Jessie trained one of the guns at the archway when she saw movement. A familiar face suddenly entered the room and Jessie barely stopped her finger from pulling the trigger. Tiger stared at her while more males filled the space behind him, nine in all.
Reinforcements had arrived.
“He’s been stabbed.” Jessie’s voice broke. “Four of those ass**les are dead but one is missing. Call an ambulance.”
Tiger’s stunned gaze dropped to Justice on the floor. Glass suddenly exploded from the right and Jessie jerked in that direction. Something large with a black face came crashing through the slider right at her and Justice. Instinct saved her life. She shot with both guns. A heavy body slammed into hers and threw her onto her back, away from Justice.
Jessie lay there hurting under at least two-hundred-fifty pounds of limp and lifeless Species male. She couldn’t breathe—the air had been knocked from her lungs. Forever seemed to pass but it was really only seconds. Suddenly the body was thrown off her and she gasp in air as her gaze locked with Tiger’s. He bent and offered her a hand.
“The medics are with me and they’ll do everything to save Justice,” he promised.
“Let me help you up.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Justice is going to be fine.” Doctor Treadmont smiled assurances. “He pulled through surgery and we’re using drugs to help his healing accelerate.”
Jessie closed her eyes and fought tears of relief. “Thank you.” She opened her eyes and gave the doctor a grateful look. “Thank you so much.”
Tiger cleared his throat and drew her attention. He and about fifty other New Species were crammed inside the Medical Center reception area with her. Some of them sat in chairs, on the long counter near the front doors and on the floor. She’d taken up residence sitting on a desk she’d pulled next to Justice’s room while he’d undergone surgery.
“Can we get you showered and changed now?” Tiger inched closer.
Jessie glanced down, noting she hadn’t removed the vest and her bloodied clothes.
She shook her head.
Tiger frowned deeply and worry narrowed his catlike gaze. “You know Justice would want us looking after you while he can’t. You’re in shock and you’re covered in blood. Please allow us to care for you, Jessie.”
“I won’t leave him.”
Doctor Treadmont sighed. “You can shower here inside one of the rooms. I’m sure someone can fetch you clean clothes.”
Breeze stood from the counter. “I’ll have one of the women do that.” Her gaze met Jessie’s. “Justice will want to see you clean when he wakes.” She smiled faintly to soften her words. “You look scary.”
Jessie shrugged. “Probably, but I won’t leave Justice.”
Tiger bit his lip. “Can I have the guns?”
Jessie tightened her hold on them. “No.”
“The only New Species allowed access to Medical are those from Justice’s testing facility or those he trusts the most, Jessie. He’s safe. No one here is going to hurt him and none from testing facility five are here.”
“I trust you because Justice does. I trust Breeze because I know she’s my friend.”
Jessie glanced around the room, meeting concerned gazes. “I don’t know who else to trust.” She stared at Tiger. “I’m not leaving him when he is down.”
Tiger backed up. “Okay, Jessie.”
Breeze walked closer but paused ten feet back. “How about this plan, Jessie? Tiger and I will sit right there and no one but the doctor and Nurse Paul will go inside the room. We swear we won’t let anyone near him. Will you go down the hall to shower?
Will you hand me the guns? You’re in shock. Justice is safe now but we won’t move from his door until you return so you are assured of that.”
Jessie blinked at tears. “I let all of these people in because you said they’d never want to hurt him and they had a right to be here too since they love him. Would you shoot any of them if they tried to get past you to his door?”
Long seconds ticked by. Breeze looked stunned.
“That’s what I thought. I’ll kill anyone who poses a danger to him. I’ll sit right here.”
Tiger stepped forward again. “I would kill anyone to protect him. Justice is my best friend and a brother to me, Jessie.”
Jessie hesitated but Justice had told her to trust Tiger. She slowly moved, slid off the desk and stood on shaky legs. “Okay.”
He held out his hand. It was obvious he wanted the guns.
“Do you swear?” She hesitated.
“You have my word, Jessie. No one will get past me. Breeze and I will guard him and I’ll shoot anyone but the doctor and nurse if they try to go to Justice.”
Jessie slowly placed a gun in Tiger’s waiting hand. “Don’t budge while I’m gone.”
“The other gun, Jessie.” Tiger opened his other hand.
She shook her head. “I keep this one.”
Halfpint stood and crept slowly around the counter. “Jessie? Why don’t you let me help you? I know where a room is close to this one with a shower. I’ll walk you there and Tiny will run to the dorm for clothing. Is that all right?”
Jessie allowed the Halfpint to lead her down an opposite hallway to an empty room. There was a hospital bed inside and a bathroom tucked into a corner. Halfpint followed her into the small room and closed the door behind them.
Reinforcements had arrived.
“He’s been stabbed.” Jessie’s voice broke. “Four of those ass**les are dead but one is missing. Call an ambulance.”
Tiger’s stunned gaze dropped to Justice on the floor. Glass suddenly exploded from the right and Jessie jerked in that direction. Something large with a black face came crashing through the slider right at her and Justice. Instinct saved her life. She shot with both guns. A heavy body slammed into hers and threw her onto her back, away from Justice.
Jessie lay there hurting under at least two-hundred-fifty pounds of limp and lifeless Species male. She couldn’t breathe—the air had been knocked from her lungs. Forever seemed to pass but it was really only seconds. Suddenly the body was thrown off her and she gasp in air as her gaze locked with Tiger’s. He bent and offered her a hand.
“The medics are with me and they’ll do everything to save Justice,” he promised.
“Let me help you up.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Justice is going to be fine.” Doctor Treadmont smiled assurances. “He pulled through surgery and we’re using drugs to help his healing accelerate.”
Jessie closed her eyes and fought tears of relief. “Thank you.” She opened her eyes and gave the doctor a grateful look. “Thank you so much.”
Tiger cleared his throat and drew her attention. He and about fifty other New Species were crammed inside the Medical Center reception area with her. Some of them sat in chairs, on the long counter near the front doors and on the floor. She’d taken up residence sitting on a desk she’d pulled next to Justice’s room while he’d undergone surgery.
“Can we get you showered and changed now?” Tiger inched closer.
Jessie glanced down, noting she hadn’t removed the vest and her bloodied clothes.
She shook her head.
Tiger frowned deeply and worry narrowed his catlike gaze. “You know Justice would want us looking after you while he can’t. You’re in shock and you’re covered in blood. Please allow us to care for you, Jessie.”
“I won’t leave him.”
Doctor Treadmont sighed. “You can shower here inside one of the rooms. I’m sure someone can fetch you clean clothes.”
Breeze stood from the counter. “I’ll have one of the women do that.” Her gaze met Jessie’s. “Justice will want to see you clean when he wakes.” She smiled faintly to soften her words. “You look scary.”
Jessie shrugged. “Probably, but I won’t leave Justice.”
Tiger bit his lip. “Can I have the guns?”
Jessie tightened her hold on them. “No.”
“The only New Species allowed access to Medical are those from Justice’s testing facility or those he trusts the most, Jessie. He’s safe. No one here is going to hurt him and none from testing facility five are here.”
“I trust you because Justice does. I trust Breeze because I know she’s my friend.”
Jessie glanced around the room, meeting concerned gazes. “I don’t know who else to trust.” She stared at Tiger. “I’m not leaving him when he is down.”
Tiger backed up. “Okay, Jessie.”
Breeze walked closer but paused ten feet back. “How about this plan, Jessie? Tiger and I will sit right there and no one but the doctor and Nurse Paul will go inside the room. We swear we won’t let anyone near him. Will you go down the hall to shower?
Will you hand me the guns? You’re in shock. Justice is safe now but we won’t move from his door until you return so you are assured of that.”
Jessie blinked at tears. “I let all of these people in because you said they’d never want to hurt him and they had a right to be here too since they love him. Would you shoot any of them if they tried to get past you to his door?”
Long seconds ticked by. Breeze looked stunned.
“That’s what I thought. I’ll kill anyone who poses a danger to him. I’ll sit right here.”
Tiger stepped forward again. “I would kill anyone to protect him. Justice is my best friend and a brother to me, Jessie.”
Jessie hesitated but Justice had told her to trust Tiger. She slowly moved, slid off the desk and stood on shaky legs. “Okay.”
He held out his hand. It was obvious he wanted the guns.
“Do you swear?” She hesitated.
“You have my word, Jessie. No one will get past me. Breeze and I will guard him and I’ll shoot anyone but the doctor and nurse if they try to go to Justice.”
Jessie slowly placed a gun in Tiger’s waiting hand. “Don’t budge while I’m gone.”
“The other gun, Jessie.” Tiger opened his other hand.
She shook her head. “I keep this one.”
Halfpint stood and crept slowly around the counter. “Jessie? Why don’t you let me help you? I know where a room is close to this one with a shower. I’ll walk you there and Tiny will run to the dorm for clothing. Is that all right?”
Jessie allowed the Halfpint to lead her down an opposite hallway to an empty room. There was a hospital bed inside and a bathroom tucked into a corner. Halfpint followed her into the small room and closed the door behind them.
