Slade Read online

  “Four.” Brass frowned at Slade. “She’s our prime priority and yours. No one is to have access to her who is not New Species. No humans whatsoever.”

  That information made Slade blanch a little. “No humans at all? We’re in the middle of large construction jobs and we have humans crawling all over Reservation. I have hundreds of them here twenty-four hours a day to complete all the projects we need done as soon as possible. We’re doing things in a matter of a few months that should have taken a good year to finish. It took almost four hundred humans three full weeks just to build those security walls to enclose the property. We have them working in two shifts around the clock, seven days a week. We’re still wiring the walls for security purposes and I have a hotel being refurbished at breakneck speed. We’ll need the housing completed so our people aren’t living in tents and a clubhouse is being built still. We have another project going on for the offices to prevent us from permanently being stuck using a trailer. On any given second, on any given day, there are well over four hundred humans here. Does Justice want me to shut down everything so we can’t get any work done until the threat is over? He’s been pushing me hard to get it all done.”

  “No,” Harley stated. “He just wants her put somewhere safe on where humans aren’t permitted. Moon and I have been going over the layout and we believe we should hide her inside the center of the wild zone. No humans would dare go there and they are forbidden in that area. I’m aware that some of our people have already been relocated and that makes it even better since no full human would get past them.”

  “That wouldn’t be safe for her. She’s full human.” Slade’s rage seemed to intensify. “Sure, no humans would ever be stupid enough to venture there and survive it, but it would be baiting them. I believe they would attack if you took her inside their territory. They are very unstable. The second we relocated them, they started marking territory and have been vigilant to make certain no humans breach it.”

  “We will protect her,” Brass promised, his voice firm. “They won’t attack her.”

  “They are insane,” Slade snarled. “Some of them will never calm and hate humans to a degree that is beyond what you can imagine. They go into rages just by picking up the scent of one.” He pointed at Trisha. “She’s seen us but not the failures. Don’t you think they would scare the hell out of her?”

  “What failures?” Trisha glanced at the men.

  Slade glared at her. “We look mostly human but not all of our people were so fortunate. Some appear more animal than human. We have a few dozen who survived. Some of our people were tortured until they were left insane or hold hatred for humans to the point they would kill one on sight. Those are the ones we relocated here. You would not be safe inside the wild zone. It’s where we put the most antisocial of them.”

  Brass bent and placed Trisha on her feet when she indicated she wanted down. He held her waist until she steadied on her shaky legs. He moved back a foot when he became certain she wouldn’t collapse. She stared up at Brass.

  “What do you think?”

  “I think the wild zone is best. They will not hurt you. After we were freed, they used females to help care for all New Species since we don’t attack them. I’m sure that holds for the wild ones as well. We will be with you and they will stay back. We can’t get lost any better than that, Trisha. It would be smart to put you in the center of the territory since they’ve claimed it. They are fiercely protective of their domains. They would help keep everyone at bay.”

  “Damn it,” Slade growled. “I’m running this, not you. I will not allow her go in there since I know what I’m talking about and you don’t. I’m the one who’s spent time with them. I know that she wouldn’t be safe. We’ll set her up at the hotel where the top floor has been finished. We’ll close off all access and keep her there.”

  “No.” Brass crossed his arms over his chest. “Justice put me in charge of her security. I can and am overriding you. No offense but I want her where no humans can get to her, Slade. What if one of those terrorist assholes decides to pose as a workman and sets fire to the hotel? Nothing can happen to her. The wild zone is the answer. Are there any homes there? I am aware we also have some RV’s here and we could take one. It would be tight living but it would work. We are to keep her away from everyone but New Species.”

  Slade was furious. His lips opened and his sharp teeth showed when a deep growl rumbled from him. “Fine. You can have my home. It’s only a three bedroom but I’m sure you can manage. It sits away from all other buildings.”

  “We’re taking her into the wild zone. The decision has been made.” Brass glared at Slade.

  Slade cursed and growled again. His gaze locked with Trisha’s. “Tell him no. Listen to me. Those men out there are not stable and you’re a full human female. You are a Doc to boot, two things they will want to kill you on sight for being. You will die if you agree to them taking you out there. The wild ones were cared for by females once we were freed but then they were taken to remote locations without them. They have spent months on their own and I’m not certain they’d still resist attacking a woman. I’m also not willing to chance it.”

  Fear inched up Trisha’s spine as she stared at Slade.

  “Trust me, Trisha. I would never let you down,” Brass promised softly. “I know what I’m doing. The wild zone is the safest place for you to be. They will not hurt you and I would never allow anything to cause you harm.”

  “Trisha?” Slade shook his head at her, watching her closely. “Trust me. Tell them to put you up at my house while I move into the hotel.”

  She managed to refrain from flinching. She could stay inside his house but he’d move out. “Brass?” She turned her head and tore her gaze away from Slade’s. “I know you will protect me. Whatever you think is best is fine with me. It’s your call.”

  Brass smiled. “We’re going to the wild zone.”

  Slade growled viciously and cursed. “Trisha? Get over here now. We’re going to have a private talk.”

  She tensed as she slowly faced him. “Excuse me? You’ve known how to reach me for weeks if you wanted to talk to me. You should have tried to tell me before now if there was anything you had to say that I needed to hear.” She started to walk toward the Jeep.

  She heard someone snarl and spun back around in time to see Brass move quickly as Slade lunged for Trisha. Brass got between them and snarled back at Slade. Slade stopped. Both men were tense as they glared at each other. It looked as though they were going to fight.

  “Brass? I really don’t feel well,” Trisha urged quickly, not wanting them to come to blows. “Can we go? Thank you for your concern, Mr. Slade, but I have total faith in Brass, Moon, and Harley to protect me.”

  “So that’s how it is,” Slade snarled. “Fine. There’s one empty cabin out that way. You can have it. I’ll send someone with supplies immediately. It’s a one-bedroom but it sounds as though the four of you won’t mind sharing a bed together.” He spun on his heel and stormed toward one of the buildings.

  Trisha watched him go and fought tears. “Did he just call me a slut in a roundabout way?”

  Moon laughed and wiggled his eyebrows. “I wish you were. I’d even be willing to share with them if it meant having you in a bed naked with me.”

  She laughed, knowing it was meant as a joke. Moon could always make her feel better. “You keep wishing. You guys get the floor if there’s only one bed.”

  Brass relaxed and smiled at Trisha. “Not a problem. You definitely get the bed. You wimpy humans would never survive sleeping on a hard floor. Us males don’t mind sleeping on hard surfaces.”

  Harley chuckled. “Speak for yourself. I love beds so maybe I’ll take the night shift and sleep in it when Trisha isn’t in it.”

  “I am good at snuggling.” Moon wiggled his eyebrows at Trisha again, making her chuckle. “If you get cold just let me know and I’ll keep you warm. I’ll even behave if you don’t make me sleep on the floor.”