Memory surfaced of two days after she’d been home from her ordeal. Her father had suddenly walked into her home, hugged her and pulled back to study her face. His words still haunted her.
“It put me in a hell of a situation when you were taken, baby. I swore to protect them but damned if I wouldn’t have killed New Species if that had been some kind of breeding project they’d taken you to. I wouldn’t have cared if they’d been drugged or victims. You’re my girl and every single one who touched you would have had to die. I couldn’t sleep nights knowing that you were helpless in there, scared. I couldn’t bear to think that anyone had laid a finger on you.”
She’d lied and assured him nothing had happened but he’d refused to stop going on about what he’d have done. She’d stood there and let him hug her again, knew he’d go to prison to show her his version of love and been terrified of what he’d do if he ever found out she’d had sex with Brawn.
The helicopter hit a little turbulence, pulling her from her thoughts and panic struck. Doctor Trisha would recognize her the second they met. She’d been the doctor who’d examined her after she’d been rescued from that warehouse basement. She turned her head to stare at Flame.
“You can’t do this to me. Let me go, damn it. You don’t understand.” She yelled to be heard, knew he caught the words and it encouraged her. “Please?”
He looked apologetic look but shook his head. His hold on her tightened as if he feared she’d try to get up and rush for the door. She wasn’t stupid or suicidal. More turbulence shook them roughly and Becca felt suddenly sick. She threw her hand up to her mouth to cover it.
Flame cursed and lifted her off his lap, holding her inches above it to lessen the motion of flying. “Close your eyes and breathe through your nose,” he ordered loudly. He adjusted his hold enough to grip her wrist and tapped her skin there with his thumb over her pulse.
It distracted Becca enough that the nausea eased but not by much. His hold on her was very gentle, almost reminded her of Brawn. She closed her eyes and buried her face against his neck. His warm skin, the strong arms and the big body felt eerily similar to Brawn as well.
“We’re almost there,” Flame said loud enough to be heard. “I’ve got you and it’s almost over.”
Becca’s thoughts ran rampant. Brawn was going to find out about the baby soon. Her father had told her he was a council member. He’d be informed she was at Reservation as soon as Doctor Trisha recognized her. Tears filled her eyes and she hated how some of them spilled out against Flame’s neck. He nuzzled her with his head, probably trying to comfort her and that made it worse.
She didn’t want to see Brawn. He hadn’t called and she was still hurt and angry that she’d meant so little to him when she’d believed they had shared something special. He’d be shocked to learn she was pregnant, probably as stunned as she’d been, but she worried he’d be mad too.
Worst-case scenario—Brawn might want to take the baby from her. Flame had said they wouldn’t do that but she knew enough about New Species to know most laws didn’t apply to them. Could they just toss her outside the NSO walls after she gave birth and keep her from ever seeing her baby again? Who would stop them? Their property was considered sovereign territory. They answered to no one, had their own laws.
Obviously Brawn didn’t give a damn about her but he might want the baby. More tears spilled and the idea of her father killing him didn’t seem that horrible anymore. She forced her mind to stop that line of contemplation. She didn’t trust men, they lied and pretended to be what they weren’t. She’d learned that painful, horrible lesson with her first marriage.
She’d never have pegged the big, fearless Species as an asshole but she’d been wrong. He had a reason to return to her house—to collect his belongings—so they could talk in person after they’d been freed but he’d avoided the entire issue by having her father pack his things. He wanted to forget all about Becca and what had happened between them. The message had been loud and clear, a severely painful one for her.
The helicopter set down, bumped the ground hard and shook her from her thoughts about Brawn. Flame rose to his feet, tucked his head and walked to the door that opened from the outside before they reached it. Becca lifted her head, glanced into his eyes and swore she saw pity there.
She turned her head to stare outside, worried someone who knew her would be waiting. A female New Species stood there instead and smiled. She was tall, muscular and sported an NSO uniform. Her gaze fixed on Becca’s midsection and she had no doubt the New Species knew she was pregnant. Worry ate at her that word might be spreading far enough to reach her father but so far she didn’t think they knew her name. It was only a matter of time.
Two male New Species startled her when they stepped from each side of the open doors and reached up. Becca hadn’t known they were there. Once again Flame was gripped by his upper arms and lifted. The males placed him gently on his feet. The redheaded Species flashed them a thankful look.
Her captor strode toward a waiting black SUV and she looked over his shoulder to watch the female follow. When they were clear, the helicopter lifted off again. Becca jerked her head back around to avoid the rush of air from the big blades.
“It’s nice to meet you,” the Species woman called out, rushing to catch up. “I’m called Pink.”
Becca met the woman’s eyes. She’d only seen a few of the New Species women but they were very attractive if the ones she’d seen so far were an indication. The males were photographed sometimes but never the females. It was rumored they had to look pretty bad for them to be hidden from cameras. It just proved how wrong rumors could be.
“What is your name?”
Becca opened her mouth but then closed it. “Just call me Screwed.”
The woman blinked, her smile faded and her gaze dropped to Becca’s round stomach. “You certainly were at one point, to get in that condition.”
Becca suddenly laughed, unable to help it and liked the woman instantly. “Yeah. In so many ways. I’m sorry. That was rude of me. I’m just in a world of trouble and having a really bad day.”
“You’re safe here.” Pink smiled again. “No one is going to hurt you. You and your baby are welcome at the NSO and are considered family. Your baby is New Species and you are considered as such, as the mother.”
“Thank you. I mean that.” It touched her that strangers were trying to be so kind. She really wished they’d just let her go. That would be the best thing of all but it wasn’t going to happen. “Where are we going?”
“The Medical Center,” Flame answered as he waited for Pink to open a back door so he could place Becca in the seat. “Doctor Trisha is waiting for you.”
Becca turned her head to glance at the open terrain with tons of grass and a lot of trees in the distance. She’d never been to Reservation. No pictures of it were ever released and all helicopters and airplanes were banned from flying over it. The NSO guarded their home territories with relish.
Pink walked around the SUV to drive while Flame climbed in the backseat with Becca as if he worried she’d try to flee. It wouldn’t have done any good. She knew security walls totally enclosed the vast property of Reservation and she’d never get away. They drove slowly away, toward buildings that were within view.
Becca studied the two-story building they parked in front of. It didn’t have a wall of glass at the front like the Medical Center at Homeland. This building had small, blacked-out windows that were high above the ground. Flame opened the door of the SUV and slid out, holding out his hand to help her. His cat eyes stared at her grimly.
“Should I carry you or will you walk on your own?”
She hesitated. “Do you have a gun?”