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  Sometimes life sucked!

  Chapter Eight

  Rebecca hid out in the office she detested, pacing from one end to the other. No doubt about it—the morning outing with Micah shook her up and proved they had to get rid of their supervision. She had to be alone with him, free to touch him. Hold him and be held. Sooner the better.

  The time had come to take action.

  But what?

  How could she get him out of a top-secret facility that they locked down tighter than a duck’s butt?

  He’s the father of my child. I can’t just leave him in that cell.

  Yeah, and he also turns into a ferocious lion with sharp claws and huge teeth. Oh, and don’t forget that enormous cock.

  Hah, as if she could forget that!

  Tingles raced along her spine, but she refused to contemplate sex with so much at stake. She had to get him out of here first. Last night she’d found a cabin to rent. She had the keys in her purse. Her plans were coming together so what exactly was she waiting for?

  By now the security team would have filled Weltman in on the morning’s events. Would it be enough to convince him the lab environment was counterproductive to his goals?

  Her father’s voice flowed through her mind offering a swift kick in the ass. You’ll never find out with your head stuck in the sand, Rebecca. Stand tall and show them what you’ve made of.

  Yeah, since when did she hide from adversity? The general had taught her to be strong and face challenges head-on. He’d be ashamed of the way she was behaving.

  Rebecca squared her shoulders, steeled her spine and stormed out the door. Her heels beat out a steady rhythm as she moved down the hall. She didn’t pause or give Weltman’s assistant the chance to say a word, she charged right by and into his office.

  A guard she had not met shot upright from a chair in front of the desk and turned to face her.

  “Rebecca,” Weltman gasped, startled by her bold entrance. “That will be all, Martha. Please close the door,” he told his assistant.

  Weltman stood and extended a hand toward the guard. “Kyle Slater, this is Dr. Rebecca Southerby, the zoologist working with Lasiter.” Weltman turned to her. “Rebecca, this is Kyle, head of security here at the lab.”

  They didn’t shake hands, the man merely nodded then followed Weltman’s example and returned to his seat. She looked him over and made a quick assessment. Everything about the dark-haired stranger screamed military, from his quick response to the way he held himself.

  Instead of sitting, she planted her hands on the desk and leaned in, forcing Weltman to lean back. She would not be able to intimidate him, but the position gave an impression of authority and power. She’d take any advantage she could get.

  “This isn’t working!”

  He sighed heavily. “Kyle and I were just discussing this morning’s session.”

  She kept her focus on Weltman, ignoring the other man. “Then you understand the situation. Being locked up in a cell and under constant guard here at the lab has impeded making any real progress. I’m going to have to take him offsite.”

  Weltman sprung to his feet and leaned forward, got right in her face. His heated breath washed over her, the smell of onions from his last meal turning her stomach. But she didn’t back down and refused to flinch.

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  “He won’t hurt me, Gabe. He’s had plenty of opportunity. If anything, Micah has displayed protective behaviors toward me. The lion is too keyed up here. He won’t let Micah take complete control in this atmosphere.”

  “No. He could turn on you.”

  She softened her tone and gave the appearance of relaxing her stance. “I know cats, Gabe. That’s why you hired me. Working with him here, I won’t be able to produce the result you’re after. Allow me to work with him from home and I can help Micah get control of the lion.”

  Weltman dropped back in his chair. He frowned then made brief eye contact with the guard. From the corner of her eye, she saw Slater nod.

  “She’s right. He won’t hurt her.”

  Holy shit, this is going to work. Because of Slater. She wondered if he knew Micah and was possibly a friend.

  “I want results, fast.” Weltman rubbed his temple and sighed. “How long?”

  She shrugged. “Two weeks for him to fully adapt to the lion and master its instincts. Maybe less. It’s hard to predict since I’ve never worked with anyone like him before.”

  “He is unique. Our first success.” He leaned back in the chair, fingers steepled, and remained silent for several long moments. He seemed to reach a decision and pressed a button on his desk.

  “Yes, sir?” The assistant’s voice wafted through a hidden speaker.

  “Martha, call down to communications and have someone bring a company phone for Dr. Southerby.” After disconnecting, he sat back and stared at her. She maintained eye contact and projected an air of competence. Difficult as she found it, she remained silent, waiting him out. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “Okay, but there will be a few conditions.”

  She bit her tongue to hold back a triumphant shout. “Of course.” She’d agree to anything.

  “The phone will be programmed with my numbers, home and work, as well as Kyle’s. You will arrange a schedule and check in with him.”

  “Do not miss a call, Dr. Southerby.” Kyle’s voice was low with menace. “It will take less than ten minutes for my team to overtake your house.”

  She’d pegged him as a hard-ass, by-the-book soldier, but he was enabling her to get Micah off the premises. It didn’t fit his character and confounded Rebecca. Hell if she’d turn down his assistance, though. And she wasn’t about to tell him she had no intention of taking Micah to the house provided for her by Nanotech and make it easy for them to interfere.

  Watch yourself with this one, her father’s voice warned. You don’t know who he has alliances with or if he’s working toward a completely different agenda of his own.

  She played it naïve, the use of his first name intended to portray a relaxed attitude and hide the fear causing her heart to race. “I won’t miss a call, Kyle. Lord, your men would give my elderly neighbor a heart attack.”

  When she glanced back at Weltman, he coughed to cover an evil grin. “We’d hate for that to happen.”

  Yeah, right! She bet it would just break his shriveled black heart.

  “Since we don’t know how the subject will respond to leaving the compound, he will be given the same light sedative that worked for his first trip outside.” Weltman glanced down at his gold watch. “Give my men an hour to get him ready then pull your vehicle around to the loading dock.”

  She hated the idea of them sedating Micah again, but had no reason to object without tipping her hand.

  “Thank you.”

  “If all goes well with Lasiter, we have plans for inducting several more subjects into the Predator Project. I have high hopes for a female soldier and plan to try a hybrid DNA cocktail with her. When she’s been injected, I want you working with her exclusively.”

  He planned to alter more unsuspecting victims? A woman? Jesus! The evil bastard was so crooked they’d have to screw him into the ground when he died.

  She didn’t have the luxury of worrying about other test subjects right now. She had to focus on her immediate goals. Waiting an hour to see Micah again would be hard. There was so much she wanted to tell him. But copying the files from her computer would keep her busy. She’d need every bit of documentation to deal with any medical issues that developed.

  After the phone had been delivered and programmed, Slater cautioned her once again.

  “Do not miss a call, Doctor.”

  She didn’t need her father’s warnings to know Slater represented serious danger and was someone she didn’t want to cross swords with.

  “Believe me, I won’t.”

  * * * * *

  “I’m telling you, the old man has lost it!” Tom stomped down the h
allway.

  Jack shook his head. “I can’t believe Slater agreed to this bullshit. They’re going to get the doc killed.”

  Slater? Micah figured they had to be talking about Kyle Slater, one of the men he’d had handpicked when approached for names to lead security at a new facility. He didn’t believe in coincidence.

  With Slater working behind the scenes, he might have a prayer of getting out of this alive. He filed the information away for later and continued listening to the two morons talk as if he couldn’t hear them.

  “Why the hell would the doc take him home with her? The lion could turn on her at any time.”

  “Fuck if I know. Doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Well, let’s get this over with and shoot him up. It will take at least ten minutes for the sedative to take effect.”

  Jack unlocked the door and warily approached where Micah sat on the cot. The idiot talked to him as if he were mentally slow or something.

  “Okay, Lasiter. You’re getting sprung so don’t give us any trouble.”

  “Do I look stupid to you?”

  Jack stopped and seemed to consider, lowering Micah’s opinion of him another notch. Resting his forearm on his thigh, he held his arm still for the injection. Tom swabbed the skin then jabbed the needle into his vein none too gently.

  Finally, as the sedative raced through his blood, they left him alone with his fuzzy thoughts.

  He’d actually been thankful for the drugs on his first trip outside. The cat had clawed at his skin, fought to be released, yearned to run and hunt. Once he’d shifted, keeping himself in check had been a true test of his mettle. But he’d done it, with Becca’s help. She had become his strength, reason and purpose. With her at his side, Micah felt like Superman.

  Becca. God, he couldn’t wait to get her alone, somewhere private and fuck her senseless.

  He vividly remembered the sweet flavor of her arousal. Had dreamed of it often since their night together. The hot, tight grasp of her pussy sucking at his cock. Her soft mewls of pleasure as she rode him to completion.

  Jesus, he couldn’t get out of the lab soon enough. He had to hold her, skin to skin, without any barriers as he had that night.

  He had been sated and sleepy when she’d started a sensual assault on his body with her pouty lips, warm tongue and agile fingers. She’d straddled his hips and slid down his cock, enveloping him in the damp heat of her pussy. She’d felt like heaven. Hot, wet, tight—a damp silken fist with nothing between them.

  He’d felt everything. Every flutter of her walls, all the intense heat. Sensation had overwhelmed higher thought. He’d uttered a protest, made a cursory attempt to stop her and get a condom, but he’d been too far gone.

  The way she’d moved above him blew his mind. At first tentative and unsure, but once she found her rhythm, she rode him smooth as a barrel racer—hard, fast and with natural grace.

  And she’d ridden him bareback.

  A shiver of remembered ecstasy raced through his body. His mind floated along on a wave of memories until the guards came back, securing his hands and ankles. There was no fight in him, no motivation to fight, as they all but dragged him through the hallways then waited at a doorway, watching for her car.

  * * * * *

  Soon as the car pulled up behind to the loading dock a door opened and Micah was led out by Tom and Jack. The idiots had him chained at both the wrist and ankle.

  Muttering the vilest curses she knew, Rebecca jumped out of the car and stormed over to confront the guards.

  “Take. Them. Off.”

  Jack glowered at her. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

  “He’s done nothing to deserve being treated like a criminal.” She took in Micah’s dilated eyes and slack expression. “Besides, you’ve got him too doped up to be capable of anything.”

  “Lady, you’re nuts,” Tom said. “It won’t come as a surprise when I read in tomorrow’s paper that you were mauled to death. I can’t believe Weltman is going along with this bullshit.”

  She refused to back down or be intimidated. Rebecca moved closer, going toe to toe with the man, although the effect was somewhat diminished by having to tilt her head back to make eye contact. “The chains were not your first mistake, but underestimating me just may be the one you most regret.”

  For his next mistake, Tom put his hands on her, grasped her upper arms and shoved her out of the way. Surprised by the sudden move, she stumbled, twisting her ankle.

  Son of a bitch thought he could manhandle her? She hated the testosterone-fueled male belief that just because they were stronger and bigger men could push women around. Well, not her. Nobody shoved her around and got away with it.

  Size does matter—one of many lessons she’d learned from her father. Larger opponents required more space to maneuver so she moved in close. The big idiot grabbed her again.

  Rebecca allowed her lips to spread into a sultry grin. The distraction worked, drawing his attention to her mouth. That’s when she struck, hard and fast. She brought the thick heel of her shoe down on top of his foot. The pain delivered was sufficient to break his grasp and throw him off balance.

  Tom wasn’t letting it go. He tried to maneuver her into a position where he’d dominate. Then his arm started to cock back.

  Oh, hell no!

  After years of having sparred with her father’s troops, instinct kicked in and she reacted without stopping to consider the consequences. Rebecca grabbed Tom’s shoulders. Using momentum and her body weight, she pulled on his shoulders while thrusting her knee into his groin.

  He didn’t go down and started gathering his strength to strike back. She threw a sharp right jab, clipping the corner of his jaw.

  Tom wobbled, and she was tempted to yell timber as he fell to the ground.

  Micah growled and pulled at the chains, which rattled but failed to budge. Jack just gaped at his fallen coworker.

  She glared pointedly at Jack. “You’re not going to be stupid, are you, Jack?”

  “No, ma’am,” he said, and tossed her a ring of keys. “That’s why I’m gonna get out of here before you unlock him.” Jack helped Tom up and the two beat feet back inside the building.

  What a mess. The unfortunate scene would draw attention, not that she’d have done anything different. When faced with a bully she would always defend herself.

  Rebecca sensed the electronic eyes of various security cameras watching, but the immediate threat came from the drugged, angry man left standing before her. Weltman was right, she had no idea how he’d react to different situations. The low, constant growl coming from Micah didn’t bode well.

  His body trembled as if he fought an internal struggle. She knew the lion yearned to be free. It was clear in the brown eyes staring at the tree line, and the taut muscles rippling beneath his skin as she removed the horrible collar.

  She spoke in a soft tone, praying it would soothe him. “You have to keep the lion on a leash, Micah. Shift now and we’ll never get out of here. They will shoot you full of more tranquilizers and drag you back to the cell.”

  She feared it was already too late—the lion too close to the surface. Still, she tried to help. “Breathe through it, Micah. You are strong and can do this. Just a few more minutes.” If he shifted, they were both in a heap of trouble. Not that she hadn’t already done a good job of screwing things up.

  “Look at me,” she demanded. When he refused, she cupped his chin and gently turned his face toward hers. His eyes were steady and calm. “Good.” She released the breath she’d been holding. “That’s good. You have to hold on for a few more minutes. For me. You can do it for me! So I can get you out of here.”

  He gave a curt nod as she stepped in closer, the warmth of him washing over her. Rebecca worked the lock securing his arms with hands that trembled. Not with fear, but longing. She wanted to be wrapped in his strong embrace, lying beneath his solid mass, taking his cock deep within her body, moving together as one. God, how she�
��d longed to be with him since the morning she’d foolishly walked away.

  Leaving him was her one and only regret.

  “Don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt you.” He spoke in a gruff tone, having mistaken her desire for fear. “Never, Becca! Neither would the lion.”

  The chains slid through her hands, landing with a loud clatter at their feet. She stood tall, meeting his hard gaze head-on. She felt like crap for having doubted him even briefly. “I know, but if I don’t get your cock in me soon, I’ll go insane with the want. So shut up, let me get you out of these shackles and let’s get the hell out of here.”

  His pupils dilated even further and his nostrils flared. Micah held her gaze for a long moment then growled. “Hurry!”

  Memories of their night in Asheville flashed through her mind as she sunk to her knees, glancing up at him from beneath her lashes. She made a slow perusal over the rugged planes of his face, along his corded neck and down the roped muscles. Her gaze took in his wide shoulders and chest, narrowing to trim hips sporting a rather large bulge.

  “Becca,” he barked, “you naughty girl. Stop that or I’ll take your right here. Fuck the cameras.”

  “And that’s a bad idea, why?” she teased, thankful to see a bit of the normal spark back in his eyes.

  “Don’t push me, baby. Weltman would get off on watching.”

  She shuddered at the reminder of her creepy boss, fumbled the keys and rushed to free his ankles. Before the last chain fell, Micah lifted her to her feet, still strong regardless of the sedation, and got them moving toward the car.

  “Where the hell are we going?”

  Chapter Nine

  Micah opened the car window and took a deep breath of crisp, cool mountain air. His first real breath in weeks. A free breath. Man, did it ever feel good to not be watched constantly by the Nanotech guards. He couldn’t wait to take a shower without someone observing his every movement.

  When Becca went all commando and attacked Tom, Micah’s heart had beat against his ribs so hard he thought they might crack. He had been terrified and frustrated because he couldn’t help her. Compared to the big security guard she looked so tiny and frail.