by Dace Everan
“I’m a metal freak with cloned skin,” she uttered, and her eyes searched his, waiting for a reaction of disgust. She knew she would see it. The moment he realized he had fucked some freak!
The despair in her eyes told Roark all he needed to know. She considered herself nothing. Anger reared through him, and he tightened his grip on her jaw. There was no way he would allow that thought to become even more in her. “You are not a nothing! Don’t you dare think that!” he uttered with unassailable passion. He pressed his forehead to hers, his gaze boring into her. “You are Harley. My Harley…Mine!” His hand slid back, grasping her hair. “You are who I fell in love with, Harley…” He fisted his hands in her hair. “Don’t…Don’t fall under because of this, Har…I can’t have you gone from me…” He whispered the last part.
Harley whimpered, hot tears sliding from her eyes. “I’m a thing!” she whispered grasping his forearms. How could he even touch her? Hold her in this way and not be disgusted? Look her in the eyes and talk of love?
“You’re Harley,” he corrected her.
Harley shook her head. She didn’t care if his grip on her hair caused her pain. It made her feel human, reminded her that she was more than what that stupid tablet told her. “Roark…you need to get the team out of here.” Her eyes widened. Fuck, the danger she had just put everyone into calling them here. What in the hell had she been thinking to risk them like this? “Layle and Laird, we can’t let anything happen to them!” Her stomach lurched at the thought of Layle being hurt because of her. She groaned and punted her head against his. “Fuck, Roark, why did you let me call the team in? Fuck. Fuck….We need to get them out now! They don’t know enough. I can take care of Job. Head out—”
Roark shook his head. “Nothing will happen to anyone. We will sit and talk to the team. Jariko won’t leave your side. He already has that determined look in his eyes. Logan is too stubborn and stupid to back away from something like this. He loves you bossing his ass.” He tightened his grip on her. Shit, she had to know not one of them was going to leave her. She had saved their stupid asses too many times for them to leave her hanging in her time of need.
Harley shook her head. She couldn’t allow this to happen. She couldn’t risk her team…no, not her team anymore. They belonged to the military, not her. Warm tears seared her face, and her stomach cramped in pain at the thought of not having these people in her life.
“And Alisha…shit, Alisha has your back no matter what,” Roark assured. He knew none of them would leave her. They loved and respected her too much. None of them cared that she wasn’t human. Shit, as far as they were concerned, she was the same person they had met and followed the last few years. No way in hell were they going to leave her now, or ever! That wasn’t what team, correction, family, did to family.
Chapter Twelve
Harley looked at the faces she had grown to trust over the last few years. Jariko with his dark looks, his brown eyes shooting daggers at Job as his meaty fist clenched and unclenched, his big ripped arms flexing with each motion as they lay crossed over his hulking chest. He was even more built than Roark. Thick and impressive had been Harley’s first thought of the man.
Logan reclined in his chair, balancing on the back two legs. He was raring to go, she could tell by the twinkle in his eyes. He wanted to know more. His normally shaved head was growing dark-blond hair. Shit, she hadn’t even known his true color. She’d seen him with purple, blue, and even green hair! He was boyish looking with this blond hair.
Alisha was straddling a chair. Her heavy breasts squished up to the back of the chair, her eyes on Jariko, a devilish grin on her face. The woman was practically eating the man alive, sitting there with that look on her face.
Harley kicked her foot.
Alisha offered her a wicked grin. “Yum,” she offered.
Harley grinned. She’d missed Alisha these last few weeks. “Okay, guys…” Jariko held up a hand, stopping her. Harley nodded, waiting for his usual comment. He always had one. Harley looked at him. “Yes, Jariko.”
“I want the scumbag out of the room,” he demanded. There was no way he was discussing anything with this sick fuck sitting here, watching them. Either Harley removed him, or he would, and Harley would not appreciate the way he did it. He was sure the fuck wouldn’t survive the three-story fall from the window. Then again, he might luck out and the guy would lie in the alley in agony. Yes, maybe he should take the trash out?
Harley nodded, grabbing Job by the front of his shirt and dragging him down the hall, his muffled voice amusing all in the room. She shoved him in the hall closet and slammed the door, jarring his knees in the process. She ignored his groans of protest and pushed the door until it closed.
She returned to the kitchen and took her stand at the head of the table. Layle sat in Laird’s lap, his arms hugged around her. Roark stood off to the side of them, propped up against the wall. “Questions?” she asked. She might as well get this over and done with.
Alisha raised a brow, and a naughty grin curled her red lips. “Yeah…you got the same lady bits as me?” she asked with laughter in her voice.
Harley chuckled. Leave it to the redheaded bombshell to lighten shit up. Good, her team was on the ball. This was what she needed right now. “No…my tits aren’t as big,” she replied. Soft, husky chuckles filled the room.
Jariko harrumphed, glancing at Roark. “You’re fucking the boss-lady?” he grumbled, not sure if he was comfortable with that. Roark was younger than him, and it may be a problem answering to the kid. Roark gave a slight nod. Jariko grunted and hemmed and hawed over the situation. He supposed he could deal with that, maybe. He couldn’t be too sure. He would wait and see where things went. Harley didn’t seem the type to interact with those beneath her. He narrowed his eyes. How would this affect her leadership? “So now we not only have to take extra special care of her pretty ass, but yours, too?” he grumbled. Yup, he wasn’t sure if he could handle this all that well.
Harley smiled, as she’d not ever heard Jariko complement anyone, even if it was in his grumpy-assed tone.
Layle scoffed. “Ah yeah, and as for pretty, try hot!” she uttered, narrowing her eyes on the dark, roguish man. He looked scary with the nasty scar marring his tanned flesh near his temple, but that wouldn’t hold her back from correcting him.
Harley looked pointedly at Logan. He had yet to speak. He still reclined, a silly grin on his face, his eyes devouring her. She waited as his eyes roamed over her.
“I’ve never seen you injured…do you bleed?”
Harley frowned. She couldn’t recall. Her gaze met Layle’s.
Layle nodded. “Remember in training, I got you with the sabre?”
Harley frowned, searching her memory and grunting in frustration. “You’d think these assholes would have given my brain a data base or something. I don’t remember shit. I have tidbits floating around in there. I remember…needles.” She released a breath, leaning against the table. “A woman…” She frowned, shaking her head. “I think I’ll kill that fucker. I think he fucked me when I was old enough.”
Roark growled and her gaze met his. She turned her attention back to the people at the table. “Logan, you went through everything?”
Logan nodded. “Yeah, he did, fuck you, that is. You lost your virginity when you were fourteen. He had wanted to see if you would grow like any other female. You don’t have a period?” He’d read it in there, that she hadn’t grown the reproducing part of a woman.
Harley rolled her eyes. “No, I don’t.” She had never had one, and when she had seen Layle have hers the first time, it had freaked her out. Her gaze darted to Layle for a second, than back to her team.
Jariko grunted. “I did some searching. He had an itinerary. Others like you out there, their locations. Their watchers.” He glanced at his teammates. “Four are here in the city. Three up in Canada and five males in the territories.” his lips twitched. They needed to hunt them down and find their watchers. He was
n’t sure if they all realized the consequences of these…humanoids being made. All he knew was Big Brother had something up his sleeve, and he would rather have these superior beings in his hands rather than Big Brother’s.
Harley nodded. “Well, I…” She frowned. She was jumping the gun here in giving them orders to go and retrieve these people. There was no way she could ask them to hand in resignation. They had all served their country with utter loyalty, and for her to ask them to stop that was not her place.
Logan grinned. He had known this was going to be huge. To get a call this quick on leave was not the norm. Usually Harley sent them all info upfront and they all agreed on whether to take the job or not. She’d done nothing of the sort this time around. It also helped that he had heard rumors from his numerous contacts around the world. The shit Big Brother was hiding was outstanding. He really hoped he’d cross paths with a few of the oddities that lurked in the world. Of course, he hoped he survived the crossing of paths to remember.
“I already wrote up our papers and had them sent in, and they should be on the big man’s desk first thing in the morning.” He grinned at Alisha. “There is no way I’m passing this up, fuck no! I have some decent savings. Couple of family members up in Canada that I can go hang with while scoping out the three there.” He glanced at Jariko. “Jar’s got the city—he’s handy here and knows the ins and outs of everything and everyone. He will make quick work of it. I’ll do “O Canada” and Alisha can go to the Territories.”
Harley wanted to smile at the way he sang “O Canada” while saying it. She shook her head. “No, Jariko and Alisha here in the city, you go to Canada, and Roark and I’ll go to the Territories.”
Logan let the chair fall with a thud. “You have any idea what that would entail of you and Roark?” Those ones up there outnumbered her and Roark. They could easily run into trouble, and the team needed them alive!
Harley raised a brow. “Logan. You have family and I trust you to find an associate. Jariko and Alisha work well together. They may kill each other, but they will make sure to get the job done first.”
Alisha chuckled, glancing at Jariko. His eyes were on Harley, and shit if it didn’t send shots of jealousy through her.
Harley’s gaze landed on Roark. She inhaled a breath. “I won’t let Roark out of my sight, and vice versa,” she murmured. She had faith she and Roark together could handle anything thrown their way.
Alisha grinned, and hell if it didn’t light up her eyes. “So when is the wedding?” she teased.
Roark grinned. If he could help it, right damn quick!
Harley shook her head. “Are you sure you’re up to this?” she asked, looking at her team and ignoring the banter. It was a behavior she had learned over the years. Right now, the banter was not appreciated. She was asking for the lives of these people to follow through with this craziness. She needed all seriousness right now. Alisha gave a quick nod. Jariko grunted in his usual manner, not once looking at Alisha. Logan grinned and ran his hands through his hair. “Shit…gotta do my hair,” he declared as if it was a normal conversation going on.
Harley looked at Laird. “We’ll need you, too, Laird.”
Laird nodded. “I have already readied access to my associates and my safe house,” he replied.
Harley nodded. She liked nothing better than a smooth-running tactical force.
* * * *
Roark paced in front of her. She looked stunned. The team had cleared out, and Laird had taken Job. They had assessed his apartment, finding all sorts of equipment and information on her and the others. Job was only one of many techs to have created people like Harley.
The others had different types of makeup to them. The men had been spliced with another species of DNA, something none had seen or recognised. That worried Roark. They had no clue what they would run into up there. The three beings in Canada, a man and two women had DNA the team didn’t recognise. He grinded his teeth. Extra-terrestrial came to mind. He shook his head. The women that Jariko and Alisha were to hunt down had advancements in brain and power thinking. “Super beings,” he mumbled.
Harley glanced at him. “Ugh! Think they messed up in my genetic makeup,” she grumbled. Motherfuckers! They had made them all from a fucking petri dish. Well, sort of. She sighed, letting her head fall to the back of the couch.
Roark settled on his knees, spreading her legs and pulling her butt to the edge of the couch. He hugged his arms around her waist, resting his head on the pillow her breasts offered. He released a heavy breath and waited for her to hug him.
Harley looked at him. “I don’t know what to do, Roark,” she whispered.
He looked up at her. She looked lost. It tore at his heart. He took her arms and hugged them around his shoulders. “You hug me back,” he murmured.
Harley smiled, shaking her head. Roark returned the smile, pulling her down onto his lap. “I don’t think I could guess how I’m supposed to react to your touches, Roark, and it scares me! How am I supposed to know when you want to hug or kiss or anything?” Fuck, had she been hit with a stupid stick in the last few hours?
Roark sighed. He rubbed his hands up her back. “Remember this morning,” he whispered. Harley nodded, a smile coming to her lips. How could she not? He grinned. “What made you do that?”
Harley scoffed. “I wanted to fuck you,” she answered simply.
Roark grinned. “We’ll go on that, then,” he decided.
Harley studied him for a moment. “But?” She shook her head. “No. We can’t do that, Roark. You have your needs, and don’t you dare deny that.” She pushed away from him. There was no way they were only going on her sexual urges. That was hardly fair for him!
Roark pulled her back holding her in place. “And I will always try to get my way with you!” He gripped her hips, and the passion that crossed his eyes tore through her. “Fuck, Harley, the last week has been the most trying time for me! I have never had so many thoughts going in so many directions!” He pulled her until her pussy was flush to his hardening cock.
“I will try to boss you, to bend you over so I can spank your ass! I will try to get you to bow at my feet. Fuck, I may just take you back to Dan and make you suck him off just to see if you trust me enough to ensure that would be as far as it would go!”
Harley stared at him in awe. He wasn’t going to give up on her. He was still going to try to allow her to try his kink. Tears pricked her eyes, and her heart thundered. Was this what Layle felt when she looked at her handsome man Laird? This fluttering of her heart, this aching feeling that wanted to explode and hug its way around the man in front of her?
Roark pushed her back and pinned her shoulders to the couch. He ground his hips against her and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. He grasped her hands and pinned them next to her head. When his mouth left hers, he stared down at her. He loved the darkening of her eyes. The way her breath came out in raspy pants. “Harley…what I said earlier. In the bathroom, I meant it.” His hands gripped her as if, if he were to let her loose, she would float away from him. “I love you. I will never think any different.”
Harley’s body shuddered with a sob. “Roark…I don’t even know what that means!” she uttered, the tears spilling.
Roark groaned and released her, hugging her close. “You know what it is. You love Layle. You love your team, and I swear one day you will love me just like I love you.” He wasn’t one for sentiments like this, but to hold this woman and feel his heart nearly burst from his chest for her made him want to say so much. He needed to do something he normally never did, speak his feelings and speak them often with her.
Harley hugged her arms around him tightly. She would! One day she would love him. She would love him as hard as he loved her in this very moment.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am the proud mother of two wonderful children who are soon going to enter the tween years. AAHHH Save me! I started dabbling in writing at a young age. My first story was a
twisted story about bunny rabbits and a little girl in a mystical forest, an evil mother who wanted nothing more than rabbit stew. (I was eight) My older sister introduced me to romance novels at the tender age of eleven and I've loved them since.
I find being able to create a world of wonderful characters an amazing achievement. I had always figured historical romance was where my heart laid, but after reading a few BDSM and erotica e-books. My mind was changed and I have never felt so comfortable in my life than in being able to create wonderful people and bring them together with a little spank and tickle.
I love Sci-fi and Zombies! Horror flicks and nightmares are a normal for me. I once had a dream about rainbows and sunshine and unicorns and lovey dovey stuff and that scared the hell out of me. Happy dreams are not normal for me. I love music, anything from Never Ending White Lights; White Stripes to Lana Del Ray maybe some Waylon Jennings. I am all over the place in the music.
For all titles by Dace Everan, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/dace-everan
Siren Publishing, Inc.
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