Brawn refused to admit that her touching him had been a staggering experience and he already ached for her to begin again. He could have sworn he smelled her arousal but it was probably from earlier. Her tears tore him up inside and he knew once this was over, if they were rescued, this day would haunt her.

She leaned back from him and he missed her closeness instantly. He closed his eyes so she felt more comfortable not being watched, knew her aversion to that from her words about the cameras and hated the way his c**k stiffened with need from knowing her hands would be on him again soon.

The light brush of her fingertips made him bite his lip to stifle a snarl. His heart raced, his arms strained against the chains and he wanted to break them. He was grateful they held. Otherwise he’d grab her, tear off her clothes and pin her under his body. He wanted inside her so bad it was killing him.

Just the mental image of her under him, her thighs spread and his c**k driving into her pu**y was enough to make him ready to come. Her hands were stoking him. They felt amazing but he just knew it would feel better with her vaginal walls squeezing him tighter than her current hold on him.

“Tighter,” he hissed through gritted teeth, hating himself just a little more for even asking.

Her hands gripped him more firmly, moved faster and he knew shame as he rasped out that she should grab the cup. The world became a white haze of pleasure as he came hard, tried to remember to breathe and it didn’t stop until she released his sex. He panted, caught his breath and knew pure hell. Not only would Becca never look at him again without being reminded of what the evil Mercile employees were capable of but she’d believe he was a pathetic male who couldn’t hold his seed long enough to give pleasure if they were to share sex.

Light caresses traced his skin and her hair tickled as she leaned against his side. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered. “We’re a team and we’re going to get through this. Six more times. That’s all.”

Rage gripped him. She was trying to comfort him, assure him that they’d somehow survive and he even failed her there. He nodded, not trusting himself to look at her in case she looked upon him with pity. He couldn’t take that.

“It will be.” He kept his voice firm, strong and hoped she didn’t lose all respect for him.

Chapter Eight

Brawn was so silent that Becca worried about him deeply. She finished her oatmeal, a horrible, overcooked bowl of cold mush and almost envied him the bloody steaks he’d been given. She sat on the cot inside their cage, he sat cross-legged in the far corner with the plate balanced on his lap and avoided even glancing her way. He’d been that way ever since she’d taken the last s**en sample from him and the goon squad had returned to transfer them back to the cage.

“How are the steaks?” She tried a casual question to test his mood.

“Cold.” He took another bite, blood dripped onto the plate and he chewed. “They seared them but it was a while ago. I think they put them in a refrigerator afterward.”

“I’m sorry. Do you want some oatmeal?” She glanced at the half-eaten portion, more than willing to give him the rest. As hungry as she was, it was like eating pasty, tasteless glue.

He shook his head. “Keep up your strength. Eat it all.”

He didn’t offer her any of his steak and her shoulders sagged. She’d been hopeful he’d share. She’d take nearly raw and cold meat over tasteless crap any day. “Are you tired? We could share the cot.”

That got her a frowning look. “I’ll sleep on the floor. Lie down if you wish to rest.”

Anger and pain hit at the same time as she dropped her gaze. “I’m fine. I thought you might be tired. You can have the bed and I’ll sit on the floor. You need the rest.” He’d just given up eight samples, and he might not be human, but she figured any guy would want to sleep after that kind of activity.

“I am used to hardships. The bed is yours.”

Her eyes closed and she took a few shallow breaths to avoid the tears that threatened. Maybe he hated her just a bit for what he’d just endured. She’d resent being tied down and forced to cl**ax eight times because someone wanted samples from her. Of course it wouldn’t be so awful if it were Brawn doing the touching. He wasn’t her though.

“Sleep, Becca.” He growled a little. “The oatmeal will keep.”

Of course it would. It wasn’t as if it could taste any worse. She leaned down, placed the bowl on the floor and lay on the cot with her back to Brawn. She curled into a ball, hugged her chest and fought tears.

Where the hell were her father and his team? Why were they taking so long if they could track Brawn? She knew they’d traveled for hours but the NSO had been warned when they’d received the call from Brawn. A team should have already been dispatched by the time they’d been taken from the property yet they hadn’t shown up.

What if the damn tracker is defective? She pushed that thought back, unwilling to even consider it. Hope of being rescued was all she had to keep her sanity. Otherwise at some point that bitch doctor would have enough money to flee the country, she’d sell Brawn and the three other New Species to some pricks in Europe after they kidnapped a primate and that would leave Becca shit out of luck. They’d either kill her outright or leave her to die inside the cage.

If abandoned, it would be a toss-up what killed her first. Starvation or the insanity caused by being left in the dark, locked up with no hope. It would be pure hell either way. She’d have water, thanks to the hose they’d dragged to the side of the cage to let her wash her hands and face. Of course they could take that away too if they decided to just abandon her when they left.

Hot tears seeped out and she muffled a sob. She was afraid and hated it. The fact that Brawn was acting so distant made it worse. He was being a shitty teammate.

“Becca?” A firm hand gripped her hip.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not. Look at me.”

“No.” She sniffed. “I’m just being emotional. I’m okay. Go eat.”

He softly growled and forced her to roll onto her back. She opened her eyes, had to blink a few times to see him through her tears and he leaned over her until his nose nearly brushed hers.

“What is wrong? Are you hurting? Still hungry? You should eat more.”

“I’m scared,” she admitted, whispering. “They should have found us by now and they haven’t. I don’t think they are going to.”

Shock didn’t register on his face and it sank in that he might have already considered that possibility. It just made the horrible possibility more real and fresh tears spilled out.

“I’m going to die here and you…” She reached up and cupped his face. “You could fight. You could get away if they weren’t using me to keep you in line, couldn’t you?”

Anger sparked in his eyes. “I won’t do anything to put you in danger.”

She rubbed his cheek. “We have to be realistic. I’m a military brat. Sometimes you have to sacrifice one life to save the rest. You have a real chance of escape if you take them by surprise. The next time they come for us, act like you’re not going to fight and take those fuckers down. Get out of here. You could save yourself and maybe those other New Species. It will take them some time to move your guys, they need to keep them alive for the money they are making, but I’m just a pawn with limited use.”

“Becca,” he snarled.

“It makes sense and my dad would totally get it. Tell him what I said if you get out of here. We’re f**ked and we both know it. Do you really want to end up in Europe in some place that could be far worse than this hellhole? They want to use you and those other Species to make babies to sell on the black market. They are planning on kidnapping a primate Species and you have someone who works at Homeland who will set it up the way it happened when you left. You can’t allow that. I’m dead either way, Brawn. They aren’t going to ship me off with you. There’s nothing special about me once my use with you is done here. They’ll drug you, take you away and I’m dead. Period.”

He gripped her arms, his hold nearly bruising. “You are very special and I won’t allow you die just to gain my own freedom or that of those other males.”

“They are your kind, Brawn. Your men. You’ve got to save them. You’re the only one who can do this.”

“I don’t care.” He lowered his face until their noses pressed together and anger sparked in his eyes. “I won’t let you die.”

Fresh tears blinded her as she slid her fingers into his hair. “You’re a stand-up guy and terrific if anyone hasn’t ever told you that but you need to be smart.”

He jerked back and released her. “This conversation has ended.”

He stormed across the cage and gripped the bars, his back to her. Becca sat up, her own anger flared and she stood. Her gaze drifted to the camera, she remembered that she needed to keep her voice very low and marched after him.

“Brawn?” She tapped his shoulder.

He turned his head and glared down at her. “Go to sleep. You are tired and not rational.” He looked away.

“You know I’m right,” she whispered. “It’s f**ked up but true nonetheless. Face me, damn it.”

He released the bars and slowly turned. Becca should have been afraid at seeing his rage but she knew she made sense. He had a real chance to escape by taking the goons by surprise the next time they tried to move them from the cell to get more samples from him. She stepped so close their bodies brushed.

“Here’s the plan. The next time they come, offer to hold me again. Pick me up and the second you’re free of the cage, throw my ass at them, attack and run. We’re at least three levels underground.” She swallowed. “It’s the double doors you haven’t seen them walk through. The ones to the left. A warehouse sits above us and that’s where the stairway leads. There are windows high up if the doors leading outside are locked. I didn’t see any bars over the glass. You can leap, right? I heard one of them say that. Break a window, get out and run until you find help.”

He leaned down. “That’s your plan?”

“Yes.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously and his voice came out soft but harsh. “What happens in your plan when I throw you?”

“They will shoot me, I’ll take at least one of them down when I hit him if you throw me hard enough for my weight to knock him on his ass and I swear that I’ll try to blind him or something before I die. I really want to scratch out someone’s eyes at the very least.”

Brawn snarled loudly. The sound startled her and his hands gripped her h*ps before she could even gasp. Her feet left the floor as he lifted, spun and her back hit the cage doors. He pinned her there with his body pressed tightly to hers, held her face-level to him and bared sharp teeth.

“No,” he rasped.

She gripped his shoulders, trying to ignore the cold, hard press of bars against her back and the way her feet dangled a foot from the floor. “Yes. It’s a good plan and one of us is going to survive this, damn it. I can’t leap up and break a window if that’s the only way out of the warehouse even if you were willing to take bullets to give me time to reach the door before they shot at me. I don’t have the strength you have either and I suck at running. I would probably pass out after jogging up three flights of stairs.” She hated to admit it but it was true. “I’m kind of out of shape if you haven’t noticed.”

“You’re perfect,” he hissed. “Shut up and stop talking.”

Why won’t he listen to me? Frustration rose. She didn’t want to die but he had a real chance of escape. Why couldn’t he see that the rescue team would have arrived if they’d been able to track his signal? They were looking at possible months of captivity, then he’d be shipped off somewhere else farther from the possibly of help finding him and she’d be dead anyway.

“You’re being stupid and stubborn. I’m not perfect but I also don’t want to die by starving to death or being shot like some rabid dog by these assholes. I’d rather go out fighting for a purpose. Now stop being so na?ve and man up.” That line worked for her father when he tried to rile his men in training. She hoped it had the same effect with Brawn. “Do the smart thing and stop being so damn sweet,” she hissed.

He threw his head back and roared. Terror gripped Becca in a flash, her jaw dropped open and she realized she’d pushed him too far. His head lowered and his mouth sealed over hers. His tongue thrust between her parted lips and he kissed her.

The shock quickly faded as she realized he wasn’t going to kill her. It was worse. He was going to make her want him and his gift of manipulating her mouth was golden. She kissed him back, her arms wrapped around his neck and she barely noticed when he adjusted his hold from her h*ps to grip her thighs, which he spread apart. She wrapped them around his hips.

They were moving, the motion barely registered in her mind, too caught up in their dueling tongues. He promised all kinds of hot things with the passion he shared while f**king her with his tongue, making her body respond full force. Her br**sts smashed against his solid chest, only the thin material of her nightshirt a barrier, as he walked. His hard shaft couldn’t be missed as it rubbed against her cl*twith her wrapped so tightly around him.

She gasped and pulled away when she realized he’d just slammed his knees on the floor when they’d either given way or he’d purposely dropped onto them. They were next to the cot, both out of breath and he released one of her thighs to fist her hair at the back of her head. She met his gaze when he forced her to look at him and he took possession of her mouth again with a burning kiss.