Briggs tried to hide the smile on his face. He couldn’t remember the last time that someone had looked past his disability and actually saw the person he was. Someone actually wanted to spend time with him, even if it was lifting? It felt good.
Then he thought of Kat.
*
“Well, Simon’s trials have been successes, so far. How have yours been?”
Cartwright leaned back in his chair, finishing another cup of coffee. He’d called Kat into his office early this morning, eager for an update. She could tell he still wasn’t happy about the whole situation, but he was doing the best that he could.
“Briggs signed all of the forms last night and we fitted him with the prosthesis. I told him to report back here tomorrow night and we’ll check the diagnostics out and see how it’s working.”
“Briggs?”
“Mr. Dawson,” Kat corrected.
“So, you just let Mr. Dawson in here, fitted him with the prototype, and let him waltz out?”
“It was getting late, sir, and I didn’t want to hold him here longer than necessary.”
“Hmm,” Cartwright said. His look told her that he wasn’t happy with this news. “Simon spent the entire day with his test subject, teaching him to use it, making sure he wasn’t going to break it, and generally doing what any good engineer would. And you… you just let him walk out. What if something went wrong?”
“I can assure you, sir –”
“I don’t need your assurances, Kat. I have this,” he said, turning his computer monitor around so she could look at it. “My grandson saw this online this morning and forwarded it to me. Thought it would be right up my alley.”
He started a video, and Kat peered closer. It was a man on a weight bench at a gym. He lifted the bar off of the stand, and Kat gasped – the man had one real arm, and the other was a white prosthetic. The Aegis. Briggs.
“That’s Briggs!” she exclaimed.
Cartwright let a small smile creep across his face. “It looks like it’s a success, after all. You did well, Kat.”
Kat could hardly believe the praise. She spared a quick glance at Cartwright, and he was smiling broadly now. She looked back at the video, her own grin growing. In the video, the men recording exclaimed loudly on how much weight Briggs was lifting. It was impressive. And he just kept loading more and more onto the bar. Eventually, after a brief conversation, the video ended.
“Wow,” was all she could say.
“Wow, is right,” Cartwright said, turning the monitor back around and leaning back in his chair. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Kat. What you said to me the other day, it really made me realize that I was ready to throw away this technology just because of some FDA regulations and my prejudices. You were right, I was wrong. You may just be the boss of Animus, one day.”
Kat found herself blushing. Boss? “Thank you, sir.”
“No, Kat. Thank you.”
“Can I say one thing, though?”
“Anything.”
“You didn’t have to be so hard on me just a second ago,” Kat said. All of the tension that had been building before her meeting with Cartwright, all of the tension that had been building during her meeting with Cartwright, had faded away. He’d always been a little bit of a joker at times – but she had never expected him to give her the run around on this project.
“Couldn’t resist,” he said. “How about you call Briggs in today? I’d like to meet him, and I’ve got a little something cooked up that I think might make his arm that much better.”
Kat hesitated for a split second. It was enough for Cartwright to catch on and give her a look. “I think it would be best if you reached out to him, sir. I, uh, I’m trying to keep my distance from him. Keep things professional.”
“I understand, Kat,” he said, nodding. “I’ll get him in here.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cartwright,” Kat said, getting to her feet and leaving the office.
“Just remember, Kat. It doesn’t have to be like that. This firm doesn’t have to be strictly business,” he said, a knowing glint in his eye.
Kat nodded and reconsidered. Then, she said, “Maybe I will get ahold of him, after all.”
She went down to her lab, peeling back the plastic sheet. She booted up the computer, usually reserved for engineering calculations, but pulled up the internet, instead. She hopped onto a news website, and to her surprise, the video of Briggs was right there. He had gone viral. She watched the video again, smiling and then smiling even wider when she saw him smile.
She scrolled down, reading all of the comments. Most were praise for him, commending him for his courage to get back and hit the gym, even after his injury. A few mentioned his football career and how much they missed him. And then one, towards the very bottom, simply read: HDF.
Human Defense Force.
She knew exactly what it meant, and she felt her blood run cold. She had hoped it was just a small collection of close minded individuals, but it looked like this Human Defense Force, whatever it was, was growing in popularity. She needed to warn Briggs, and she needed to bring him in. She could kill two birds with one stone. She realized she had no idea how to get ahold of him, though. He didn’t own a phone.
Still, she picked up her phone and dialed her house number. After a few short rings, Toby answered with a sleepy, “Hello?”
“Are you still sleeping, Toby? It’s nearly 11 o’clock.”
“Yeah, yeah, get off my case. What’s up?”
“Random question, but do you have any idea how to get ahold of Briggs? I need him to come in to the lab today, but I’m at a loss.”
“Whoa, whoa, hold up a ‘sec. Let me get this straight. You are asking me for help? Is that correct?”
“Toby,” she warned. “Do you know how I can find him? It’s important.”
“I might. If you admit you’re asking me for help.”
She sighed, but said, “Okay, Toby. I’m asking you for help. Now, where is he?”
“Well, during our first meeting, he mentioned something about the YMCA a couple of miles away from Golden Valley. I kinda got the vibe that he lives down near there, maybe in his car. Especially since he walks to Golden Valley every night. Just a guess, though.”
He lives in his car? Kat felt a pang of guilt. She had known his life was rough, but she hadn’t known just how bad it was. Hadn’t known he’d been living out of his car and showering at the Y. There had to be some way she could help him.
Except he doesn’t want help. The thought flashed through her mind, but she pushed it away.
“Okay, thanks, Toby. I’ll be home late tonight.”
“See ya,” he said, hanging up before she could tell him goodbye.
Kat decided she would go find Briggs and talk to him, after all.
*
Briggs had just finished his workout and was heading towards his car, sweat dripping down his body, when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn’t turn, not immediately, instead flaring his nostrils and taking in the scent of whoever was behind him.
“Kat, what are you doing here?” he asked, hand on his door handle. He didn’t even need to turn around to know it was her. Slowly, he released his hold and looked at her.
The sky was overcast, threatening snow again, but it did nothing to diminish her beauty. She’d been all he could think about when he wasn’t working out, for better or for worse. But his mental picture of her in his mind was nothing compared to her actually standing in front of him.
“I needed to get ahold of you, and I didn’t know how. Toby told me he thought you might be down here,” she said, giving him her best smile. He had to admit: she had caught him off guard. He had never expected that she would find him down here, and he was embarrassed.
“I thought we were supposed to meet at your lab, tomorrow,” he explained.
“We are, and we still need to. But my boss wants to meet you, and he has a new firmware upgrade for your arm.”
“What exactly does tha
t mean?”
“I’m not sure, exactly. All I know is that it’s some kind of upgrade,” she said. Briggs frowned. An upgrade? The hand couldn’t get much better than it already was. He was finding, to his surprise, that he was growing attached to it. Not enough where he couldn’t live without it, but enough where he might miss it. But he would never admit that to anyone, especially not Kat.
“Okay,” he said. “Do you want me to meet you there?”
Kat glanced at his car. “You can ride with me, if you want.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, after last night.” What he said was true, but it still hurt him to say it.
“Strictly business,” Kat told him. “It wouldn’t be right for me to make you drive around the whole town just to help us out.”
“Fine,” Briggs growled. “Let me go shower first.”
He opened up his back door, and dug through a bag, pulling out some old clothes. They were tattered, but they were clean. That was the important thing.
“I’ll meet you out front,” Kat said.
His shower was quick, but the amount of different thoughts and feelings running through his head was staggering. What was she playing at? Showing up in the parking lot where he lived wasn’t strictly business, no matter how she tried to play it. It just wasn’t something you did.
He attached his arm again, the action becoming second nature to him. He looked down at it, flexing, wondering what the update would do. Make it faster? He wasn’t sure if there would be any noticeable difference. Still, he was intrigued.
He walked outside, the air icy in his wet hair, and Kat pulled up next to him almost immediately. He climbed into her warm car, thankful to be out of the cold. He dealt with it well, but it was nearing an uncomfortable temperature. He would have to find some better blankets for his car. Then she took off, driving towards Animus. The car ride was short and silent. Briggs didn’t know if that was good or bad.
He followed Kat back into Animus. “Home, sweet home,” she muttered. In the light of day, it looked less imposing, though no more special than it had the night before. He had to admit, he liked her actual home way more than this one. He wished she would take him back there more often than she took him here.
They entered her plastic sheet lab. Immediately after they did, Briggs heard the plastic moving, and he turned towards the sound. An older man was coming towards them. He moved spryly for one so old, and he held out his right hand towards Briggs. Briggs found himself gripping it with his prosthetic, shaking for the first time. It was an odd feeling, though he couldn’t actually feel it.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Dawson,” the man began. “I’m Kevin Cartwright, the found of Animus Engineering and Kat’s boss.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Cartwright.”
“Please, call me Kevin,” he said, then looked over at Kat. “Here’s what I have for you.”
He held out a small chip, no larger than the palm of his hand. “What is it?” she asked. Briggs watched, unsure of what to think. To him, it looked like nothing, just a piece of metal.
“It’s something I’ve been working on for nearly 30 years,” he said, his eyes going to some faraway place. “It’s never received FDA approval, but that didn’t stop me from working on it. I’ve spent the last few days modifying it, and I think it’ll work perfectly with the Aegis.”
“What’s it do?” Briggs found himself asking.
“I think you’re in for a treat,” Mr. Cartwright said. “So, Kat tells me you were in the Marines.”
“Yes, sir,” Briggs said. He recognized that Cartwright as a Marine, himself, though he had the courtesy not to pry. “E-5, sir.”
“Same here, Briggs. It’s an honor, for what you did for our country.”
“Yes, sir,” Briggs said again. “If I could do it all again, I would do it in a heartbeat, even if it meant the same results.”
He saw Kat smiling out of the corner of his eye, watching the exchange between the two Marines. He turned towards her, and she said, “Okay, hold out your arm, and I’ll install the chip.”
Briggs extended the prosthetic arm to her. She took it in her hand, pulling his arm out, palm up, and Briggs wished more than anything that he would be able to feel the warmth of her skin again. Wished that he would be able to hold her hand one more time. As he watched, she used a small tool to lift up a hatch on the inside of the forearm. He peered at it. It was so well hidden that he hadn’t even noticed it before. Inside was a slot perfectly sized for the chip in her hand. She slid it into place with a quiet click and shut the hatch. Nothing happened at first –
Then Briggs felt the warmth of her hand holding his. Felt her fingers wrapped around his hand tightly, the pressure of them squeezing down on the Aegis. She rubbed her finger along the back of the Aegis and he felt every little move. His breath caught in his throat.
This can’t be, he thought. It can’t be real. But it was. He could feel her soft skin on his hand, as real as if she had been holding his flesh and blood hand.
“What’s it do?” Kat asked, genuinely curious. Briggs squeezed her hand, running his fingers along hers, touching each fingertip. She looked down at his hand, but she didn’t know he could feel her.
“It works,” Cartwright breathed from beside them. “Right?”
Briggs nodded.
“What’s it do?” Kat repeated, even more curious than before.
“I can feel,” Briggs said, running his finger along her palm and then up to her wrist. “I can feel your skin.”
“You’ll be able to feel a lot more than that, so be careful,” Cartwright warned. “You’ll feel everything – touch, heat, pain, even the feeling of your muscles working out. It’s a perfect representation of an arm. I’ve just never had anything to put it in. The FDA would never approve of something that hurts its users, but I figured, here… you would want it.”
“Thank you,” Briggs said. He looked over at Kat, who smiled. He felt her hand squeeze his and he expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.
“I have some paperwork I need to fill out,” Cartwright told them. “But before you leave, come on up and we’ll drink a cup of coffee and talk about the Corp.”
“I’d like that, sir,” Briggs said. Then Cartwright was gone, leaving Briggs alone with Kat.
“He likes you,” Kat said.
“Doesn’t everybody?” Briggs joked. Kat tilted her head down, smiling, but said nothing.
Her hand was still in his. “So you can feel this?” she asked, running a finger across his palm, up his forearm, and then back down. He nodded at her. “This?” she asked again, her finger trailing slowly across the tips of his fingers. He nodded again. “And this?” She looped her fingers through his own.
“Kat,” Briggs warned. “Don’t. We can’t.”
She didn’t answer. Briggs pulled away slowly, reluctantly. “Don’t jeopardize your work for me. I’m not what you want.”
“How do you get to decide what I want?” she asked, quietly.
“I’m not. I’m dangerous. I’m a Shifter. I’m homeless. I have one arm. My entire life is a disaster. Don’t let me pull you down with me.”
Briggs turned to give them space, but she was grabbing his arm, and he could feel everything, and he turned around to her. She looked up at him, and he looked down at her, both staring into each other’s eyes. Then she lifted herself up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips firmly on his.
MARS (BBW Bear Shifter MC Romance) (MC Bear Mates Book 1) Page 28
