The guys and Ryleigh left to do their assigned tasks and Jacks couldn’t stand to be alone with his thoughts, so he got up to go and do something. A little time in the gym with the punching bags was sounding really good at the moment. He shouldn’t have been surprised when he found himself going straight to where Ryleigh had disappeared.
She hadn’t looked good when he saw her; she was playing it off pretty well, but he could tell she was tired and if his suspicions were right, she had lost some weight. How does a person lose weight in 48 hours? He was concerned before he left on his mission; since then, the dark circles under her eyes were even more prominent. He was pissed at himself for not acting on his concerns sooner. He could only hope Mia could help his mate where he’d failed.
Stopping next to the lab's door, running his hand through his hair, Jacks couldn’t help the foreboding that filled him. Shit! If that woman’s story was true, that could’ve been Ryleigh lying in that room beaten to hell and giving birth. The thought of it nearly brought him to his knees. Davis and Pandora needed to be taken down and soon. Then they could worry about the fucking Association as well as the group of Shifters wanting purebloods. He hoped like hell they weren’t aware of all that was going on.
Ryleigh noticed him through the window on the door to the lab and smiled, giving him a little wave. God, he loved that woman, and he would do everything in his power to make sure she was okay, but her obsessive drive to find the answers they needed was causing her harm. He blamed himself for not putting a stop to it. He needed to do a better job at being a mate; he also needed to stop taking his anger out on everyone else. He felt lost, and for an Alpha that was unacceptable, causing him to lash out.
Shit! he’d to admit, even if only to himself, he had seen the signs everyone was talking about with Dalton and the stranger, Emma. He noticed, even with the short time he’d been in the exam room, how attentive and unusually protective Dalton had been of the woman. Placing himself in between Emma and the group. Jacks wasn’t a stupid man, he knew Dalton had made his decision about the woman and that decision placed her in front of his team. Jacks had done the same with Ryleigh. Cash had only confirmed his own thoughts with his report. But what cemented it for him was listening to the two of them in the bathroom. Damn! If Emma was Dalton’s mate, things were definitely about to get interesting and quickly; two mated pairs, and soon to be two newborn’s living with a bunch of self-proclaimed bachelor’s. Sounded like good times.
Giving her one of the smirks she was always telling him she loved, he waved to her through the window and continued on his way. He needed to blow off some steam, so he could get this head back in the game. Then he could get with guys and figure out what their next move would be. After that, he was determined to speak with Mia; maybe she could clue him in on what was going on with his mate. Unfortunately, all he honestly wanted was to grab Ryleigh and head to bed, so they both could get some much-needed rest. With Emma wrapped in his arms safe from any harm, then all these worries were no longer a problem. Well, fuck! If wishes were horses, he thought to himself. Raking his fingers through his hair for about the hundredth time since getting back to base, he went to the gym. He was the Alpha of the team, he needed to keep them all safe. Including Emma and her baby. He would do everything in his power to help. These people were his family.
Chapter 22
Ryleigh watched Jacks through the window in the door; when he finally moved away, she was able to breathe a little sigh of relief. Jacks had the best of intentions, but sometimes his Alphaness was a bit overwhelming, and after the talk with Cash and the events of the last few hours with Emma, Ryleigh needed a breather. Having her best friend here was just the thing she needed. She could tell things to Mia that she couldn’t say to anyone else. Sure, Jacks was the most important person in her life, but there was definitely something about girl talk that helped Ryleigh process. Watching Mia bustle around the lab equipment, running the tests, they needed, Ryleigh walked over to her friend. Making sure she wouldn’t disturb any of the tests Mia was currently running, Ryleigh bumped her shoulder with her own.
“I was so glad to see you. I was in way over my head in there.”
“I wish I could tell you that your wrong,” Mia turned and smiled at Ryleigh, “but chick, that was one of the hardest deliveries I’ve ever done.” Taking Ryleigh’s hand Mia said, “Come on, let’s have a seat, these tests are going to take a while, and I’ve done everything I can for now.
“So, what are you doing here, I thought you were helping with the other NAC teams? I almost started jumping up and down for joy when I saw you behind Jacks.”
“Yeah, I was, but Jacks asked me to come have a look at you, and to be honest, I jumped at the chance. Things were getting intense down there. I was about ready to tackle your man if he didn’t get out of the way and let me do my job. How do you deal with such a big guy? I mean I was barely able to squeeze by him in the doorway to get to Emma. I could tell by the look on your face that things weren’t good.”
Mia had been pissed off at Jacks and the other men in the hallway when she noticed what was going on in the exam room. She was a doctor and they were keeping her from doing what she was trained to do. Ethan had grabbed her around the waist to prevent her from moving. She wasn’t going to tell Ryleigh that, but she didn’t like being manhandled. Well, she didn’t mind being manhandled if it was the right man, Mia thought to herself causing her lips to twitch.
“What do you mean?” Ryleigh asked.
“Well, as you know, they brought in six other women from the raid where they located and recovered Cassie Larson. As you requested, I tested them all for shifter DNA; all but one tested positive. I’ll have to do follow up test to determine which strand of Shifter DNA they each have as well as the gene markers. The women weren’t in good shape, so I sent a couple of our social workers down there to help them out.”
Mia didn’t like to think about how bad the women had been treated. Not long ago she’d been in their same situation, and it brought out memories she wished she could forget. Her spine shivering, she tried shake the memories free and regain her composure. Those memories formed a lump in her throat and she felt the sting in the back of her eyes, threatening tears. Since starting The Holly Group, Mia had seen many abused women, and it always had affected her; for some reason, this time was hitting a little too close to home for her.
“Dang, Ryleigh they were all pretty beat up. Thankfully, though, Cassie Larson wasn’t as bad. Our theory regarding her birth control was correct, they hadn’t done anything more than a few preliminary tests on her, thank the Lord. Several of the other women had only been in the facility for about two weeks and all were on birth control. It’s pretty bad when birth control not only prevents unwanted pregnancies but keeps a Psycho group from trying to make shifter babies,” Mia remarked causing them both to laugh.
Ryleigh was sick to her stomach, it was probably due to the stress of the last couple of hours coupled with her pregnancy, but she couldn’t help thinking about what those people were doing, making her feel even worse. Getting up from her seat, she started pacing the room.
“Mia, I would like your opinion on something; I’m thinking about having all of our operatives get the birth control shot. If those assholes aren’t able to run their experiments until the effects have worn off from the shot, it will at least give them an extra layer of protection, and us a little extra time to get to them. I don’t know how they’ll take it.”
Mia had remained seated, watching her friend pace, noticing that she wasn’t feeling well. While she’d been on mission, she’d maintained contact with Ryleigh over the phone to keep tabs on her friend and to make sure she was doing okay, knowing her obsessive tendencies related to work. Seeing her now, first hand, she realized that Jacks should’ve had her come sooner. Her friend wasn’t in good shape, she looked tired and beyond stressed. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked as though she’d lost some weight since Mia had seen her last, only a few short m
onths ago. She also noticed that Ryleigh was in pajamas, which was odd. It might be late, but Ryleigh had always portrayed herself with the utmost professionalism. Walking around in bunny pajamas wasn’t something Mia had ever expected to see. Even on those rare occasions before she married Jacks when Mia would sleep over, Ryleigh was always dressed and ready to go. Mia didn’t want to add to her friend’s stress level, but as the head of The Holly Group, Mia knew Ryleigh needed to be apprised of everything she’d discovered and witnessed with Bravo and Echo Teams. Ryleigh’s question brought Mia out of her thoughts.
“Yeah, I think you might be right, we need to protect our operatives in every way possible. I hope this isn’t crossing the line in their eyes,” Mia responded.
Mia could sympathize with Ryleigh’s feelings, it was a personal choice and although operatives in the field were encouraged to be on it, it was still a very personal decision. The Holly Group only had a few members who actually went out in the field, even less now that they had merged with NAC.
“That’s actually not the worst of it, Rye, I have suspicions about the one without shifter DNA. She wasn’t nearly in as bad shape as the others and she gave me a bad vibe. Thanks for sending Tory down there, our resident tech genius was definitely needed. I asked her to find anything she could out about the woman to be safe. She told me hacking wasn’t her thing, but Wyatt agreed to stay behind to help with that.”
“So,” Ryleigh sat down next to Mia and bumped her shoulder with her own, sporting a devilish grin on her face, “what did you think of Alpha Team’s mysterious computer wizard, Wyatt? He’s quite the looker, if I do say so myself. If Jacks weren't the man for me, I might consider, well hell, any of the guys. What are your thoughts?” Ryleigh said wiggle her eyebrows in a comical way.
“You’re not going to turn into one of those girls, are you?” Mia laughed at Ryleigh’s antics.
“What girls?” Rye asked, looking visibly puzzled.
“Girls who have everything and want their friends to have the same. Not everyone is meant for the happily married and mated life, you know that, right?”
“Yeah, I had those same thoughts a couple of months ago, but I have to tell you, Mia, it’s a pretty good life, you might want to try it on for size,” Ryleigh said sighing. “Jacks is the best thing that has ever happened to me, Mia, I love him so much! I just want you to experience the same thing.” Hugging Mia, Ryleigh said “You are my best friend, how could I not want you to have everything?”
“There was someone that I was drawn to,” Mia slumped, “but he didn’t seem to be interested in me at all.” She said, shrugging her shoulders. Laughing at the way Ryleigh’s eyes lit up, she said, “And it wasn’t Wyatt.”
“Is it one of the guys from Alpha?” Ryleigh asked looking hopeful. “You know, that would be perfect. You could come and live her with us, and we could both live happily ever after.”
“Nope, sorry to disappoint you,” Mia laughed at her friend’s hopeful expression, “it’s not someone from Alpha. It doesn’t matter, the guy didn’t notice me at all. As for the Alpha guys, they all seem nice, but I get a brotherly vibe from them, nothing else. Sorry, not the happily ever after you were looking for, but Ryleigh, you know I’ll be anywhere you need me, so why don’t you tell me what is really going on what has you so freaked out. You’re doing a pretty shitty job of hiding that you’re not yourself, by the way.”
“Damn!” Mia could always read her like a book. “I’m pregnant, and I need you to tell me everything is okay with the baby,” Ryleigh said with a worried look on her face.
Ryleigh didn’t want to think about the former dead member of Alpha Team. He had said so many horrible things to Ryleigh when he kidnapped and held her. The memories were better left in the box Ryleigh had placed them in. She didn’t want to believe anything the evil man had said was true, but now that she was pregnant, she couldn’t dismiss them either.
“Eli said any babies Jacks and I had would have problems. I need you to make sure he wasn’t right.”
“Oh, Ryleigh,” Mia said, hugging her, not liking the tears in her friend's eyes, “don’t you know better than to trust the word of a madman? Your baby will be perfect, like the little girl we delivered, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll give you a complete exam. I was wondering why Jacks insisted on bringing an ultrasound machine.”
Relieved, Ryleigh felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, she hated the unknown. With Mia there, she knew she’d have the answers she needed regarding her baby’s health and wellbeing.
“Thanks Mia I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but I really need to know. I hope you understand.”
“Ryleigh, you aren’t the first mother to be worried about her unborn child. I assure you, I’ll do everything I can to ease your mind, but you need to take better care of yourself. I know you, and right now, you’re trying your damnedest to find answers without thinking about yourself or your baby. That shit has to stop!”
“Thanks Mia,” Ryleigh said releasing her from their hug. “I know you’re right. Cash was telling me the same thing before all hell broke loose.”
“You know that man of yours would move heaven and earth for you. Why are you keeping him in the dark about your fears?”
“Shit! Mia, he has so much going on right now, I don’t want to add to it but…”
“Ryleigh,” Mia interrupted, “he already knows, shit, girlfriend everyone with eyes can see the changes in you.”
“I know your right,” crying softly Ryleigh admitted to her best friend, “but I couldn’t have trusted anyone else with my baby’s life. I knew I needed you, I just couldn’t ask, everyone is stretched so thin. I kept thinking, women have been giving birth or centuries. I shouldn’t let what Eli said get to me, but I can’t help it, I’m scared as hell. Here I am mated to an Alpha; he doesn’t get scared, Mia. I need to be strong for him and the team. I need to find answers, so we can help all these women. I need to break this fucking code because if Eli was right, at least something good would come out of this, even if my baby…”
“That’s enough of that now Rye,” Mia said, cutting her short once again. “You’re not Super Woman, you can’t solve all the problems of the Shifter world with one person’s files. You need to take better care of yourself, and you need to tell Jacks your fears. You need to lean on the man and let him do what he does best, protect and care for you. You need to let others help. Damn! woman you need a babysitter!” Mia laughed.
Ryleigh knew her friend was right, but she couldn’t dismiss the feelings that were driving her. Deciding that diversion was the best way out of this, Ryleigh wiped her teary eyes, straightened her shoulders, and got back to the business at hand.
“What do you think the woman giving off the bad vibes is going to do? It doesn’t make sense that she was kept with the others unless she was a plant to make sure they were doing as they were told; it doesn’t sit right with me. No one knew we were going to raid that facility, so I don’t think we can link it to them trying to find out the locations of NAC bases, unless we have more leaks than we’re aware of.”
Mia knew what Ryleigh was doing. Once they got a free moment, she would exam Ryleigh and her baby and hopefully, give her friend some peace. Until that time came, she could give her this.
“I’m not sure, but I did use some of Tory’s toys and located trackers on all the women, including Cassie. I removed them, but I also made all of them give up their clothing and jewelry, anything on their person. All the women were fine with my request, except one.”
“Let me guess, the human one?”
“Yep totally freaked out; I had to sedate her.”
“Did you find anything?”
“Yep she was wired for sight and sound; the transmitters were located in her fake fingernails, but weren’t active. The nails were what tipped me off; these women were all in pretty bad shape, but oddly, the human’s fingernails were perfectly manicured.”
“Sugar, does Jacks knows
all of this?”
“Yeah, I think that’s why he’s reacting to Emma so strongly. He already knows there is a threat out there, and this woman brings in a new one.”
“Shit on a shingle! I couldn’t agree more. What happened with Zoey?”
Ryleigh felt for Zoey, she was one of The Holly Group best operatives, but she was also one of their most reclusive. She’d lived most of her life in deplorable circumstances and was completely distrustful of any man. When Ryleigh had to tell her that she was related to Cassie Larson and Kayden Walker of Bravo team, she was pretty sure Zoey would run for the hills. But Zoey had surprised her and went out looking for Cassie, who was her niece, and even agreed to work with Kayden, who was her brother. Neither Zoey nor Kayden had known anything about the connection until a couple of months ago. Ryleigh had tried to warn Kayden about Zoey; she hoped her warnings had been enough. Zoey was a Franklin creation, like most of the woman of The Holly Group. Pandora and Dr. Franklin had come up with a toxin that they let loose in areas to find Shifter men and take DNA samples from them, to use later to impregnate women. The whole thing was sick, and both groups, NAC and The Holly Group, were still reeling from the ramifications.
Mia flinched, thinking about the concerns she’d been having for a while now, but hadn’t expressed yet; that Zoey was a liability to The Holly Group. Ryleigh always coddled Zoey because of her past. It wasn’t that Mia didn’t feel sorry for Zoey; she thought that Zoey was never going to change, and she was taking advantage of Ryleigh’s kindness to do exactly what she pleased. Zoey got away with more than any other operative of The Holly Group.
“Dang it, Ryleigh, I don’t know. She split as soon as she could, we didn’t spend much time together, not that it would’ve mattered, you know how she is. That Milo guy was intense, told her she wasn’t leaving, that she was staying with him. She said she was no man's pet and busted out of there. That Kayden guy called later and told me she was with him. I think you might need to take a trip down there to see her. Whatever happened between Zoey and Milo literally freaked her out.”
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 41