“Shut up, Book.” Darkness sighed. “You’re not helping.”

“Fine.” The male shrugged. “I was attempting to talk him down from the ledge.”

“What ledge?” True snarled.

“It’s a saying.” Darkness drew his attention. “A stupid one that doesn’t apply here. You can’t just steal a female from Medical and bring her home. We have rules and regulations. You believe something she said and think she was set up by another human? Is that the gist of it?”

He was relieved someone had listened. “Yes.”

“Do this through proper channels. We’ll return her to Medical and put one of our males at her door to make sure she remains there. You and I will sit down with Justice, Fury and Slade to discuss this.”

He debated it. “What if they don’t believe her?”

“You must comply with their decisions.”

“I won’t.” His temper flared again. “Not when it comes to her. She saved my life.”

“I understand you believe whatever she said.” Darkness lowered the phone and returned it to his pocket. “This isn’t the way to handle it though. You don’t comprehend how wrong your actions are.”

The elevator doors opened and Flirt strolled out. The male paused. “What is going on?” His nose flared. “Who is that female? Why is she so still?”

True was grateful to see the male. “Tell them I’m not irrational.”

“Okay.” Flirt shrugged, glancing at Darkness. “He’s not irrational.” He looked back at True. “Why do you have an unconscious female in your arms? I’m trying not to judge but she smells of fear. Did you scare her enough that she fainted and now you’re pulling a caveman stunt to carry her off to your room to kiss it all better?”

“No.” He clenched his teeth, trying to calm his quickly escalading temper. “I didn’t steal her for sex. Why would you think that?”

“Um, the half-naked human you’re holding and she isn’t exactly telling us she wants to be here.” Flirt chuckled. “That hot, huh?”

“It’s Technician Jeanie Shiver,” True growled.

Flirt’s expression sobered. “What?” His nostrils flared again as he inhaled before he quickly advanced, trying to get a better look at her. His hand rose as if he planned to remove the blanket to see her more clearly.

True snarled in warning. “Don’t touch her.”

Flirt’s catlike blue gaze narrowed. “She smells different. I want to see her face.”

“It’s her.”

“Let me see. Do you think I’d harm her?” He appeared outraged. “What is wrong with her? What did you do?” His voice deepened. “Give her to me.”

Darkness moved between them. “Don’t fight. She could be harmed.”

“What did you do?” Flirt roared. “I’ll kill you if you hurt her.” He extended his arms. “Gently hand her over to me.”

“What is going on?” Darkness glared at both of them.

“I’m protecting her,” True stated to Flirt. “They wanted to send her to Fuller. I won’t allow it.”

“The human prison?” Flirt calmed enough to speak in a normal tone. “She doesn’t belong there.”

“I know,” True agreed. “I was taking her to my home to keep her safe. The males believe I’m going to molest or mount her. I’d never cause her harm.”

“What is wrong with her?” Flirt inched closer.

“She’s drugged with a sedative. She’ll wake in a few hours.”

Darkness sighed. “You’re from the New Mexico facility, too, Flirt. You knew the human as well, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Flirt nodded. “She’s not bad. It’s not irrational to want to keep her from being sent to a prison. Take her upstairs, True. I’ll help keep her safe. Don’t try to stop him, Darkness. I will fight to protect her.”

“What the hell?” Book gasped.

“Everyone needs to calm down,” Darkness ordered. “I’m not fighting with anyone. I’m just trying to figure out what is going on.”

“She’s Jeanie Shiver,” Flirt growled. “I’d die to protect her.” He turned his head, studying True. “Are we in agreement? No harm is to come to her.”

“I stole her to prevent that.”

Flirt glared at Darkness. “I’d have stolen her too if I’d known she was at Homeland and in danger of being sent to prison. Let him take her upstairs.”

Darkness backed away. “Why is she so important to you? True said she saved his life. I just want to understand what is going on and why both of you are ready to attack others in defense of that human.”

Flirt reached down and gripped the waist of his shirt, tore it over his head and tossed it to the floor. The scars covering his chest, belly, and back were revealed. They were thick in some places, thin lines in others. “This is what happened to me when they moved us from Mercile to Drackwood. The abuse increased until I nearly died, often. Jeanie Shiver kept me alive by sitting at my bedside during the worst of the pain and told me stories that made me fight to keep breathing just to hear the end of them.” He paused, his eyes sheening with tears. “One of the guards took it too far before I was freed.” His hand rubbed the thicker scars near his lower belly. “He gutted me with a knife. The doctor didn’t want to operate to save me, complaining I wasn’t worth his time. The operation would take hours. Shiver shamed the male into it. She argued with him until he agreed and she stayed with me to make sure he wouldn’t break his word. I’d kill to protect that female. I was still recovering in bed when the NSO came. I wouldn’t have survived long enough to be here and know this life if it weren’t for her.”

Darkness lowered his head, nodding grimly. “I understand.” He held True’s gaze. “Take her to your home. I have no idea what the blowback on this will be but you have my support.” He stared into Flirt’s eyes. “I respect a life debt. Help him keep her here until something is worked out. I’ll do my best to convey why she’s worth breaking some rules. I’m not big on following all of them either.”

“Thank you.” True nodded and strode away. He pushed the button to call the elevator.

“Are you sure she’s okay? She’s so limp.”

He didn’t like Flirt standing so close to his side or the way the male fondly gazed at the female. “She is highly drugged but fine.”

“Hand her to me.” He opened his arms. “I’ll carry her.”

“You won’t touch her,” True warned.

Flirt growled low. “She doesn’t belong to you. She saved my life.”

“She saved mine too.”

They glared at each other until the doors opened. True stepped inside, keeping to the corner as far from the male as possible in the confined space. Flirt refused to give up easily.

“We should take her to my home. She will be happy to see me when she wakes.”

Jealousy raged inside True. “You don’t know that.”

“She spent a lot of time with me.” Flirt puffed out his chest. “I was injured more frequently than you were. They had me on some trial for drugs to mend broken bones. I made her laugh. Did you?”

“She asked me to help her, not you.”

“I didn’t know she was here or I would have gone to her.”

The doors opened at the third floor. True stepped out and stomped to his apartment. He tugged his keycard out of his front pants pocket—leaning back a little to balance her weight in his arms—as he tried to ignore the male following too close to Shiver.

“You can guard the door.”

“I think she’d feel safer if she wakes looking at my face,” Flirt protested.

True spun, snarling. “She’s mine to protect.”

“She’s mine too.”

A horrible thought struck. “Did you agree to Polanitis’ deal? Did you mount her?” He wasn’t sure what he’d do if the male said he had. He’d want to kill him for sure.

“No!” Flirt snarled. “Did you? Polanitis offered you a deal to mount her?” He snarled again, his hands fisting. “Is that how he got back at her for making him angry? Allowed you to hurt her?”

“I never touched her.” He fought the urge to punch the male in the face but only because of the weight of Shiver resting against his chest and in his arms. He’d have to put her down and out of the way first to fight the male. “What do you know of Polanitis?”