Brawn Read online

  919 growled and whined, drawing attention to his plight. Brawn turned his head to peer across the room, watched the male crouch and dig at the floor with his hands, testament that he wasn’t sane. He probably should try to talk him down but it wouldn’t work. Sadness gripped him as he watched one of his kind suffer.

  A howl pierced the room and Becca jerked awake in his arms. He held onto her, met her frightened gaze and rubbed her back. “They returned him and he’s drugged.”

  She lifted her head enough to peer around his body, which blocked her view. He hated to see her pained expression and the way tears filled her pretty eyes when they lifted to meet his gaze.

  “He’s going to tear up his hands.”

  “I know but he won’t listen. He will be irrational until the drug leaves his system.”

  “I hate these bastards.”

  He silently agreed. “Sleep.”

  “I can’t.”

  She put her hand on his chest as she turned on the narrow bed, bumped into him and rubbed his skin near his nipple. It hardened instantly and his dick did too. He was in a world of hurt when she curled into him tighter, faced him and her thigh brushed between his legs to make room for it.

  “I want to get out of here so bad.”

  “I do as well,” he agreed.

  “What would you do first?”

  He hesitated. Take her home with him, to his bed and mount her until they both couldn’t walk was the first thing that came up on his list. He wouldn’t mention that one though. “I’d cook a large meal.”

  She smiled. “I want a bath.”

  The image of her naked and submerged in water only made him want her more and the urge became so strong that he quickly released her, rolled off the bed and stood. He didn’t miss her stunned expression as he put space between them.

  “Baths are good.” He looked anywhere but at her, focusing on the male instead.

  The cot creaked as Becca adjusted on it and he breathed in her scent. His dick throbbed over her being in heat and he gripped the bars to grab them instead of her. She made it worse when she came up behind him, stood close and peered at 919 too.

  “How long do you think he’s going to be high on that stuff? Last time he slept for a long time.”

  “They gave him too much. He was probably gaining a resistance to it.”

  “They could have killed him.”

  He remained silent in agreement.

  She rubbed his arm, her fingertips traced his biceps and he jerked away. A snarl tore from his throat before he could trap it and she backed away.

  “Don’t touch me right now. I’m agitated.”

  Pain flashed in her eyes and he felt like a bastard. He opened his mouth to explain that he didn’t mean to reject her that way but wasn’t sure how to tell her how he barely held onto his restraint and fought the urge to pin her over their cot and mount her again. The reasons for that replayed. She’s in heat and the humans could show up again to watch. Becca distracted him too much for him to stay on guard.

  “Becca, I—”

  A slight noise distracted him and he turned, listening intently. The sound had been faint, a squeak from across the room where the doors were and not something he’d heard before. His gaze lifted to the vents along the walls. He saw cobwebs blowing and figured it was just the air system until he inhaled deeply through his nose.

  “We have company,” Brawn whispered.

  Becca tensed, expecting the goons to step out from the double doors to haul her and Brawn back to the room where she’d have to take more sperm samples. She wondered why touching the Species had made him angry. He always sent her mixed signals and hoped his mood wouldn’t worsen once he was secured to the bed. Getting him turned-on would be rough if he didn’t want her to touch him.

  Sorrow filtered through at the possibility that he might begin to hate her for being human. The guards and that crazy doctor weren’t exactly stellar examples of humanity as its finest. Of course if he was beginning to blame her, he might rethink her plan to at least try to escape. Maybe she’d survive. Sure, she would be shot but that didn’t necessarily mean death.

  Brawn glanced her way with a grin on his face suddenly, surprising her once more with his sudden mood swing as he sniffed the air. “You might get hit up for another booty call offer from your friend at any moment.”

  It took her a second for his words to have meaning and her knees weakened. Brawn smelled Trey Roberts, knew his scent from his visit to her house and she trusted his nose. Tears of relief and happiness blinded her. Her father’s team was coming for them.

  Brawn moved fast, grabbed her around her waist and hauled her off her feet. He stormed for the cot, used one foot to hook a leg of it and yanked hard. The thing crashed over, he darted around it and took them to the floor. His body crushed hers against the cold concrete when he flattened over her.

  “Don’t move,” he ordered. “There may be a gun battle.”

  He was protecting her from stray bullets with his body and the cot. Her hands opened on his chest and her heart raced with excitement. “I can’t believe they found us.”

  “They have,” he rasped in her ear. “The vents are pushing air and their scents are filling the room. It must be from the other doors. Just stay low and be safe. I scent your friend and other humans along with my own kind. Many come.”

  He eased a little upward. She watched him turn his head to peer around the fallen cot and stare at the doors. She wished she could see what was going on but Brawn’s big body kept her still.

  “Anything?” she whispered.

  “Not yet but the smell is stronger.”

  Seconds ticked by into at least a full minute and suddenly she heard a loud noise as metal hit a wall. Brawn tensed above her, sucked in air and shouted a warning.

  “They are inside the double doors to your left. There’s a female doctor and several human males armed with guns, Taser darts and they have drug weapons.”

  He moved, rolled off her and was gone so fast she had to struggle to follow him. She sat up to watch over the top of the cot as men filled the room. A New Species guy grinned, seemed in charge and rushed for the other set of double doors with men at his heels. Trey was a sight for sore eyes as he broke away from the others, rushed toward the cage and grinned as their gazes met.

  “Open the door,” Brawn demanded.

  Trey studied the chains and the lock. “Back up.”

  Brawn moved to the side as Trey pointed his gun at the locks, fired twice and tore the chains away. Brawn shoved open the door quickly, stepped out of the cage and stormed toward where the men had disappeared.

  “They’ve got it,” Trey called out as he walked into the cage.

  Becca stood and walked to him. The second she was in range he grabbed her with one arm, hauled her against his body and holstered his weapon. He kissed the top of her head, hugged her tightly with both arms and chuckled.

  “Goddamn are you in trouble. Your old man has been going off the wall with worry. Are you okay, kiddo?” He eased his hold enough to peer down to study her face closely. One of his arms released her and fingertips traced her cheek.

  She flinched, had forgotten about being hit and she saw rage in Trey’s gaze. “I take it there’s a bruise?”

  “Who’s the motherfucker who hit you?” He whipped his head around to glare at something.

  Becca leaned enough to see that Brawn stood outside the cage watching them. She glanced up, followed the path of Trey’s anger and gripped his shirt to gain his attention. He met her gaze.

  “One of the guards did this. Brawn would never hurt me.”

  Trey wrapped his arms around her again, yanked her right off her feet and hugged her tight enough to be considered a bear hug.

  “Are you okay, kiddo? Tell me the truth.”

  “Put me down.” She squirmed to break free, more than aware that her nightgown rose dangerously high and she no longer had panties on. “I’m great besides you trying to break my ribs.”