New Species 04 Justice (43 page)

doesn’t matter. I don’t want…”

Jessie tried to clear the spots that appeared before her eyes. She swallowed, her lips

feeling numb and her tongue heavy. She tried to reach up to feel her mouth but her

arms refused to lift. The meaning of her symptoms sank in but it was too late. Her eyes

widened with shock as she stared at Ellie.

“You drugged me.”

Ellie stepped back. “I’m sorry but you’re in shock and wouldn’t listen to reason.

You and Justice are both safe. Just…”

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Justice

Tiger caught Jessie as her body slumped. He grabbed the gun and handed it to

Fury. He lifted her into the cradle of his arms, sat on the desk and held her against his chest.

“Thank you, Ellie. I know it was a lot to ask but I thought if she’d take food or drink

from anyone, it would be you because you are human and you love a Species. She

knows you can relate to her situation.”

“I feel like shit,” Ellie admitted. “Did she really kill four of them?”

Tiger nodded. “The son of a bitch leading them used a knife and stabbed Justice

with it. When I came in she stood over Justice to protect him with two guns in her

hands. She nearly shot us. The remaining son of a bitch decided to make a last-ditch

effort to try to kill her or Justice when he threw himself through the slider door. She

reacted before any of us could and sank five bullets into the bastard before he plowed

into her. He was dead before he ever knew what hit him.”

“Jessie is afraid she started a civil war,” Halfpint informed them.

Ellie spun. “She said that?”

Tiny bit her lip. “What is it?”

“Not something that will ever happen here,” Fury growled. “It’s where members of

the same group of people turn on each other and fight to the death. It is when one splits into two and fight for dominance.”

“That will never happen,” Breeze agreed. “We have enough idiots to fight without

taking on each other.”

Laugher sounded around the room. Tiger didn’t laugh.

“We have secured everyone from testing facility five here and at Reservation,”

Tiger growled. “Jessie doesn’t trust them and I have to agree. We can’t be sure of what

they had to deal with in Colorado. Some of them might attack again.”

“Do you want to put her down?” Ellie glanced at Jessie on Tiger’s lap.

“I will put her in bed with Justice when the doctor says it is fine. He would want

her there and I want to keep her close to him.”

“We’re going to have to talk to each of the new ones.” Fury shifted his stance. “I

hate to say it but if they can’t be a part of us, I don’t want them running around.”

“Fury!” Ellie gasped. “Are you saying we should kill them?”

“I said I don’t want them running around. Maybe we can contain the dangerous

ones until they smarten up.”

“Justice will decide. For now,” Tiger peered down at Jessie’s sleeping form, “we

have them separated and accounted for. I have officers talking to all of them to see

where their heads are. My main concern is Jessie. She is either going to recover from

this or she’s going to shoot anyone she doesn’t trust who goes near Justice.” He

suddenly grinned. “Hey, she could shoot reporters. That’s a plan.”

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Fury chuckled. “Don’t get excited. I know how great that would be but then Justice

would be angry to have a mate locked up at a slammer.”

“It’s ‘in the slammer’. And yes, that would be bad for her to be sent to prison. Of

course, as his mate, she’s a Species and they can’t take her away since their laws don’t

apply here.” Ellie pointed a finger at Tiger. “Don’t think about it and wipe that grin off your face. You can’t send her after them no matter how much you hate those vultures.

Did anyone call her father? Maybe he could help her snap out of this and realize it’s not as bad as she thinks.”

“No humans,” Tiger announced. “Imagine how it would sound if this got out.

We’re going for the ‘we are better people’ campaign and now we have five dead Species

assassins. It would be a disaster.”

“Public relations nightmare all the way,” Fury agreed. “Her father isn’t going to be

called.”

The door to Justice’s room opened and Nurse Paul stepped out. “He’s doing great.”

Paul glanced at Jessie in Tiger’s arms. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t know she fell

asleep. Justice is going to be fine and should wake soon.”

Tiger pushed off from the desk. “Good. Let’s go into his room and I’ll put her next

to him.”

Paul shook his head. “She can’t be put in bed with him.”

Tiger arched his eyebrow. “Really? Stop me from putting her there.” He pushed

past Paul.

Tiger gently laid Jessie on the bed beside Justice. Both of them slept while he

watched them. Pure rage filled him. His best friend and his mate could have been

killed. His focus fixed on Jessie and his anger softened. She was tough and she loved

Justice. His best friend had chosen his mate well. He backed away from the bed to leave

them in peace and go back to sit on the desk.

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Justice woke and realized three things instantly. Jessie lay beside him sleeping, he

was in pain and Tiger sat in a chair next to him, silently regarding him with a grim

expression. He’d survived the attack since he was in Medical.

“How bad are my injuries and did you catch the fifth male?”

“Jessie killed him. You had surgery but you’re going to be fine within a few days. I

had Doctor Treadmont give you the drugs to help you heal faster so that’s the reason if

you feel a little aggressive. Please control it.”

Justice turned his head to study Jessie. She lay curled on her side facing him, his

arm rested under her head and his hand curved around her back. He didn’t see a mark

on her delicate features, reassuring him she hadn’t been harmed. He felt relief. His

attention shifted back to Tiger.

“When did she fall asleep?”

“She didn’t.” Tiger hesitated. “Don’t get mad because I can explain. She’s drugged.

We had no other choice.”

“Why?” Justice growled softly. “Was she harmed and needs the rest to heal?”

“She’s fine except for the fact that you gave her two loaded guns with spare clips

and she stood outside this room threatening to kill any Species besides Breeze or me if

they came within ten feet of your door. She meant it. She said she would trust me since

you do and she trusts Breeze because she’s her friend.”

“She doesn’t know who to trust after the males came after us.” He smiled. “She

defied my orders to remain in the bathroom and saved my life. She is battleworthy,

Tiger. You should have seen her.”

“I did. We arrived and found her planted protectively over you and holding two

guns. I’m lucky to be here because she pointed them right at me. The fifth male was

outside the back slider of your office. He must have realized when we arrived that he

had one last opportunity to kill both of you. He launched himself through the glass. She

turned both guns on him, didn’t miss once and he was dead before he ever touched

either of you. She reacted before I could. We had to drug her, Justice. She was in shock

and told Halfpint and Tiny that she thought we were going to suffer a civil war. She

was ready to kill any of us who got near you, thinking we’d split loyalties. She’s very

protective of you.”

Justice grinned and his arm tightened around her. “She’s a perfect mate.”

Tiger laughed. “I’d say so. Remind me to never piss you off. She’ll hurt me.”

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“I’ll explain things to her when the drugs wear off.” Justice paused. “We need to

weed out the new ones to make sure none of them want to come after Jessie or me. I

won’t allow that to happen.”

“I thought of that already and ordered all of the new ones, including the females, to

be detained for questioning. Our officers are talking to each of them to see if we have

any more problems.” He paused. “We will deal with them if there are more of them

who hate humans enough to turn on their own people. We can’t allow them to

endanger any of us if they are unstable.”

“I know.” Justice sighed. “Did you ever think we’d be discussing this?”

“Never. It must be done though.”

“Yes.”

“The council is in the waiting room. They wanted to ask you to give permission for

them to take over your duties while you are healing. They asked me to tell you that if

you need to take some time to,” Tiger’s gaze drifted to Jessie, “calm your female, please take as many weeks away as you need.” A grin suddenly split his face. “Everyone is

requesting you hide your weapons from her in the future.”

“She can keep them after she realizes this won’t happen again.” Justice suddenly

laughed. It hurt and he groaned. “I would feel safer at night knowing she has access to a gun. She can protect me but I’ll hide them when I make her angry.”

Tiger laughed. “Should I tell everyone that is the reason why you won’t take her

guns away? They might believe it and not know you are teasing.”

“No.” Justice laughed. “Just tell them I’ll think about it.” His smile suddenly died.

He glanced at Jessie and then Tiger. “Did she say anything about me?”

“She was worried and she cried when we thought you weren’t going to make it.”

“I meant about how I tore apart the first male who came at our bedroom? Was she

horrified? Upset? Sickened? I never wanted her to see that side of me.”

“She never said a word but I saw the body. She walked through his blood and had

to have known how you killed him. It was obvious. Didn’t you tell her we don’t use

weapons against one another? That it is our way? Didn’t you tell her that we were sure

it would result in death if our males ever fought when it comes to protecting a mate?”

“I never explained it clearly, in enough detail.”

“You are afraid she won’t be able to look at you again and not remember? I’m sure

she’ll still love you.”

“I ‘m worried she will fear me.”

“You are her male, Justice. Her mate. You tore your bed apart at Reservation, over a

female. She was the one, wasn’t she? She was there that night but had to leave suddenly

for her job. I had to allow their helicopter to land to pick her up during your press

conference with the reporters outside the gates. I should have put it together but I

assumed the female was one of ours.”

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“I should have told you but you know how you are when it comes to our males and

humans. You’d have worried. She is all I’ve wanted since I first touched her and all I

could think about.”

“She will get over it if it bothers her, Justice. She is not new to you. She knows you

and still put herself in your bed. That is trust that you would never cause her harm. She killed to protect you and sat out there on the other side of the door pointing two guns at council members.” Tiger laughed. “She thought she was protecting you.”

Justice groaned. “She didn’t.”

“She certainly did. They were amused but they stayed more than ten feet back.

Well, except for Brawn. He walked closer. You know how he loves to push things.”

“What happened?”

“She pointed one of her guns at the front of his jeans and told him unless he wanted

neutered he should step back. He backed up.”

Justice chuckled. “I wish I could have seen that.”

Tiger grinned. “I did and I’ll have many laughs over the memory. Speaking of

Brawn, they realized you hadn’t chosen anyone to take Jessie’s place on the task team

and they knew you had a meeting with Tim this morning. Brawn met with him instead

and volunteered for the job. He left half an hour ago.”

Justice tensed. “The task force?”

A grin split Tiger’s face. “Won’t they be in for a treat?”

“You should have stopped him.”

Tiger laughed harder. “You are the one who agreed they could help you make

decisions and take on some of your responsibilities.”

Justice relaxed and smiled. “I wish I could see him interact with humans. What a

nightmare. He would have been my last choice. I was thinking Flame would have been

perfect since he enjoys spending time with humans.”

“Yeah.” Tiger chuckled. “I agree but they got Brawn instead. Poor Tim.”

Jessie suddenly stirred next to Justice. He turned to her, ignoring Tiger. Jessie’s eyes

flickered open and he smiled at her, cupping her face. “Hi, Jessie.”

Jessie smiled in return but memory returned as her eyes widened with alarm. She

tried to jerk up in the bed but Justice held her down by tightening his hold on her. “It’s over. We’re safe. Calm down, honey.”

Jessie flashed her gaze around the room and found Tiger. She glared. “You had

Ellie drug me.”

“I did. You wouldn’t listen so I thought you would listen to Justice.” He stood and

walked out of the room.

Jessie was furious. “He had me drugged.”

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Justice grinned. “He was probably afraid my mate was going to kill him. I’m proud

of you but…” His smile disappeared. “I’m going to punish you for disobedience. You

should have stayed inside the bathroom.”

“I saved your ass.”

“I know. Thank you. You still need to be punished and I decided the best way to

teach you a lesson.”

She was pissed off. “You can’t be serious? I saved your life, Justice. Just because I’m

a human doesn’t mean I had to hide inside the bathroom. You never would have asked