Her Fierce Warrior (X-Ops #4)

by Paige Tyler

  He shook his head as he poured ketchup on his plate. “No, I have two sisters, Venus and Lydia. My dad was in the army when we were kids, which means he was gone a lot, so it was my job to keep them from getting into trouble.” He picked up his cheeseburger. “How about you, any brothers or sisters?”

  Minka ate another fry before answering. “No. I was an only child.”

  The words came out slowly, painfully. She was almost certainly thinking about how much her parents had to be hurting by not knowing where she was or what had happened to her. Damn, he shouldn’t have brought that up.

  He was still trying to figure out what to say to make it better when she smiled at him again.

  “Tell me about your sisters.”

  That he could do. “Lydia is four years younger than me and lives out in Oklahoma. My mom’s family is still out there on the Indian reservation. Venus is two years younger than Lydia and lives out in L.A.—California.” He snorted. “Neither of them are married, and it seems every time I call, some jerk they’re dating has gotten them mixed up in something stupid.”

  Thank God none of that trouble had landed them in jail—yet. Angelo didn’t mention that to Minka, though. When she didn’t say anything, he glanced over to see that her attention was no longer on him. Instead, her gaze was locked on the bar. He looked that way to see what was so interesting and saw two guys at the bar openly ogling her. Both were in their early twenties and had the total metrosexual thing going on—pullover sweaters, button-down shirts, and crisp khakis.

  Angelo’s protective instinct kicked in at the looks in their eyes—along with a healthy amount of jealousy. The two guys must have picked up on it because the moment they realized he’d caught them staring, they tossed some money on the bar and hauled ass.

  Minka watched them go, then turned to look at him, confusion clear in her eyes. “Were they staring at me because I talk differently than they do?”

  From outside, the guys took one more quick look at Minka before hurrying down the sidewalk.

  “I doubt it,” Angelo said. “There was no way they could hear what you were saying over all the noise. More likely they were staring at you because you’re the most exotic, attractive woman they’ve ever seen.”

  Minka blinked, her dark eyes going wide. “You really think so?”

  He grinned. “Do I think they were staring because they thought you were exotic and attractive? Or do I think you’re exotic and attractive?”

  She blushed but didn’t look away. “I would rather know what you think.”

  “Then yes, I think you’re the most exotic and attractive woman I’ve ever seen,” he said. “You’re beautiful.”

  Her face turned a deeper shade of red, the look of wonder in her eyes making him realize she hadn’t ever thought of herself that way.

  “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Minka ducked her head and went back to drowning her poor, defenseless french fries in an ocean of ketchup. Crap, she probably had more sodium on her plate than protein.

  She picked up her cheeseburger and dipped it in the ketchup covering half her plate, then took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. When she was done, she looked at him seriously.

  “May I ask a question?”

  He nodded. “Sure.”

  “Why doesn’t Ivy like me?”

  It took him a moment to recover from the minor case of conversational whiplash she’d given him. He’d thought for sure she was going to ask to define exactly why he thought she was beautiful—something he was all ready to do, by the way. But Minka had a point. Ivy had been suspiciously absent since she and Landon had first seen Minka in Zarina’s office. And the way Zarina had refused to look at him when he’d asked if Ivy was going to meet with Minka tomorrow was weird, too.

  “About a year ago, those two doctors who experimented on you captured Ivy,” he said.

  Minka’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah,” he said. “You can’t tell anyone, though. Only a few of us know about it. The doctors were able to get samples of her DNA before the other guys from my team and I helped Landon rescue her. Since then, they’ve been using that DNA to try to create hybrids.”

  “Like me.” Minka bit her lip. “DNA…Zarina mentioned that when we were in her office earlier. I am not familiar with that word.”

  He gave her a rueful smile. “I’m not sure I know much more than you do about the subject—school wasn’t really my thing—but I’ll try to explain it. DNA is the stuff inside you that makes you who you are. It decides things like what color your eyes and hair are going to be, how tall you are, what your voice sounds like, things like that.”

  She nibbled thoughtfully on a fry while she considered that. “And they took Ivy’s blood to get hers?”

  “Among other things, yeah. They tortured her pretty bad.”

  She was silent for a moment. “So I have parts of Ivy in me now that make me like her?”

  He nodded.

  Minka’s shoulders sagged. “Now I understand why she doesn’t like me. I remind her of what those sadistic doctors did to her.”

  “Ivy’ll come around. You just gotta give her some time.” Angelo put his arm around Minka, barely stopping himself from pressing a kiss to her silky hair. “The next showing of the movie is starting in thirty minutes. Do you want to go see it again?”

  She smiled. “I would rather go back to the apartment and relax with you. Would that be okay?”

  See an animated movie or lay around on a couch with a beautiful woman? Angelo sure as hell didn’t have a problem deciding which one he’d rather do. “That’d definitely be okay.”

  He paid the bill as soon as the waitress brought it over; then they left the restaurant, Minka carrying Ted protectively in one hand while holding Angelo’s with the other. He hadn’t held a girl’s hand this much since high school, but damn, it felt nice.

  When they reached the truck, she introduced Ted to Boris, then gave Angelo a serious look. “I will give Boris back to Zarina tomorrow, but for tonight, would it be okay if both of them sleep on the couch with us?”

  Angelo’s mouth twitched. So much for any thought that Minka might actually sleep in the bed tonight. But then again, was he really complaining? He’d sure as hell enjoyed having her plastered to his chest last night, that was for sure, and if she wanted to do it again—even with Boris and Ted—no way was he going to stop her.

  Chapter 7

  Minka could feel Zarina watching her. Pencil in hand, Minka looked up from the strange test Zarina had asked her to take to see the Russian eyeing her thoughtfully.

  “Am I doing something wrong?” Minka asked.

  “No!” Zarina said quickly. “You’re fine. I didn’t have time for breakfast this morning, and I was thinking about running over to the cafeteria to get something, but…”

  “But you’re not sure if you should leave me alone,” Minka finished.

  She didn’t blame Zarina for worrying that she’d get upset and lose control. But Angelo was just in the next building with Landon and John, so she wasn’t worried about the beast making an appearance.

  “Go get something to eat,” Minka said. “I’ll be fine. Angelo is close by, and Boris is here if I need him.”

  Zarina glanced at the plush sloth back in his little nook on the shelf, then looked at Minka again. “Okay. But I promise I’ll be quick. Do you want anything?”

  Minka shook her head. Angelo had made a big breakfast, complete with eggs, pancakes, and bacon. While the eggs and pancakes were good, the bacon was the best part. She’d eaten it only once, when she and her parents had visited her father’s native Russia, but she didn’t remember it tasting quite so delicious. Angelo made the best bacon.

  After Zarina left, Minka turned back to the piece of paper on the table in front of her. The test mostly involved comparing several images and marking which ones were related somehow. Minka didn’t understand the purpose of the test, but Zarina said it was something sh
e needed to complete before meeting with Layla and Tanner this afternoon.

  Minka was eager to finally have a chance to talk to the female shifter and the other hybrid. Finding Angelo had been nothing short of a miracle. But even with him near, the beast had almost slipped out a few times. She had to get better at controlling the animal those doctors put inside her if she wanted to ever have a normal life again.

  She finished up the test, then sat back. Almost immediately, her mind turned to Angelo and all the fun they’d had yesterday. Between the movie, dinner, and the stuffed buffalo Angelo had bought her, she was having a hard time deciding what had been her favorite part of the date. She blushed. Angelo had never used the word date, but it had felt like one to her, so she was going to think of it like that.

  Minka picked up the pencil again and doodled on the extra piece of paper Zarina had given her, drawing a sketch of Ted. Now that she thought about it, her favorite part had not been the movie, the dinner, or when Angelo had given her Ted. It was when he had told her she was exotic and beautiful. No one had ever said anything like that to her before, and when Angelo had complimented her, she’d thought she might float right out of her seat.

  She was so distracted with thoughts of Angelo—and when he might take her back to see the movie again like he promised—she didn’t realize the door to the office had opened until she picked up an unpleasant scent.

  She put down the pencil, got to her feet, and spun around. Dick was standing there with two men. She didn’t recognize either of them, but she immediately knew she didn’t like them. She was well acquainted with their type. They were bullies, like the guards who had beaten her over and over again when she was in captivity. Both were average height with short, brown hair and cold eyes.

  Dick moved closer while the two other men stayed near the door, essentially trapping her in Zarina’s small office. The feeling of being held prisoner again immediately made the beast inside Minka uncurl itself from where it had been sleeping and prowl around inside her head. The fact that she could feel Angelo nearby was the only thing keeping the creature at bay at that moment. Even so, she could feel her fingers tingle, like her claws were trying to come out. She squeezed her hands into fists, praying it would make them stop.

  She took an involuntary step backward. “Dr. Sokolov isn’t here right now, but she will be back soon.”

  Minka hoped the warning would make Dick think twice about whatever he was there to do, but he took another step closer, his mouth twisting into a nasty smile that reminded her of the younger of the two doctors who had tortured her—the one who liked to laugh when he hurt her.

  “That’s okay,” Dick said. “I came here to see you anyway.”

  She tensed when he reached his hand inside his suit jacket, afraid he was going for a weapon. If he did, she wouldn’t be able to stop the beast from coming out. As much as she disliked the man, she didn’t want to hurt him. But it really wasn’t up to her. The beast would take over and decide for both of them.

  Minka took another step back but was brought up short by the lab counter behind her. She darted a glance at the door, wondering if she could make it between the two men standing there before they could catch her. In front of her, Dick slowly took his hand out of his jacket and held up two photos.

  “Are these the men who kidnapped and experimented on you?” he asked.

  The question caught Minka by surprise. She looked more closely at the photos and immediately recognized both of the men pictured. She nodded even as she wondered if she should be admitting anything to this man. Zarina had said he couldn’t be trusted, and every instinct in Minka screamed that the doctor was right.

  “Did you ever hear either man’s name?” Dick asked.

  “No,” Minka said.

  Hopefully that would be the end of his questions and he would leave.

  “This is Johan Klaus,” Dick said, holding up the picture of the older man. Then he held up the image of the younger man—the really mean one. “And this is Jean Renard.”

  Dick came closer, stopping only a few inches away and trapping her against the counter. His scent was so strong and cloying that Minka had a hard time breathing. Her control over the beast started to slip even more. She wished Angelo were there.

  “When did they kidnap you, Minka?” Dick asked. “How long have you been a hybrid?”

  Minka was sure she shouldn’t answer that. Zarina had specifically said it wouldn’t be good for Dick to know too many details about what had happened to her.

  “I don’t remember,” she said softly. “I was drugged most of the time.”

  That part was true at least.

  But Dick didn’t like her answer and began peppering her with one question after another. What had Klaus and Renard done to her? Had they injected her with something or administered the serum another way? What had it felt like when she’d turned into a hybrid? When had she started gaining control over her abilities? How many more hybrids like her were there? Where had they kept her prisoner?

  The questions came so fast that she couldn’t have answered them even if she wanted to.

  “I don’t know!” she finally shouted. “All I know is that I was held in a big building in Tajikistan.”

  Dick smirked. “Was that so hard? That was exactly the information I was looking for. Now, I just need you to be a little more specific about the location.”

  Minka shook her head, not only because she didn’t want to tell him, but also because she honestly did not know.

  But Dick didn’t want to hear any of that. He was obviously a powerful man, and she knew from experience that powerful men did not like to be told no.

  “How can you not know where you were held?” he demanded. “You must have seen a landmark or a street sign. Something.”

  She was so tired of him pressing her that she probably would have told him if she could.

  “I don’t remember,” she said, barely able to suppress a growl. “I was drugged and unconscious when they brought me to that place, and when I escaped, I wasn’t myself.”

  Dick’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, not yourself?”

  Minka knew she should be quiet and not tell him any more, but the rage was starting to build—and it was getting harder and harder to keep the beast in check.

  “The animal in me took over,” she snapped. “It stayed in control for three days. When I am like that, it’s hard for me to know what’s happening. By the time I regained control, I had traveled a very long way without remembering how I got there. I cannot tell you where the horrible place was because those memories aren’t mine. They belong to the beast!”

  Dick actually took a step back at the vehemence in her voice. But instead of looking scared, he seemed thoughtful, as if considering her words. “That’s very interesting. I didn’t realize hybrids could partition their memories. But while it’s certainly fascinating, it will make it hard to get the information I’m looking for.”

  Good, Minka thought. Then maybe he would finally leave.

  “Perhaps we’re talking to the wrong half of the hybrid,” one of the men near the door said.

  Minka glanced over to see that they’d closed the door without her even hearing it. One of the men was standing in front of it, like he didn’t intend to let her out—or anyone else in. The other man—the one who had spoken—came to stand beside Dick.

  “Perhaps we should be talking to the half that has access to the memories we’re interested in?” he suggested.

  Dick gave the man a sidelong glance. “Powell, that has to be one of the more out-of-the-box thoughts I think you’ve ever had. I’m impressed.”

  Oh God. They were talking about bringing out the beast.

  Minka shook her head frantically. “Please stay away. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  Powell grinned. “That’s not going to happen.”

  She didn’t know how he could be so sure—until he lifted his jacket and pulled out a strange-looking gun. S
he didn’t know anything about weapons, but this one looked as dangerous and deadly as any other kind she had ever seen.

  The beast reacted immediately to the implied threat. Her claws and fangs sprang out, and she felt the surge of strength that came when the beast was close to taking over. She couldn’t believe Dick was so stupid as to think he’d be able to talk to the beast once it was in control.

  Not that it mattered. Minka refused to give up the control she’d fought so hard to maintain the last three days, no matter how they threatened her.

  She closed her eyes and shut out every sense she had. She stopped smelling, hearing, or thinking about anything except Angelo. She felt him nearby, imagined him stepping into the room and wrapping her in his big, strong arms.

  The beast retreated but didn’t go away.

  Minka let her mind drift to last night, when she’d crawled onto his half-naked body to sleep and she’d felt his warm, hard muscles beneath her. She luxuriated in the memory, feeling the same sexual stirrings she’d had last night.

  This time, the beast curled up, content to go to sleep again.

  “Impressive.” Dick’s voice intruded on her thoughts. “I believe she’s able to maintain control simply by closing her eyes and reducing outside distractions. I didn’t think that was possible for a hybrid. In fact, if I hadn’t seen her lose control a few days ago, I wouldn’t know she’s a hybrid at all.”

  Minka’s eyes flew open. Dick and Powell were both looking at her like she was some kind of lab rat. It was the same way Klaus and Renard had looked at her.

  The beast uncurled itself, urging her to leap at the men and claw the evil expressions from their faces.

  “What made her lose control a few days ago?” Powell asked.

  Minka felt a cold shiver pass through her. He was as bad as the doctors. He liked to have power over others—liked to see her scared.

  Dick gave the man a smile. “Sometimes I forget why you got chaptered out of the army, Powell. You really are a twisted son of a bitch.” He glanced at the man by the door. “Moore, you might want to have your weapon ready in case she reacts a bit more aggressively than we expect.”