by Eve Langlais
“We have to call someone.”
“I told you, I’ve got that covered. And besides, we can’t wait for anyone to arrive. The bad guys will realize something is wrong when Igor doesn’t show with the goods.”
He pointed out the flaw in her plan. “Don’t you think they’ll have noticed that by now?”
A sly smile graced her lips. “Why do you think I parked the van by the strip club? Igor apparently likes to support the local single mothers with his ill-earned gains.”
“The groceries though…”
“The perishable items are packed in ice.”
He rubbed his chin and paced some more. “This is crazy, Enny.”
“It’s the break I’ve been looking for. But if you’re too scared—”
The look he shot her bordered on a glare. “I’m not scared. Worried we’ll get killed? Yes. You and me, that’s only two people. And neither of us with a gun.”
“We don’t need no stinkin’ guns,” she boasted, looking about as dangerous as that chipmunk shaking a nut at him last fall.
“We should call someone, let them know what we’re planning.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll tell Lana to send the Vikings. But they will be a few hours. The closest they can get is Calgary.”
“Where are they flying in from?”
“More like with who. They’re coming on the Genie Express.”
“What?”
She grinned. “Magic, Big. They’re gonna get teleported there.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Why me?”
“Because you’re the luckiest man alive.”
“Not for long.” Because if this crazy plan failed he might be pushing up daisies by the morning.
But if it succeeded… He’d make sure to celebrate with Claire in bed.
Chapter 12
I hid in the back of the van—munching on some carrots—Igor bound beside me amidst the roast beef and pork tenderloin. In the driver’s seat, Derek wore a ball cap and a bulky sweater, doing his best to beef up his appearance.
It wouldn’t work, but I didn’t say that. He already had enough doubts about my epic plan.
On the drive in, I tried to distract him. “How attached are you to your job here?”
“Why?” he asked.
Because two days of Derek had me thinking ahead. Crazy. I know. But he made me feel things. And not just when his fingers were inside me.
He knew who I was. The new me, and the old me. Even the bunny me. He liked what he saw. Heck, he liked me enough to not freak out at the man trussed like a turkey in his living room and then, despite his grumbling, drove off into the dark and unknown looking for a dirt road in the woods.
So when he asked why I was questioning his job, I told him the truth. “I’d like you to meet my friends.” A huge step. Very few guys in our lives ever merited that honor. We didn’t want to waste time and energy with a fellow who wasn’t the “one.” Or in Beth’s case, the “two.”
“I’m sure I can get some time off,” he hedged. “But my family will be expecting me to go back home at one point.”
I pursed my lips. That could be a problem. “I guess we could do shared custody.”
He choked.
I pounded him on the back and laughed. “Don’t die. I’m just kidding. Forget what I said. I mean, it’s obvious that once this mission is over, we’ll have to break up.”
“What?” The van swerved.
“I was crazy to think it would go any further. I mean, you’re great and all, like super great, but—”
He slammed the van to a stop and turned to face me. “Listen. I like you a lot, too, and I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know where we’ll end up. But I can tell you one thing. No matter what happens tonight, I want to see you tomorrow and the next day. Probably for a long while. And if you’re not ready to go home, your real home, and see your family, then we’ll figure something out.”
“We will?” An optimistic note in my voice.
“We will.” A firm statement. “If we don’t die tonight.”
I leaned forward and gave him a kiss. “We won’t die. End up in a cage and forced to breed to make babies, possibly. Strapped to a table donating blood and tissue, also possible. But killing us would be a waste.”
“That wasn’t reassuring,” he grumbled, facing forward again and lurching the van into motion.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Big.” Not after he’d admitted he liked me.
I leaned close to Igor and whispered, “He likes me.”
That was better than chocolate.
Igor didn’t reply, probably on account he was sad that his chances of turning to good and wooing me had just evaporated. That and the tape still over his mouth.
The van slowed and turned, transitioning from smooth pavement to the jostling roughness of a dirt road. Most of the groceries sat in boxes for easy transport. The bushel of apples stayed upright, but at a good bump, a few stray ones went flying and rolling. One landed right in my mouth. How fortuitous since I needed a sweet snack.
Derek grumbled in the front. “There are cameras in the trees.”
“We’re totally in the right place.”
“We should have waited for backup.” He was worried.
I forgave him because I was a teeny tiny bit scared, too. I’d never done anything this bold and daring before. My inner bunny twitched, urging flight. Despite the trepidation, though, I also thrummed with excitement. At long last, I understood the appeal of adrenaline. The more I conquered my fear and acted, the more I craved.
Tonight was the ultimate adrenaline stunt. I was about to infiltrate a top-secret installation. Me, a floppy-eared bunny, was about to do something heroic.
Hooray for a misfit.
As for Derek’s fear we’d fail?
Not happening, because I had plans for later that involved the chocolate icing I’d bought and kisses. Lots of kisses. Which made me wonder how Derek would feel if I melted the chocolate over him and licked it off. It would solve two cravings at once.
The darkness pushed in all around the van, and despite driving in the woods, not a single branch scraped the sides. The indication of a path well worn by vehicles larger than this.
A few miles took forever—“It’s been only three minutes since we left the road,” said Derek—a lifetime in bunny years.
When he said, “I see lights,” in a low voice, I hunkered down. This was the dangerous part of the plan. The part where he slowed down, I slipped open the side door, and jumped out. We’d already removed the bulb in the dome light so nobody could see.
But I had to time this right.
I yanked and dove, doing my best to shove the door back. Derek had lowered the window, and I could hear the tunes blare, muffling the click of the door shutting. Had to love those new electronic ones.
I paused in the underbrush as the van rolled on, listening for a yell. No one raised an alarm. Still, I knelt there frozen.
I can do this.
Bunnies aren’t meant to be heroes, my inner friend reminded.
Tell that to Roger Rabbit and Bugs. I forced myself to my feet and kept to the cover of the trees. I flowed in the direction of the light, but at an angle. I doubted they’d fenced the whole place, but at the same time, I was conscious they probably had something in place to act as a perimeter warning.
My foot froze midair as my nose twitched.
Slowly, I peeked down. Noted the taut cable on the ground.
Ha. Spotted it.
I hopped over. Landed on something and had a moment to utter, “Fiddlesticks,” before I was swept into the air.
Chapter 13
Derek knew he was screwed the moment he pulled to a stop by the guardhouse. Because lo and behold, there was his buddy, Sunglasses at Night. A cigarette dangled from his lips as Derek pulled to a stop.
“You’re not Dave.” The gun pointed at his face had only one reply.
“Dave’s not here right now.” A jo
ke the guy obviously didn’t get. Not many watched the Cheech and Chong classics. He’d wager Claire would find them immensely funny. Thinking of Claire reminded him he had to do his best to cause a distraction.
“Get out of the van.” The gun never wavered as the demand was made.
For a moment, Derek pondered slamming the gas. Pedal to the metal. Where would he go? He wasn’t bullet proof, and now that Sunglasses knew that he knew about the secret no one else knew, he’d probably end up dead even if he did manage to escape.
So, he decided to place faith in Claire’s assertion that they’d prefer to take him alive. Derek exited the van, hands over his head, and smiled. Smiled with more teeth than he should.
Sunglasses flicked the cigarette to the side. “You call those teeth?” The guy finally removed his dark lenses and opened his mouth wide to show two sharp layers behind his human set. Freakiest of all was not his yellow lizard eyes but the fact—
“You have no scent.”
“Because I’m not an animal like you,” sneered the hybrid.
“What are you?” Derek asked, fascinated and appalled all at once.
“The future. Now move.” The gun waved at him. “Or don’t. I have no problem shooting you.”
“Why are you doing this?” Derek asked, marching ahead.
“Doing what? Protecting company property? Because it’s my job.”
“I meant what’s happening here. You’re abducting and experimenting on people.”
“People?” Sunglasses snorted. “The term they prefer to use is morph-capable creatures featuring genetic anomalies.”
“Who is ‘they’?”
“The scientists. The moneymen. Those looking forward to a better future.”
“How is kidnapping folks and using them better?”
“They’re taking their best traits and melding them to make something new.”
“What if I don’t want to be something new?”
Sunglasses chuckled. “Not you. You won’t merit that kind of upgrade. You’ll just provide genetic fodder.”
A term that reminded him of what Claire said about being used for breeding. “Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
Derek did his best to look around and get details, but he was rather restricted in the sense that there wasn’t much to see. Some bulky shapes that might be vehicles hidden under netting. A few storage sheds. They appeared headed straight for a rock wall.
A wall with a hidden door. Sunglasses pulled aside more camouflage netting and pressed his palm against a square pad. Without a sound, the door swung open, spilling light.
“After you.”
Considering the smells wafting out didn’t reassure, Derek hesitated, planting his feet firmly on the ground.
He didn’t need his wolf’s warning to know entering was a bad idea. On the other hand, while Sunglasses might have a gun, he was also alone. Derek had seen no other soldiers. Didn’t scent anyone either, which didn’t mean shit. There could be a hundred like Sunglasses with no scent to detect, and he’d never know.
“Move.” The barrel of the gun nudged him in the spine.
Don’t go in there. Wasn’t just his wolf that thought it was a bad idea. Despair flavored the air, but what cinched it was hearing a yodeled, “Peanut butter on saltine crackers. Let me down.”
Claire needs me.
Derek whirled, and his fist lashed out, not aiming for the face as expected but rather for Sunglass’s arm. The gun went off, the stray bullet missing Derek. He didn’t wait for the guy to try again. Derek rushed him. Being close would make it harder to shoot. He grappled with Sunglasses, straining with the effort.
Along with teeth and freaky eyes, buddy had some epic strength.
Still, Derek had been a wolf a long time. A scrapper, too. He let a bit of the change envelope him. His claws extended while his teeth sharpened to points, and his jaw elongated to give him a wider bite radius.
Sunglasses matched him for partial shift, his skin taking on a scaly cast, his fingers growing talons that sank into skin.
It was fucking on.
Breaking free, Derek slugged the guy. Got a punch in the gut as a reply. A slash of claws and they were both bleeding.
A new voice shouted, “Tranq him. Boss says he wants him.”
“We might hit Toby.” A nasally hesitation.
“Fuck Toby,” growled the first voice. “He could use a nap. Shoot.”
Ah shit. Derek tried to duck so that only Toby took the shot. But he miscalculated. He felt the pinprick of a dart entering his skin. Immediately sluggishness filled his veins. He sank to his knees, losing his grip on Toby. But good news, Toby hit the ground with him. They both wavered, and Derek managed a slurred, “Fucker,” before hitting the ground face first.
When he woke, it was to find himself pinned with someone cupping his groin and his traitor penis stirring.
He’d been captured, and they were already trying to breed him.
“No!” he snarled. “I won’t be your rutting bull.”
Chapter 14
“Are you sure about that?” I whispered.
Immediately, Derek stopped bucking. “Enny, is that you?”
“In the flesh, Big.” Just to prove it, I rubbed myself against him. At least this time he noticed. When they’d dumped him in my cell hours ago, he’d not reacted at all. He also snored.
I might have let him enjoy a nap, but we didn’t have much time. Hence why when yelling, pinching, cajoling, and singing didn’t work, I resorted to seduction.
Also known as groping.
Wouldn’t you know, that woke him up.
“So I’m not a captive being used for breeding?” he said, sitting up, only to groan and lie back down. “Enny, is it me or are we in a cell?”
“We’re in a cell. Inside a mountain, which explains why this place was so hard to find.”
“How is it we’re together?”
“For one, apparently they’re running out of room. The kidnapping business has been good. And secondly, we are together because the creepy doctor who paid me a visit wants us to copulate.”
That got his attention. He sat up again, and I rolled onto my back.
“What creepy doctor?”
“The one running the experiments here. Smile, Big, we did it. We found the place.”
“Which does us no good since we’re locked up.”
“Oh, it could be worse.”
“How?” he grumbled.
“They could have given us to other prisoners.”
Had to love the way he stiffened and growled. Jealousy was sexier than expected.
“I am going to get us out of here.” He rose and paced.
“You hiding a lockpick somewhere, Big?” I rolled to watch him on the mattress. A foam thing a few inches thick, set on the floor. The only thing positive I could say about it was it appeared new.
“How solid are these doors?” he asked, moving to it. He quickly realized he couldn’t grab it by any seam. There weren’t even any bars or a window, just a slim slot for food.
“Might as well come sit with me.” I patted the bed.
“Sit?” he growled. “We’re prisoners.”
“For the moment. Have a little faith.”
“How? No one knows we’re here.”
“Oh please. We both know you told my dad what we were doing.”
“But I didn’t tell him where. Just like your so-called cavalry has no idea we’re in the mountain.”
“They’ll find us. I just hope they’re quick about it.”
He whirled. “Why?”
“Because I overheard Dr. Creepy say the lab was being moved. Apparently, they did notice me nosing around town, so they’re closing up shop.”
“When?”
“Soon. Before dawn if I overheard correctly.”
“What?” Derek sat down beside me. “This isn’t good, Enny. If they manage to move us, we won’t be rescued, and I don’t know how we’ll escape.”
“We’ll escape. Don’t forget, the full moon is coming.”
“And?”
I smiled. “You let me worry about it.” I patted his cheek.
He scowled.
I leaned in and kissed the frown from his lips.
He melted a tiny bit.
I kissed him again, slipping him some tongue.
“This.” Smooch. “Isn’t.” A suck of his lip. “The time for this, Enny.” He pulled back, and I pouted.
“Actually, there is no better time. You said it yourself, what if we’re not rescued and we can’t escape?” I leaned close. “Do you really want that to happen without having at least once made love to me?” I batted my lashes.
He stared at me. “Someone could interrupt.”
“Then we’ll make it quick.”
“They could be watching.”
I smiled. “Let them.”
“I don’t want anyone seeing you.” That jealousy of his flared again.
I ran a finger down his cheek. “Then you’ll have to find them and rip out their eyes.”
“That shouldn’t sound so sexy.”
Straddling his lap, making him a prisoner of my desire, I whispered against his lips. “Take me, Big. Now.”
He groaned against my mouth, his arms wrapping around me tight. My body pinned his, and despite the clothes we wore, there was no mistaking the hard nudge of his erection. It matched the aching in my pussy. I knew he was worried. Quite honestly, so was I. I wasn’t lying when I said this could be our last chance.
Which meant I had to make this moment memorable. I caught his lips and sucked at the lower one, loving how ragged his breathing turned.
While we kissed, his hands skimmed my curves, roaming from my back down to the indent of my waist. His fingers dug in for a moment when I ground my crotch against him.
“This is crazy, Enny.” The groaned words only made my desire for him flare bright.
I bit his lip before going after his tongue, sucking it into my mouth, wanting the flavor of it. He kept touching me, running his hands over my hips then cupping my buttocks. Made me wish I’d worn a skirt. But nope. I’d worn pants, and they took a minute to strip. But because of his growl, I kept my panties on. I noticed his eyes trained on the red spot in the ceiling. He’d seen the camera.