Eve Vaughn (7 page)

- 62 -

settle the score with Zavian. His conscience wouldn’t allow him to leave things as they were, with the uncertain future of the animals and his fellow zookeepers. It was the least he could do.

He’d been keeping a log of Zavian’s activities and only needed to get it into the right hands.

Who would have thought one tiny
Human
female would turn his world around?

A smile touched his lips as he slid back into bed, pulling her warm body against his. He inhaled deeply, taking in her feminine scent. The air was permeated with their sex and his cocks grew hard once again. As much as Dar wanted to wake her and bury himself deep within her tight holes once again, he knew she needed the rest. Having studied her sleep patterns during her captivity, he knew she hadn’t received the rest she truly needed. Besides, he’d be on night duty for a while and they’d have more chances to make love.

He dropped a kiss on her skin where her neck and shoulder connected. He vowed he’d always keep her safe, no matter what, even if it meant laying his own life on the line.

Holly refused to be thwarted this time. She wanted answers and wouldn’t leave this godforsaken clinic until she had them. There was no way she could sit back and pretend her friend wasn’t missing and this conspiracy seemed to be getting bigger the more she learned.

Besides, the realization that anyone over a certain age residing in her city was missing, Holly also noticed everyone was healthy. Riding the train home one day, she felt a bit of a headache coming on. She often got migraines in times of stress and there was nothing more worrisome than wondering what had happened to your best friend.

She’d been holding her head in her hands when the passenger sitting next to her suggested she go to the wellness center to be checked out because of the amazing cures the Cyrellians were developing for something so simple as head pains.

This was the first time Holly had heard anything like it, and it got her to thinking. It had been quite a long time since she’d witnessed anyone so much as coughing. At her job, no one ever called out sick and everyone seemed to be in the best of health. The odds of that being possible seemed slim. If her suspicions had been aroused before, there were definitely sirens going off in her head now.

What’s more, why was she the only one asking questions? Could it be that something happened to those who dared to investigate what was going on? Discreetly she began making inquiries about this so called wellness center and soon found it to be the same place Bella was to have had her operation. This was no mere coincidence.

Something was definitely going on.

If they wouldn’t see her when she wanted to find out what was happening then she’d have to come up with a reason for being there, which brought her here to the waiting room of the clinic, waiting for someone to call her in to see the doctor. Holly

- 64 -

had lied about having strange symptoms in order for them to schedule an immediate appointment.

Sydney would probably think she was nuts for coming here. She fidgeted nervously in her seat, unable to keep still. What would she find out, if anything? Would they try something on her?

But the fact remained, Bella had now been missing for over a month. Not even Sydney could deny that something wasn’t on the up and up, though she was still cautious in admitting the Cyrellians had anything to do with the disappearance. Holly wanted to shake that woman and make her see sense.

As she waited, Holly got the distinct impression she was being watched. Her already paranoid senses were on high alert, but she steeled herself to remain calm. She didn’t see any cameras lurking in the nooks or crannies of the room, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any.

She couldn’t shake that feeling of being watched. There were only a couple other people in the room. Then she spotted
him
. Staring at her with an intense dark brown gaze was a man who looked like he could have belonged to a biker gang. With a shaggy mane of dark blond curls, the lower half of his face covered in stubble and thick arms corded with sinewy muscles, something within her responded to his blatant masculinity.

Why was he looking at her as if he wanted something from her, like her body?

He was probably just trying to get a rise out of her to see if she’d fall for the bait and then do something cruel.

Screw him.

Holly picked up a magazine and glanced at the pages, not really seeing them at all, only to have a snicker greet her ears. She glanced his way to see the rude jerk was still staring at her.

She shot a glare in his direction before trying to refocus on her magazine. All Holly saw was a big blur in front of her, but he didn’t have to know that. She wished he’d look at something else, but it seemed as though she wouldn’t get what she wanted

- 65 -

today because the next thing she knew, he was beside her, sliding his lean frame into the chair next to her.

He had an earthy smell about him as if he spent a lot of time outdoors. It wasn’t unpleasant, but she crinkled her nose in distaste all the same to let him know his company wasn’t desired. Besides, Holly wasn’t exactly sure why she was so aware of the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes, or the fullness of his lips.

It had been her intention to ignore him, but when he continued to stare at her, she finally snapped, turning her anger and prior frustration his way. “Do you mind?” He raised a brown brow as though surprised at the vehemence in her voice, but other than that he didn’t give much of a reaction. “Actually, I was wondering if you could teach me that neat trick of yours.” The deep, dulcet tone of his voice left her momentarily speechless.

When Holly finally found her voice, her words came out a bit sharper than she’d intended. “What the hell are you talking about?” He pointed to her magazine. “Reading upside down.” Heat rose in her face and she was sure her face was now darn near the color of her hair. She immediately righted the position of the periodical. “I wouldn’t have had it upside down if you weren’t staring at me. Hasn’t anyone taught you better than that?”

“Can’t say they have. Would you like the job?” His grin widened revealing large white teeth. One of his front ones slightly overlapped the other but it was charming, giving him more character.

Had the room grown warm or was it her? Not comfortable with the way things were going, Holly went on the attack, not knowing how else to deal with the devilishly attractive man. After all, he could only be teasing the chubby chick for his own sick amusement. “No, I’m not interested, not that you could afford to pay me anyway. I don’t go for the dirty vagrant type.” The moment those words left her lips, she was appalled by what she’d said. It wasn’t in her to be so cruel, but there was just something about this man that made her feel… she couldn’t put her finger on it, nor did she want to examine it.

- 66 -

The easy smile he’d given her fell, and his brown eyes narrowed. “A snotty one aren’t you, Red?”

She hated when people called her that. It was one step above carrot top, but not much higher on the chain of name calling. Instinct told her to apologize, but he’d already gotten under her skin more than she cared to admit. She’d have to brazen it out.

“Only to those people whose company I didn’t ask for. Now if you don’t mind moving, I’d really appreciate it. And by the way, it’s called soap, use it,” she hissed turning away from him.

Holly stood up and would have stalked to the other side of the room, when he grabbed her wrists. “Let go of --”

His eyes narrowed as his hold tightened when she tried to free herself from his vise grip. “Word of warning, sweetheart, something big is about to happen here, and I’d advise you to get out of here while you can.” She ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips noticing how his dark gaze latched on to that particular movement. She couldn’t ignore the electricity flowing between them, but his words had taken her aback. “What are you talking about?”

“Just heed my words. Get out now. I’d say you have about five minutes to get at least fifty feet from the building.”

Her eyes widened. The implication of what he’d just told her wasn’t lost on Holly. “You’re going to blow --”

With one swift movement, he stood up and covered her mouth, not allowing her to speak. “Shut up, and come with me now if you don’t want to be confetti.” Not waiting for her answer, he pulled her along with him.

Holly was too stunned to fight or struggle. What the hell was going on? What mess had she just landed herself into? This was getting weirder by the minute.

Once they were outside of the building, Holly came to her senses. She had to go back and get the answers she sought. How else would she find out what had happened to Bella?

- 67 -

She gave him a hard shove, knocking him off balance, hoping he’d let her go, but instead when he fell, he took her down with him, and she landed on the hard wall of his chest with an
oomph
.

Holly tried to get up, but he held her. “Let me go or I’ll scream,” she yelled. “I have to get back in there.”

“Not on your life, Red,” he whispered.

“Why the hell not?” Her temper was threatening to blow out of proportion with this arrogant jerk.

Not seconds after she’d asked him a loud explosion blasted behind her. Holly swiveled her head around enough to see what had happened. The building she’d been sitting in only minutes before had just been blown to smithereens.

Her jaw dropped. Words formed in the back of her throat, but none came out.

She turned her gaze back to the mystery man still holding her against him.

“That’s why,” he answered.

* * *

“You had better be careful, Bella. The one called Zavian has been showing a marked interested in our exhibit lately. He walks by when he doesn’t think anyone is paying attention, and he watches, as if trying to find some kind of clue. He’s up to something I think,” David warned, running his hands through his fair hair. “God, what I wouldn’t give for a long hot soak in a real tub. Who would have thought I’d end up in a damned zoo of all places?”

Bella knew exactly how he felt. She was in the same predicament, but not for long. Dar assured her she would be free of this place soon. After that night, she was placed in the regular exhibit cage with Quark, who she’d soon learned was really named David. He had been wary of her in the beginning. The first day he stayed away as if trying to gauge how she’d react around him. He probably wondered at the tenderness Dar showed her. It didn’t take much longer for him to relax around her and he soon opened up, telling her his story.

- 68 -

It turned out that David had ended up in this place for asking too many questions. He’d been working at his job in a middle management position at a repair center when he began to wonder about new regulations his employers had decided to enact, one of those being placing bugs in the homes of the clients they visited. His bosses had told him it was for quality control to ensure the customers were satisfied, but it had made no sense to him.

When his suspicions became known to the powers that be because one day he was called to the Human Resources department. One minute he was lucid, and the next thing he knew he’d woken up naked with three gold men examining him like he was a bug on a Petri dish.

They’d both come to the conclusion that the Cyrellians weren’t the unselfish benefactors they wanted the people of Earth to believe. Coupled with the information Dar had told her, they realized something needed to be done. On one of the nights Dar had taken her out of the cage and into the private zookeeper hut, he told her of his plan to break her out.

She’d waited weeks and she knew tonight would be the night she’d be set free, but she had made Dar promise they’d take David with them. There was no way she could leave him behind in this place, to suffer the humiliation of being ogled by a bunch of Flymrlians.

The most embarrassing part about being a living display was when the visitors threw food into the cage, expecting her and David to perform tricks. And then there were those who yelled rude things. For once Bella was thankful she was deaf. David however wasn’t spared. She could tell when something particularly nasty was said by the expression on his face.

She knew the head zookeeper expected her and David to have sex, perhaps to make babies they could keep in captivity. If their situation wasn’t so dire, Bella would laugh at the entire ordeal. David was openly gay and made no apology for it. “I know who I am, and am quite happy with it.”

- 69 -

Their obvious disinterest in each other didn’t seem to stop the head zookeeper from coming into the cage occasionally and pushing them together as though something would magically happen between them. She wanted to scream at him that it didn’t work that way, and would have if she’d had a better grasp of their language.

What Dar had taught her wasn’t enough for her to hold a complete conversation yet.

Still, it would all come to an end tonight. Dar usually started work just when the sun was beginning to set. “Does it really matter what Zavian does? We’re getting out of here tonight,” she replied turning away from David. Nothing could bring her down today.

A hand fell on her shoulder. David turned her around to face him, an earnest expression on his face. “Bella, I know you’re excited, and I truly think you believe Dar, but how do you know he’s not just toying with you? After all, they view us as animals.

Maybe he’s into kinky sex. Who’s to say he’s not getting it on with the other animals?” Bella’s stomach turned at the thought. Her fingers itched to smack David across the face for even making such a sick suggestion, but reason took over. He’d suggested it not out of malice but out of concern. “Dar and I are in love. I know he’ll come for us tonight. He’s let me know his plans and we’re going to some planet called -- Ta-Tabehr, yes that’s it.”

He shrugged. “Even if he does free us, what then? We can’t hide out there forever, knowing what the Cyrellians are up to. I still have family on Earth. If we do get to Tabehr, I’ll have to find a way to make it back home because there’s no way I’ll allow them to destroy Earth if there’s something I can do to stop it.” Bella had thought the same thing. It was something she’d brought up with Dar in conversation. He seemed to understand what she’d been trying to tell him, but did he actually empathize? Would he find a way to get them back on Earth? David was right.

Her conscience wouldn’t let her live happily ever after when all she knew would soon be gone. Not seeing Holly or Sydney again cut deep. They were like her sisters.

- 70 -

She finally nodded. “You’re right. We have to do something about it. When we’re off this damned planet we’ll come up with a way to get back to Earth, although I’m sure the Cyrellians would be monitoring all incoming ships.” David rubbed his fingers under his chin, in deep thought. “Hmm, not necessarily.”