by Eve Langlais
“I’m trying to make you understand. These doctors, they want something from you. From us. Why else assign you to me? Why else untie me? If Sphinx had his way, I’d be in a permanent coma like those on level four.”
“Those comas are trauma induced, not intentional.”
“You keep telling yourself that, Flo.”
Which made her think of the third IV. What was in those tubes? “I’m not leaving, Luke. I signed on to do a job, and I am going to do it.”
“Okay, Flo. You want to make the bosses happy? Take off your clothes.”
She snorted. “Not happening. I’m a nurse, not a prostitute.”
“A nurse who has no nursely duties to complete. Because you’re not here to care for me. You’re here because I got a boner when you touched me. And now all the watching doctors want to see me fuck you.”
“No, they don’t.” She shook her head, shocked by the crudeness of his statement, but even more disturbed by her body’s reaction.
“Let’s test your theory, shall we?” He moved toward her, a stealthy, stalking aspect to his step that had her backing away. She didn’t stop until her back hit a wall. Nowhere to go and he kept advancing until he stood before her. Hotter than her dream. The realness of him caused her breath to shorten.
“What are you doing?”
“Proving a point.”
“By what? Scaring me?”
“Actually, I’m going to kiss you. Kiss you long and hard and I guarantee that no one watching will stop us.”
“You can’t kiss me.”
“You can’t stop me.”
Nor did she want to. Surely, she wouldn’t feel the same electric connection as they shared in the dream.
He neared and bracketed her with his arms.
Any moment, she expected the door to open or a voice to demand he step away.
He leaned down, his face close to hers, his breath brushing her lips.
“Don’t you get it, yet, Flo? They’re using you to get to me.”
“Why?” she whispered back
“Because they finally found a weakness.”
She was his weakness?
She might have asked him to explain, except his mouth caught hers in a kiss. A torrid touch of his lips that stole all thought and breath.
It was better than a dream. Better than anything she’d ever imagined. She tasted the lingering sweetness of juice on his tongue. Her senses were drugged by his scent, the musky aroma of a man whose heated body pressed against hers. The hardness of his erection rubbed against her belly, causing a chain reaction. Moisture pooled between her legs, and her sex quivered with need.
Want…
His hands skimmed down her arms, and he reached around to grab her by the ass. Tugging her even more closely into him.
The door slammed open, a disorienting noise that had him growling as he spun her away from him. Standing in front of her, his body bristled.
She could understand why. All three guards confronted him, weapons drawn.
“Your timing sucks,” Luke snapped.
“Move away from the woman.”
“Don’t you lay a hand on her.” He advanced on them, clearly worried about her, and yet, it wasn’t her in danger.
Pfft. Pfft. She heard the odd pops and saw his body jerk. Luke slumped to his knees.
His head drooped, his slurred words barely discernible. “Guess I was wrong, Flo.”
Then he hit the floor.
Chapter Twelve
For a half second, Margaret stood frozen. Disbelieving. They’d shot Luke!
No. Oh no. She dropped to her knees and could have sobbed in relief when she realized he breathed. Flipping him over, she expected to see blood, and lots of it, only she blinked.
Luke hadn’t been shot. Not with bullets anyhow. Darts stuck out of his chest, so many of them. Surely too many for one man.
“Why did you do that?” she cried, yanking at the capsules, throwing them to the side, hoping to prevent some of the drug from overloading his system.
“Just obeying orders, ma’am. We’re going to need you to exit the room so we can secure him.”
“Like hell am I leaving. Don’t you dare touch him.” She partially covered him with her own body. “You had no right to shoot him. I had things under control.” A total lie. She’d lost complete control, which meant this was her fault. She should have pushed Luke away rather than get caught up in the moment.
“Ma’am, you need to vacate the room,” the guard said, a note of impatience in his tone.
“I am not leaving my patient.” She stated her intention firmly. They didn’t give her a choice. The guard reached for her, the iron grip of his fingers biting into her arms. He managed to haul her away despite her struggles and curses.
“I am going to talk to your boss about this,” she screeched as they released her in the hall.
“Go ahead,” smirked the tall one. “He’s the one who told us to tranq your boyfriend.”
Adrian gave the order? The gravity of what had happened hit her. She’d let a patient kiss her and been caught doing it. She’d be fired for sure.
Yet she didn’t let her own culpability douse her anger. Without waiting for an invitation, she stormed to the upper levels and banged on the wall where Chimera’s office door hid. For a moment, she thought it would remain shut against her. She banged it again, and it abruptly slid open, almost dumping her on the floor.
Regaining her balance, she held herself tall and addressed the secretary. “I need to speak to Dr. Chimera.”
“You don’t have an appointment.” Said with tight lips and a disapproving tone.
Margaret didn’t let it deter her. “I don’t care. You tell him I want to speak with him right now.” Because she needed to explain herself. Needed to apologize so they wouldn’t fire her and take Luke away.
“You can’t just barge in and—”
The inner office door opened, and Adrian stood within the gap. “It’s okay, Janine. I’ll see Nurse Henley.” He extended a hand. “Please, come in.”
She swept in full of righteous anger and ignored the seat.
“Why did your soldiers attack my patient?” She didn’t bother with niceties.
“They hardly attacked him. The sedation won’t harm Luke and will wear off in a few hours.”
“It wasn’t necessary,” she snapped.
“The man assaulted you.” Proving Adrian had been watching. The very idea made her skin crawl and once again roused the question of, how far did he take his spying?
“I’m unharmed. Luke only kissed me.” Only. Understatement. That single moment had branded her and now had her confronting the man who, with one word, could have her escorted from the premises. No job. No money. No Luke. However, she couldn’t back down now.
“A forced embrace is considered assault. We don’t allow our patients to take liberties with our staff. We acted to protect you.”
Which she should be grateful for. Any other patient who tried a kiss, she would have welcomed the help—and he’d have probably earned a slap. Problem was Luke wasn’t just anyone. And a part of her realized that her anger stemmed from the fact she didn’t want the kiss to end.
“I would have handled it.”
“And if you couldn’t?” Adrian said with an arch of his brow. “We had to act quickly lest something more unfortunate occur.”
Her lips pressed into a line. So much for Luke’s theory that Adrian and the other doctors wanted him to impregnate her. “Does this mean you’re going to put him back in restraints?”
Chimera shrugged and spread his hands wide. “What else can we do? Barely out of them an hour and he acted very inappropriately.”
“He merely tested boundaries.”
“And you were allowing it. Did I make a mistake, Nurse Henley, in assigning you to Luke?”
The questioning of her professionalism stung, especially since it was valid. “I thought you liked my unorthodox methods. I’ve got him eating, in case you had
n’t noticed.”
“I noticed, which is the only reason we’re even talking. I am, however, concerned that you’re developing an emotional attachment to the patient.”
“You speak as if it’s wrong to care.”
“Caring is fine. It’s when it crosses a line that it’s not. We are a medical institute that prides itself on providing the finest care for its patients. I won’t have a foolish crush jeopardize my work.”
Crush? The verbal rebuke slapped, and the last of her anger drowned in her shame.
“It won’t happen again, Dr. Chimera.”
“Please ensure it doesn’t, Nurse Henley. You’re excused from duty for the rest of the day.”
“What about Luke?”
“He’ll be taken care of.”
Words with an ominous ring. She left his office, head ducked rather than meet the disapproving glare of his secretary.
What had she been thinking? Luke kissed her, crossing all kinds of boundaries, and she crossed even more by not stopping it right away. Adrian was right. The soldiers did need to interfere since she lacked the common sense to do it herself. But they didn’t need to shoot so quickly. They could have talked to him first. Asked him nicely to move away.
Or was she being foolish?
Adrian seemed to think Luke posed a danger. Had they not stopped him, would he have gotten violent?
He wouldn’t.
Or so Margaret would like to think, but then again, what did she really know about him? The fact they might share dreams didn’t make him a good man, and she really had no assurance he wouldn’t hurt her.
Nothing but her gut, which said he wouldn’t. Given her gut’s previous track record when it came to men, she should thank her boss for putting a stop to the kiss.
Entering the habitat level for employees, she noticed a lack of commotion, the televisions silent for once, no one hanging around.
Entering the women’s wing, she noticed Becky’s door open, the tunes playing loudly. She poked her head in and peeked around. Didn’t see her friend and walked in farther.
“Becky?” She wondered if the woman was feeling any better since the attack.
The bathroom door suddenly opened and released a waft of steam. Becky stepped out, wearing a towel and slick wet hair. She also screamed. “Jeezus, Margie, what are you doing barging in?”
“Your door was open, and I wanted to check on you.”
“Aren’t you just a doll. I’m fine. Whatever the doctor gave me worked ah-may-zing,” Becky sang, swinging her face left and right, the skin showing only the faintest hint of yellow.
“Wow. That’s awesome.” Bruising as deep as Becky had should have taken days to heal. Maybe even weeks.
“Isn’t it, though? They are doing some amazing things here, Margie.”
Lifting her hand to her bandaged cheek, Margaret had to wonder what she’d see when she peeled off the bandage. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“Never better. And just an FYI, I’m not going to be around as much.”
“How come?”
“I’m going to be working more closely with Dr. Chimera on a secret project. Since he sometimes works late, some nights I’ll be staying in his personal lab. He’s got a room set up with a bed and everything.”
“That seems odd.”
Becky’s face twisted. “Nothing odd about it. You’re just jealous he’s chosen me to be his confidant and assistant.”
“I’m happy for you, really I am. Just make sure you get some down time. Wouldn’t want you to be overworked.”
Becky tossed her auburn hair. “It’s not all work. Most of the time, it’s just sitting around, keeping an eye on his rats.”
“Is he experimenting on them?”
The other woman pressed her lips into a line. “You’re trying to get me to spill secrets so I’ll get fired.”
“What?” The accusation startled. “No. Just making conversation.”
A strange expression crossed Becky’s features. A suspicion that appeared out of place given how good-natured she’d had always been. “I think you should go.”
“Okay. Good luck with the new assignment,” Margaret said as she exited the room. Rather than reply, Becky slammed the door behind her.
The conversation left her unsettled. What was Becky doing for Adrian? She really wanted to know and not because she was jealous. She might not always like the girl, but she wouldn’t want to see her abused.
Especially since Becky might not be mentally stable. What happened to the girl she’d met on the helicopter? The happy, bubbly woman who laughed at life and was full of curiosity and eager to share it? Had she stopped taking some meds?
Or was it a side effect from the remedy that took away the bruising?
Suddenly feeling a little queasy, Margaret entered her room and headed for the bathroom. She stared for a moment at the bandage on her cheek, the stark whiteness of it taunting.
Pull it.
Her fingers gripped the edge, and she hesitated. Would it be gone like Becky’s? Would she, too, begin to act strangely? Indulging in paranoia. Luke also had that problem. Was that a flaw in the remedy?
She tore free the bandage and was almost relived to see the red line on her cheek, not as angry as expected, but definitely not miraculously healed.
Her body slumped as she gripped the edges of the sink. What was wrong with her? For a moment, she’d almost given in to paranoia, too.
“They’re not doing anything weird,” she said aloud. Everything was just fine. Luke was a damaged man, and as for Becky, she must have some kind of bipolar condition. Maybe she’d forgotten to take some pills, or she was feeling the effects of isolation. Hell, maybe it was that time of the month making her bitchy.
Rather than reapply a bandage, Margaret chose to leave it exposed. Entering her room, she paced. Too restless to sit. The walls of the underground facility felt close, too close, and yet her heart raced at the thought of going above ground.
The face of the monster flashed in front of her, and she couldn’t do it. Couldn’t go to the surface.
Which left her where to go? The common room where she might have to socialize? Not interested.
She’d been told to take the day off, and yet she’d prefer to work. She heard a door slam. Becky leaving for her shift. For some reason she opened her door and peeked out. She saw the ass end of her friend moving quickly up the hall.
Curious, Margaret followed. Was Becky off to work in the super-secret lab? Was it on the same level as all the others? What exactly was the clinic working on? Luke kept hinting at bad stuff, but Becky seemed to think otherwise.
Becky didn’t pause when she reached the junction for the wings. She turned left.
Not right to the elevators, or even straight ahead into the men’s quarters.
Why was she going toward the unfinished section?
Just before the corner, Margaret flattened herself against the doorway. Before she could peek, she heard a whirring sound. How strange. She waited, counting to thirty and then glanced around the corner, looking into the third opening, the empty opening.
No Becky.
Impossible. Becky couldn’t have vanished in thin air, and she’d not come back this way, which meant she must have entered a room.
What room? There was no door for the unfinished corridor, simply rough rock blocking it.
More curious than ever she traced Becky’s steps down the hall under construction, noting the lack of doors and hiding places. The rock wall brought a furrow to her brow.
Becky had disappeared.
Impossible. Which meant there must be a logical explanation.
She placed her hand on the rough surface and felt a slight hum. Sliding her fingers over the rock, she gasped when her hand disappeared from sight.
She blinked, especially since it made no sense. She saw her arm, most of it, but the wrist and hand appeared buried in rock. She waved her other hand through the hologram, disrupting it enough to see a black panel
, the kind that required a card to activate.
A hidden entrance.
One that Becky had access to. No preventing the jealousy from consuming her this time. While she was getting reprimanded for unprofessional conduct, Becky—with her mood swings—was the head doctor’s assistant. Which made her wonder what Adrian did in his secret lab that required a nurse.
Boredom and restlessness dogged her the rest of that day. By the time she went to bed, she welcomed the dream—and Luke.
“Are you okay?” she asked, noticing him immediately but somewhat disappointed he appeared for the first time wearing clothes.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been put to sleep.” He scrubbed a hand through his dirty-blond hair. “What time is it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. But if it helps, I went to bed at nine.”
“PM?” he exclaimed. Then grumbled. “Of course, it’s nighttime, and I’ve yet to wake, which means he’s upped the dosage of my meds. Fucker.”
“I’m sorry about what they did. It’s my fault. I should have never let you kiss me.” She took the blame.
He mocked it. “Don’t you dare apologize, Flo. Kissing you was worth it. What’s surprising is the fact Chimera stopped it.”
“I told you there was no plan. I saw him after. He actually got mad at me. I thought I was going to get fired.”
“Don’t you dare start apologizing.” Having ducked her head, she didn’t see him approach but felt his fingers grip her chin and lift it. His gaze met hers. “I wanted to kiss you. Just like you wanted to kiss me.”
“That doesn’t make it okay. I’m your nurse.”
“No, you’re not, because I’m not a patient. I’m a prisoner.”
“I’m sure it feels that way.” It also looked it, too. But saying so aloud would only feed his delusion. Why did crazy have to be so sexy?
“For fuck’s sake, Flo. When are you going to start admitting to yourself that this place isn’t what it seems? They’re doing experiments here. On humans. Doing shit you can’t imagine.”
“You mean like healing impossible injuries?” She arched a brow. Having seen what they did for Becky, she was starting to believe, and yet, they’d not used the same remedy on her. Why?