Bad Boy Romance: Bad Marine (Bad Boy Military Romance) (Alpha Bad Boy New Adult Contemporary Male Stories) (12 page)

Mr. Steele pushed his way past Javier and into the apartment, flanked by two other plainclothes fellows.  He called Betty’s name several times with no response.  He scowled as one of them moved to the bathroom.  The tiny apartment was starting to feel a little too cramped.  Javier took a step towards the front door when he was accosted by one of the plainclothes.

“Get your hands off of me,” Javier warned.

“Mr. Romero, I advise you to be forthcoming about what you know about my daughter.”

“First off, Mr. Steele, let’s get something straight.  There’s not much you can do to me that I haven’t seen you do to my family, friends, or those you experimented on when I was in your care before.  Your threats don’t scare me.”

Mr. Steele smirked at Javier’s gullibility.  He may have been a part of the earlier experimentations in the earlier stages.  He had since improved his cross mixes, thanks in part to Betty’s DNA, which he was hell bent on obtaining one way or another.When he nodded in Drew’s direction, Drew moved fast and injected Javier at the base of his spine.

“You see, Mr. Ramos, Betty has something I want, and I need to obtain as much information as possible.  What my assistant injected you with is a special cocktail that will put your inner beast to sleep but still maintain the memories from both you of to be extracted.  You are going to feel a little woozy right about now.”

Joshua, the other man holding him, let Javier go as he hit the freshly polished wooden floor, feeling lethargic, dry mouthed, weak, and ready to throw up as a bunch of images flashed through his mind.  All of them were of Betty in class and nothing else as he ran through images spewing out the information like an ATM.  The last image of her sitting on the grass was all that remained when he began to dry heave from information overload.

“Thank you for that tidbit of information and what she looks like now.  No doubt she will change her appearance, but at least we have a general idea of what she looks and sounds like.  About that cocktail, it will wear off in about an hour or two, just in time for your soccer practice—if you can tolerate it and survive.”

Mr. Steele gestured towards the door as to say they were leaving.  As a second thought, Mr. Steele turned to face Javier, stepped, and let his foot fly, catching Javier in the ribs and hearing a sickening crunch.  He was satisfied that it provided a good warning about defiling him.

*              *              *

After driving for an hour and making it to Ione, she found a hotel.  Driving an addition three hours, as much as time would allow, she landed in Wilbur Springs. And she pulled into the  first hotel that she laid her eyes on.

Checking in and playing with cash, she grabbed a room at the back of the establishment.  She struggled into the room and headed straight to the shower and ran the water as hot as possible.  Peeling out of her clothes, she let her intra-vertebral DNA out.  The tiger tried to object, but she scratched the temperamental beast behind the ears to settle her.

After the bath, she went to her bag and pulled out the piece of paper, checking to see what he had written. 
916-533-7935.  It’s a secure line.  Only our kind has this number.  Use it at will.  Please be careful.  I still think we should go out once your issues have been resolved.   happy face included.

Betty had trained herself to greater distances of communications from the time that she ran away by periodically checking on those she had befriend on this lonely journey.  Lying on her side, she closed her eyes and concentrated, allowing the mustang’s speed to come forth as she ran like the wind to reach Javier.  She called on the wolf sense as she crept along the way to her place, checking to see if Javier was there.  Her wolf nudged him, but he didn’t move.  He was barely breathing.  She had to go back.  Recalling them faster than she really should have made her slightly queasy.  Her tiger began to pace in a nervous fit.

If she went back, she risked getting caught.  Betty stopped, pulled out the piece of paper, and made the call.  Four rings later, a heavily accented Spanish woman answered the phone.

“Hello.”

Betty cleared her throat and spoke.  “Javier needs help.  Please go to him.  The address is…”

There was a knock at the door.  She waited a few seconds and listened.  Snapping the phone shut and turning it off, she crawled off the bed and under it, making herself invisible as much as possible.  Blocking her trail from anyone like her and opening up another line, she allowed the snake within her to slither around to the door. 
Not my father.

Tears formed in her eyes; she was tired of this game.  She really wanted her mother, but knowing that she had given up her life to save hers was still heart breaking.  The memory came to mind of how her mother had tried to protect her from her father.

*              *              *

Darius Steele came barging in to the room while Miriam Steele was talking to her daughter about her track meet.  It had been such a good day.  That gleam in his eyes meant he was up to something.

“Darius,” Miriam warned.

“Yes, honey.” 

“What are you up to?”

“Nothing much.”  He took a capped syringe out of his pocket.

“Darius, no.”

“Look, Miriam, we agreed to this, and it has come time to insert her into the program.”

“We are not doing any such thing.  We agreed that she would be looked after, and if we had more children, we would consider this option, but not without explaining it to her.”

“Fuck that.  The time is now.”

“Darius, I am warning you.  Leave her alone.”

“Bullshit, you agreed that when she reached a certain age that she could and we would use her DNA.”

“Darius, we have been through this.  This is our only daughter.  That agreement was only if we had more children like her, and we don’t.”He held up the syringe. “None of the others have had an adverse reaction to the injection,” he argued. 
Then again, none of them will have as many types of DNA introduced to their system at once as well,
he thought.

Pushing Betty behind himself, Darius became upset with Miriam and backhanded her.  Betty was frozen with fear as her father yanked at her arm and plunged the needle into her shoulder and pushed the plunger down.  At first, she didn’t feel anything, so she wasn’t too worried about it.  Betty knelt to touch her mother’s still form.  Suddenly, her body felt like it was on fire.  She cried out in excruciating pain.  Her eyesight went blurry then sharpened with an uncanny focus.  It was surreal; everything seemed sharper and much clearer.  Her muscles twitched again, and she cried out a second time, this time cradling her head.  It felt enormous—all of this knowledge was being forced into her tiny cranial cavity—
why had she known the words to say about her head—
.and man did it hurt.  Breaking into a cold sweat, she felt like there was this beast prowling around inside herself, itching to get out.  She wanted to hit something to prove she was the bomb.  Several pairs of hands picked her up, and she watched helplessly as another transformation took place and her body began to convulse… Her mother never moved again.

Betty lay prone beneath the bed, sleeping soundly as those closest to her watched over her.  Her eyes finally fluttered open.  Her wolf nudged her hand as her tiger lay in front of her for warmth.

“Okay, guys.  I’m fine.  Sorry for the mental breakdown.  There’s a first time for everything.”

The sweet sound of her mother’s voice cut in. “Betty, you know you have to go back.  He needs you.”

“If I go back, then Daddy will get me.”

“No, he won’t.  You need to stop running.  How long are you going to run from him?  He always manages to track you down.  Maybe you need to stand up to him.”

“Yeah, well, look where that got you,” Betty argued as she crossed her arms.

“They will protect you.”

“I know they will.  They are a part of me.”

“I’m not talking about them.  I am talking about his people.  Besides, you have to go back to save him.”

“Damn it, Mother.”

“Don’t take that tone with me, missy.”

“Sorry, Mom.”

“I maybe brain dead and have no idea the reason why your father wants to keep me on life support, but I’m mostly all spirit.”

“How am I supposed to help Javier?”

“Your blood.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Look who’s talking.”

“You are right about one thing, Mom, since I am arguing with a dead person.”

“Smart ass.”

“Okay, okay, Mom, I’m going back.”

“Good girl.  I’ll be around if you need me.”

“I’ll always need you.”

A single tear slid down her face, and she swiped at it.  Blowing out a deep breath, she rolled from beneath the bed, looked at all her creatures, and made the announcement.  “I guess we are going back.”

Digging in the bag for clean clothes, she turned her phone back on.  It was warmer outside than she anticipated.  She dropped the room’s key off in the overnight box and headed back to Sacramento.

After driving for hours, she drove straight to Motel 6 on Mack Road and Power Inn.  Parking the car to the back of the facilities, turned on her phone and redialed the number.  This time, a male voice answered.  It sent shivers down her spine.

“Betty, is that you?” Javier asked.

“Damn, you sound good over the phone.”

“I am so glad that you are alive.”

“Hell, I’m happy to hear your voice as well.  Was it my father or his mob squad that did the damage?”

“I am sorry you had to deal with this, and I see why you were attempting to run away.  I’m not going to keep you.  I know you have some driving to do, and I need to go back into stasis.”

“Before you go, I just wanted to let you know I am back in town, and come high or hell water, I’m standing my ground.”

“Where are you going to stay?  You know you can’t stay at the place any longer.”

“Yeah, I know.  I’ll look for another place in a couple of hours.”

“No, you won’t.  You’ll stay with us.  Stop frowning.”

“How did you know I was frowning?” Betty asked.

“You tend to do that frequently.  I noticed over the brief conversations we had the last two days.”

“Oh.” 
I’ve never had a person pay that much attention to what I did before. 
“Where am I coming to?” she asked with a sigh.

Providing her instructions, she started up her vehicle to head to her destination.  Contemplating the last couple days, realizing that it was nice to feel needed, a feeling that was almost foreign. She remembered when her mother had requested her help in the kitchen to prepare dinner for the house.  Of course, that was before he father had taken a flying leap off the freeway with a kite.  They would often crack jokes and laugh while baking.  She remember one time when her mother had been making a peach cobbler and she had picked up one of the containers of what she had thought was sugar, and it had ended up being salt.  After sharing the meal together, they were ready for dessert.  As she had cut a slice of cobbler for the each of them, they had smiled at one another and then simultaneously filled their mouth with the scrumptious dessert but quickly realized that it wasn’t so scrumptious at all.  A lesson in futility, they had laughed about it and dumped the cobbler and settled on a bowl of ice cream instead.  That night, her mother had curled up with her in bed.

She ended up pulling in to a driveway that was overrun with trees and bushes, which opened up into a humungous circular driveway able to park at least twenty cars.  Finding a parking spot wasn’t a problem.  Parking the vehicle and stepping out, before she had a chance to shut the door, there was large grey wolf baring its teeth at her with the self-assured threat.  Betty’s wolf came to the forefront, eyes glittering, with the normal self-assuredness, but if the wolf thought he was going to intimidate her, it had another thing coming.

“Carl, back down,” Javier instructed.  A familiar voice soothed all of her inner creatures and the wolf.  Although, she wasn’t sure if the wolf was quite pacified.  Carl snorted and growled, still not trusting the newcomer.

“Don’t make me call Dad,” Javier threatened.  The wolf whimpered and trotted off.  “Sorry about that.”

“It’s not a problem.  I know most would perceive me as a threat, given...”  Betty trailed off.

A heavyset woman came bounding out of the house with a look of consternation.  Hands on her rounded hips, she said, “Javier, what do you think you are doing?  You are supposed to be in the bed, resting.  You are not completely healed.”

Javier rolled his eyes and, at the same time, stumbled a little.  Betty reached out to grab him, steading him on his feet.  “Shouldn’t you have healed by now?” she asked,  more as a fact than a question.

“Normally the answer would be yes, but your father’s cocktail has my whole system screwed up.”

Betty looked ashamed and down at the ground as they reached the main house.  Stopping shortly before the steps and looked down at her, he said, “Don’t do that.  You have every right for self-preservation.  After meeting your father, I understand why you opted to run away.”

Taking the steps to where his mother stood, Javier gave introductions.  “Mama, this is Betty.  Betty, this is my mother, Esmeralda Romero.”

Betty stuck out her hand to shake the elderly woman’s hand.  Esmeralda pulled her into a warm hug, something she knew that she missed.  After a few minutes, Betty stepped back to find a few other people standing in the door way.

“The little one back behind my mother is my sister, Lola.  Be careful—she can talk you ear off if you let her.  Then that strapping young man, standing to the left of Lola, is my younger brother, Jesus.  The gentleman on the other side of Lola is my father, Armando.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you,” Betty offered.

Lola’s high-pitched voice spoke over everyone.  “You smell weird.  You smell like a cat, a wet dog, and a horse.  What kind of shifter are you?”

“Lola,” Mrs. Romero began to lecture, “that is not polite to do with a guest.  How many times do I have to tell you about that?”

Betty interrupted.  “No, it’s all right.  I am a special breed.”

“What kind of breed is that?”

“Well, my DNA has been mixed with several others.”

Carlito snarled behind her, and Jesus and Lola stepped back when they saw her wolf emerge to the forefront again, turning to face Carlito.  The booming voice halted their action.  Mr. Romero shifted and confronted his son.

“She is a guest, and you will treat her with respect.”

“She is an outsider, and her father is the one who made us we are.”

Coming to the brownish wolf, she caressed his fur, periodically scratching behind his ears, putting him at ease and transforming seamlessly into the grey arctic wolf to communicate with Carl’s wolf.

“I mean you no harm.  My father is not the only one he did harm to others despite his Hippocratic Oath.  I have several animals’ DNA within this structure.  My father wants to harvest my blood because I am the only one of my kind.”

She prowled way from him, not to make Carl feel shitty, but he needed to know that she was no threat.  Again, she transformed into a large anaconda, slithering further away into a bush, towards the car. On the way, she transformed into the Bengal Tiger.  Reaching the end of Javier’s vehicle again, she moved into the mustang and finally back to herself.

“There is also an unknown type of DNA mixed in.  Again, I did not show you all that to freak you all out but to let you know you are not the only ones that endured hardship.  For five years, my father repeatedly drew blood to attempt to create another like me, until one of the men took pity on me and cut me loose.  He gave me all the money he had in his wallet, $600, and smuggled me out.  He gave me instructions to leave town and to always keep a low profile.  I did that, until…”

“When you started school here,” Javier finished.

“Like I said, I don’t want any harm to come to you and your family.”

Mr. and Mrs. Romero approached her cautiously.  She looked like her flight-or-fight response was about to kick in.  Mrs. Romero gathered Betty into her arms and held her close while Mr. Romero stroked her head.

“There is no need for you to leave.  We are family regardless of what we are.  We have friends that are different shifters, and they will gladly protect you as well.  Carlito is leery about everyone who comes near.  Once he gets to know you, things will change.”

Betty sniffed.  She felt so loved.  Then she heard Lola call for her mother.  She looked over to see that Javier had hit the ground and was lying there, unconscious.

“I know I really hate to do this, but I need to know if you have any shifters that are doctors.”

“Yes, Lola, call Dr. Sweets.”

“Aw, man, do I have to?” Lola begged.

“Jesus.”

“On it, Dad.”

Jesus took off inside as his father carried Javier inside to the bed.

“What are you thinking?”

“Please don’t think I am crazy, but my mother said the only way to save Javier would be my blood.”

“I thought you said your mother was dead.”

“She is.  It’s a long story.”

Carlito was at her side, not sure what to make of her.

“Why does he stay in wolf form?” 

“We just assumed he would rather stay that way.”

“Haven’t you ever asked him?”

“He’s doesn’t respond.  There was time when he would shift to human form, but for the last couple of years, he’s stayed in this form.”

Betty looked at Carlito, tilted her head, and then nodded as if understanding.  A big, huge, burly man came into the room.  His broad shoulder made her feel tiny.  He had deep chocolate eyes.  Opening her sense, she realized he was a bear shifter.  She shivered.

“What’s going on, Armando?  Jesus said you needed my help.”  He wrinkled his nose.

  “Who is she, and why does she stink?”

Betty rolled her eyes when Lola piped up.

  “See, I’m not the only one who thinks she stinks.”

“Lola!” Jesus and Mr. Romero scolded her.

“Why is she here?”

“Sweets, give her a break.  I know everyone is leery of her, but it wasn’t for her, Javier wouldn’t be alive.  She needs your assistance.  I’ll let her explain.”

“I need you draw my blood and inject it into Javier.”

Sweets looked at her like she lost her mind. 

“Have you lost your mind, Armando?” Dr. Sweets asked.

“Look, there’s not much time.”

“I trust her.”

Bracing for the needle, she closed her eyes.  Dr. Sweets was none too gentle, but she understood the reason why.  She applied pressure to the site and watched as Dr. Sweets injected Javier, crossing her fingers, hoping it worked and hoping he wouldn’t have to go through the changes she had to experience.  An hour went by with no changes.  She refused to leave Javier’s side as Carlito sat at her foot.  Two more hours went by, and she began to get antsy.  Her mother’s voice hovered just at the edge of her mind, worrying her.

“The cells are being repair.  Calm down.  You are making everyone tense.”

“If this doesn’t work and he dies, I am going to feel responsible for the crazy that these people will unleash, and I am going to deserve it.”

“You are not crazy.”

“Really, I’m talking to a ghost for goodness sake.”

A giggle came from her mother.  “Yeah, I know, but still, you aren’t.  You need to eat, Betty.  You are pushing yourself beyond your limits.”

“I’m not hungry.”  Her stomach growled just as she finished the words.  “Okay, so I’m hungry.  I’ll eat after he wakes up.”

The ghost of her mother stared at the wolf as if trying to implore him to get Betty to get something to eat when Ms. Romero appeared in the doorway with a plate of food.

“You need to eat something, Betty.”

“Thanks, Ms. Romero, but I’ll eat once Javier wakes.”

“That might be a while.”

“I know.”

Another three hours passed.  She was started to feel the hunger.  She had shifted more and used all of her energy; then she had to give up blood, albeit for a good cause, but she was feeling the effects.  She stood and fell to her knees.  Her stomach roiling, she crawled over to the garbage can, and she began to puke.  At the sound of the retching, Ms. Romero entered the room at the same time Javier’s eyes popped open.  He felt refreshed and knew something had changed within but wasn’t sure what it was.  Carlito bounded to the bed and licked Javier’s face to express his joy of seeing his brother up.

Javier, feeling much stronger than before, asked his mother what was going on.  She told him she wasn’t sure but that Betty just started getting sick.  She hadn’t eaten anything.  Javier took the wet cloth from his mother while she twisted Betty’s hair up and clipped it to avoid getting vomit in her hair.  Javier reached down and felt her burning up.  He was worried.

She had a reprieve.  “Mom, I need to get her in the shower.  She is burning up.  Can you fix some soup for her and bring a can of ginger ale?”

Javier headed to the bathroom.  He sat on the toilet with her in his lap.  She mumbled something, and he kissed her sweaty forehead, giving her some type of assurance that everything would be all right.  His mother reached into the shower and turned on the shower.  Lukewarm water streamed down.  His mother helped her remove her clothing.  He noticed the scars on her lower back as if someone continuously cut her.  He made a mental note to ask her about them then climbed into the water with her.  Helping her stand up, she moaned that the water was too cold.  She began to shiver even though the temperature was through the roof.  He wondered how her shifter animals were faring.  Ironically, he could sense them, and they all seemed restless.  They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, her half naked and him fully clothed for about an hour.

Mrs. Romero came back into the bathroom with one of her plush bath sheets.  Javier reached over and turned the water off.  His mother sat on the toilet and waited for him to hand Betty over.  Rubbing the towel lightly over her skin, caring for her as if she were her daughter, Betty began to whimper.

“Shush, nina.  It’s okay.  You’ll get something to eat and sleep for a while; Carlito will watch over you, and then everything will be all right.”

Javier stripped out of his clothing and dried off.  Going into his room, he grabbed a pair of shorts and two t-shirts, hauling one over her head and taking the other one to his mother.  Sitting Betty up, they got the t-shirt situated.

“Do you think you can walk?” Javier asked Betty.

A weak, “Yes” came from her mouth.

They helped her stand, and Javier wrapped an arm around her waist.  He got her to the bed and helped her in.  His mother headed to the kitchen and brought back the soup.  Betty tried to fight the food; she just wanted to sleep at this point.

“I know, honey, but you need to eat something first.  Then, you can go to sleep,” Javier assured her.

Too weak to fight, she slurped the spoon full of broth that was lifted to her lips each time until she had consumed it all.  He placed the bowl on the dresser and asked Carlito to keep watch outside the door.  Closing the door behind himself, he climbed into the bed next to her, drawing her body flush to his, and he snaked an arm around her waist.