“That place gives me the creeps.” Midnight pointed to the bed. “Just put her on that and I’ll at least give her a sponge bath. Stay put until I return. I may as well change her clothing too. They just sent over sweats that should fit her.”

“The humans won’t notice how she scents.”

“I will and I am the one left to babysit her until the van arrives. She shouldn’t be left alone. I’ll be right back.”

True gently eased Shiver down on the bed and tried to let her go but she fisted his shirt with both hands. She pulled, drawing him closer until his mouth was way too close to hers. He breathed through it instead of his nose, guessing she’d smell even more tempting at that close range. He gazed into her eyes, surprised to see fear there again.

“Please protect me. I did you.”

He reached up and cupped her cheek. Her skin was soft, too much so. He wanted to stroke it. “You’re heavily drugged but safe.”

“I heard her. Don’t send me where Polanitis is.” She whimpered. “I’m dead if you do.”

“You won’t be killed. We don’t do that to females.”

She struggled to sit up and he backed away a little, watching her as she seemed to also fight the drug in her system. Her gaze sharpened a little as she frantically looked around. “Hide me.”

“Jeanie.” Using her first name seemed appropriate at that moment and odd at the same time. “Lie back down.”

She grabbed his hand with both of hers, clinging to it. “I saved you.”

“You’ve said that.”

“You don’t believe me.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “How can you do this to me after what I’ve done?”

“You—”

“They were going to kill you. Take you to hell.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I was caught crying over you. Couldn’t take watching the guards beat you. He would have killed us both so I made the deal. I kept it for you or I would have just run away. I couldn’t run, though, because I couldn’t leave you there.” She glanced around, a desperate look in her eyes, before staring up at him again.

“You need to calm.” The drug was making her unstable and irrational. She babbled nonsense.

“Calm?” Her voice rose. “Do you know what he did to me? What I suffered? How I’d cry and…” Her voice trailed off and she frowned, dropping her attention on their clasped hands. “I’m not supposed to tell you that. You can’t ever know.”

He leaned in closer, on alert. “What can’t I ever know? Jeanie? Tell me.” She might say something important that could help them find others.

She frowned, engrossed with his hand. Her fingers explored the curve of his knuckles. “What?”

“Tell me what I can’t ever know.”

Her movements stalled but then she clutched at him again. “I allowed him to do things to me.”

True reared up, straightening from his bent position. It took a lot of control not to tear his hand out of her grasp. His lips parted as he bit back a snarl. He didn’t want to hear all the details of how she’d screwed over Species, him included. It remained a sore spot with his pride. He also feared she’d confess that Polanitis was more to her than a coworker. The idea sickened and enraged him at the same time.

“Don’t be angry at me. They hurt me so bad, 710,” she whispered. “But it kept us alive. That’s how I survived.” She lifted her chin, her gaze unfocused, cloudy from the drugs. She smiled at him then. “You’re free. That’s all that matters. I endured for a reason. Look at you.”

He crouched, studying her. He’d seen some of the human task force drunk. That’s what she reminded him of with that vacant look and how she slumped a little where she sat. She was vulnerable at that moment. The humans let down their guard after too much alcoholic consumption and talked too freely. Her words made little sense but she was too indisposed to lie.

“Polanitis hurt you?”

Fresh tears glimmered in her pretty eyes. “I made the deal. They changed your drugs. No more beatings.”

He held his breath, her words stirring memories.

“He ordered you to be killed.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “New drugs designed to turn New Species against New Species. I told Agent Brice to warn the NSO about them.” She dug her fingernails into his hand when she clutched at him tighter. “I made the deal and he had you returned to your cell.” She nodded, her tears stopping, and focused on his hand again. Her hold eased as she stroked his thumb, tracing the calloused surface. “I don’t blame you for being leverage, 710. It was my choice. I don’t regret the hell I suffered because it got you out alive. Wasn’t your fault. We were both trapped.”

Leverage. That one word took him back in time to his cell when Polanitis threatened to have a female raped if he didn’t comply with his demands. He’d used that term then, telling him that’s what he was.

“Leverage?” he whispered, hoping she’d say more.

She nodded and slumped to her side but refused to release his hand as she curled into a ball. Her eyes closed when she yawned.

“Jeanie?” He growled her name. “Leverage? Tell me about it. It’s important.”

She pulled his hand against her chest, pressing it next to her supple br**sts, covered only by the thin material. His knuckles felt the warmth of them. “I wasn’t going to let you die. I let them do anything to me as long as it kept you alive.”