Justice (A Science Fiction / Fantasy Romance)

by Fall, Carly

  “I’ve seen your kind before,” she murmured. “In a place called Area 2. I used to do security there.”

  Justice’s eyebrows arched as surprise crossed his face.

  “Their eyes glowed, though. Yours don’t.”

  He shook his head. “No, they do. When the sun goes down, my eyes glow my SR44 color—a light gray.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “And why haven’t I seen this? I’ve spent plenty of time with you during the night.”

  Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I’ve got contacts that mute the glow of my eyes. I had them in when … when we were together.”

  How convenient.

  All of this overwhelmed her, and she wanted to curl into a ball and cry. However, she had a job to do, and she tried really hard to put her life back together after everything that had happened the past couple of weeks. Right now, she needed space from him and everyone else in her life. She’d always hated her job, but considering her state of mind, it felt good to be alone. She’d thought she had a lot to process with Billy’s death, but now, to find out that Justice happened to be an alien … no, her brain just might explode.

  Shit, she’d slept with him.

  “Oh, Jesus,” she mumbled as exhaustion seeped into her bones.

  With effort, she lifted her gun and pointed it at Justice. He raised his hands to shoulder level, and she took another look around the room.

  Everything seemed to make sense now. All the puzzle pieces were falling into place, and she understood him more clearly than ever. The clothes she’d found in the bedroom here in the bunker, how he knew about the hatch outside, all his ‘friend’s’ information … what exactly were they capable of? How much information had they obtained, and how did they get it?

  “I’m done talking to you,” she said. “I can’t do this right now.”

  “Just hear me out for a couple more minutes.”

  She sighed and lowered her weapon, her heart aching and her soul heavy with all the lies and deceit.

  “I know you don’t think you know me that well, but I feel like I know you, Holly. I’ve grown to care about you.” He stepped forward, still keeping his hands at shoulder level. “I’ll never hurt you.”

  She snickered. “Really? Because what do you think lying to someone about everything entails? It doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies, Justice. In fact, it hurts.”

  Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. In her heart, she knew she’d grown to care deeply about this man in front of her, and the fact he’d been spinning stories since the second they’d met just about crippled her.

  He now stood directly in front of her. She felt no fear, just an unbearable weariness.

  “I know. I’m an honorable male. I felt terrible about it all, and that’s why I needed to tell you everything.”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. The warmth of his touch comforted her, and she wanted to fall against him and feel his arms around her. However, his dishonesty didn’t allow for it.

  “I need to go,” she murmured, shaking off his hands. “I can’t do this. I can’t think about this right now, and I can’t process that I slept with a damn alien.”

  She turned and headed for the door. As she looked back, he stood there, hurt crossing his face.

  “You aren’t going to zap me with some ray gun shooting out of your hand or anything, right?”

  He grinned and shook his head. “No. I’d never hurt you, Holly. I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  Chapter 46

  “Where the fuck is he?” Noah yelled.

  Kade, Axel, Roman, Macy, and Chance sat at the War Room table staring off into space as Blake glared at them, batshit angry. He’d been mated last night, and he should be wrapped up in bed with his new mate, not listening to Noah rant and rave about Justice missing. If Blake ever got his hands on Justice, he would throttle him, then string him up by his balls.

  He and Sophia had been scheduled to leave this afternoon for a quick honeymoon getaway—just a couple of days of the two of them at the swanky Ritz Carlton resort. He’d planned almost every minute of the trip. They would go hiking, have dinner in the finest restaurant at the hotel, the suite had an outdoor hot tub and a huge bed. He’d been particularly looking forward to using the hot tub and bed.

  Sighing, he glanced at his watch. It would be check-in time in about an hour, and if he could just find out where Justice had disappeared to, then he could take off with Sophia.

  “I don’t know,” Chance said as Macy jumped.

  “Bullshit!” Noah roared.

  Hudson walked in, followed by Jovan. “Anything?” he asked.

  Blake shook his head.

  “So, none of you know where Justice went last night?” Jovan asked.

  They all gave him a blank stare.

  “Let’s get Liberty in here and do some quick truth tests,” Jovan said.

  “No. I won’t permit it,” Chance said, his voice angry. “What Justice does is none of your concern.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” Blake mumbled and stood. He walked over to the bank of computers, wondering if he should cancel the reservation as it seemed they would be here for a while until someone came clean about where Justice had gone.

  Blake tuned everyone out and pulled up the browser history to find the link to the reservation site he’d used.

  Well, well, well. Someone had been very busy on the Internet last night.

  He glanced at the history and grinned.

  “I know where he’s at,” he called above the din of voices.

  “Where?” Noah asked, coming over and peering over his shoulder.

  “He’s looking for Holly.”

  There’d been numerous searches for her on different sites and browsers, but apparently, nothing had come up.

  “Did you help him with this, Kade?” Noah asked.

  Blake turned around to see Kade staring at his hands on the table, looking terribly guilty. It was all the confirmation he needed.

  “Next time, you need to clear the browsing history,” Blake said and turned back to the computer.

  He performed a few searches of his own and came up negative. She hadn’t been using a credit card, nor had she rented an apartment or house.

  “It looks like she fell off the grid,” he said to Noah.

  “Well, where is she? Where is he?”

  Blake wracked his brain, and only came up with one idea. “Maybe they’re back in the bunker.”

  Noah nodded. “Go on your honeymoon, Blake, but run a search for her. If she so much as buys a pack of gum with a credit card, I want be alerted as to where, how much she paid, and what flavor she bought.”

  “Got it.”

  He spent the next few minutes putting the search parameters in place, and when he felt confident it would deliver the results Noah wanted, he stood.

  “I’m out of here, ladies,” he called over his shoulder as he made a beeline for the door. “Don’t call me for any reason. I don’t care if the place is burning to the ground. I’m going to enjoy forty-eight hours alone with my mate.”

  “Have a good time,” Hudson said with a wink. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Blake threw his head back and laughed. “Well, that leaves the door wide open for me now, doesn’t it?”

  “Do you want to borrow my cuffs or blindfold?”

  Blake shook his head. “No, Sophia and I don’t need that stuff to get off. We’re good.”

  “Your loss, man. It’s loads of fun tying up your female.”

  Blake had a brief vision of Sophia tied to the bed, and he had to admit, it totally turned him on. However, what she’d suffered through with Micah … she’d been imprisoned enough.

  “Thanks for the offer, man, but I’ve got a hot tub, a big bed, and good food waiting for us. That’s all we need.”

  Chapter 47

  Holly signed the lease to her new apartment and shook the property manager’s hand. Instead of livin
g in a big apartment building in the middle of the city like she did before, she’d opted this time for a smaller residential building with only eight units. It had once been a large house and from what the manager had said, it had recently been bought and renovated to make up the apartments. Everything in it would be new, and the rent for the two-bedroom place had been a steal, so she’d written a check for six months, which had made the manager ecstatic.

  As she climbed the stairs to her apartment, heavy carpet muffled her footsteps, which she found a nice change from the tile in her old apartment building. She always knew when someone came and went by the echoing footsteps. The clock read 7 p.m. and she couldn’t hear her neighbors, even though the manager had assured her that all four units on the top floor had been taken.

  She slid the key into the lock and opened the door. The odor of fresh paint and new carpet assaulted her, and she smiled. She’d never lived in a brand new place.

  The stainless steel appliances gleamed in the kitchen, and she pushed aside the floor-to-ceiling drapes to reveal a view of the park across the street—a long thatch of green lawn surrounded by tall pines. Opening the door, she stepped out onto the balcony and took a deep breath. The neighborhood remained quiet, and she decided she’d put out a hummingbird feeder. Although she wanted some sort of animal for company, she felt she would be gone too much for a dog or a cat. Maybe a fish?

  She’d think more about that later.

  Running downstairs, she pulled the first load of her meager belongings from her car and dragged them upstairs. The quiet bothered her as she’d never lived alone. She slipped in her ear buds and hit play on her phone. Jack Johnson’s smooth, soulful voice met her ears, mellowing her, yet cheering her up at the same time.

  After unpacking the meager groceries she’d bought, she put her clothes away in the master closet. Yesterday, she’d done some shopping, and she unpacked the new dishes, glasses, and pots and pans she’d purchased. It felt good to be starting over, to begin fresh with new things, in a new place, and she couldn’t help but smile as she put a vase on the counter and thought about what color flowers she would buy for it.

  She ran downstairs for one more armful of miscellaneous stuff. On her way back up, she came across a mother carrying a parakeet in a cage and her screaming, young daughter whom Holly pegged about ten years old.

  “Honey, I’m sorry, but we have to get rid of it,” her mother said, getting down on her haunches and trying to soothe the girl. “Remember what the allergy doctor told us today? Griffin is the reason you’re sick all the time. We have to take him back to the pet store.”

  Holly stopped in her tracks. A parakeet? The bird chirped and flapped its wings, obviously nervous at its new surroundings out in the hallway.

  “I’m sorry, honey, but we can’t keep him.”

  The girl glanced up at Holly, tears in her large brown eyes as her lip quivered.

  The whole scene broke her heart.

  A parakeet could stay by itself for the day and the hummingbirds outside could keep it company. It would also provide her the companionship she needed. And how cool would it be to have a parakeet named Griffin?

  “I’ll take him,” she blurted.

  The woman stood and turned around, both mother and daughter staring at her wide-eyed.

  “I-I just moved in,” she stammered. “I was thinking that my apartment was way too quiet for me. I’ve never lived alone. I would love to take care of Griffin.”

  She placed her things on the top step and approached them.

  “Did you name the bird after the mythological legend? The eagle and lion hybrid?” she asked the girl.

  She nodded.

  “You’re very clever,” Holly said, smiling. “To name a parakeet Griffin is a stroke of genius.”

  The mom smiled and extended her hand. “I’m Susan. You must have moved into the apartment right across from us.”

  She shook her hand. “If you’re talking about 2D, then yes. I’m Holly.”

  “This is Beth,” Susan said. “If you didn’t hear, we found out today that her allergies to birds are off the charts. We need to remove Griffin from our place. The pet store said they’d take him back, but if you’re seriously interested … ”

  Holly smiled down at Beth and then bent down to meet her gaze. The girl would be as tall as her in no time. Feeling confident in her decision, she spoke. “Beth, I would love to take care of Griffin. What do you say we make a deal. I’ll adopt him and take really good care of him, and then you can come visit anytime you want. I only live across the hall, so it will be super easy for you to see him.”

  Beth glanced at her, then back at her mom. “Anytime I want?”

  Holly nodded, but she’d better put some parameters on the deal. “Yes. As long as I am home, you’re welcome. What do you say?”

  “Well, you need to feed him every day. And he likes millet. And you need to change his cage. Can you do all that?”

  Holly nodded solemnly. “I most certainly can.”

  “Mom, what do you think?” Beth asked.

  “I think Griffin will be well taken care of with Holly, but it’s up to you. Should we give him to Holly, or take him back to the pet store?”

  She studied the green, yellow, blue, and black bird and decided the little guy would be exactly what she needed. She hoped Beth would say yes.

  “Okay, Mom.” She bent down to the cage. “Griffin, this is Holly. Holly, this is Griffin. Griffin, she’s going to take care of you from now on, but I’ll visit.”

  She stood and nodded at her mom. Susan handed her the cage and mouthed, thank you.

  “Do you want to see where I’m going to put him?” Holly asked.

  Beth nodded, and the two followed her into the apartment.

  Holly went to the sliding glass door. “I thought I’d put him right by the door, and put a hummingbird feeder right out on the balcony. What do you think about that, Beth?”

  The girl looked around the apartment. “I think you need some furniture.”

  Holly and Susan laughed—it felt nice to have friendly neighbors.

  “I have a stand for the cage,” Susan said. “And let me get you the leftover food we have.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Holly opened a beer and stared at Griffin, who stared right back.

  “It’s you and me, my fierce friend. You and me. But we may have a visitor tomorrow. I’m not sure how I feel about him, though, you know? Things are pretty strange right now, but I’m glad I have you to talk to.”

  She pulled out her sleeping bag and lay down next to the cage. Thankful it happened to be a Friday night, she looked forward to sleeping in, if she could sleep. Nerves had her practically shaking.

  After Justice said he loved her back at the bunker, her heart had literally almost melted. No other man beside her father and brother had ever told her that, and the words both excited her and scared her. They also cut down her defenses, and made the possibility of forgiving him a little bit easier.

  But she still needed some space.

  They'd agreed to give her a couple of days alone and then meet once she had settled into her apartment. She'd called him today to give him the address.

  She'd given a lot of thought to him, his lies, and what her future looked like. Tomorrow, she'd see if she still felt the same.

  Chapter 48

  Holly spent the next day shopping for furniture. A lot of stores had great sales, and she bought a new couch, kitchen table, bed, and tables for the living room for a steal. To make the day even better, the shop owner said they’d deliver in just a few hours.

  When she returned to her apartment, Griffin was singing at the top of his lungs. She smiled and made a note to get a hummingbird feeder for the balcony. She should have done that while out.

  The furniture arrived right on time, and just as she finished laying her new sheets on her bed, the doorbell rang.

  Taking a deep breath, she figured it would be Justice. After he’d told her he loved her, she’d been
stunned. When she thought about the whole situation logically, it became apparent that his lies had been necessary. He’d only been protecting himself and the others like him, but it still hurt.

  However, she couldn’t deny her feelings for him. Regardless of what he’d done, she still cared for him and still found herself terribly attracted to him. The fact he happened to be an alien trapped inside a black man’s body didn’t seem to freak her out too badly. He had been a good, moral man who’d only wanted to help her, and then in the end, set things right. She admired and appreciated that.

  Opening the door, surprise rolled through her at her visitors.

  Noah pushed his way in, followed by two other huge men. One had a long, black ponytail down to the middle of his shoulder blades and dressed impeccably. The other had blond hair hanging down to his shoulders in messy waves.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Holly said, taking a few steps back as Noah shut the door.

  “Is Justice here?” he asked.

  “No, he’s not. Now get out of my apartment!”

  Noah sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Holly, as you know, I’m Noah, and this is Jovan and Hudson.”

  “I don’t give a shit who you are. I didn’t invite you in—so get out!”

  Griffin began squawking and flapping his wings.

  She glanced over at Jovan and realized she’d seen him before. “I know you! You’re the guy that broke into Area 2 to get Micah out!”

  “Oh, hell,” Noah said, reaching for her arm.

  “She knows too much,” Hudson mumbled, cracking his knuckles.

  Holly slipped out of Noah’s grasp and ran for her bedroom. She definitely didn’t like the sound of knows too much. Why the hell had they shown up, anyway?

  She saw her gun on the nightstand and almost reached it, but was grabbed from behind.

  Fear tore through her as she recalled the way Billy’s killer had gotten the best of her.

  It wouldn’t happen again.

  She brought her head back and connected with whoever had captured her.

  “Mother—” he began, but she also nailed him in the shin with her heel, then peeled his pinky finger back, causing him to let go with a grunt. Turning around, she hit him squarely in the jaw, and he stumbled backward as Noah rounded the corner.