“What are you thinking about?” True touched her shoulder, drawing her from her thoughts. “You look so sad.”
She looked up and then just stepped forward and hugged him. “It doesn’t matter.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. “It does.”
She wiggled out of his hold as the elevator doors slid open. “It’s just been a long day. I’m fine.”
“I don’t like seeing that look on your face and you will tell me what put it there. We’ll talk more about this later, at home.” He closely studied her.
“Deal.” She hoped he’d forget and let the matter drop. She already felt guilty enough for all he’d done and didn’t want to burden him with her emotional turmoil.
He took her hand and led her to the large library. Shelves full of books stood floor to ceiling. A beautiful gray-stone fireplace took up the back wall and a long conference table with plush chairs took up the space in the center of the room. New Species stood as they entered and Jeanie stopped walking, staring at familiar faces she never thought she’d see again. The smile came instantly despite her insecurity that they might not be as happy to see her as she was them.
“You all look so great,” she blurted. Her gaze stayed on one woman in particular and she unconsciously took a step toward her.
“Stay at my side.” True tugged her back.
“She’s safe here,” a male stated harshly before his tone softened. “It’s good to see you, Shiver. We’ll have to let you learn our new names. I go by Jinx now.”
Jeanie grinned at the tall, black-haired feline attached to that voice. “You’re still accident prone?”
The man laughed. “Not exactly. I picked the name for other reasons.”
She glanced down at his hand, resting on the back of a chair. “How is it?”
He released the plush material and flexed his fingers, turning his wrist until she could see his palm. A thick scar marred it, caused by a knife injury he’d once suffered when one of the guards tried to kill him in retaliation for something stupid. Jinx had grabbed the blade to prevent his throat from being slit.
“It works great.” He took a step closer. “You really gave that doctor hell by implying he was incompetent if he couldn’t repair the damage so I could move my fingers.”
A lump of emotion formed in her throat, making it impossible to speak. She swallowed hard.
“I overheard the staff planning to transfer me somewhere else since that doctor believed the loss of mobility to the hand would make it impossible for me to continue to be useful. It would be tough to improve hand-to-eye coordination with drugs if I didn’t have two working hands.”
Jeanie hadn’t known. “Where? Was it Cornas Research?”
“No. It was a death camp for our kind. One of the employees broke under interrogation and gave up the location.” A muscle in his jaw clenched and his dark-blue eyes narrowed with rage. “It was rigged to explode. All fourteen Species died before they could be reached.”
“Oh god,” she whispered, appalled.
“You saved my life.” Jinx focused his intense gaze on hers. “Now we’re going to do our best to save yours, Shiver.”
“Hello, Shiver,” a female announced.
Jeanie turned her head and smiled again. “You look great, 754. You let your hair grow. You’re so beautiful.” She realized she’d addressed her by number. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you that. What name did you take?”
“Luna.” She glanced at True. “May I hug her? There’s no need for you to take a protective stance and keep her at your side. Everyone here owes her thanks for some kindness she showed. Relax, True. She’s amongst friends. She saved me from being force mounted.”
The reminder of that incident made Jeanie wince. “It was total luck for us both that he was so busy making threats that he didn’t hear that door open.”
True growled. “What did you do?”
She noticed his angry expression and hoped it wasn’t caused by her actions. She had no regrets over what she’d done that day, or any day. She was always trying to stay one step ahead of the staff and figure out ways to trick or manipulate them into doing what was needed to help the New Species. “I opened the door to check on her and saw him standing next to her bed, going on about what he planned to do to her as he was removing his belt. I used a bedpan and nailed him in the back of the head. He never saw me coming. He’d turned off the cameras in the room to make sure Security didn’t spot him but it also meant there was no proof that I’d been there. I made it look as if he’d slipped and struck his head on the edge of the table.”
Luna chuckled. “She hit the ass**le so hard he needed fifteen stitches. She was pissed that he was going to hurt me. I learned new swear words from Shiver. She also finished opening his pants to make it clear to the staff what he’d planned to do to me. The doctors were furious when they came in and found him on the floor because he could have ruined what they had planned for me. I never saw him again.”
“You may touch her,” True decided, letting go of her hand.
Luna was a good eight inches taller than Jeanie as the other woman gave her a tight bear hug. A dull pain shot through her side from her healing injury and she groaned. Luna eased her hold instantly, jerked away, and frowned.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? I forget how frail humans are.”
She looked up and then just stepped forward and hugged him. “It doesn’t matter.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. “It does.”
She wiggled out of his hold as the elevator doors slid open. “It’s just been a long day. I’m fine.”
“I don’t like seeing that look on your face and you will tell me what put it there. We’ll talk more about this later, at home.” He closely studied her.
“Deal.” She hoped he’d forget and let the matter drop. She already felt guilty enough for all he’d done and didn’t want to burden him with her emotional turmoil.
He took her hand and led her to the large library. Shelves full of books stood floor to ceiling. A beautiful gray-stone fireplace took up the back wall and a long conference table with plush chairs took up the space in the center of the room. New Species stood as they entered and Jeanie stopped walking, staring at familiar faces she never thought she’d see again. The smile came instantly despite her insecurity that they might not be as happy to see her as she was them.
“You all look so great,” she blurted. Her gaze stayed on one woman in particular and she unconsciously took a step toward her.
“Stay at my side.” True tugged her back.
“She’s safe here,” a male stated harshly before his tone softened. “It’s good to see you, Shiver. We’ll have to let you learn our new names. I go by Jinx now.”
Jeanie grinned at the tall, black-haired feline attached to that voice. “You’re still accident prone?”
The man laughed. “Not exactly. I picked the name for other reasons.”
She glanced down at his hand, resting on the back of a chair. “How is it?”
He released the plush material and flexed his fingers, turning his wrist until she could see his palm. A thick scar marred it, caused by a knife injury he’d once suffered when one of the guards tried to kill him in retaliation for something stupid. Jinx had grabbed the blade to prevent his throat from being slit.
“It works great.” He took a step closer. “You really gave that doctor hell by implying he was incompetent if he couldn’t repair the damage so I could move my fingers.”
A lump of emotion formed in her throat, making it impossible to speak. She swallowed hard.
“I overheard the staff planning to transfer me somewhere else since that doctor believed the loss of mobility to the hand would make it impossible for me to continue to be useful. It would be tough to improve hand-to-eye coordination with drugs if I didn’t have two working hands.”
Jeanie hadn’t known. “Where? Was it Cornas Research?”
“No. It was a death camp for our kind. One of the employees broke under interrogation and gave up the location.” A muscle in his jaw clenched and his dark-blue eyes narrowed with rage. “It was rigged to explode. All fourteen Species died before they could be reached.”
“Oh god,” she whispered, appalled.
“You saved my life.” Jinx focused his intense gaze on hers. “Now we’re going to do our best to save yours, Shiver.”
“Hello, Shiver,” a female announced.
Jeanie turned her head and smiled again. “You look great, 754. You let your hair grow. You’re so beautiful.” She realized she’d addressed her by number. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you that. What name did you take?”
“Luna.” She glanced at True. “May I hug her? There’s no need for you to take a protective stance and keep her at your side. Everyone here owes her thanks for some kindness she showed. Relax, True. She’s amongst friends. She saved me from being force mounted.”
The reminder of that incident made Jeanie wince. “It was total luck for us both that he was so busy making threats that he didn’t hear that door open.”
True growled. “What did you do?”
She noticed his angry expression and hoped it wasn’t caused by her actions. She had no regrets over what she’d done that day, or any day. She was always trying to stay one step ahead of the staff and figure out ways to trick or manipulate them into doing what was needed to help the New Species. “I opened the door to check on her and saw him standing next to her bed, going on about what he planned to do to her as he was removing his belt. I used a bedpan and nailed him in the back of the head. He never saw me coming. He’d turned off the cameras in the room to make sure Security didn’t spot him but it also meant there was no proof that I’d been there. I made it look as if he’d slipped and struck his head on the edge of the table.”
Luna chuckled. “She hit the ass**le so hard he needed fifteen stitches. She was pissed that he was going to hurt me. I learned new swear words from Shiver. She also finished opening his pants to make it clear to the staff what he’d planned to do to me. The doctors were furious when they came in and found him on the floor because he could have ruined what they had planned for me. I never saw him again.”
“You may touch her,” True decided, letting go of her hand.
Luna was a good eight inches taller than Jeanie as the other woman gave her a tight bear hug. A dull pain shot through her side from her healing injury and she groaned. Luna eased her hold instantly, jerked away, and frowned.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? I forget how frail humans are.”
