He glared at her. “You left him when you knew he needed you.”

Joy shook her head. “How naïve are you? Did you hear me when I said they would have fired me if I’d slept with him? Do you think they would have allowed me near him after that? It was a classified location!” She tried to rein in her emotions. It was tough to do. “There were cameras and guards crawling all over the place. They would have figured it out fast if I’d allowed my relationship with Moon to progress into a sexual one. I would have been forced to leave there and they would have probably kept me in jail, awaiting trial for whatever charges they could pin on me to keep me locked up for as long as possible out of fear that I’d give up the location of that site.”

Harley frowned.

“I would have lost everything to sleep with him one time.” She sat down hard in the chair, hugged her chest again, and stared at her lap. “Don’t think I wasn’t tempted. I cared about Moon. You have no idea how much.” She swallowed, clearing her emotion-choked throat. “But I also knew it would hurt Moon more if we slept together. I always put him first.”

“How would it have hurt Moon more?” It was Justice who spoke.

She met his gaze. He didn’t appear angry. “Moon had a really hard time adjusting to life beyond Mercile. He was antisocial and confrontational with the guards. Imagine how much worse it would have been if he’d had to watch me being dragged off the property in handcuffs. He might have even tried to come to my aid, thinking he was protecting me. It would have made him hate the guards more than he already did or even gotten him shot if he’d killed anyone. The guards were ordered not to hurt Species except in a life-or-death situation if one was out of control but they had the authority to permanently put down the threat in an extreme situation. I wasn’t willing to risk his life or have them decide he was unable to cope with his freedom. Do you know what they did to Species unable to integrate with the humans who worked there?”

Justice sighed. “I know. They kept them heavily sedated and secured away from the others. A lot of our Wild Zone residents were brought to us after enduring that treatment.”

“Exactly!” She shifted her gaze to Harley. He didn’t appear as angry as before. “That’s why I left when I did. I knew it was only a matter of time before he succeeded in seducing me and that it could get him killed or sent to one of the hospital wards where he’d be heavily drugged. The thought of either of those things happening to him ripped me to shreds inside. I didn’t put my career above Moon. I did the only thing I could to make sure it had the best outcome for him. I figured he’d be angry at the very worst but it would all be directed at me. He’d be safe.”

Harley stepped closer and paused, studying her. “Shit.” He spun away, sighing. “I believe her.”

“Joy?”

She hated the way her gut twisted as she held Justice North’s gaze. “Yes?” He could ask her to leave. It was the worst thing he could do. He was silent for so long her stomach threatened to heave up her breakfast. It would tear her apart if she were sent away. She had no claim to even be updated on Moon’s condition. She’d have to wonder if he recovered or if he’d worsened. There would be nothing she could do about it. “Please let me try to help him.”

He blinked, saying nothing.

“Do you want me to beg?” Her pride would take a big hit but it was Moon. “I’ll do it. I got him to talk. He calms down around me. He said my name. Let me try to reach him.”

Justice glanced around at the men. “Leave us alone for a few minutes.”

“No.” Harley faced them. “Let her try.”

The NSO leader rose. He didn’t look angry but he did seem surprised. “You’re giving me orders?”

“Moon had strong feelings for her.” Harley didn’t back down. “He’s like a brother to me. We all care but I know him best.” He paused, glancing at Joy, then back at Justice. “We’re going to have to keep him heavily sedated at all times if he doesn’t come back from what was done to him. He’s too lethal in his current condition to even be set free in the Wild Zone. Hell, I’m sure we can also agree that every male would prefer to be kept in a near coma than put the rest of our people in danger. She did get him to talk and he released her the second they were alone. He didn’t want to kill her.”

Tiger cursed. “What if he tries to hold her hostage to gain his release?”

Harley softly growled. “We’ll have to walk out and leave her there with him.” He held Joy’s gaze. “Are you willing to agree to that? It means you’re on your own if he tries to use your life to make us unlock his cell door. We can’t allow him to get free. We’d track him down fast but he could kill someone first. It’s too risky.”

The implications were clear. They wouldn’t negotiate for her life if it came down to a standoff.

“I can’t agree to that,” Justice growled. “No Species would.”

Joy swallowed down the sick feeling as she looked at Justice. “I’m not Species and I’ll do it. I’m willing to put my life on the line for Moon’s. I want to do it.”

“Moon could kill you.” His expression shuttered, hiding all emotion.

“I understand.”

“He could molest you or worse if he gets his hands on you again.” His jaw clenched. “Just because bars are between you doesn’t mean he couldn’t do a lot of things if you’re within reach.”