by Brenda Trim
He would never allow his kind to let humans know about their existence. Hayden had been a fool to ever think that was the right approach. His thoughts scattered when he smelled spicy coconut and heard heels clacking on the cement.
He turned his head and saw Millie approach his cell. Seeing her sexy legs made every second of agony worth it. He lifted his hand to protect his rapidly beating heart. It was futile. In his current state he would be no match for Millie let alone dozens of guards.
“Mi negro,” she breathed as she rushed to open the door. He watched her move as she hurried to his side and crouched there. The tears were back, and her lower lip trembled. “I am so sorry for what I did to you. I wish there was a way I could go back and make a different decision.”
“There’s no do overs. I’m dying, Millie. I won’t live much longer.” He wasn’t entirely certain of that, but he was willing to play on her emotions. “You need to help me get out of here.”
“That’s going to be difficult. This place always has guards on duty.” Her head fell and a tear slid down her cheek.
Hayden poured all his strength into lifting his hand to cup her cheek. He urged her chin to lift and he pulled her head down to his. The moment their lips touched electricity zinged between them, invigorating him.
He hadn’t thought it possible for his body to rise to the occasion. His only intention was to erase the pain he saw written in deep lines on her face. Like it had every time he touched this female, his body reacted with an explosion of arousal and an infusion of energy.
His blood went straight to his groin. And a groan left him. Millie’s features softened and her rigid body melted into him. She kissed him back with more vigor than she had the first time. He drank her sorrow, regret and shame and relished her desire.
This is about using her to escape, nothing more. Hayden’s mind issued the reminder at the same time it decided to allow his feelings to surface. He removed the barrier he’d been holding on his core of power to protect it from her machinations. He hadn’t realized before his animals came flooding back into his mind how quiet it had been and how much he missed them.
As Omega he’d always had countless animals inside his body. They came with the job as leader of the shifters. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to wield control over the various shifters. Before the Goddess had created the first Omega the alphas of each type fought each other.
Now, his beasts infused him with even more strength and enabled him to tug her on top of him. Despite the pain it caused in his chest, Hayden kept his mouth fused to Millie’s and enjoyed the moment. Her core pressed over his shaft. He lifted his hips, so she felt how much he wanted her.
Removing the shield left Millie wide open for his inner turmoil or desire to duke it out. He no longer felt on the edge of death, but that didn’t mean he would survive this after all.
Chapter 10
Millie stopped and pressed her back against the wall. Her heart was taking flight in her chest making her dizzy. Estoy completamente loca! And never going to work. Even in the middle of the night there were half a dozen guards and countless cameras watching her every move.
When her legs no longer threatened to buckle under her, she pushed off and continued down to her office. Inside, she sat behind her desk and logged onto the computer. She had a couple hours before she could put her plan into place and a few key tasks to get done before then.
She felt the eyes on her as she called up the progress from the latest tests. They’d gotten their first glimpse of his advanced DNA the day before. The previous tests spit out periodic updates as the machine worked through the sample. All it revealed was his strands were more tightly woven together. She noted some gaps and theorized he had extra chromosomes and that made him special.
For this to work, she had to execute this perfectly. After Jack’s visit, Millie knew he would be back and demand she take more and more until it eventually killed Hayden. That she could never allow. She kicked her ass into acting in the face of such a possibility. That. Could. Not. Happen.
Knees knocking, she had to brace herself on the table to stand up. Surreptitiously, she patted her pocket. There wasn’t supposed to be a camera in her office, but she didn’t trust Jack as far as she could throw him.
The rotations for dinner would begin soon and she needed to do this next part before that happened. Thank God Jack had denied her request for a fridge next to her bookcase. She rarely took breaks, preferring to eat through meals. If he had indulged her the guards would have become suspicious when she entered the kitchen.
Now she had to keep her hands steady enough to do what she needed to do and get the hell out of there. She palmed the syringe and opened the door. Cold air greeted her along with seven containers of food.
Ed was the wild card in her plan. He was currently at the front desk which was never to be vacated. She prayed one of the others took him his dinner like they did during the day shift.
Turning to the side, Millie opened each container and injected two milliliters to each item before sealing the lid. Her heart pounded even harder when one of the tops refused to open. Cursing, she set the syringe down and used both hands. When she encountered a sandwich on the next to last container, she cursed. “Me cago en diez.”
There was little to no chance the sedative wouldn’t make the hoagie soggy. She left it for the moment and injected the lasagna then came back to the problem. She didn’t have time for this. Sweat trickled down her back and rolled between her butt cheeks. Holding her breath, she lifted the top slice of bread and injected the three pieces of turkey. It wasn’t the entire dose, but she prayed it was enough to knock Stan out.
Of course, it had to be Stan that might be left awake to catch her and send her to jail. Her breathing had increased to the point that black spots danced in her vision. Inhale, hold it, exhale.
She probably looked like she was having a seizure with how badly she was shaking by the time she grabbed her arroz con grandules. She was halfway to the door when she changed directions. Today more than any other it was vital that she stuck to her schedule.
Popping her container into the microwave, she grabbed her vitamin water from the cooler and prayed the internet was right. Otherwise, the cameras were going to follow her every move.
This was her favorite time of the day at the compound. She worked late more days than she didn’t and got more done in the two hours after more than half of the staff left for the day. If everything went according to plan this would be the last time she was there.
There’s no question this will be the last. You’ll end up in jail if you fail. Silently cursing herself, she twisted the lid off the cap and took a deep swig of her drink. Was this the right thing? She’d spent countless sleepless nights wondering the same thing. Only this time her mind had shifted from experimenting on Hayden to saving him from suffering any more.
When the machine beeped, she grabbed her food. Her heart had slowed now that she set the stage for the rest, but not by much. She gasped and jumped when she turned the corner and ran into Stan.
“You okay, Doc?” Stan looked her up and down.
He was coming from Hayden’s cell and she fought to keep from snapping at him and demanding that he tell her what he had been up to. “I’m fine. Just lost in thought as I tried to figure out why the computers can’t seem to give us a detailed look at Hayden’s mitochondrial DNA.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” Stan replied and continued on his way.
Needing to make sure Hayden wasn’t harmed, Millie continued to his cell. She released her breath and felt her shoulders sag an inch as the new tension left her. “Hayden.”
He turned his head without moving. She saw he had a new bruise on his shoulder. The cattle prods that the guards used to shock Hayden were in the corner behind her. Her stomach curdled.
“Is it time for another round of tests already? No rest for the wicked, right?” His voice was harsh like a punch to the gut.
She shook her head fro
m side to side and crouched to push her rice through the bars. “I brought you dinner.”
He sat up at that and narrowed his eyes at her. “You don’t have to drug it to knock me out. Those darts of yours work well enough.” That was true, but she wondered how long it would last. He has required more injections as the days passed. His body was adjusting to it and filtering it out faster and faster each day.
“It’s not drugged. Although, it might not be the best. It’s gotta beat the shakes thought. Am I right?” Millie couldn’t deny her behavior had been abysmal. If she could change it, she would. One step at a time. She might never make amends, but she would try.
“Did you make it?” He asked as he got up and crossed the cell. His movements were stiff and uncoordinated.
Bobbing her head, she smiled at him. “I did.”
“Thank you,” he mumbled as he shoveled the food into his mouth.
“You’re welcome.” Millie turned to leave before he could respond. She had to put the next step of her plan into action.
She had just entered her room when she heard the guards go into the break room. She swore her heart was bruised from so much pounding. The laughter and microwave started up as she sat down at her computer and set her vitamin water on her desk.
Pretending her phone chimed, she pulled up the text she set up with instructions about how to temporarily disable the security system. She wanted to eliminate the cameras, but hadn’t found any information, so she settled for resetting the program. It would give her enough time to get him out of the building, or so she hoped.
Millie exited the lab results she had been looking at and tried to find the mainframe. She couldn’t locate what she needed in their network. The clock was ticking. The chatter in the breakroom started dimming as her heart picked up. Soon enough all she could hear was the frantic beating of her heart.
Thankfully, she smelled tomatoes, garlic, tacos and cheese to inform her the guards were still eating. She got up, snatched her phone with the instructions, and quickly made her way to the control room. It was empty as expected and she sat at the desk and opened the computer.
Her fingers froze over the program she needed when she heard footsteps coming toward her. Sweat trickled into her eyes, burning them. Her vision was blurred momentarily as one of the guards passed the office. She couldn’t pick out who it was but breathed a sigh of relief.
Not only had she found what she needed, but they had delivered Ed his dinner. Typing faster than she ever had in her life, she gripped the arms of the chairs waiting to see if it reset. She jumped to her feet and shoved her phone in her back pocket and returned to her office.
Go to sleep. Please, go to sleep. She sat back at her desk and pulled up the results again. She pretended to scan them again while she kept an ear out for the discussion to die down.
What seemed like a year later, but was likely only a couple minutes, she heard Stan call out, “Richard! Are yo…kay.” His voice faded away and was followed by a loud thud.
She raced from the office, assured the system was already down. “Yes!” The exclamation left her in a rush when she saw the guards passed out on the table with Stan in a heap on the floor.
She all but ran to Hayden’s cell. With her heart in her throat, she shoved the key in the lock and opened the cell door. “We have to get out of here. Now!”
Hayden was on his feet with them braced apart. “What? What are you talking about?”
“I’m getting you out of here,” she hissed at him. “We’re on a military base and I barely managed to get enough time to get you out of this building, so Move. Your. Ass.”
Hayden was at her side in a flash. He grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her hard and fast. They didn’t have time to get lost in a kiss, but before she could warn him, he pulled away and started down the hall.
Millie rushed to catch up with him. His adrenalin must have faded because she was at his side and his steps seemed to have slowed to a crawl. “What’s the plan?”
“I’m going to hide you in my trunk then drive you out the gate after I’m assured the guards won’t raise the alarm.”
Hayden paused and shifted wide eyes her way. “They’re going to know I’m gone. We should leave together, now.”
“I need to ensure we have time to get out of the area. Give me one minute. I’ll be right back.” She was heading into her lab before she even stopped talking.
Crossing to the cabinet, she grabbed a couple pillows and blankets then ran back to his cell. Arranging everything on the bed, she puffed them to make it look like there was a body under the covers.
After spreading the sheet over it she stepped back and checked her work. It was a shit job, but on the monitor it would pass, especially given they would feel hungover from the sedative.
She squeaked when she turned to leave and ran into a solid wall of muscle. Hayden stood there watching her as she tried to set up the decoy. “It’s the best I can do.”
He handed her the Tupperware and took the key from her hand. She followed him out and he shut and locked the door. “Gracias a Dios. You’re here. I would have left the cell wide open and gotten us both caught.”
“You’re not a devious person by nature.” It was all he said as they backtracked through the lab. The elevator was waiting on their level. She had never explored any of the other floors, so she had no idea what was on them and prayed no one got on as they traveled to the first floor.
Her heart accelerated even more as the car lurched into motion and the numbers descended. Hayden watched her closely as she waved her keycard over the panel then pressed her thumb over it.
When they reached the first floor without anyone joining them, she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but they still had to make sure Ed was asleep. She held up a hand when they approached the front.
Going to her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear. “I need to check and make sure the guard is knocked out.”
Nodding, his intense gaze scorched her. She walked toward the exit like she was leaving and glanced to her left when she reached the desk. Ed was snoring softly with his head on his folded forearms.
Glancing over his shoulder, she curled her hands toward herself. “‘Cmon, let’s get you out of here.”
Hayden wasn’t moving quite so fast any more as they walked outside. Her heart was nothing but one big bruise by that point. Her eyes scanned the area sure the patrols would drive by any second.
She had a parking spot close to the building and they were at the back of her Mercedes in seconds. “Fuck. I forgot my keys.”
He smirked at her. “Use the keyless entry. It’ll open the door, but I’m not sure I can fit in that trunk.”
“You have to!” She was yelling, but she couldn’t stop herself.
Hayden crossed his arms over his chest and watched as she punched in the code to her car and unlocked the door. Headlights flashed across the parking lot.
Millie popped open the trunk then shoved Hayden into the trunk. “Sorry. We can’t be seen out here. Curl in a ball.”
“Fuck. I’m trying,” he cursed. His legs still hung out the back end of the vehicle. Millie picked them up and tried to force them inside the tight space.
“Wiggle your back up against the back of the seat. There might be enough room then.”
The light passed over her body and she froze in place. “Shit, shit, shit,” she cursed. “I’m going to jail and you’re going to die.”
“That’s not happening now that you’ve pulled your head out of your ass,” Hayden informed her and pulled in his legs.
Sweat poured down her back and she was practically hyperventilating. The last hour had aged her a decade. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t bother trying to take off on your own. This base is huge, and you won’t be able to get away before they find you and drag you back here.”
Hayden glowered at her and opened his mouth. She stopped herself from leaving. She wanted to hear what she said more than she cared about being caught at that moment. H
e shut his mouth and nodded once.
Disappointed, she slammed the trunk shut and locked the doors then went back inside the lab. Her heart had finally slowed to a reasonable rate and her breathing wasn’t rushed and making her lightheaded.
Millie passed Ed and took the elevator down. Once she was back in her office, she sat at her desk and waited to get caught. She’d never had issues being below ground until now. She felt trapped at the moment. After ten tense minutes, she rose from her chair to wash out her empty container. She wondered if he liked the rice.
It shouldn’t matter whether or not he thought it was good, but it did. She wanted him to think highly of her. She hadn’t given it much thought before that moment. There was no room for fond feelings when she was taking pieces of him to study.
Shame burned a massive hole in her gut, leaving behind inflamed, angry tissue. Not the best feeling in the world. And it got worse when she walked into the breakroom and found the guards just stirring.
Planting her hands on her hips, she sucked in a breath and shook off any remaining nerves. They’d come too far for her to reveal them now. “What are you all doing? I’m sure Jack would like to know you’re lounging about and sleeping on the job.”
Stan groaned and used the wall to help him get to his feet. “What? Uh, no we aren’t sleeping. I was uh…” He glanced around and looked at their half-eaten meals. His face turned bright red as he picked up his container and dumped the rest of his dinner in the trash.
“Sorry, Dr, Seijo.” The guards spoke over one another as they followed Stan’s lead. One grabbed an energy drink from the fridge.
One by one they dropped their containers in the sink. “I’ll forget it this time. I’m heading out soon. I have three tests running, so keep an eye to make sure they keep running smoothly. And restart the program if it stops and spits out an error. We need to make progress before Jack decides to set up an office in here with us.”