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  “Thank you, Mr. Weltman.” Still, she used his last name as a barrier to make the interaction less intimate and bring the conversation back to work.

  “I’ll require keys to the holding cell.” She had to get Micah out of here, and a plan began to take shape. She’d prove the laboratory setting would impede any potential for progress. During her time off she’d find someplace safe to take him. It didn’t have to be far away, only private. Not her leased house though. It had to be a place her employer didn’t know about.

  This delicate balancing act would have to be handled with extreme care. She took a deep breath and plunged ahead, praying it would work. It had to work, for both their sakes. “The files will be helpful, but I’ll have to work with the subject one-on-one.”

  Weltman’s face hardened. “The subject is unpredictable and dangerous. Security must remain tight.”

  She held up a hand, cutting him off. “You hired me because of my expertise with Felidae. Fortunately for Nanotech, I also have a good grasp of human behavior.”

  In for a penny…

  “It is my professional opinion that what you hope to accomplish is not achievable with him under duress.” She took a calculated risk, introducing the idea of letting him out of the cell. “For Micah to gain control over the animal, he has to feel comfortable, relaxed. That won’t happen with armed guards standing watch. And for the lion to comply, his ingrained need for open spaces must be met.”

  The color drained from Weltman’s face. “You can’t be suggesting taking him outside the facility…by yourself.”

  Rebecca squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “He will not harm me. I am more than capable of managing both the man and the lion. The security officers gave me a supply of tranquilizers and a Taser should they become necessary, which is doubtful.” She held up the business card. “I can also call you at any time I need assistance.”

  “Yes, the subject seemed very protective toward you, but—”

  She held up her hand again. “This is non-negotiable. If you want me to work with him, assist him in adapting, then it’s on my terms. Otherwise the whole thing will be a wasted effort.”

  Weltman rubbed his chin and stared into her eyes, considering what she’d said. Rebecca had to remind herself to breathe. Her heart skipped a beat as she awaited his answer.

  “Fine, go into the cell alone. Not outside though. For your own safety, I must insist a minimum of two guards accompany you outside. They will maintain a bit of distance and not intrude unless necessary, but you will stay within sight at all times. I’m not willing to put you at such risk without backup. I’ll talk to the techs and have a shock collar put on him for everyone’s safety.”

  She nodded, satisfied with the conditions. She would have agreed to a lot more to get Micah out of the horrible cell. “Thank you.”

  Weltman raked a hand through his hair and blew out a hard breath. She knew he was readjusting his perception of her. She took a chance by allowing him a glimpse of the iron-clad determination she’d disguised up until that point.

  “I’ll want written progress reports twice a week.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a triumphant grin. “Agreed.”

  He watched her for another long moment before moving to the door. “I’ll have the security captain bring a set of keys. Let me know when you want to take the subject outside so he can be prepared.”

  She understood his intention and addressed the situation before it could happen. “I don’t want him sedated. Doing so would defeat the purpose.”

  Weltman stiffened. “Then he doesn’t leave the cell.” His tone was inexorable.

  She opened her mouth to protest but he continued speaking.

  “Lasiter has not been outside since the injection and we don’t know how he will react or if he’ll be able to control the lion. I will not risk the safety of my staff should he be unable to contain the urge to hunt. He won’t be knocked out, but he will be given a mild sedative for the first attempt.”

  She realized he would not budge and conceded the point. “Fine.”

  In an attempt to soothe his ruffled feathers, Rebecca turned on the charm. She flashed what she hoped was a flirty smile. “Thank you, Gabe. I’m looking forward to working with you on this project.”

  His smile returned and some of the tension surrounding them eased. “Perhaps you’ll join me for dinner one evening?”

  Oh, ick!

  Her quick nod seemed to seal the deal for him and Weltman hummed as he finally left the office. She hadn’t agreed, not really. And Rebecca had no intention of going out with him.

  Once alone, she opened the files and began skimming through the ingredients of the DNA cocktail that had been injected into Micah’s blood and bone marrow. The advancements Nanotech’s scientists had made with the Predator Project were truly amazing. Shame they were done without ethics or morals.

  By circumventing standard protocols and restrictions for genetic research they had zoomed far ahead of the competition. Through discoveries made in the quest to find a cure for cancer they had stumbled upon a particular combination of synthetic and animal DNA, along with a reliable method of insertion. The procedure they developed resulted in a binding of the new recombinant DNA in a human subject, successfully modifying genes that would normally reject such an incompatible pairing.

  Her hand shook as she clicked the mouse, paging through the information. Her field was not genetics but she felt fairly certain Nanotech had been close to reaching their initial goal—a cure for cancer. That was before Weltman had narrowed the focus to one particular element, which had resulted in going off on a wild tangent. Weltman’s notes on his vision of creating a stronger breed of human soldiers had every fine hair on her body standing on end.

  To know a man of Weltman’s vast resources and greed possessed not only the means but also the key to altering the human race terrified her. The man was certifiable.

  Anxious to see Micah, she had a difficult time concentrating. Rebecca shut down the computer and headed for the security office to get the keys. She had to force herself to take it slow and not run down the hallway. Even though she could view the camera aimed at his cell each moment away from him, she worried about how he was being treated.

  The outer door of the security room opened with a muted swish and her eyes immediately sought out the monitors. Agitated, Micah paced back and forth before the cell bars, looking every inch the restless, caged predator.

  “Better get a tranq gun ready if you’re going in. Looks like Freak Show’s gonna have to be knocked out again.”

  She couldn’t remember the idiot guard’s name. He didn’t even bother turn around, obviously assuming a coworker had entered the small room.

  “That won’t be necessary.” She spoke in a commanding tone, standing firm and sure, mimicking her father when addressing his troops. “However, it is critical to your future employment that you adjust your attitude, and do it fast!”

  “Dr. Southerby.” The guard scrambled from the chair and stood at attention. “Ma’am, I didn’t see you there.”

  Micah had told her most of the guards were ex-military. From his attitude and stance there was no doubt this man had served. His military training would prompt his submission to her authority. At least that worked in her favor. “What’s your name?”

  “Anderson. Tom Anderson.”

  “I’m going to be watching you, Anderson. If I find even one scratch on Micah Lasiter, you’ll be answering to me.” She gave him her hardest, most intimidating glare. “Is that clear?”

  “Ma’am. Yes ma’am.”

  “Good.” She’d almost expected him to snap off a salute. “Now, my keys?”

  He placed a plain metal ring bearing two keys into her open palm.

  “Thank you.” She glanced around, taking in the state-of-the-art monitoring equipment, somewhat surprised to realize there was no sound. “I take it the cells are not wired for audio surveillance?”

  “No, ma�
�am. We only ever used the cells to secure the unstable subjects before termination.” He shivered. “None of us wanted to hear those horrible cries any more than necessary. There wasn’t any reason to have sound, but if you think—”

  She raised a hand, silencing him. “No, that’s fine. I prefer to keep written notes of my work with the subject instead of recordings.” Referring to Micah as “the subject” rankled but it was necessary to follow Weltman’s example when dealing with his men.

  “What about the procedure rooms? Are there disks from the subject’s treatments available that I can watch?”

  “That depends. The procedure rooms are set up with recording equipment but it does not run continually. There will only be documentation if someone activated the equipment. Any footage on Lasiter will be accessible through his electronic records.”

  “Thanks for all your help, Anderson. I’ll be counting on you to make sure nothing happens to the subject. He’s very important to the project. No more tranquilizers unless I give the okay. And no procedures without my expressed approval. Everything concerning the subject now goes through me. Clear?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  As she left the office and made her way to the cell, Rebecca said a silent thank you to her father. Her mother had died when she was a toddler. She’d grown up surrounded by military men. The general had not only taught her how to hold her own with powerful men, but how to command their respect. The lessons in fighting and tactics that had seemed frivolous were now coming in handy.

  Micah stilled when she approached the cell and remained silent as she unlocked the door. The loud clang as it closed behind her echoed around them. She quickly filled him in on what she’d learned so far.

  “The security equipment is top-notch. Palm-print readers control most of the doors. From what I saw in the security room the only places not actively monitored are within individual offices. Every hallway, door and window is wired and carefully watched. The other subjects are housed along the same corridor in dormitory-type rooms instead of cells.”

  “At first, so was I. They moved me here after I shifted the first time.”

  She nodded. “They do not have the cell wired for sound, so unless a guard is in the immediate area, we’re free to talk.”

  “Good,” Micah sighed.

  “Getting you out of here is not going to be easy. As much as possible, keep a tight leash on the lion. My plan is simple—prove to Weltman that you are not a danger to me, and that I can control you.”

  Micah began to pace again and rubbed at his jaw.

  “I’ve made arrangements to get you outside, but you’ll be sedated.”

  He stopped short, his gaze narrowing on her.

  “Weltman insisted on a mild sedative because we don’t know if you will be able to control the lion’s natural instincts once you get out in the open. I had no valid argument for the point. Two guards will be with us, within sight at all times.” Reaching the part of her plan where things go dicey, she took care to school her features. “Once it’s proven that I can handle you in both forms, I’ll convince Weltman the lab setting is detrimental to what he wants to accomplish.”

  “How the hell are you going to do that?” he barked.

  “Simple. We establish a pattern. Right now Weltman believes strong emotion brings on the shift. You have to become unpredictable around everyone other than me. You will gradually decrease your activity, become lethargic when here in the cell and come to life when we go outside. I’ll convince Weltman the results he wants are not possible in the lab setting. We get you out of here, I gather the records of what’s been done to you, then you disappear.”

  His penetrating stare turned cold and contemplative. “What do you know about making someone disappear?”

  “I’m an Army brat, born and raised. My father made sure I know how to survive no matter the circumstances. Helping you vanish off the radar will be child’s play.”

  He advanced toward her. “Do not touch me, Micah!”

  She clenched her teeth and forced herself to appear unaffected. “Don’t touch me or show personal interest in me or this won’t work.”

  He came to a dead stop. She could tell it grated on his nerves, but Micah fell into the role she’d set for him. Tense muscles relaxed as he took several deep breaths. He sat on the floor, putting himself in a vulnerable position and under her control.

  She squeezed the bridge of her nose, fighting off a stress headache. “This is not going to be easy for either of us.” She moved to him, blocked the camera’s view and stroked his cheek. “All I can think about is stripping off those clothes, getting my hands and mouth on you. Making love until we’re both exhausted and sweaty.”

  A low, warning growl vibrated through his chest. She clearly saw the same desire reflected in his eyes.

  “I know. It’s okay,” she assured. “We have to be strong. There’s so much we have to talk about.” So much they had to figure out. She thought about the baby and her natural inclination was to rub her belly where their child rested. Instead, she balled her hands into fists at her sides.

  “First we have to get you out of here.”

  That had to be her top priority. They’d deal with everything else once he was safe.

  Chapter Six

  He kept his eyes closed, breathing even and stayed motionless. He’d been in the facility long enough to figure out the regular pattern and movements of the guards. They’d already made rounds and weren’t due for at least another hour. Yet someone moved down the corridor, making no attempt to mask their presence. The light click created by a heel with each footfall made him guess his late-night visitor was female.

  The night guard muttered a familiar greeting, which told him it had to be someone on the lab staff. What did they have planned for him now? Micah gritted his teeth in anticipation of more anesthesia drugs and another painful procedure.

  Fuck, Becca was right. They had to get him the hell out of here.

  His nostrils flared as the delightful scent of cinnamon and honey reached him. What the hell was she doing? There was no way she could have worked out an evac plan this fast.

  Keys rattled, metal grated on metal as the cell door swung open. Sheer will and discipline were almost insufficient to keep him from rushing forward. He had to play this out and follow her lead or put both of them at risk.

  He’d rather undergo multiple torturous procedures than put her in any more danger than she already faced.

  The gentle caress of her fingertips along his jaw was at odds with her abrupt tone. “Wake up, Lasiter. I don’t have all night.”

  “Want me to chain him, Doc?”

  “No, thanks. I’ve got my Taser and we’re not going far.”

  What the hell?

  “Come on, Lasiter. Don’t make me change my mind and have them sedate you. Let’s get this procedure done and over with.”

  “No more damn procedures.” The thought of her performing one of Weltman’s horrible procedures on him make Micah’s blood run cold.

  The guard took a step backward as Micah swung his legs over the cot and sat up. Becca tapped her foot, waiting impatiently, but her sweet face told a different story. The lighting was dim but he had no trouble making out her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils with his enhanced eyesight.

  He took a breath, drawing her musky aroma deep into his lungs. She wasn’t afraid or agitated. She was wet and aroused.

  As he rose to his full height the guard took another step back while Becca latched on to his biceps and guided him out of the cell. They went through the anteroom where another guard watched a bank of monitors displaying the empty cell, and down a short corridor to one of the treatment rooms. The guard shadowed their every step until the door closed behind them and the lock snicked in place.

  Becca lifted a finger to her lips. “Get on the exam table, Lasiter. Now that’s a good boy.” She snapped the wrist restraints shut with a loud click. Once the sound shot through the room a second time, he heard the guard�
�s booted footsteps echo down the corridor.

  “We won’t have long. An hour at most—”

  Micah backed her against the door and sealed his lips to hers. She tasted of coffee and her own unique flavor that had been imprinted on his soul. He’d missed her so much and when they both made it out of this mess, he was never letting go!

  Pain bit into his shoulders where her fingernails dug deep. He didn’t mind. Especially as her leg rose and hooked over his hip, aligning her warm pussy with his hard and ready to explode cock.

  It had been too long since he’d felt the tight clasp of her pussy around his shaft. Too long since he’d been buried balls-deep in paradise. “Becca,” he groaned. “This is going to be hard and fast…the first time.”

  “Yesss. Hard and fast is good. Now is better. Hurry!”

  They were on the same page, thank goodness, because he couldn’t wait another second. Finesse be damned. Going straight for the tie of her scrub pants, he cursed as it knotted. The hellion just laughed as she released the tie securing his pants with ease then wrapped her slender fingers around his aching cock.

  Micah didn’t screw around with the knot for long. He simply ripped the drawstring in half. One hard pull tore the crotch from her lacy panties and her slick, warm flesh filled his palm. He sniffed, wondering briefly at the slight difference in her scent but chalking it up to something in the laboratory setting.

  “Have you been thinking about me, baby?” Without any preamble, he thrust two fingers between her sodden folds. Wet flesh sucked at his fingers and he came close to finishing before even getting inside her.

  “Have you suffered through endless nights, remembering how damn good it was to have this sweet pussy stuffed full of my cock?” Waiting for her answer was torture but he had to know she’d suffered, same as he had.

  “Micah,” she gasped.

  Thrusting his fingers hard, he found the small spot guaranteed to drive her crazy and stroked the area with his fingertips. Becca rose up on her toes, canted her hips and followed the rhythm he set. Her body tightened on his fingers as she neared release but hell if he’d let her get there without him.