Anger gripped him strongly when he realized the danger it posed to Jessie. Any photograph or video clip of him reacting strongly to her would be sold to the local news stations. By midnight it would hit every media outlet worldwide, gossips would speculate that they might be dating and she’d become a target for reporters and New Species’ enemies.
They weren’t dating—that implied she wanted to ever see him again and he wasn’t sure that was the case. He hoped she did but that didn’t make it fact. He might do something foolish, probably would if he had the chance to touch her and he needed to avoid that. His desire to talk to Jessie though wouldn’t be denied. One way or another, he wanted to get access to her face to face but under safer conditions. He refused to put her in danger. He met the Senator’s gaze, a solution snapping into place.
“Jessie needs a job and I have a safe one to offer her. It is the least I can do since she was harmed rescuing one of our females. She can still work with them but under stable conditions.”
The Senator smiled. “That would be great, Justice. To be honest, she’s going to be pissed as hell when she finds out I fired her. You’d be saving my ass. My daughter has a temper. What kind of job is it?”
Justice hesitated. He was making it up as he went. “She will live at Homeland. It is secure and safe for her there. We have a segregated dorm where we are housing our females. Jessie would be wonderful for them to have around and I’m sure she’d be a tremendous help.”
The Senator nodded. “It sounds good.”
“She can start as soon as she’s well.” Justice had to smother a grin. He would get to see Jessie often if she lived at Homeland. Hell, he could get as much access to her as it took to persuade her to return to his bed. The thought helped ease his urge to see her immediately. “We’d be lucky to have her.”
I’d be damn lucky to have her. An image of her under him on his bed the night before flashed but he pushed it back before he was tempted to storm down the corridors to locate Jessie and throw her over his shoulder. Don’t do it. Too many damn humans, the press has probably already arrived and you can’t let your people down. You’re the face of New Species. You’ll see her soon. Very soon.
“That would probably be today, knowing my daughter.”
Today. Justice couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. “I’ll make all the arrangements immediately.”
Justice’s cell phone rang. “Excuse me. I have to take this.”
The Senator spoke. “I understand.”
Justice walked off, taking the call. It was about the new female Jessie had rescued.
He listened. “Keep her sedated. I want her moved to Homeland immediately.”
Justice walked back to the Senator. “I must leave. It’s the female that Jessie rescued.
She is in bad shape inside her mind. She just woke, refuses to be calmed and the medical staff had to sedate her again when she tried to flee from them. When Jessie wants to work we’ll have her help us with that female first. You give me a call and we’ll arrange transport for Jessie to Homeland.”
“I have it. I’ll bring her myself. I’ve got a private plane at my disposal.”
Justice held out his hand. “I’m grateful she is well.”
“Thank you for coming.”
In minutes Justice and his men left the hospital. News vans waited outside and Justice sighed in frustration as reporters rushed at them and yelled questions but he still heard Tiger’s grunted curse.
“Our lives suck sometimes.”
Justice nodded in agreement. He’d done the right thing by leaving, despite the gnawing regret that twisted his gut at not being able to make sure Jessie was truly all right. As much as he wanted to hold her, to assure himself she lived, he wouldn’t destroy her life in the process.
Jessie resisted the urge to cry. She touched the bandage on the back of her head, winced and hated that they’d shaved part of her hair. The nurse gave her a sympathetic look.
“No one will know if you pull it into in a ponytail or leave it down. It’s at the back of your head so someone will only see it if you part your hair or wear pigtails. It will grow back in time but with that length, I know it’s rough. Once it grows out some it will mingle with the rest of your hair and be harder to see. You need to keep those stitches dry.”
“I know.” Jessie let the woman help her out of the hospital bed. She curled her lip at the sweats she’d been handed. Her father had bought them in the gift shop and they beat scrubs, her other option. She hated sweats in general but the fact they were stamped with the hospital’s name and logo made it worse. “I have the paperwork telling me how to care for them.”
“You have to sit in the wheelchair. It’s hospital policy for an orderly to escort you to the front door.”
“Great,” Jessie snorted, keeping her comment clean since the nurse had been kind.
She sat and meekly allowed the woman to push her out of the room after setting her bag of bloodied clothes on her lap.
Jessie spotted her father and Tim as soon as they entered the hallway. Some of the team had shown up too. Mike, Trey, Jimmy and Bob leaned against the wall watching her with grins. Shane was the only absent member of her team.
Senator Jacob Hills grinned when he spotted her, cutting off his conversation with Tim and rushed down the hallway. “How is my baby?”
“Yeah,” Trey grinned, leading everyone closer. “How are you, baby?”
They weren’t dating—that implied she wanted to ever see him again and he wasn’t sure that was the case. He hoped she did but that didn’t make it fact. He might do something foolish, probably would if he had the chance to touch her and he needed to avoid that. His desire to talk to Jessie though wouldn’t be denied. One way or another, he wanted to get access to her face to face but under safer conditions. He refused to put her in danger. He met the Senator’s gaze, a solution snapping into place.
“Jessie needs a job and I have a safe one to offer her. It is the least I can do since she was harmed rescuing one of our females. She can still work with them but under stable conditions.”
The Senator smiled. “That would be great, Justice. To be honest, she’s going to be pissed as hell when she finds out I fired her. You’d be saving my ass. My daughter has a temper. What kind of job is it?”
Justice hesitated. He was making it up as he went. “She will live at Homeland. It is secure and safe for her there. We have a segregated dorm where we are housing our females. Jessie would be wonderful for them to have around and I’m sure she’d be a tremendous help.”
The Senator nodded. “It sounds good.”
“She can start as soon as she’s well.” Justice had to smother a grin. He would get to see Jessie often if she lived at Homeland. Hell, he could get as much access to her as it took to persuade her to return to his bed. The thought helped ease his urge to see her immediately. “We’d be lucky to have her.”
I’d be damn lucky to have her. An image of her under him on his bed the night before flashed but he pushed it back before he was tempted to storm down the corridors to locate Jessie and throw her over his shoulder. Don’t do it. Too many damn humans, the press has probably already arrived and you can’t let your people down. You’re the face of New Species. You’ll see her soon. Very soon.
“That would probably be today, knowing my daughter.”
Today. Justice couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. “I’ll make all the arrangements immediately.”
Justice’s cell phone rang. “Excuse me. I have to take this.”
The Senator spoke. “I understand.”
Justice walked off, taking the call. It was about the new female Jessie had rescued.
He listened. “Keep her sedated. I want her moved to Homeland immediately.”
Justice walked back to the Senator. “I must leave. It’s the female that Jessie rescued.
She is in bad shape inside her mind. She just woke, refuses to be calmed and the medical staff had to sedate her again when she tried to flee from them. When Jessie wants to work we’ll have her help us with that female first. You give me a call and we’ll arrange transport for Jessie to Homeland.”
“I have it. I’ll bring her myself. I’ve got a private plane at my disposal.”
Justice held out his hand. “I’m grateful she is well.”
“Thank you for coming.”
In minutes Justice and his men left the hospital. News vans waited outside and Justice sighed in frustration as reporters rushed at them and yelled questions but he still heard Tiger’s grunted curse.
“Our lives suck sometimes.”
Justice nodded in agreement. He’d done the right thing by leaving, despite the gnawing regret that twisted his gut at not being able to make sure Jessie was truly all right. As much as he wanted to hold her, to assure himself she lived, he wouldn’t destroy her life in the process.
Jessie resisted the urge to cry. She touched the bandage on the back of her head, winced and hated that they’d shaved part of her hair. The nurse gave her a sympathetic look.
“No one will know if you pull it into in a ponytail or leave it down. It’s at the back of your head so someone will only see it if you part your hair or wear pigtails. It will grow back in time but with that length, I know it’s rough. Once it grows out some it will mingle with the rest of your hair and be harder to see. You need to keep those stitches dry.”
“I know.” Jessie let the woman help her out of the hospital bed. She curled her lip at the sweats she’d been handed. Her father had bought them in the gift shop and they beat scrubs, her other option. She hated sweats in general but the fact they were stamped with the hospital’s name and logo made it worse. “I have the paperwork telling me how to care for them.”
“You have to sit in the wheelchair. It’s hospital policy for an orderly to escort you to the front door.”
“Great,” Jessie snorted, keeping her comment clean since the nurse had been kind.
She sat and meekly allowed the woman to push her out of the room after setting her bag of bloodied clothes on her lap.
Jessie spotted her father and Tim as soon as they entered the hallway. Some of the team had shown up too. Mike, Trey, Jimmy and Bob leaned against the wall watching her with grins. Shane was the only absent member of her team.
Senator Jacob Hills grinned when he spotted her, cutting off his conversation with Tim and rushed down the hallway. “How is my baby?”
“Yeah,” Trey grinned, leading everyone closer. “How are you, baby?”
