Trisha had never gotten to go see the place. She only knew what she’d heard on the news. Brass had told her a bit about the project. Four hundred miles to the north in the woodsy area of Northern California, Justice had bought up thousands of acres of land—an old resort that had closed down years before and abandoned. The owner had sold it cheap to avoid paying taxes on the property. Justice planned to turn it into a home for some of the New Species who didn’t want to “get along with others”.

A smile curved her lips at the memory of Brass saying those exact words to her. He’d explained that some of the New Species were less human-looking than the ones she saw at Homeland. They didn’t want to be integrated with humans, instead just wanted to live in peace within a safe place. They currently resided in an unspecified location far from human contact but with the hate groups, everyone feared for their safety if anyone ever discovered where they’d been placed by the government.

Justice had bought the old resort to bring them closer to their own kind and to be able to protect them better. They’d decided to rename it New Species Reservation. She’d been assured that it was an appropriate title since it was anything but a vacation spot. It would be run the way Homeland had been set up, totally under New Species law and control. It would also have high-level security to protect the New Species who chose to live there.

Brass had become a good friend to Trisha while he’d stayed at her house for the first two weeks after her ordeal. He’d made her laugh a lot and become important to her. She’d worried a little that he might be attracted to her but he’d never done anything out of line. When the threat assessment to her had been lowered, she had actually missed her constant companions who guarded her.

Brass still checked on her and stopped by often with a few action movies and she supplied the popcorn. Sometimes he’d bring a few of his friends with him. Trisha had gotten to know some of the New Species that way. They treated her as though she were a little sister, as if she were one of them, and she’d been grateful for it. It had kept her from feeling self-pity.

Slade had never called or come to see her. As a matter of fact, he’d dropped off the face of the Earth for all Trisha could tell. Several weeks ago one of the men had mentioned that Tiger and Slade were working at Reservation. He wasn’t even living at Homeland anymore.

The silent message of actions speaking louder than words had been clear to Trisha. The sex they’d shared had been nothing more than casual sex to Slade. That reality hurt deeply but she was recovering and determined to pretend it never even happened. That was until earlier that morning. She was afraid she would be sick again.

“Dr. Norbit?” Trisha glanced up at the secretary. “You can go in now.”

“Thank you.”

Trisha rose to her feet even though her knees grew weak. She had the urge to flee. She could leave, quit her job, and move to another state just to avoid the entire mess. She’d been tempted to listen to that panicked voice inside her head. She even hesitated as her gaze flickered to the door that led out of the reception area. She swallowed instead though and forced her legs to walk toward Justice’s office. I’m a doctor and I know what needs to be done regardless of the personal consequences I’m facing.

Justice wore his usual jeans and sported a tank top and bare feet. It always amused her that the leader of an entire race could always be so casual unless he planned to stand in front of media cameras. He wore dark suits then, would pull his long hair back, and even put on shoes.

As she entered his office, he strode toward her with a smile curving his generous lips. She always noticed how good-looking he was with his fit body, his handsome features and those sexy cat eyes. The fact that he was really nice also added to his appeal. She forced a smile.

“Welcome, Trisha. It’s hot today, isn’t it?”

She nodded. She’d overdressed in a long navy skirt and business-style button-down shirt, intentionally going for the professional look as a means to calm her nerves. She’d even taken time to pull her hair up into a nice bun. It had distracted her from the upcoming meeting she’d requested with Justice as soon as he had time to see her. She’d specified the urgency of needing to talk to him. He’d made the time.

“So, what is so important? Debra, my secretary, informed me that you needed to speak to me about something right away. Is this another request for more nursing staff? Are the two additional ones we hired not enough? Do you have a request for more medical equipment?” He waved her to a take chair while he walked around his desk. “Have a seat.”

Trisha collapsed into a plush chair. Justice kept his smile in place as he took his seat. He leaned forward to brace his elbows on his desk, resting his chin onto his hands. He looked amused.

“You look so serious. Don’t be. I told you before that I’m very willing to get you whatever you need for the medical center.”

“This isn’t about that.” She had to slow her pounding heart. “This is about a personal matter.”

The smile slowly faded as his gaze narrowed. “Please tell me you aren’t resigning. We need you.” He lifted his head, removed his elbows from his desk to fall back against his chair, and looked suddenly tense. “I’d be more than happy to discuss money with you if this is a salary issue. We really want you to continue working with us. You are an excellent doctor and my people have grown to trust you. You have no idea how much we value that and you.”