“I shouldn’t have left without permission, but I was going crazy locked up. I thought if I could run a mission or two I’d feel better. You trained us as soldiers. Staying in these tiny cells is making us all crazy. I didn’t speak to the senator, and when I was captured, I tried to reach out to my unit. My first priority was to escape, and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I did so. Sean can verify that.”

Whitney studied her face with his dead eyes, giving nothing away of what he was thinking.

“That is correct,” Sean said.

Whitney ignored the soldier. “You left without permission.”

“Yes, that’s true. And I more than paid for my mistake.”

“Your point, Mari?” He was suddenly impatient.

She forced her gaze to the floor in a more submissive role. “I’m tired and worn out tonight and would ask that you wait before you send Sean to me. At least wait until we know whether Norton got me pregnant.”

“No!” Sean was adamant. “You gave me your word, sir.”

Dr. Whitney held up his hand and Sean fell silent. “I certainly increased your chances with all the fertility shots I gave you,” Whitney told Mari as he studied her face. “I don’t think so. I think you have your own agenda, and as Sean pointed out, I did give him my word.”

Mari stayed ramrod straight, keeping her expression blank, but she couldn’t control the sudden pounding of her heart. She wanted to crumble and fall into a sobbing heap on the floor. She couldn’t go through this again—not with Sean. What had possessed him to allow Whitney to include him in his insane program? They had often discussed how the men turned into brutes after taking Whitney’s chemical cocktail.

Dr. Whitney glanced up at the camera. “After you’re done here, you’ll report to the med labs for a few more tests. I didn’t realize your psychic powers had developed enough to damage not just one, but several of the cameras and the auditory equipment.”

He waited, but she refused to take the bait, remaining silent.

“Ah well. I wish you a very pleasant evening,” Whitney said. His smile remained firmly in place as he pushed Brett’s foot aside with the toe of an immaculate shoe. “I’ll have someone collect the body.” He turned on his heel and left them.

The door slid shut behind him with a familiar clang. Mari shuddered at the thought of Brett’s dead body lying within a foot of her door while his killer faced her, blood on his clothes and hands.

She shook her head. “Why did you do this, Sean?”

“You know why, Mari. You’ve always known how I felt about you.” He stalked past her to the small bathroom, his shoulder brushing up against her, nearly knocking her back.

She pressed back against the wall, tears burning behind her eyelids and choking her throat. “I don’t, Sean. I swear to you, I really don’t.”

He came out, drying his hands off. “How did you think it made me feel letting Brett in here and hearing you fight, hearing him beat you? There wasn’t anything I could do about it. He didn’t belong with you; he never did. You knew it, and I told Whitney he didn’t. Whitney agreed with me.”

“So you took his place? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Better me than someone else. I’ve always wanted you. I didn’t hide it from you. You were the one who wanted to keep if just friends.”

“And that should tell you something. You let Whitney pair us knowing I didn’t want to be more than friends with you. That’s not saving me, Sean.” For the first time she felt absolute despair. He was looking at her without comprehension, uncaring what she thought or felt. “This is about you. You wanted me, and this was your way to get me. You didn’t care at all how I felt, did you?”

He shrugged. “Better me than Brett or anyone else. You should have just accepted me one of the hundred times I made the offer.”

“I don’t feel anything for you other than friendship.”

“Whitney’s right, you’re stubborn. You refused to try. You gave me no other choice, Mari. This one’s on you.” He stepped close to her, looming over her. “I want you to get in the shower and scrub that man’s scent off of you.”

“Go to hell.”

He shook his head. “We’re not doing this, Mari. You have no choice. You belong to me, and I’m going to make certain if there’s a baby, it’s mine. Get into the shower and do as I say.”

She scowled at him. “Did you really think it would be that easy? That you’d walk in here and take away what little personal choices I have left and I’d just go along with it? Brett was a vicious brute and I despised him. You were always special to me. I couldn’t have respected you more. But this . . .” She spread her hands and shook her head. “This is a despicable act, and anything you get from me you’ll just have to take. And you can live with knowing you’re a sick f**king ra**st like Brett.”

“I gave up my life for you, Mari. You will do what I say. I sold my soul to Whitney for you.”

“You don’t have a soul.”

“Get in there and shower before I drag you in and scrub you myself.”

“You’re such an ass**le, Sean.”

Sean grabbed her by her hair and dragged her toward the bathroom, erupting into fury when she didn’t do as he ordered. He shoved her hard. “Get in there.”

She kicked the door closed in his face.

Mari. Baby. What’s happening? You’re scaring me, honey. Stop trying to cut yourself off from me.

She thought she had cut her mind off from Ken’s, not just tried. She must have reached out because she was so stressed and afraid. She didn’t want him to know, to witness her utter humiliation. She stood for a moment leaning against the bathroom door and then began to strip. Once Sean heard the shower, he might calm down and she could talk reasonably with him.

Mari stepped under the cascading water and closed her eyes, turning up her face. You can’t help me now, Ken. This place is locked down and I can’t escape without the others. I won’t go without them. I’d never forgive myself. Please go away.

What the hell are you saying to me?

She leaned up against the shower stall and let the tears leak out under the spray of hot water, pretending she wasn’t giving in to the feeling of despair, but she was drowning in it. Her chest felt tight. She could barely breathe, and her throat was raw and choking her. For the first time that she could remember, she felt panicked.

Honey. His voice moved in her mind. Soft. So tender it brought a fresh flood of tears. I’m here, Mari. Talk to me. Share it with me. Lean a little bit, for God’s sake.

I can’t. She wanted to reach out. She wanted to feel the comfort of his arms, and maybe that was what was wrong. Ken had made her weak, made her feel she needed him. She’d always been able to endure—to stand alone, but now she wanted the solid rock of his body, the strength of his arms. She wanted him to shelter her close and stop the insanity before she lost her own mind. Whitney was tearing her into little pieces, just as Ekabela had cut Ken’s body into tiny sections.

You can tell me anything.

You get so angry. She had had enough of angry men. She wrapped her arms around herself and huddled down, wishing she could disappear down the drain with the water.

Not at you. I have rage in me that I’ve never let out, and maybe it comes boiling to the surface, but never at you, Mari. I just want to make things better for you. Tell me.

She was going to tell him and she knew it was mistake, but she couldn’t stop herself. She desperately, desperately, needed someone. Whitney gave me to Sean. Sean killed Brett. The body is outside my door and Sean is waiting for me. He isn’t going to take no for an answer and he’s way stronger than I am. You can’t get to me in time. Not if you’re on the second level.

For a moment he was gone; his mind jerked abruptly out of hers, leaving her alone and bereft and feeling sick. A loud thump on the door made her jump. Sean was coming to get her and there was no way out.

Baby, listen to me. There was pain in his voice, in his mind, pain and guilt mixed with the coldest rage she’d ever touched. I can’t get to you. I’m drilling through a cap to try to find a way into the wall below me. Everything dead-ends here.

It’s okay. Really it is. It wasn’t and they both knew it.

Stay with me. Keep your mind in mine.

No. I don’t want you here with me when this happens. I feel unclean. I couldn’t bear for you to witness this.

She felt the sensation of lips brushing the corner of her mouth, and she touched her lips in wonder. How did you do that?

The door banged open and Sean ripped the shower curtain aside. Mari looked up at him with her tear-wet face, feeling total despair.

Try to connect with him mentally. Is he a telepath?

Yes. For a moment she didn’t comprehend, and then a tiny hope flickered and blossomed. She didn’t dare believe it could work, because it would be so terrible if he couldn’t do it. Can you use mind control on him?

I’m sure as hell going to try. You can’t make a mistake, Mari, and accidentally give away the fact that I’m here and we’re communicating.

“Get up, Mari.” Sean extended his hand.

Slowly she unfolded her legs, refusing to be intimidated because she had no clothes. Why are you doing this, Sean? Please just talk to me so I can stop shaking. I’m afraid of you. I don’t like being afraid of you.

With a show of reluctance she put her hand in his and let him help her to her feet. He tugged until her body brushed up against his. She couldn’t stop herself from going rigid, but she did manage not to fight.

Why are we using telepathy? Sean pushed her ahead of him into the bedroom, taking a careful survey of the walls, looking for a hidden camera.

I’m pretty sure Whitney has audio surveillance in here. Things he’s repeated to me he could only know if he heard them in my room. Sit on the bed with me, just for a minute, Sean, let me get used to the idea of this.

Didn’t he say you blew all the audio when you took out the cameras?

I don’t want to take a chance. You know he lies all the time.

She felt Ken moving in her mind when she stepped back from Sean. He was studying the energy field, the traces of Sean left behind. She felt the sudden surge of energy entering her mind, gathering everything she was and tying the two of them together into one powerful unit. It frightened her so much she nearly pulled back. She wasn’t Mari, standing on her own, but part of Ken, open to him, all her fears and hopes and every memory she had. It was shattering to be so close to another human being, so completely vulnerable to him.

She allowed her body to sag onto the bed, reaching for the thin blanket to try to protect her body from the lust in Sean’s eyes. Why did it repulse her so much? When Ken had looked at her with a hundred times that hunger, she had melted for him, melted into him. Self-preservation demanded she pull away before her mind released every secret fantasy, every secret desire, real and imagined, and Ken’s responded in kind.

A tremor ran through her. His mind was already filling hers with so much information, and along with his memories came power. Their energy fused into one steady stream, one powerful flow, a current so strong she feared she might pass out before Ken could take complete control of it.

Sean tugged at the blanket. Mari resisted, but it slipped enough to reveal the swell of her br**sts. He jerked harder on the blanket, his elbow pushing her back until she was half-lying across the bed.

I don’t want to wait. You’ve known me for years, Mari. You belong to me, you always have. I’m just taking what’s mine. His mouth clamped hard on her breast, one hand circling her throat, fingers digging in to remind her not to struggle.

“Sean, you’re hurting me.” She slammed both hands against his chest, trying to push him off of her.