and sleep in it when Trisha

isn’t in it.”

“I am good at snuggling.” Moon wiggled his

eyebrows at Trisha again, making her chuckle. “If you

get cold just let me know and I’ll keep you warm. I’ll

even behave if you don’t make me sleep on the floor.”

“I’ll have them bring out mattresses,” Brass groaned

playfully. “When did you guys become so soft?”

“When we were given choices,” Harley shot back.

“Let’s get out of here before Slade returns to snarl at you

again. Dealing with all these humans has really made

him testy. I don’t know what crawled up his ass but I

hope he has a need for toilet paper soon.”

“Gravity would definitely be Slade’s friend,” Moon

chuckled softly.

Trisha laughed. She loved the guys. She was pretty

sure she’d be crying after her confrontation with Slade if

it weren’t for them. Brass helped her into a Jeep while

Moon and Harley climbed in the back. Brass took the

driver’s seat. He looked at the other Jeep with a New

Species man waiting with their bags.

“Do you know what cabin Slade spoke of?”

He nodded.

“Lead the way,” Brass ordered. “We’ll follow.”

Harley handed Trisha her seat belt. She mutely put it

on and flashed him a grin. He nodded at her. “Always

buckle up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Trisha stared at the beautiful scenery they passed—

lush grass, big, pretty trees and rolling hills. She caught

sight of a deer at the edge of some trees. It was such a

beautiful place that she was able to push thoughts of

Slade from her mind. It was hard to do but she didn’t

want to break down in tears.

* * * * *

Slade paced inside the forest on the other side of the

buildings, hiding from everyone, and knew he hadn’t

taken seeing Trisha well at all. The sight of her in another

man’s arms had nearly sent him into a jealous rage.

Brass had carried her in his arms, spoken as if he had

a right to speak for her, and she’d allowed it. A snarl tore

from his lips. He’d sacrificed his sanity to stay away from

her, gone against his instincts to be near her, and she’d

defied him when he’d just wanted to protect her.

He stiffened, his fists balled, as his pacing ceased.

Pain tore through his chest at the thought that she no

longer wanted him. He should have told her why he’d

avoided her but he had believed she’d talk him into

ignoring her own safety if she felt even a tenth for him of

what he felt for her. It would have weakened his resolve,

staring into her eyes and if she’d touched him, he would

have lost that battle.

A slight noise drew his attention and he turned his

head to stare at a Species male seeking him out. “What is

it?”

“The architect wants a word with you. There’s

something wrong with the blueprints for one of the

modifications you asked for at the hotel.”

Rage burned inside him. Work had taken up all his

hours. He barely slept but it kept his thoughts off Trisha

for the most part. He needed to keep busy now more

than ever. Otherwise he’d jump in a Jeep, drive to the

cabin, and… rip off her clothes and fuck her until she knows

she’s still mine.

He pushed back his thoughts, knew he couldn’t

allow his desire to rule his actions. She was pale and ill.