by Chandra Ryan
“We have a state-of-the-art laboratory that will be at your disposal. Someone will be here to escort you there first thing in the morning. And as soon as your palm has been programmed into its biometric scanner, you’ll be free to come and go as you please.”
She swiped the key and breathed a sigh of relief when the door popped open. “Great.” Light flooded the spacious room as she stepped over the threshold, chasing away the last of the nervous knots that’d taken up residence in her stomach. “I’ll be seeing you around, then.”
He cast her a doubtful look before saying, “I wouldn’t count on it. You may be willing to help us out, but you’re still a geneticist.”
“And you’re still an unbending, closed-minded ass. It’s good to see some things never change, don’t you think?”
Before he could answer, she nudged the door closed with her hip. Okay, maybe being nice to him was more than she could manage right now. She refused to take the blame for it completely though. Had he tried to be to be civil to her, she would’ve been able to return the favor. And civil should’ve been doable. She was here to save his freaking life after all.
Not his specifically of course. She was there to save all of them. But, still, that should earn her a little courtesy. Did it though? No. He couldn’t care less that she’d discovered a way to correct the flaw that made them dependent on the NB-7 injections. Stubborn ass that he was, he’d probably be the last one to go through the surgery because he didn’t trust her.
And what had she done to deserve his distrust? Fuck him senseless for two weeks. Well, she’d certainly learned her lesson there.
A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. “Who is it?” she asked loudly. She might not have been happy with Ben right then, but she knew he’d been telling her the truth when he’d warned her about some of the people. There were bound to be some who were more than pissed about having her here. And she couldn’t really blame them. Lisa might not have been one of the people who experimented on the soldiers, but her expertise made her suspect.
“Dixie, ma’am. I brought some food for you and the little one.”
She went to put Nate down but he immediately started complaining. So when she opened the door she still had the little boy on her hip. She’d been held captive in Dixie’s arms as he’d raced across the compound. But, still, she didn’t remember him being as large or as intimidating then. “Nate. His name is Nate.”
Dixie nodded as he carried a covered tray into the room. His bulk seemed to fill the area, making it appear smaller. “I hope everything is okay with your quarters.”
“Honestly, we just walked through the door when you dropped by.” She took a second to glance around the space more for his benefit than to actually judge it. It was a standard room. It had a small kitchenette, a sleeping area and a work area. What more could she want? “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Good. I’m glad. I respect your work immensely and want you to be comfortable while you’re here.”
She stared at him for a second before saying, “You’re pretty good at diplomacy. I almost believed you just now.”
He laughed good-heartedly as he crossed the room to put the tray he carried down on the table. “You should. Believe me, that is. I really appreciate what your research could mean for us. And I understand how uncomfortable being here is for you.”
She followed him to the table and sat down with Nate on her lap. “I’d imagine it’ll be a lot easier than where I was.” Nate wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her closer to him. “And I’m not all that altruistic either. Everything I do to help you will help Nate when he gets old enough to undergo surgery.”
Dixie nodded. “He’s a cute one. How old is he?”
“Just over eleven months.”
Dixie rummaged through a couple cabinets and came back with plates and silverware. “Does his father know about him?”
“I’d rather not talk about his father. We didn’t exactly end things on the best of terms.”
“That’s a given. If you were on the best of terms, chances are you wouldn’t have ended things.” He took the lid off the platter and started dishing food for both of them. “Hope you don’t mind if I stay and grab a bite to eat with you. I’m always starving after a mission.”
She smiled with real affection for the first time in a long time as he placed a plate in front of her. “Not at all. It’s nice to have the company.” She hadn’t had a dinner guest since even before being taken into custody.
“Is the food okay for Nate?”
As if on cue, her son picked up a piece of the meat and shoved it into his mouth. “I don’t hear any complaints.”
“It’s ham, in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t. After being in custody I doubt I’ll ever question a warm meal again. I could eat sand beetles right now if they were cooked properly.”
“There’s a proper way to cook sand beetles?” He looked at her quizzically as he loaded his fork up with the ham. “Huh. Learn something new every day.”
She chuckled at his response but then they ate in silence. Once their plates had been cleared, though, they picked up their conversation with relative ease. And when Nate finally fell asleep in her arms, she placed him on the bed. She turned toward the kitchen expecting to find Dixie leaving but instead he was busy making coffee.
“Ben’s wrong,” Dixie said, his back still toward her.
She couldn’t resist laughing at the statement. “He’s wrong about a lot of things. I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific.”
“You’re a good person.”
She took the cup of hot salvation he held out to her and inhaled its heavenly fragrance. “I haven’t had coffee in…” She let the sentence die when it brought back too many painful memories of her captivity.
“You don’t want to talk about Ben?”
She took a sip and let the hot beverage soothe her suddenly edgy nerves before answering. “Ben has his reasons for his feelings. He didn’t know who I worked for and I didn’t know he was genetically enhanced when we met. When it all came out, he felt the government had found a new and inventive way to torture him.”
“It doesn’t sound as if he was exactly forthcoming with you, either.”
“I realized it was an honest omission on his part. He’s a techie, not a mercenary like you, so the differences weren’t quite as noticeable. But had I been paying closer attention, I would’ve guessed anyway. It just didn’t matter to me.”
“A lover’s genetic status wasn’t important to you?” He looked at her skeptically. “Forgive me if I call bullshit on that one. I’ve had women stand up and move to the other side of trains to avoid being near me. I don’t even want to tell you what they’d do to avoid being under me.”
The loneliness that haunted his eyes was something she could easily relate to. Suddenly wanting to comfort him, she reached across the table and let her hand rest on top of his. “Believe it or not, being a geneticist for the government doesn’t exactly have men beating down my bedroom door either.” She ran her thumb over his hand affectionately. “That’s probably why I never tell anyone what I do—did—for a living. It got to where I couldn’t stand the wariness in their eyes. Like if they fell asleep they’d wake up in a lab somewhere.”
He cocked his head and studied her a little more closely. “Did you ever tell Ben that?”
She looked down as she remembered the fight they’d had. “It’s hard to see your enemy as anything else.”
“But you said it didn’t matter to you.”
She glanced over at Nate as he shifted in his sleep. “Ben was never my enemy. I, however, was his before I ever said hello.”
“You two are going to have to work together. I can order him to be civil. But you don’t exactly fall under my jurisdiction.” He looked down at her hand as if it were an alien entity. “Will you be okay with that arrangement?”
“Will we be working together a lot?” She didn’t hate Ben but sh
e wasn’t fond of the way he looked at her and talked to her with disdain.
“As much as it pains me to admit, Ben is the brains of this group.” Dixie shifted nervously and, for the first time since they’d met, looked uncomfortable. “He’s going to be assisting you.”
“I’ve already perfected the procedure. I don’t need an assistant, just a laboratory to work in.”
He took a heavy breath in and released it slowly. “Okay, he’s not assisting so much as…” His words died as he looked away from her uncomfortably again. It was then that the pieces slid together for Lisa.
No longer feeling the need to comfort him, she pulled her hand away. “Keeping an eye on me and double-checking my work.”
Dixie had the grace to look guilty before he nodded.
“I see.” She stood slowly and walked over to the door before turning back to look at him. “Say what you will about Ben, but at least he’s always been straightforward. His feelings about me are the same to my face as they are behind my back.” She opened the door and gestured into the night. “If you don’t mind. I’ve had a long day and tomorrow is going to be,” she rubbed her temple with her free hand as a headache bloomed, “difficult.”
He rose gracefully from the table and crossed the room in quick, even strides. “I understand.” He stopped when he stood in the doorway. “Before I go, though, I want you to know that having Ben verify your findings wasn’t my idea.”
She continued to rub her temple as he spoke. “Well, it sure as hell wasn’t Ben’s. He’s under the impression we’re not going to be seeing each other anymore. He’s pretty damn happy about that too.”
“I know. I’m going to clear up that misunderstanding as soon as I leave here.” He ran a finger down her cheek until it rested under her chin and then forced her to look up at him. “At the end of the day, he and I are both just soldiers fighting someone else’s war. This order goes over either of our heads.”
For one moment Lisa thought he might kiss her. Which was ridiculous. They’d only just met. And, though she’d been told she was pretty, she couldn’t be considered beautiful on her best days. With everything she’d been through, today could easily be considered one of her worst and she probably showed it. She shuddered to think of how she must look after weeks of captivity and her rescue. Still, he hovered over her and his gaze locked with hers.
In that moment, staring into his green eyes, she saw his loneliness mirror hers and almost wished he would kiss her. Only, that would make her the whore Ben called her. Wouldn’t it?
Before she could worry any further about the implications of wanting to kiss him, he smiled. “You look worried. Tell me, do I frighten you?”
“No.” A shiver swept through her but it had nothing to do with fear. His smile made her focus on his mouth and staring at his mouth brought back the desire to be kissed.
“Are you sure?” Instead of stepping back and giving her space, he braced one arm above her on the doorjamb and leaned even closer to her.
Yep. It wasn’t fear she was feeling. If she had to give it a name, she’d call it anxiousness. That fluttery feeling she’d get in the pit of her stomach when she knew everything was about to change. “I’m sure.”
“Good. I like you.” He stared at her for another moment before pushing away from the doorjamb. “I’d like to think the feeling is mutual.” He turned and then took several steps into the night.
She stared out into the darkness long after he’d left, trying to make sense of his words before she finally gave up and closed the door. He liked her? What exactly did he mean by that? She ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to detangle it. But she quickly gave up. The knots were too dense and she was too tired. So tired that she was most likely reading something into a perfectly innocent conversation.
As she replayed their evening together in her head, she began to feel foolish about the whole thing. He’d said he liked her, not that he wanted her. No one could be attracted to her in her current state. She must have let her imagination get carried away. She’d seen something that wasn’t there.
Turning, she walked over to the bed and then lay down next to her son. As she held his tiny body next to hers, her thoughts started to wander. Okay, maybe Dixie hadn’t been attracted to her. Maybe she had imagined it. But if he were, would the feelings be mutual?
He was attractive. She remembered the fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach and smiled. Okay, hot was probably a better descriptor for the man. And he could protect Nate. Something she couldn’t count on Nate’s father to do.
She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind so she could fall asleep. But Dixie refused to leave her. The last thought she had before finally drifting off was how inviting and tempting his mouth had been when it’d been just inches from hers.
Chapter Two
Ben stormed around his quarters and tried not to think about Dixie being with Lisa. He told himself that he didn’t want to see his friend played for the same fool he’d been but he couldn’t completely convince himself that was all there was to it. Even he could see the differences between his relationship with Lisa and the one Dixie would have with her. The most obvious being that Dixie knew Lisa worked as a government scientist. Or, at least, she had.
He shook his head as he thought about Lisa and Dixie again. It just didn’t make any sense. Had he known who Lisa worked for, he never would’ve made a move on her. He never would’ve voluntarily given her the chance to screw him over. But it didn’t seem to bother Dixie. If anything, the man seemed to like that she’d worked for the enemy.
He went to sit but couldn’t because of the blanket of dirty clothes that currently occupied his spot on the couch. With an irritated sigh, he scooped up an armful of the laundry and threw it onto the floor. He’d wash it tomorrow. Right now he just needed to relax and get some sleep. He sank down into the couch and then closed his eyes. Only, he couldn’t find any peace with the chaos surrounding him.
He growled as he opened his eyes and looked around the room. Maybe his mood couldn’t be completely blamed on Lisa. He liked things neat. And he hated that anyone who came into his quarters right now might think he enjoyed living like this. He’d just been too busy with assignments to worry about the mounds of mess accumulating in his quarters. And when he did find himself at home, he’d tell himself that he’d take care of it tomorrow or the next day. But who was he kidding? He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He never stuck around long enough to get to tomorrow let alone the day after. The same would undoubtedly hold true after this evening’s mission. He’d probably be out the door again before he had a chance to catch up on his missing sleep let alone his chore list.
He’d just pulled out his digital reader and started to make notes about the rescue when a knock echoed through the room. He wanted to tell the person to go away but couldn’t. It was late. Whatever the man wanted had to be important for him to disturb Ben.
“Who is it?” he asked as he reluctantly got up off the couch. He’d made it to the door before he heard Dixie identify himself. That was interesting. He figured Dixie would still be with Lisa. He opened the door and stood back so the other man could walk past him. “Everything all right?”
The wary look Dixie gave him warned Ben to brace himself. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. He didn’t know it would be painful, though, until he heard what the man had come to tell him.
“What the hell do you mean I’m going to be looking over Lisa’s work? I’m not a fucking babysitter!” The words were harsh but the assignment Dixie had just given him had to be a joke. A sick joke at that.
“I understand that this might be uncomfortable for you but the order came down from Commander Wallace.”
“Uncomfortable?” Ben stared at the man as if he’d just grown two heads. “No. Uncomfortable was flying halfway across the territory to rescue the woman who used me. This is horrific.” He couldn’t really blame Dixie for the assignment. Orders were orders. If he was going to blame a
nyone it should be the commander. And already Ben was thinking up ways to get even with Wallace without getting caught.
Dixie sighed deeply. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit?”
“No. She’s the enemy. For all we know she could still be working for the government and this is some sort of elaborate trap.”
“Which is why you’re going to be looking over her work. I’d think this arrangement would make you more comfortable. If she is up to something, you’re the one person with a shot of catching it.” Dixie stopped and studied Ben for a moment. “Unless this is personal.”
Ben rolled his eyes but he didn’t bother denying it. Everything with Lisa was personal. Always had been. “I don’t trust her.” How could he? After figuring out that everything they’d had together had been a scam. That she’d played him. He couldn’t just forget a betrayal like that.
“Then do your job. Make sure she’s on the up-and-up.”
It made sense, he’d give Dixie that much. But being in the same room with her still hurt. When he’d seen her in the helicopter it’d felt as if he’d been sucker punched. He couldn’t endure that day after day. “It’s not that simple.”
Dixie leaned back against the door and crossed his arms in front of him. “I’m sorry, soldier, did you forget to put on your big-boy undies this morning?” He continued without giving Ben a chance to defend himself. “Need I remind you what her research could mean for us?”
If Lisa could do what the intelligence said she could, it would be a game changer. If they didn’t need the shots of NB-7 to maintain their metabolism, the government would lose a major bargaining chip. “No sir.”
Dixie smirked in return. “Good. Then do your damn job.” Dixie seemed to take in the state of the room for the first time. “And clean your quarters. I’ve seen pigsties neater than this.”
Ben started to relax with the change of topic and with Dixie’s teasing tone. Dixie was his superior but he’d always treated Ben more like a little brother than a subordinate. It was one of the benefits of working for the other side. The Coalition had a hierarchy but because they were fighting for a cause and not for a bureaucracy, they were a little more lenient about things. Egos weren’t as big or as easily bruised on this side of the war. “I’d reckon you probably have. I’ve seen the pictures of your momma you keep on your nightstand,” he said with an exaggerated wince.