“Are you well?” He sounded and looked enraged.

“I’m fine.” Emotionally, she wasn’t but she knew he wondered if she’d been physically abused.

Brawn growled at Randy as he backed up inside his cell. “Bring her to me. I will turn and not move.”

“Nope, kitty cat. You don’t get your piece of ass yet. The doctor ordered me to put her in with 880 now. He’s going to mount her first. I bet that’s going to eat out your guts, watching him take her.”

Brawn roared and lunged at the front of the cage fast. Vicious growls tore from his throat.

“He’s lying,” Becca yelled. She had to shout to be heard over Brawn’s outrage. “He’s fucking with you. That woman said I’m to be put in with you.”

Brawn stopped pulling at the bars and released them. He took a few ragged, deep breaths as he backed away again. Randy laughed and slapped Becca painfully on the ass.

“You ruined my fun, bitch.” He paused before Brawn’s cage. “If I say jump, you better jump, kitty cat. Otherwise I am going to bend your bitch over in front of you and make you watch me mount her.”

Furious catlike eyes narrowed when Randy laughed. Becca could feel Brawn’s intense gaze on her and stopped glaring at the asshole who was intent on verbally torturing him.

Randy turned his head and his gaze roamed her body. “You want him bad, don’t you, bitch? You like it doggy style with the kitty cat?”

Becca didn’t say a word, knowing he baited her. She was outside her cell, helpless with the men around her if they decided to attack. She watched the goons draw those dart guns as they edged behind the back of Brawn’s cage. He saw them too and turned to track their movements with his heated glare. His hands rose to hold the bars along the back of the cage, giving his back to the cell door.

“I won’t fight or attack. You don’t need to stun me. I won’t move,” Brawn swore.

The two men looked at each other and frowned. Randy hesitated. “Nail him if he’s lying and take him down. He’ll wake up to find his girlfriend fucked and crying if he attempts to rush us.”

Brawn didn’t move as Randy unwrapped the chains and unlocked the cell door. Becca was tense, ready for an attack, but it didn’t happen. Randy opened the door a few feet and shoved Becca inside. She turned to face him, watched the bastard slam the door and secure the chains again. He backed away.

“Clear. He’s secure.” Randy grinned at her. “Enjoy your time with him.”

Becca resisted flipping him off. “There’s a special place in hell for you.”

He winked. “When I die, I’m going to take that fucking place over. Remember who is out here and who is in there, bitch. That’s all that matters.”

A big hand touched her shoulder, making her jump. She swiveled her head and peered up at Brawn. One arm wrapped around her waist, pulled her against his tall frame and tugged her away from the bars.

“In a few hours your girlfriend is going to do what we want.” Randy licked his lips and his voice lowered to avoid being picked up by the camera’s audio equipment. “Remember how you learned not to trust humans? Don’t forget she’s one.” His gaze fell to Becca. “Please make my day and refuse. I want to watch you suffer.” He brushed a finger over the bandaged injury on his cheek to make it clear he hadn’t forgotten who had put it there, then spun away. “Move out. Let’s go eat breakfast.”

The men disappeared through the double doors. Becca didn’t watch them go, instead stared up at Brawn’s handsome face. Anger still darkened his features, worry curved his mouth and he lowered his chin.

“You can trust me. He’s just trying to cause shit between us.” Those words were hard to get out, worried he’d believe that asshole. Becca turned in his arms, reached up and gripped his shoulders. He lowered when she pulled on him enough to get the message across that she wanted him closer to her mouth. She turned, her lips nearly brushed the shell of his ear and she whispered, “Do you think the cameras can hear us?”

He nuzzled her nose with his cheek. “Not if we speak this soft.”

“The woman doctor running this place is insane and wants sperm samples. They are freezing them to sell to some vile bastards in Europe. They took that Species who paced inside his cell, hung him upright by his limbs and hooked him to some fucked-up machines to…” Her voice broke and she shuddered against the large, warm body pressed close. “It was awful what they were doing but I couldn’t stop them.”

His body stiffened against hers and a low growl rumbled from his throat. It made her jerk her head back enough to stare into his eyes. He avoided her gaze and pulled her tightly into his embrace again.

“What else did you hear?”

“That doctor is wanted by the police, she’s stuck here and desperate for money. They offered her a lot of it to, um, hell, I don’t even know how to say this.”

“Just speak. Tell me.” His hands lightly brushed her back. “I need to know.”

“They want your sperm. They don’t have any Species like you and she was offered three times as much money if she could freeze and sell yours without any drugs in your system.” Her cheeks burned, telling him what those monsters planned. “They want me to help with that.”

He turned his head and so did she until inches separated their faces. He didn’t appear shocked but anger still burned in his gaze. “Give sperm without the need of breeding drugs?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m supposed to help you get turned-on and give a sample.”

His eyes closed and he tilted his head back. A sigh passed his lips and she stood there grimly watching him. It was a bad situation but she needed to make it clear so he had all the facts she knew.

“Some scientists want to figure out a way to make Species sperm live longer—I guess it dies fast from what I was told—and use human surrogate women to have Species babies. Rich sickos want to buy them. I’m sure a half New Species baby on the black market would raise a hell of a lot of bids.” She felt bad for even saying it. “You’re exotic and some people are just totally screwed up. She also plans to sell all of you when she doesn’t need you anymore. They have a guard at Homeland working for them, they paid him to say when you were leaving and followed you to my house. They need to kidnap a primate Species to have all DNA types—a complete ‘set’. She plans to sell you to the people who want to buy Species.”

“Exotic animal collectors.” His voice deepened.

“Yeah or other freaks.”

“Why were you screaming after they took you away?” He sniffed her and opened his eyes. “Where are you hurt?” One hand released her back to gently cup her injured face, avoided touching her cheek, but studied it. “You were stuck.” His hand dropped to her waist.

“One of the bastards bruised my thigh. They think they can use me to control you because it made you mad enough to roar the first time I screamed. I also kind of attacked one, trying to free the Species guy so I got nailed in the face.”

He wrapped both arms around her and lifted—surprised her with that move—and carried her to the cot. He adjusted his hold, sat down and put her across his lap. One arm remained behind her back but his other one gripped the hem of her nightshirt, tugging it up to expose her thighs.

She didn’t protest, saw he was intent on examining the red marks and he pulled the material down quickly. His gaze met hers and silence stretched between them.

He finally sighed and lowered his focus to her mouth. “We need to talk.”

Shit. “I know.” She whispered, hoping it was soft enough not to be overheard. “They think we’re sleeping together already and I didn’t tell them otherwise. I just let them keep assuming. It seemed the smart thing to do at the time but now they expect me to um, help you donate sperm.” She rushed on before she lost her nerve, “You should have seen what they did to that other Species guy. I would rather do whatever it takes than let them hurt you that way.”