“Most likely,” Maddox agreed. He went back to his bunk and sat down. He hated this feeling. He knew he’d forgotten something important and just wasn’t sure what it was.
Chapter 9
Nestor walked behind Nina, shoving her from time to time when her gait became too slow for him to follow comfortably. “Told you you’d get no special treatment, bitch,” he said, sneering at her naked back. “Got you as a reward myself. Hope you enjoyed it, it’s going to be happening a lot more. Second thought, I hope you didn’t. Makes it more fun that way.”
He reached out, grabbing her hair and yanking her to a stop outside Squad A’s cell block. “This is where you get off. I mean, literally, if you’re lucky. Personally, I think you’re a frigid bitch that couldn’t get off to save your life, but, long as you know how to bend over when the time’s right, it’s all good.” He unlocked and removed the chain then unlocked the doors themselves. He shoved her through, causing her to trip. She just barely managed to catch herself enough to land on her knees and elbows since he had her wrists cuffed tightly.
Maddox had heard the doors being opened and stood inside his cell at the ready for whatever was next. He snarled and rushed the bars of his cell when Nina was shoved through the doors and fell to the cement floor.
“Well, look who thinks he’s offended,” Nestor snapped. “Hey, I sampled your reward for ya. Got her all warmed up. No thanks needed.” He grabbed Nina by the hair again, yanking her up off the floor, leaving only her toes struggling to keep her balanced while he practically dragged her to Maddox’s cell.
Maddox growled low, the rumble vibrating his chest as he watched the guard abusing his female.
“You step back, boy,” Nestor said, putting the key in the lock, but pausing before he turned it to open the cell door and push Nina in with Maddox.
Maddox didn’t move.
“Fine, I’ll just take her to another squad, don’t make a bit of difference to me,” Nestor taunted.
Maddox moved back to his bunk, waiting, his muscles primed and ready to react the instant Nestor opened his cell.
Nestor smirked when Maddox backed up to his bunk. “Not so big and bad are you now, fucker?” he spat at Maddox. Nestor unlocked the cell door and pushed it open enough to be able to shove Nina into Maddox’s cell.
Maddox sprang from his position by his bunk, making it to the door in one leap.
Nina saw him coming and ducked to the side, shielding her face and head.
Nestor noticed too late to close the door and ended up trying to slam the door on Maddox’s attack. But Maddox was on him before he could even scream properly. He gripped Nestor’s throat with both hands and lifted him from the ground. “You touched mine,” he snarled.
Nestor tried to shake his head, but Maddox held him so tightly he wasn’t able to move. All he could do was try desperately to pry Maddox’s hands off his throat.
Maddox watched Nestor’s face as it turned bright red, then began to move toward a purple color as he slowly suffocated. He waited until he was almost unconscious, then let go, dropping Nestor to the ground.
Nestor fell to his hands and knees, sucking in breath, wheezing and coughing. “I’ll,” he struggled to get out, “kill,” he wheezed a deep breath once more, “you,” he threatened hoarsely.
“No. You won’t,” Maddox snarled, standing back and waiting for Nestor to get to his feet.
Finally, after several minutes, Nestor managed to get his footing and holding onto the bars of a neighboring cell, stood more or less. “Kill, you,” Nestor repeated, spittle flying from his mouth, his rage was so great at the audacity of this less-than-human piece of shit putting his hands on him. He reached for his stun gun and with shaking hands leveled it at Maddox.
Maddox grinned and reached out, snatching it from Nestor’s hands. He aimed it at Nestor, then pulled the trigger. He didn’t have to increase the amperage. The guards kept them fully charged and on the highest setting at all times. Maddox simply kept it engaged as long as he could.
Nestor dropped to the ground, his body contorting, screaming involuntarily in pain as he rode out the electricity coursing through it.
Maddox walked away from Nestor and went into his cell where Nina stood watching. He squatted down in front of her and brushed his fingertips over her skinned knees, then stood and examined her elbows. “Okay?” he asked.
Nina watched the big male checking her injuries. He asked if she was okay, and she almost didn’t answer. She’d had nothing but more trouble than usual since his proclamation that she was his. She wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“You okay?” he insisted.
Nina nodded at him, one single time, anger clear on her face.
Maddox turned from her and went back to Nestor, whose cries were beginning to taper off. Maddox grabbed him up off the floor, shook him to be sure he was conscious enough to realize it was Maddox inflicting his pain, then Maddox turned Nestor away from him, facing toward the rest of the cell block. “You made my female fall.”
Nestor couldn’t answer, he was still reeling from the electrical shocks to his body.
Maddox didn’t really want an answer. He gripped Nestor by the back of his neck and the waistband of his trousers and lifted him above his own shoulders, then Maddox slammed him to the cement floor as hard as he could.
On impact there was little more than whimpering as Nestor tried to feebly crawl away from Maddox.
Pressing his lips together at the less than satisfying reaction, Maddox knelt beside Nestor, wrapping his hand in the short hair at the back of Nestor’s head and pulling his head back to look at his face. “You will never touch mine again.”
He slammed Nestor’s face into the cement floor, again, and again, and again. He didn’t stop until Nestor was completely unrecognizable. Then Maddox stood and kicked Nestor’s body over with his foot. He looked down at Nestor unfeelingly, and turned back toward his cell. “Come,” he ordered, holding his hand out to Nina just outside the cell.
Nina didn’t go to him right away. She didn’t care in the least that the guard was dead, he’d hurt her more times than she cared to remember. But she was also a little afraid of the male standing before her, his hands covered in blood, demanding her to follow his orders. Not to mention that his claim on her had resulted in making her hell of a life more difficult.
“Come, here!” Maddox demanded, pointing to the floor beside him.
His shout startled Nina. She stepped forward, making her way to his side and stopping right beside him, her head bowed and her eyes downcast.
Maddox reached out and took her hand in his. He led her to the opposite end of the cell block where a constant trickle of cold water fell from an old dilapidated shower head. He turned the nozzle to increase the water pressure, then had her stand beside him while he cleaned himself free of blood, then lifted a hand for her to come to him.
Nina stepped under the water, and despite the cold temperature was thankful for the opportunity to clean herself. She closed her eyes and allowed the water to flow over her head and face.
Maddox watched his little female, closing her eyes and enjoying the water for a moment, then he knelt beside her and with the rough bar of soap in his hands, caught the water flowing down her body and worked it into a lather before bathing her, using his bare hands and the soapy lather.
Nina’s breath caught when he touched her. Her eyes popped open and she looked down at him kneeling in front of her. Instinctively she took half a step back.
Maddox shook his head. He reached for her hand, pulling her back to where she’d been standing before. “Still,” he instructed.
When she didn’t step away again, or respond, he simply finished bathing her. When he was done and she reached for the soap, he handed it to her. She worked up a lather and washed her hair, before rinsing it and looking up at him to see what he expected of her next.
The double doors at the other end of the cell block opened, and three guards entered.
Maddox stepped in front of his female, watching the guards, preparing to fight to keep what had been promised to him.
Tex, Santiago and the others stepped to the bars of their cells, as they’d not been let out yet. They snarled a low warning just as Maddox did.
Two of the guards went straight for Nestor’s body, the third just kept watch on Maddox with his stun gun raised in case Maddox decided to attack. “Just here to clean up,” the guard holding the stun gun said. The other two guards lifted Nestor’s body and carried it outside the cell block. One of them returned with a bucket, sloshing water over the sides. He poured some of the soapy water on the blood staining the cement, then used the push broom to scrub the spot with before lifting the bucket and pouring the rest over the spot he’d just cleaned.
Maddox watched without comment as the guards finished up, then left, locking the doors behind themselves. They didn’t come blazing into the cell block, so the doctor must not care too much that he’d killed the guard. Maddox didn’t really give a damn. If another touched his female, he’d kill them, too. Other than that, he’d do exactly what he was ordered to do so she’d stay with him. He now had two objectives in life. Keep his males safe and in line, and keep his female safe and at his side.
Nina shifted beside Maddox, and he looked down to see her trying to wring water from her hair.
Maddox reached for her hair and slowly ran his hands down its length, squeezing and wringing the water from it. Once he was done, he took her hand in his and led her to Tex’s cell. He pointed to Tex, “Two.”
Then he led her to Santiago’s cell, again pointing to the male in the cell. “Three.”
He paused outside Phelps’s cell. “Four.”
At Conley’s cell she looked up at him when he pointed and ventured a guess. “Five?”
Maddox nodded. “Five,” he confirmed.
He pointed to himself. “One.” Then he pointed to Nina.
Nina had never been given a number. She unfortunately had all her memories intact. “Nina.”
“Nina,” Maddox repeated, trying out the name on his tongue. Then he gave a nod. “My Nina.”
When she didn’t agree he said it again. “My Nina,” he said more forcefully.
“Okay,” she finally said because One seemed to be getting agitated that she wouldn’t agree.
Seemingly momentarily satisfied at her acceptance that she was his, he reached for her hand again, taking her back to his cell. He paused outside the cell and pointed to it. “Home,” he said.
Nina stood beside him looking into the cell he called home. It was most certainly not a home of any type. But, if he could manage to keep her from any additional harm, or males for that matter, she’d take the little bit of reprise it offered her. “Okay,” she responded again.
Maddox led her into the cell and removed a cinder block from the wall, before pulling out a simple gray blanket. He handed it to her, then replaced the cinder block. He went over to the bunk and laid two blankets down on it before extending a hand for her. She went to him and he lifted her off her feet, placing her on the bunk, then tossed her blanket across the foot of the bunk, and crawled on the bunk with her, positioning himself between her legs. “Your male needs,” he said, before lifting her calves over his shoulders and lining himself up.
Maddox reached down with one hand and ran his fingers across her. She was not aroused, so he spit in his hand and applied it to the soft skin between her legs. He did it twice more before he was satisfied she was wet enough to take him. Then he pushed his way in.
Maddox leaned forward, allowing her legs to fall to his waist while he held himself above her, staring into her eyes the entire time he thrust into her. He was not gentle, but, he didn’t flip her to her knees and take her from behind. He faced her, looking into her face, treating her like an individual instead of just a hole for satisfaction.
When he was done, he pulled out and grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bunk, pulling it up over them. “Rest,” he instructed, turning her on her side and spooning her from behind. “We’ll eat soon.” Maddox threw an arm over her and put his head on the pillow beside hers. Moments later, he was snoring softly in her ear.
Chapter 10
Just a couple of hours later the chains outside the doors rattled again as they were unlocked. The guards entered with six covered meals. They placed two on the floor outside Maddox’s cell, then worked their way around the room, unlocking cell doors and placing a covered meal just outside that door. Once all meals had been served, and the cell doors of all Maddox’s males’ cells were unlocked, the guards left, rechaining the double door behind themselves.
Maddox, who’d watched them the entire time from a spot halfway between his bunk where his female lay and his cell door, waited until he was sure they were gone, then retrieved the meals and handed one to Nina. Then he walked back out of his cell and watched as each male opened his own meal. Maddox waited to be sure they were all okay with what they’d been given and that no arguments would ensue, then he returned to his cell to eat his food with his female.
They weren’t even finished when the sound of the chains on the outside of the doors started to rattle again. Maddox let out a growl of irritation as he set his food aside and got to his feet again, placing himself between whatever came through the doors and Nina.
The double doors opened and two guards entered with Dr. Waller right behind them.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen!” he called happily.
All five of the males in the cell block stood just inside their cells, watching, waiting to see what was next. None of them offered a reply.
“Tell me, One. How is it to have your own female? As good as you’d hoped?”
Maddox simply stared at him, giving no indication he’d heard.
“Since we’ve come to such amicable agreements lately, I decided that I’d offer you clothing for your female,” Dr. Waller said, stepping closer to the cell and holding out what looked like the shirt of a scrubs set. It was large, and would easily cover Nina’s body.
Maddox didn’t move forward. He stood in place, waiting. There was always a catch.
“Aren’t you going to take it?” Dr. Waller asked.
“How much?” Maddox asked.
Dr. Waller smiled widely. “Ahh, there’s that intelligence again. You know better than to just take and run. There’s always a price. Or at least almost always. This time, there’s a reason, not a price.”
“What reason?” Maddox asked.
“You and your team are my premier Squad. You are representative of all the successes we hope to have at all the facilities around the country. I cannot have you flying into a jealous rage and killing your own males over your female. So, cover her,” he said, tossing the pale green top at Maddox.
Maddox extended one hand and caught the shirt Dr. Waller tossed at him. He lifted it to his nose and scented it to be sure it was clean. Before he even had a chance to turn around and look at Nina, she was standing beside him, her small hand gripping the shirt, waiting for him to release it to her.
Nina looked up into his eyes, a silent plea to let her have it.
Maddox gave her a single nod, then released it to her.
Nina shook the shirt out, then slipped it over her head. Then she stood just behind and beside Maddox waiting to see what was next.
“Very good. All’s happy now?”
No one answered.
“I’ll take that as a yes. And since you’re all happy now,” he turned and gave the other males in the cell block a brief glance, “your reward will be delivered a little later this evening as agreed. Anyway, the rest of your training begins tomorrow. You will be up, dressed, prepared to leave this facility before dawn tomorrow morning. You will be fed earlier than usual, and you will be expected to leave fifteen minutes after your food is delivered. You will be taken to a non-disclosed location. You will clothe yourselves in the uniforms you will be given. You will wear the headgear supplied. You will keep your faces covered
at all times. You will follow each and every order given. If you return here tomorrow evening, successful, having done all asked of you, your female will still be in your cell, the reward for your males will be delivered, and all will be right in your world.
If you do not follow every protocol, every order, and return with complete success, when you do return, your female will be given to another squad for the night. Your males will have no reward, and until you prove yourselves successful again, neither of these two things will change. Am I clear?”
“Yes,” Maddox hissed through clenched teeth.
“Excellent. Now, line up like good little boys, and do not fight the injections you are about to receive. You’ll get one now, and another tomorrow morning before you leave the facility.”
Maddox didn’t move. Neither did the other males, taking their cues from him.
Dr. Waller shrugged. “I can remove the female tonight if you wish…”
Maddox snarled but stepped forward.
The rest of the males approached from their own cells to form a line behind Maddox, and a medical technician began to administer the injections.
“These are hormonal. They are just a boost to your already elevated systems. You should feel only a slight difference, though,” he said, pausing to look over at Nina, “if I were you, I’d be sure to stay close to One. They’ll all be a little wound up after this. You may want to be sure to jump when he says to.”
Each male stood still while they received their injections, then calmly walked back to their cells.
“Eat and sleep well, gentlemen. Your morning will come very, very early,” Dr. Waller said, turning on his heel and leaving the cell block.
He paused at the door and looked back over the cell block. “Your reward will be here shortly. I’m aware you’ve done nothing to earn her. Consider it a good faith action on my part. I suggest you finish with her early and try to sleep.”
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Beginnings Page 8
