by Paige Tyler
Angelo didn’t miss the look of irritation that flashed across the security team leader’s face at being questioned about how to do his job. “Because I didn’t think it was necessary.”
“You weren’t hired to think. You were hired to look intimidating and occasionally shoot things,” Coleman snapped. “Get rid of the soldier; then get that hybrid strapped to a table, so the doctors can tranquilize her.”
Angelo knew he couldn’t babysit Minka forever, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to turn her over to someone like Coleman, especially if the asshole thought he was going to stick a needle in her. Minka didn’t seem interested in waiting around to see what was going to happen. She went from shy, quiet Tajik girl to snarling saber tooth in two heartbeats, lunging forward with a hiss and taking a swipe at Coleman with her claws. If Angelo hadn’t tightened his arm around her waist and held her back, the jackass would have been looking for his face in the nearest corner.
But instead of realizing how incredibly fortunate he was to still be alive, Coleman motioned to one of the doctors. “Get her sedated. Now!”
Angelo wrapped his other arm around Minka’s waist and yanked her close. The idiot doctor must have thought Angelo was actually going to hold her while he stuck the needle in her arm because he boldly stepped forward with the ridiculously long syringe. Bad idea. If they thought they knew what a pissed-off hybrid looked like before, they got a whole new education on the subject. Minka darted forward so fast and so forcefully she actually dragged Angelo’s big-ass body with her. Minka’s claws and fangs extended so far, it boggled his mind trying to figure out where they had been hidden. The scream of rage that came out of her was so loud and terrifying, people half a mile away probably pissed themselves.
Trusting Minka wouldn’t turn her rage on him, Angelo dug in his heels and got a better grip on her. The move made her hesitate, and he used the opportunity to spin her around behind him. Lashing out with his foot, he kicked the doctor in the hand and sent the syringe flying. Then he planted the sole of his combat boot in the guy’s stomach and shoved him back ten feet.
Angelo slipped his right arm around Minka’s shoulder and yanked her tightly to him, hoping close physical contact would calm her down like it had back in Tajikistan. She kept hissing and growling, and those weapons of hers definitely didn’t retract, but she didn’t fight him.
Angelo glowered at the doctor. The man had his arm wrapped around his stomach where Angelo had given him a shove. “You try that again and I’ll put the next syringe up your ass. She doesn’t do needles. Do I make myself clear?”
The doctor looked to Coleman for guidance, but the deputy director was too busy giving orders to the security guards.
“Restrain her.”
Angelo noted with interest that more than half the men didn’t move, including Eagle Eye. But four of them moved forward to do Coleman’s bidding.
Okay, he’d had enough of this shit. He was hungry, tired, and hadn’t even seen a shower in a month. He’d brought Minka here to get some help, but if this was the way the DCO was going to act, he’d haul her right the fuck out of there and dare anybody to stop him.
Jaw tight, he pushed Minka a little farther behind him. She growled long and low but moved as he directed.
“You obviously don’t know who you’re dealing with, but I can guarantee you boys aren’t nearly big enough or mean enough to handle me,” he told the four security guards. Then he pointed at Coleman. “And when I’m done with them, you’re next. Only it won’t be a needle going up your ass like your doctor friend; it’ll be my boot and whole fucking leg.”
Coleman’s face turned so red, Angelo thought he might rupture something. But the guards definitely hesitated.
“That’s enough,” a soft but firm voice said from the doorway.
Angelo glanced over to see John Loughlin standing there looking like he’d just walked in on a classroom full of unruly schoolkids. Angelo had met the director of the DCO briefly before heading down on that rescue mission to Costa Rica. He’d gotten a pretty good vibe off the man, but Ivy and Landon hadn’t been sure they could fully trust him. Angelo had no idea if anything had changed between the director and his friends while he’d been deployed to Tajikistan, but until he knew for sure, he wouldn’t put his faith in the man, either.
One thing was definite, though: John knew how to take charge of a situation. With a few words and a couple hard looks, he had the doctors and all the guards except for the team leader cleared out of the room in seconds.
When everyone had left, he turned to the remaining guard. “Jaxson, please find Zarina Sokolov and ask her to come in here.”
Jaxson nodded and walked out, leaving Angelo alone with Minka and two of the most powerful men in the United States, if not the world.
“Have you completely lost your mind?” Dick demanded of John. “This is totally against security protocol. This grunt isn’t even cleared to be on the complex, much less know about hybrids. And while we’re talking about hybrids, leaving us alone with a dangerous one like her without guards for protection is the definition of insanity.”
John fixed Coleman with a cool look. “Actually, Sergeant Rios is cleared to be here. If you check the security clearance database, you’ll see that he has a top secret clearance and was granted full access to the hybrid program in mid-November of last year.”
Angelo might have gone down to Costa Rica to help rescue Kendra and Declan, but he wasn’t sure he liked the idea of the DCO director taking it upon himself to associate him with programs Angelo really didn’t want to be part of.
Then again, he did like seeing Coleman stand there grinding his teeth together. Maybe if John kept poking him, the man’s head would actually explode.
“Are you trying to tell me that you’ve been using active duty Department of Defense personnel to conduct sweeps for hybrids on foreign soil?” Dick spit out. “And that you’ve been doing it since November? Without informing the Committee or me? You know that’s a direct violation of Committee protocols and that I have no choice but to make sure they know.”
“I’m sure you will. Let me know how that goes,” John said, appearing completely unconcerned. “Until then, you might want to leave the lab, considering there’s a dangerous hybrid in here and all.”
The vein in Dick’s neck throbbed. Damn, he looked like he might actually take a swing at John. Minka must have thought so too, because she started hissing and yowling at the deputy director, trying to free herself from Angelo’s restraining arm. Not that she was trying too hard. If she were, Angelo wouldn’t have been able to stop her. But Coleman clearly decided he’d had enough because he threw a disgusted look at all of them, then turned and stormed out.
Minka calmed down the moment Coleman was gone. Her fangs and claws retracted and the red glow faded from her eyes. She still stayed close to Angelo though, and he slipped an arm around her waist again, holding her close.
A few feet away, John regarded them with interest. “You did a good thing getting this girl back here to us, Sergeant Rios.”
“Did I?” Angelo asked sharply. “Because right now, I’m getting the idea she’d be safer in Tajikistan. The villagers might have been trying to kill her, but at least they weren’t trying to experiment on her.”
John seemed taken aback by the heat in Angelo’s voice, but before he could say anything, a woman’s voice interrupted him.
“And there isn’t going to be anyone experimenting on her here, either.”
The Russian accent immediately gave away the attractive woman with wavy, blond hair and blue eyes as Zarina Sokolov, one of the few scientists in the world who actually understood the hybrid process that Stutmeir and his team had developed. Zarina had been kidnapped from her home in Moscow by Stutmeir early on in his insane quest to create man-made shifters, and while he’d executed many of the scientists and doctors he’d taken captive, she’d proven herself smart enough to keep around. But while the Russian doctor had been forced to help Stutmeir
create the first hybrid generation, she had also done a lot of good. For one thing, she’d saved Tanner’s life by making it look like he had died, then slipping him out of captivity with the other bodies Stutmeir’s men had been taking out for burial. She’d also tried to help Ivy escape when she’d been captured. That plan hadn’t worked out as well, but not due to lack of effort.
But even more than all that, Landon and Ivy had told him that the brilliant doctor had single-handedly driven the DCO’s own hybrid program completely off-course and made it impossible for anyone here to ever replicate the hybrids Stutmeir had created out in Washington State.
So while Angelo might not have known if he could trust John, he knew Zarina was okay.
“Angelo,” John said as if reading his mind. “I’ll never let anyone experiment on this girl again. You have my word on that.” Before Angelo could point out that he didn’t know John well enough for his word to mean all that much, the director motioned toward Zarina. “I think it would be better if I leave you two in Zarina’s capable hands, at least until you can trust we’re on the same team.”
Giving Angelo a nod, John turned and walked out, leaving him and Minka with the Russian doctor. Angelo made the introductions and was surprised when Minka seemed to immediately take to the woman.
“Let’s go to my office,” Zarina said with a smile. “I have everything I need there to check Minka out, and I think it will be less stressful.”
Angelo glanced at Minka to see what she thought of that. Minka nodded but kept one hand on his arm.
They walked down several long hallways with a few left and right turns thrown in just to confuse him, but finally they arrived at Zarina’s office. It didn’t have any beds or the antiseptic smell like the lab they’d been in, but it had a microscope, carts full of medical instruments, and pieces of expensive-looking equipment just like the other room, in addition to a desk, a computer, and a printer.
Zarina was reaching for a stethoscope on one of the carts when Minka suddenly whirled around to face the door. Fearing Coleman had come back to cause trouble, Angelo turned and instinctively pushed Minka behind him but then relaxed when he saw Landon and Ivy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his friend in a suit, unless you counted the tux Landon had worn at his wedding, but Angelo had to admit his friend pulled off the corporate look well. Ivy was dressed in a more feminine version of the same, her waist-length hair in a bun.
He glanced at Minka. “It’s okay. They’re friends.”
Grinning, he stepped forward to shake his best friend’s hand, engulfing him in a man hug. Landon slapped him on the back so hard Minka let out a growl. Angelo pulled away with a chuckle, then turned to introduce Minka to the two people he respected more than anyone in the world only to stop when he saw that Minka and Ivy were staring at each other in wide-eyed shock.
He guessed Minka was staring because she’d never smelled anyone remotely like her before, and Ivy was definitely like her. Having the two of them standing this close together, it was impossible not to miss the connection between the two of them. It wasn’t that they looked a lot alike—no one would mistake them for sisters or anything. But there was definitely something eerily similar in the way they carried themselves.
He expected Ivy to step forward and greet Minka. The way Ivy had been treated by Stutmeir and his doctors, she understood better than anyone what it was like to be tortured and treated like something less than human. Instead, Ivy turned and walked out of the room without saying a word. Angelo looked at Landon to see that his friend was just as shocked as he was.
“Is everything okay?” Angelo asked.
“Yeah.” Landon gave him a tight smile. “I have to admit, when you said you needed to get a hybrid back here, I didn’t think you’d be coming with her.”
Angelo shrugged. “It was the only way we could get her on the plane short of drugging her, and I wasn’t going to let that happen. She really doesn’t like needles, and she definitely doesn’t have a problem letting people know it.”
Landon gave Minka an appraising look. “Really? If it wasn’t you telling me she’s a hybrid, I wouldn’t believe it. She looks harmless.”
Angelo chuckled. “Ask Dick how harmless she is. She would have removed his face just a few minutes ago if I hadn’t been holding on to her.”
“She doesn’t like Dick, huh? She obviously has good taste then.” Landon held out his hand to her. “I’m hoping you speak English because my Tajik is rusty as hell. I’m Landon Donovan, a friend of Angelo’s.”
Minka stared at Landon’s hand for a moment but didn’t reach out and take it. Instead, she only nodded her head in his direction, then stepped closer to Angelo and took his arm again.
Angelo ignored the curious look his former A-team leader gave him. “Give her some time. She has a lot of reasons to distrust people. Minka, this is my best friend. You can trust him like you trust me, I promise. Landon, this is Minka Pajari. And yes, she speaks English.”
Minka nodded at Landon again but didn’t say anything.
“Now that the introductions are finally over with,” Zarina said with a smile, “maybe I can check out Minka and make sure she’s okay?”
Landon nodded. “Sure. Sorry to hold you up, Doc. I need to talk to Angelo for a second anyway.”
Angelo was fine with that. He turned to Minka, taking her hands in his. Damn, they were so tiny in his big, rough mitts. “I’m going to talk to Landon while Zarina checks you out, okay?”
Minka shook her head. “I’m afraid.”
“You don’t have to be afraid,” he said softly. “Zarina won’t hurt you.”
“It’s not that. It’s just…” She dropped her eyes, her voice trailing off.
Angelo slid a knuckle beneath her chin and gently tipped her face up. Even with all the dirt, she still looked beautiful. “I wouldn’t let you stay here if I didn’t think you’d be safe, Minka. I’ll just be out in the hallway. I won’t leave your sight.”
She bit her lip. “Promise?”
He smiled. “I promise.”
Minka’s gaze went from Zarina to him. She still looked like she didn’t think it was a good idea, but she finally nodded. Even then, she kept her eyes locked on him as she sat down in one of the armchairs in front of the desk and let the doctor examine her. The fear in her eyes at the thought of being just a few steps away from him made Angelo’s heart squeeze as he and Landon walked into the hallway.
Landon noticed it, too. “Wow, she’s really attached to you.”
“Yeah,” Angelo agreed as he watched Zarina shine a small light in Minka’s eyes. He tensed, afraid Minka would freak out, but instead she smiled at something the Russian doctor said. Damn, Zarina was good with hybrids. “I’m not sure why, but being in immediate contact with me seems to help Minka stay calm. Strange, I know.”
Landon shrugged. “Not really. Zarina has that same kind of effect on Tanner.”
Regardless, Angelo kept one eye on Minka as he got Landon up to speed with what had happened in Tajikistan and the crappy initial meeting he and Minka had had with Coleman and his damn doctors.
“I’m telling you right now,” he added, “I won’t let anyone lock Minka up and experiment on her. If Coleman thinks he’s going to try that, I’ll haul her cute ass out of here and disappear with her.”
Landon shook his head. “You won’t have to do that. Nobody is going to hurt Minka. John will make sure of that.”
Angelo gave him a sharp look. “You and Ivy trust him now?”
Landon nodded. “It’s a long story that we can talk about later, but yeah, we do. He’s on our side. He’ll find Minka a place to stay where she’s comfortable—maybe one of the dorms here on the complex, like the place Tanner stays.”
Angelo wasn’t so sure anyplace on the complex was going to work for Minka, not with Coleman around. “She’s going to need a place she can feel safe, preferably somewhere I can stay with her until she gets settled in.” He sighed. “Speaking of which, maybe Jo
hn could run interference with the battalion. The new lieutenant said he’d take care of it, but you know Major Bennett. LT could use some backup.”
“I’ll mention it to John. I’ll also talk to him about Minka and make sure he understands the situation. He’ll find a safe place for her.” Landon glanced at Minka. “I’m going to let you get back in there. I’ll catch you later.”
Angelo nodded. He wasn’t too sure about John yet, but if Landon said the director would figure something out, then he would. If not, Angelo would damn well keep his promise and get Minka out of there.
He headed back into Zarina’s office and was surprised when he found Minka talking with the doctor in Russian and holding a plush toy sloth of all things.
Chapter 4
Minka’s world had been spinning from the moment she’d arrived at this place. There were some people she immediately felt a connection with, like the nice man in charge of the guards; the doctor, Zarina; and Angelo’s friend, Landon. They all seemed nice, and the beast inside her felt no threat from them.
Then there was the woman who had come in with Landon. Minka couldn’t understand what to make of her, and neither could the beast inside her. The woman’s scent had been so strangely familiar. But more than that, there had been something else about her that told Minka she was incredibly important. She just didn’t know why. And unfortunately, the woman had left before Minka could figure it out.
But the most unsettling aspect of this place that Angelo had brought her was the lab. It put her whole body on edge. It was like the beast was waiting just a few inches away, ready to burst back out if one more bad thing happened.
That was why she’d been so worried when Angelo had wanted to go out into the hallway to talk to his friend. In fact, she had just about panicked. What if the beast came back the moment he stepped away? Even after that doctor had come at her with the needle and she’d lost control, Angelo had brought her back from the edge simply by pulling her close. If he let her go, would the monster come back?
