The Geek Job (13 page)

Before he could weigh the pros and cons of that action, he moved, sprinting across the front of the building. He might as well have waved a red cape. Vicious snarls erupted as the beasts charged him. Anthony pumped his legs harder, even as he knew he‘d already lost the race.

A heavy weight hit him in the back, and he fell, his knees meeting the ground painfully.

Teeth snapped as Anthony rolled, trying to move away from the creature determined to kill him.

Sharp, burning pain raked his left arm as something latched on. Anthony gasped at the fiery agony. He tried to pull away, but a heavy weight sat on him as the jaw holding his arm shook it back and forth, toying with him.

A piercing howl caught his attention, but not for long considering the more pressing problem of the wolf trying to chew his arm off.

Another howl erupted, its chilling challenge even closer. The creature using his arm as a chew toy bounded off his back and Anthony waited for the attack to resume on a new body part; however, while he heard snarling, it seemed to have moved away from him. He turned his head, the waves of pain radiating from his arm threatening to pull him down into darkness. He blinked at what he saw. The three wolves who‘d cornered him were fighting a fourth with sleek black fur.

Lexie.
She‘d arrived to save him, and now, fought for her life. Anthony struggled to his knees, his wounded arm hanging limp and useless at his side, his glasses cracked and sitting skewed on his face. He watched as she snapped at the other wolves, her sharp fangs drawing blood and yelps. Her fluid movements mesmerized him, for not only did she show no fear, she was savagely beautiful. And even more astonishing, gaining the upper hand.

The wolves attacking her got wise to her tactics and circled her. Anthony wanted to yell when they charged her all at once, but he feared distracting her. Horrified fascination froze his gaze on the battle, and anguish pierced him as her fur became matted with blood.
Useless, I’m freaking
useless
. Even if his arm weren‘t a throbbing piece of wasted flesh, he‘d have had nothing to offer help-wise. He didn‘t have super strength or teeth or anything to help her, but he also couldn‘t kneel there like a coward watching her fight alone.
Hold
on, I do have something to even the odds. The gun.
He‘d dropped it in his tussle with the wolves, but he quickly spotted it on the ground. He grasped it and staggered to his feet, gritting his teeth at the cascading pain.

Once on his feet, though, he ran into a dilemma. He couldn‘t shoot well enough to aid her; although, even the poorest shooter could score if close enough to its target. Refusing to analyze the stupidity of his action, Anthony staggered over to the snapping furry melee and aimed a kick at one of the attacking wolves. As kicks went, it sucked, but it served its purpose in getting that particular wolf‘s attention. It turned to face him with a snarl and Anthony aimed the gun.

He fired, the loud crack not stifling the yelp as he hit the damned wolf. He didn‘t get a chance to see the damage though as the recoil from the fired shot sent him reeling.

Anthony hit the ground, and ended up splayed flat on his back, staring at the spinning sky. As he lost the battle with the darkness creeping over his vision, he prayed Lexie survived his stupidity.

* * * *

Lexie paced Frederick‘s office, the metal shutters pulled tight against the encroaching dawn light. Her employer hung up his phone and glared at her. ―You almost allowed my asset to die.‖

―Me? It was your fucking minions who tried to take a piece out of him. If you can‘t control your dogs, then maybe I should put them down permanently.‖ She allowed her anger to fill her. It beat the alternative of anguish when she‘d seen Anthony fighting for his life.

―I thought you were supposed to have him locked up tighter than the president‘s daughter?‖

―Apparently, our resident geek had a secret exit, one he wiped from the building schematics housed on the computer.‖
Brilliant
fucking idiot.

―I don‘t pay you for excuses,‖ Frederick snarled.

―Fine. Then don‘t pay me at all.‖ Lexie couldn‘t believe she‘d said that, but once spoken, she didn‘t take the words back.

―What? You‘re quitting?‖

Lexie braced her hands on his desk and leaned forward, her lips curled in a sneer. ―You wish, dead dick. I‘m still going to guard, Anthony, because the idiot needs me, not because you‘re paying me.‖ Besides, she‘d made enough in the last few days to cover her for a few months, that and she felt guilty for failing Anthony. While she‘d technically done her job to the best of her abilities, she‘d fucked up. She should have known about the secret exit and, even with the moon change, never left off guarding the perimeter of the building. If she‘d stayed closer instead of haring off on a run to clear her mind, Anthony‘s attack could have been averted.

―Well, in that case then, do whatever you wish. I‘m not going to argue a free bodyguard.‖

Frederick leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, the smirk on his face begging for a slap.

―You‘re still feeding me though,‖ she grumbled as she stalked out of his office and back to the building housing the lab and apartment.

She walked with quick steps, her mind whirring with the developments of the last twelve hours. First and foremost, she‘d discovered she loved the damned geek. Sure, she‘d realized she cared for him, even liked him, but when she‘d seen him, struggling to stay alive as he hovered so close to death, it hit her hard—
I love the stupid,
human nerd.

Not that it changed anything. She was still a werewolf and he a fragile human. Even if she pretended she could control herself, she knew it was only a matter of time before she forgot herself and killed him in the throes of passion. Her nature just wouldn‘t allow her to play nice forever.

And even if she thought she could make her bitch behave, she also assumed Anthony wouldn‘t want to come near her after discovering her furry side. For all she knew, he‘d left the safety of the building to escape because she‘d stupidly allowed her wolf to take charge in full sight of the building. Perhaps a subconscious act on her part to relate the truth?

At least now, if he still wanted her after discovering her hairy problem, he‘d understand what she meant when she told him they couldn‘t be together. Now, if only the thought of his rejection didn‘t fill her with sorrow.

She arrived at his apartment and relieved the guard inside. The human doctor whom Frederick kept on staff to tend his sheep, straightened from Anthony‘s bedside.

―How‘s he doing?‖ she asked, her eyes anxiously scanning her geek‘s pale face. She winced at the thick bandages wrapping his left side.

―He‘ll live, but whether he keeps the arm or not is anyone‘s guess. I‘ve done the best I can, stitching the flesh up and cleaning it. I‘ve also dosed him with painkillers and antibiotics.‖

She gnawed her lip, not encouraged by the doctor‘s blunt assessment. ―When will he wake?‖

The doctor shrugged. ―When his body feels ready. I‘ve left some drugs for the pain on his nightstand. I‘ll be back in about eight hours to change his dressing.‖

Lexie nodded and saw the man out before she returned to keep vigil. As she stared down at Anthony, lying so still, she wished there were a way to impart her shifter healing powers on him.

However, unlike legends, werewolf status was something her kind were born with, not a mutation caused by bites.
How I wish it were dif erent.

If I could make him a werewolf, not only would his arm
heal, we could also be together.
Wishful thinking though wouldn‘t change reality.

Lexie paced at the foot of the bed, waiting for Anthony to regain consciousness so she could tear him a new one. She thought back on the harrowing moments of the night before. It still amazed her that Anthony had found enough courage even after his injury to take on one of the wolves himself. Lexie would have prevailed in the long run, but when the number of assailants suddenly dropped to two, she dispatched them quickly. But that ended up only the start of a long night. She‘d stood over her geek‘s prone body, guarding his nerdy ass from Frederick‘s resident shifters who had poor control of their beast side and also from the younger vamps who‘d smelt the blood and come running.

Finally, someone not out to try and fight her or eat him showed up and she led them to Anthony‘s secret entrance. Frederick himself had arrived as Anthony was placed on his bed and tended the wounds himself, totally grossing Lexie out. Frederick had licked the bloody gashes, the coagulant in his saliva stopping the bleeding and at the same time releasing agents to speed the healing process, an inborn vampire defense mechanism that fooled victims in doubting they‘d been attacked. However, all the vampire spit in the world couldn‘t heal the deep, bloody gouges covering Anthony‘s arm. The doctor arrived and went to work with his needle, but Lexie knew enough about wounds to guess that Anthony‘s arm would require a miracle to remain attached.

It wasn‘t until early evening that he finally stirred with a groan. Acting on intuition, she knelt at his side and supported his head up, offering him a straw to sip water. He swallowed, his eyes shut as his throat worked, pulling the liquid. He spat the straw out when done and she lowered his head back down to his pillow. She stood and watched as he fluttered eyes with thicker lashes than she‘d noticed before.

It took him a moment to focus and she waited to see what he‘d say. Hopefully, nothing along the lines of, ―Argh, werewolf!‖ That would probably crush her.

―Lexie,‖ he whispered.

―Yes, Anthony.‖

―You‘re safe. Thank the gods of science.‖

He closed his eyes with a smile.

Lexie snapped. ―Don‘t you dare go back to sleep, Anthony. I want to know what the fuck you were thinking leaving the apartment yesterday after I expressly told you not to.‖

He opened one eye to peer at her. ―I wanted to take pictures of you.‖

―Of all the stupid things,‖ she muttered.

―And it couldn‘t wait until I came back?‖

He shrugged, then winced. ―Ow. I guess the part about my arm getting chewed on is real, too. Why didn‘t you tell me you were a werewolf?‖

She wanted to slap him for having a one track, curious mind. ―Shouldn‘t your first question be how bad is your arm?‖

Anthony gave her a wan smile. ―I know it‘s bad. My guess would be if infection sets in, I‘ll lose it.‖

―And that doesn‘t bother you?‖ Lexie wanted to check him for a fever. She expected hysterics, sobbing, denial even, but this calm acceptance freaked her out.

―I‘m more worried about you. You took a beating from those wolves. Are you okay?‖

Lexie gaped at him. He‘d lost his fucking mind in the attack. That had to be it. ―I‘m fine.

See.‖ She lifted her shirt and whirled flashing her already closed wounds, the red weal‘s the only remaining sign of the attack.

―Wow. That‘s impressive. I don‘t suppose I‘ll turn into a werewolf now that I‘ve gotten chomped on?‖

He sounded so hopeful. She sighed.

―Sorry. Legend only. Werewolves are born, not made.‖

―I see. He seemed to ponder this for a moment, and she thought he‘d gone back to sleep when he said, ―So, is it the fact I‘m human that keeps you from being with me?‖

―What makes you think I even want you?‖

A flush crept up his cheeks. ―My mistake.

I assumed the tension between us was sexual in nature.‖

Lexie thought about lying, but she just couldn‘t do that to him anymore. ―You weren‘t mistaken. I don‘t know why, but I want you.‖

Before he could speak, she held up her hand. ―But it can‘t happen. Our time at the conference was wonderful, I won‘t deny that. However, that gentle side of me isn‘t the norm. Having sex with humans requires me being careful, and I can have fun, but while it scratches the itch, it doesn‘t cure the problem. It can actually compound the urge.‖

―So things get a little rough.‖

She glared at him. ―A little rough? I am stronger, faster and tougher than you can imagine.

If I were to forget myself for even one minute in the throes of passion, I could kill you.‖

―But what a way to go,‖ he replied wistfully.

―You‘re fucking nuts,‖ she muttered. ―Or the drugs are making you spout stupidity.‖

He struggled to sit up using his good arm.

―Why is it stupid to want to be with you? I feel things for you I‘ve never felt before. I want to be with you.‖

―It was just good sex.‖

―Fantastic sex and more. You intrigue me with your smarts that you hide under a tough girl veneer. Your courage and audacity awe and inspire me. Your presence makes me happy.‖

Tears pricked her eyes at his speech and she turned less he see them and use them against her. Even if drug induced, his words touched her and made her long for something she couldn‘t have—him.

Lexie shot him up with drugs and then left the bedroom, but Anthony didn‘t mind. She‘d given him plenty of food for thought. Over the last while, he‘d begun to wonder if their attraction to each other existed only in his hopeful mind.

Sure, she‘d kissed him the day of the attack, and ended up snuggling him nightly even if she scurried away every morning as if afraid he‘d catch her.
Like I wouldn’t notice the woman of my dreams
molding her curves to me.
Discovering her werewolf status should have sent him screaming in the other direction, but instead he felt as if a great weight had been lifted. Their biological differences kept them apart, not him and his geeky nature.

However, knowing she wanted him but was afraid of killing him didn‘t bring them any closer to a solution. Actually, the way he saw it, there were only two options—cure Lexie of her werewolf side which he got the impression she‘d probably protest, or he needed to change himself.

The bigger question, though, was could it be done? The answer awaited him in his lab where twelve lab rats injected with various nano‘s—a forbidden technology that Mr. Thibodeaux readily encouraged—would tell him if the genetic disorders he‘d located in both his employer and Lexie could be replicated, or reversed.