New Species 13 Smiley (6 page)

“I can’t.” He didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“You don’t have to do anything to me with your mouth if your
jaw hurts.” She dropped the vest on a chair and reached for the waist of her
shirt.

“Stop!” Smiley inwardly winced. “I appreciate that you came
here but I have another female’s scent all over me.” That was true. He could
smell Vanni on him. They’d rubbed together, skin to skin, covered in sweat and
he’d touched her all over. His dick hardened even more, a painful throb in his
jeans. Someone had fastened them when he’d been out but he still wore the same
pants. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“I know. I could give you a sponge bath or we could shower
together. Poor Smiley. Was it horrible having to touch a human against your
will? I’ll make you forget about her.”

Horrible? Hell no.
Smiley wanted to put his hands on
Vanni again. She wasn’t the female standing feet from him, offering to get
naked though. That was the problem.
Forget Vanni? Never. I want her found
and brought to me.

Midnight snagged the discarded vest and stepped between him
and Rusty, her back to Smiley. “He’s in pain and agitated. We have to run
X-rays on his jaw to make certain Brass didn’t fracture it. You know how tough
our males are. They’d never complain. Why don’t you return to the women’s dorm?
I’ll call you if you’re needed.”

“He’s my friend and I’m not leaving him in this condition,”
Rusty protested.

Midnight growled. “Let me rephrase that. Go to the women’s
dorm, or wherever you were when you heard the news, but get out of Medical. I’m
running X-rays on his jaw. He isn’t permitted to share sex until he’s cleared.”

“He needs me.” Rusty wasn’t willing to give up yet.

“You stay and you’ll need your own room.” Midnight stepped
forward, bumped into the other female and pushed her back. “Do you want to test
who is more dominant? I’ll kick your ass.”

“Why are you being this way?” Rusty sounded confused.

“We’re in a crisis and you need to leave. I’ll call you if
things change. Go.” She handed the vest to Rusty.

Smiley relaxed a little when Rusty spun on her heel and
stomped out of his room. Midnight turned and sighed. Her expression softened when
she said, “You’re too nice.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You have an expressive face, Smiley. She was too busy
staring at your lower half to see your dismayed reaction when she offered to
share sex. She was pretty hot to get you out of those pants. A primate Species
on a breeding drug probably is an experience she either wanted to try out or
perhaps missed from Mercile days. Would you have agreed to it if I hadn’t made
her leave, just to avoid hurting her feelings?”

“No. Maybe.”

“That’s what I figured. Now it’s not an issue.” She put her
hands on her hips. “My work here is done. I’ll let you males argue. I have some
calls to make so I’ll be in my office.” She left.

Fury’s phone beeped and he withdrew it, reading the screen.

“Is it about Vanni? Has she been found? Is she safe?” Smiley
hoped so.

Fury’s lips compressed into a tight light and he looked up. “That
was Brass. The news isn’t good.”

Smiley sat hard on the bed, gripping the edges of the
mattress. “She’s dead?” Just saying the words hurt. He didn’t want to believe
it.

Fury put his phone back in his pocket and approached. “Her
name is Travanni Abris. She wasn’t registered at the hotel because she was a
guest of a group that booked an entire floor of rooms.”

“Is she dead?” he repeated, not sure what he’d do if Fury
said yes. The meal he’d eaten early in the evening threatened to come up.

“We haven’t located her yet.” Fury paused. “She was with the
Woods Church, Smiley.”

He’d heard that name before. It took him a moment to
remember where. “The church that came to protest our presence at the
conference?”

“Yes. Gregory Woods is a preacher or something, who heads
that church. He’s been very vocal in the news concerning his belief that we
should never have been created and insists our existence is an insult to his
god. He wants Homeland and Reservation shut down and all of us returned to our
cells. He refers to Homeland and Reservation as zoos.”

Smiley let the information sink in. “Why would he say that?”

Fury shrugged. “He’s an asshole. I had to watch some of his
televised sermons for research purposes. Know your enemies. He compared us to
animals that have been trained to talk and dress as if we are humans. He states
that wild animals shouldn’t be domesticated and it is a disaster about to
happen. He even referenced a few horror movies for what could happen if we aren’t
put back in cages and kept in our place. His tactics are to use fear to
frighten humans into believing we’ll take over the world and put them in cages
instead.”

“He sounds like someone I’d like to lock up.”

Fury flashed a grin. “Exactly.”

Smiley couldn’t find the humor in their exchange. Vanni
obviously belonged to a church that hated Species. He reviewed every moment
they’d shared. “She didn’t treat me the way humans who think we’re dangerous
do. You know how they act as if we’re going to bite them or they talk slowly as
if we can’t understand what they say?”

Fury nodded.

“I liked her,” he admitted.

“She drugged you. At least now we know who Drackwood
Research sold the formula to. The Woods Church obviously bought the human
version of our breeding drug.”

Dr. Harris walked in. “How are you feeling, Smiley?”

“I’m okay. The pain is gone.”

“I see you’re still suffering an erection. I’m going to have
to drain the blood if that side effect doesn’t go away within a few hours.”

Smiley reached down and protected his crotch with one hand. “No.
I told you that already when you mentioned it the first time.”

“Priapism can cause you to suffer erectile dysfunction in
the future, Smiley.”

“What is that?”

“Priapism means long-term erections. Can you ejaculate?”

The memory of being on top of Vanni, inside her and coming
flashed through Smiley’s mind. “Yes.”

“We’re not like you,” Fury reminded the younger of the two
Harris doctors who worked for the NSO—father and son. “None of us who have
taken the breeding drug have trouble getting hard afterward. That was the point
when Mercile created it. They wanted to make sure we had sex often when they
were attempting to impregnate our females.”

“Do you feel like yourself?” Dr. Harris studied Smiley.

“I’m a bit irritated but I’m fine.” He’d feel better if they
located Vanni and brought her to Homeland so he knew she was safe. “The stomach
cramps are gone.”

“How are your levels of aggression?”

“Still high.” He wouldn’t lie. The urge to hit something was
there but he resisted. The last thing he wanted was to be restrained if they
worried he would hurt someone. “It’s manageable.”

“Some of our tests have been confirmed. It is a form of the
breeding drug, albeit a milder version. I wish I could send it off to a friend
of mine to look at but Justice said no.”

“The last thing we need is to hand another weapon against us
over to unknowns.” Fury’s phone beeped. He retrieved it and he glanced at the
screen. “I’m with Justice on this. It’s too risky. Hang on. I have to take
this.” He rushed out of the room.

“What would the milder version do to a human?”

“I’m not sure. I’d have to examine her. I was told she
escaped custody.”

“Is she going to die?”

“I don’t know.”

It infuriated Smiley. “What do you know?”

Dr. Harris backed away. “Calm down.”

“I just keep thinking she woke up in pain and ran away. She’s
probably suffering and some male could come across her. He could do anything to
her.” His voice took on a gruff sound and his hands fisted. “She’s defenseless.”

“Listen to me,” the doctor urged, “I tested both drinks. The
amount of the drug was higher in your drink than in hers. You’re cranky but
fine. The pain is gone. You’re just moody as shit. I’m sure she’s probably the
same. I read the report. According to her height and approximate weight, I don’t
think it was a toxic amount.”

That made him feel better.

“Unless she has health issues. Those are things I can’t
factor in.”

He wanted to hit the doctor. “Go.”

“Smiley, I really think I should run a few blood tests on
you.”

“Get out before I strike you. I’m about to.”

Dr. Harris left in a hurry. Fury returned.

“Who called? Have they found Vanni?”

Fury hesitated. “Someone responded to the APB the police put
out. A witness said he saw a female fitting her description getting into a
truck with another female. She appeared to be fine but the witness remembered
her because her skirt was ripped near the hem and she wasn’t wearing shoes. He
thought she might be homeless.”

“Were they able to track that truck?”

“He didn’t catch the license plate or where it headed. They
pulled her driver’s license information and two police officers are parked
outside her apartment. No one answered when they knocked. They are watching in
case she returns home. We’ll find her, Smiley. The good news is that she’s with
a female. No male took her.”

“All right.” He took deep breaths. “I need an outlet for the
rage. I’m not in pain but I’m pissed.”

“We’ll go to the training room. I’m sure someone will spar
with you.”

He nodded. “Let’s do that.”

“You may wish to shower first.”

Vanni.
Her smell was on him. He hesitated, not
willing to lose that connection. It wasn’t rational though, he realized. “Okay.”

Fury studied him, worry evident.

“I’ll be fine.”

His friend nodded. “I know.”

Vanni knew Beth hovered at the bathroom door of their shared
apartment because she was worried. They’d been best friends since first grade. “I’m
okay.”

“I don’t see how. I still can’t believe what you told me in
the car.”

She looked at Beth. “I wish it was a lie but it’s all true.
I need a shower.” She began to strip and shoved the skirt down. The engagement
ring fell out of the pocket and bounced on the tile flooring. She stared at it,
a reminder of her new reality.

“I can almost read your mind. You look so sad, Vanni. This
wasn’t your fault. You were drugged.” Beth paused. “You don’t have to tell
Carl. I might not like him but I know how much he matters to you. We could say
you got a bad case of food poisoning and I came and got you from the hotel.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s over. He lied to me about why
we went to the hotel in the first place and became a total jerk. You were right
about him.”

“Which part? That he was a selfish son of a bitch or that he
was a user?”

Vanni frowned.

“Come on. He asks you to marry him and immediately stops
touching you? You haven’t had sex with him in four months.”

“He was afraid it would reflect badly on his reputation. I
understood that. When our engagement was announced in the papers, they did a
story about his dad too. It would have looked terrible to have a preacher’s son
having a woman stay late at his house. The reporters suddenly became interested
in him and his life.”

“That’s lame. I said that and I stand by it. There’s
something off with Carl. You said the sex wasn’t even good and he rarely
touched you. He probably has a boyfriend stashed somewhere. He got you to say
yes and dried up the affection. It screams to me that he likes guys and he
needed you as a front to hide it.”

Vanni wasn’t sure. “Either way, we won’t be getting married
now.” She bent, picked up the ring and put it in the drawer so it wouldn’t get
lost. “I’ll give that back to him when he returns to town.”

“Tell me more about this New Species. All you said was that
you both were drugged and had sex together. Was that any good at least? I mean,
you remember it, right?”

“I’ll never forget. I remember it all.” She turned on the
water and let it warm then closed the toilet lid to sit so she could look at
the bottom of her foot. She hoped it wasn’t cut. She gasped when she sat, aware
of being tender.

“Are you okay?”

Vanni examined her sole. “It’s just a bruise. I don’t see
any cuts or blood.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Did he hurt you?”

Vanni looked up. “No, he didn’t hurt me.” She stood. “I’m
just sore.”

“In a good or a bad way?”

“What does that mean?”

Beth arched her eyebrows and smiled. “Was he big? They look
big. Is that why you flinched when you sat down?”

“Beth!” Vanni scowled. “Don’t be disgusting.”

“I’m being honest. You should see the way you were walking.
It wasn’t just the limp but you’re a bit bowlegged. Was he like Justice North
with those gorgeous kitty eyes?”

“No.”

“He’s like Fury? He’s canine and so hot. I envy Ellie. It
was so damn sad but dreamy when they were shot at and he just swooped her up to
get her to safety. Can you imagine any guy taking a few bullets to protect a
woman? That’s loyalty to the extreme.”

Smiley’s face surfaced in her memory. “He wasn’t like either
of them.”

“He was a primate?” Beth leaned against the wall. “What do
they look like? I haven’t seen pictures of them that really show their
features.”

“He had beautiful eyes.” She turned around and stepped into
the shower.

“Shit!”

Beth scared her and Vanni spun, almost slipping in the wet
tub. “What?”

“I thought you said he didn’t hurt you.”

“He didn’t.”

Beth stepped into the bathroom and grabbed their small
makeup mirror off the vanity. She approached and offered it. “It’s a good thing
you are calling it off with Carl or he’d know some other guy nailed you. Check
out the bruises on your ass. He has big hands.”

Vanni grabbed the mirror and twisted, getting a look at her
butt. Bruises were forming on both cheeks in the shape of handprints. “It doesn’t
hurt.”

Her friend accepted the mirror back. “Let me guess. He
nailed you standing up, grabbing your ass. That takes skill.”

A flashback struck her—Smiley pinning her against the SUV
and his hands cupping her ass while he’d ground his pelvis against hers. “I
just want to forget this night.”

Beth returned the mirror to the vanity and took a seat on
the counter. “This was your first one-night stand.”

“Thanks for the reminder. Did you not hear me? I want to
finish my shower, go to bed and just pretend none of this ever happened.”

“You won’t. I know you too well. You aren’t going to tell
Carl about having sex with this other guy, are you?”

Vanni hesitated. “I owe him that much.”

“Bad idea. He’s a prick, hon. You were attracted to this
Smiley, drugged or not. I listened to you really closely since I was in stun
mode and couldn’t talk at first. You should be more upset.”

“I am.”

Beth was quiet while Vanni showered. She turned off the
water and grabbed a towel to wrap her wet hair and another to dry her body.

“You like Smiley.”

Vanni paused and met her friend’s concerned gaze. “He was
nice.”

“The sex was great, wasn’t it?”

“It was the drugs. You have no idea what they did to us.”

“Want to tell me?”

“Not really.”

“You’re not the casual-sex type. Something more happened
than the two of you just getting it on. You felt something for him.”

“I felt a lot of things and most of them weren’t good. That
drug is awful. I don’t think I ever want to have kids. I can imagine what labor
feels like now. It was that bad.”

“He was that big? Are you sure he wasn’t a horse instead of
a primate?”

“Shut up.” Vanni wrapped the towel around her middle and
limped out of the bathroom to the bedroom they shared. “I’m talking about the
pain I felt when we weren’t…you know.”

“Getting it on?” Beth followed her.

“Yes, if you want to use that crude term.” She tugged on a
nightgown and climbed into bed. “I’m so tired and I don’t want to face
tomorrow.”

Beth took a seat on the edge of the mattress. “You could
just mail the ring back to Carl and avoid him completely. That’s what I
suggest.”

“I wasn’t thinking about that but thanks. It just reminded
me that we sent out wedding invitations. I’ll have to contact everyone to tell
them it’s off.”

“It’s not a bad thing. Carl was a jerk, hon. I’m kind of
glad this happened.”

Vanni gaped at her.

“I didn’t mean the drugging and having sex with a New
Species. Carl wasn’t right for you. He just filled your ideal-husband
checklist.”

“I didn’t know I had one.”

“He has a stable job and he wanted kids. He’s so damn boring
that you know he wouldn’t be playing hide-the-brief with his office staff.”
Beth smiled. “That was a lawyer joke. I’m trying to make you laugh.”

“There’s nothing funny about this. My life is destroyed.”

Beth shook her head. “It’s not. It’s just different now. You
hated Carl’s father and everything his church stands for. We couldn’t even get
through five minutes of his televised show. He was a blowhard. You’re not going
to have to pretend to like him anymore when he shows up for visits or worry
about Carl making you attend any of his sermons when you visit him.”

“I got to see one earlier in person. Once was more than
enough.”

“Well, that’s a good thing since you and Carl are done.”

Vanni couldn’t argue with that.

“And you finally got laid.”

“That’s not funny.”

Beth teared up. “Sorry. You know I handle stress with humor.”

Vanni crawled across the bed and clasped her hand. “Don’t
you dare cry or I’ll start.”

“Are you okay? Don’t bullshit me. I hate when you act all
tough and in turn, I try to act just as tough. I can’t imagine what you must have
gone through. We’re both avoiding the ‘R’ word but that’s kind of what it was.”

“He was drugged too. We were both victims in this.”

“Are you sure? I mean, how do you know he didn’t spike your
drink?”

“The NSO thinks I did it.”

Beth paled. “What?”

“I guess I was the only one who sat next to him.”

“That’s insane. You’d never drug a guy to have sex. What is
wrong with them? You were drugged too.”

“I know.”

“I’ll call them tomorrow myself and set them straight.”

“Don’t.” She was instantly fearful. “They were taking me to
Homeland when I slipped away.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if they were just going to get me
medical treatment or arrest me. Smiley seemed to believe me when I said I didn’t
do it but I’m not sure about the guys with him. I overheard two of them talking
when I woke up in the backseat. It scared me.”

“We’ll hire a lawyer.”

“They don’t know who I am. I mean, I left my purse in the
hotel room and only told them my name was Vanni. The room was in Mable’s name.
That’s Gregory’s assistant. I couldn’t even sign for coffee this morning. I was
just a guest in her room.”

“That’s good. Maybe we should go to the police and tell them
what happened.”

“No!” Vanni was horrified at the idea. “I just want to
forget.”

“Your shit is still at the hotel. Does Carl even know you’re
gone?”

“Crap. No. He might raise hell in the morning when I don’t
show up for breakfast.”

Beth released her and stood. She walked to the dresser and
lifted her cell phone. “I’ve always got your back.” She called a number and put
her finger over her lip to motion Vanni to silence.

“Hi, Carl. It’s Beth. I just wanted to let you know I picked
up Vanni and she’s home with me now.” She paused. “She ate something and got a
bad case of food poisoning. She didn’t want to bother you since she knows this
was an important weekend for your father.” She paused again, listening, and
stared at Vanni.

Vanni was grateful. She did worry when her best friend
gritted her teeth.

“Just have her things packed up and get someone to drop them
off at our apartment tomorrow. She’s sleeping now that she puked her guts up.
Thanks for being so concerned for her health and not obsessed about some stupid
breakfast she’ll miss.” Beth hung up.

“He took it that badly?” Vanni suspected he would.

“It’s official. He’s a total asshole. He didn’t even ask how
you were but ranted about some press photos you were supposed to take with him
at breakfast. He said it’s going to make him and his father look bad. I just
threw that in at the end so he felt like an ass, if that’s even possible. You
dodged a bullet with that loser.”

Vanni nodded.

“It’s going to work out.”

She really wanted to believe that.

“Don’t look so sad. Carl isn’t worth it. I don’t think you
ever really loved him. It was just the idea of the white picket fence.” Beth
glanced around. “Bright side, we’ll save a lot of money on this new place since
we downgraded to a one-bedroom so I wouldn’t be stuck paying for that two-bedroom
after you moved out. Maybe we can use the spare money and finally take a trip
to Hawaii. That would be cool.”

“I’m so sorry, Beth.”

Her best friend sat on the other bed a few feet away. “For
what? I’m the one who got to pick this place. I love it. It’s cozy. I like
sharing a room with you. It’s like summer camp every night.” She crossed her
legs and leaned back against a fluffy pillow. “Remember? We’d stay up all night
and drive those camp counselors insane with our giggling.”

It lightened Vanni’s mood. Those were some of her fondest
memories. “We don’t have to share a bathroom with eighteen other girls. I hated
those hikes in the middle of the night just to pee.”

“Or the mosquito bites on our asses from those suckers
hiding in the toilet.”

They smiled at each other.

Beth spoke first. “Tell me your deepest, darkest secret and
I’ll tell you mine.”

It was a game they used to play. Vanni licked her lips and
said the first thing that came to mind. “I really liked Smiley.”

“Oh hon.”

“He was so sweet, Beth.” Tears filled her eyes. “He should
have been pissed, thinking I drugged him, but he wasn’t. I was scared and in
pain but he took care of me. I didn’t have to have sex with him but I wanted
to. I initiated it.”

“He was hot, wasn’t he?”

Vanni wiped away her tears. “Very hot.”

“I knew it. Was he good in bed?”

“The best.”

“Did you fall a little for him?”

“Probably.”

Beth lay down and curled on her side, holding her gaze. “Do
you wish you could see him again?”

Vanni wasn’t sure how to answer.

“It’s okay if you do. I won’t judge. You know that about me.
He sounds amazing, besides how you met, I mean.”

“I don’t think he’d ever want to see me again.”

“You can’t be sure unless we try to contact him.”

“No. I need to forget this night ever happened and get on
with my life. It’s your turn. Tell me your deepest, darkest secret.”

It took long seconds for her to answer. “I really hated
Carl.”

Vanni smiled. “I knew that.”

“Listen to your best friend next time. That’s all I ask.”

“Deal.”

“Sleep. I’m right here. You’re home. It’s going to be fine.”

Vanni closed her eyes but all she could think about was
Smiley. She hoped he was okay, wherever he was.

* * * * *

Smiley entered his apartment at the men’s dorm and locked
the door. The drug had passed through his system. His dick no longer ached from
a constant erection and he had worked out his aggression on a punching bag. The
silence inside his corner apartment was absolute. The male who lived next to
him had gone to Reservation and the one across the hall had taken a mate. They
now lived together in another section of Homeland.