Creatus

He attempted to remain quiet as he cleared his dry throat, but she whipped her head toward him and glared at him, those mysterious eyes gazing into his.

“Finally!” she spouted. “I wondered if you were ever going to wake up.”

Reece couldn’t help but smile at her venomous attitude. “Is that man okay?” he asked, knowing that was why she’d been so upset with him, but he thought that the man was going to hurt her. He saw the man that had fought him for his briefcase lift his hand to her, so he assumed he had a knife or a gun. Of course, Reece could hardly see anything in that dark alley. All he knew was that he refused to let the man take all his research. Even though he still had copies in his laptop, he couldn’t afford for the information he’d gathered to fall in the hands of another government, which is what his superiors insisted would happen if they found a secret weapon.

She huffed out a breath. “That’s none of your business. Whom do you work for?”

“That’s none of your business,” he retorted, smiling at her perfect grammar. Who said whom anymore? “Whom do you work for?”

She sighed, exasperated. “Well, we obviously aren’t going to get anywhere.”

He tried to sit up, but she held up her hand. Beautiful, long fingers attached to deadly hands. “Move, and I’ll kill you right here. I unlatched you from the bed only because my boss told me to. But I’ll lock you right back up.”

Reece grinned at her, watching as it only caused her scowl to crease her lovely skin even more. “I need to go to the bathroom. So unless you’re willing to help me with that or are willing to clean up a mess, I’d suggest you let me up, Ms…”

The woman rolled her eyes, stepping back and leaning against the only exit. She motioned her hand as though it was okay for him to proceed to the only other door in the room, which must be the bathroom.

Reece moved his legs to the side of the bed closest to the exit, not the bathroom, and she crossed her arms defiantly. “You sure you want to take me on, Reece?” she sneered.

He smiled again, standing up, unable to resist admiring her boldness. “I managed okay with your friend.”

She raised one eyebrow. “When I found you, you were on the ground.”

Reece stopped within a few feet of the amazon-looking woman. He’d been right; she was just about five inches shorter than his six-four. He glanced at her throat, making sure she didn’t have an Adam’s apple. That’d be embarrassing, considering the way she was waking up long-dormant parts of his body. He decided he’d better take a bathroom break before challenging her. He edged alongside the bed, pulling the sheer cotton robe around his body. Would they ever stop using these stupid things that left your backside hanging out for the world to view? But then again, maybe it would distract her. It wasn’t as if he had a bad build either. The man who attacked him on the street was a couple inches taller and had a larger build than he did, but Reece had spent years doing cross fit which not only gave him a muscular build, he was fast and nimble and could outrun anyone in the military academy or on the street. When he was a cop in Miami, he was the first officer other cops wanted for back up. This woman was serious, though. Just her stance told Reece she was ready for a fight, so he’d have to wait until her guard was down. He kept his distance as he turned toward the bathroom door.

“Smart move,” she said mockingly.

Reece relieved himself, taking extra time to formulate a plan. He’d already noticed that the window was solid and too high off the ground. Even if he threw a chair through it, he wouldn’t be able to climb down. He searched the bathroom for a weapon, and found nothing usable. Shampoo was his only option, but how could he get it in her eyes. He decided to reserve that feeble option for later. Right now, the chair was his best weapon.

After a few minutes, he opened the door to see her in the exact position. He stepped to the opposite side of the bed this time, leaning to get back into the bed, but instead, he picked up the chair and hurled it at the attractive woman, surging toward her immediately.

She deflected the chair with one hand and then grabbed him by the shoulders as he lunged, throwing him on the twin-size mattress as if he weighed no more than a sack of flour.

His breath whooshed out of him as he hit the bed perfectly. Even her aim was spot-on.

“Okay, then.” She stepped toward the bed, grabbing his wrist and latching him to the railing. “I’ll be sure to let your doctor know that you can’t be trusted.”

The door opened, and an older man about fifty stepped inside, eyes darting from him to the woman. “What’s going on, Vic?”

Vic, Reece repeated to himself. Probably Victoria, but she was too tough to go by that lovely name.

“I warned him,” she growled, crossing her arms over her chest, which only accentuated how well built she was—everywhere.

The man shook his head and stepped toward the bed. “I’m very sorry we have to keep you here like this, but there’s no sense fighting, Mr. Buckley. You’re in a completely sealed off ward. Even if you got out of the room, every door is secured, and as you can see, you won’t be able to overpower my staff.”

“What are you people?”

The doctor sighed. “Just a peaceful group you people won’t leave alone.” With that, the man turned and left him with Vic.

Reece looked back up at the woman and flashed his best smile, the one the women always loved, knowing it would tick her off. “So, Victoria, since we’re going to be here a while, do you play cards?”

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head slowly from side to side. “Don’t ever call me Victoria again.” She opened the door, following the doctor out, and slammed it behind her.

Chapter Forty-four

Ugh! Men! Vic grumbled inwardly. She couldn’t complain aloud of course, because even the creatus on the first floor could hear her. They were all so damn infuriating. And arrogant. And pompous. And… Ugh! She needed to go away to some deserted island where she wouldn’t have to ever see another man in her life—creatus or human.

What really enraged her was that she was attracted to that stupid weakling of a human. What was wrong with her? First Jonas, then Michael, and now Reece Buckley. Was her biological clock ticking? In human years, she’d only be about twenty-three. Much too young to be thinking about settling down, and yet, she craved it with a passion. Although she hadn’t really been interested in Jonas, even though he’d begged her to go away with him. He’d wanted to start a new family, he’d said. With like-minded creatus. She, of course, had just wanted to make Derrick jealous, but that had backfired, and she’d ended up spending the night with Jonas. No wonder she couldn’t fall. She’d have to make up her mind whom she wanted before she could fall.

Stupid human, she thought again. She’d planned to head directly to Michael’s room after someone swapped watch with her and tell him she understood what he was implying and that she was open to a relationship with him.

But that stupid human had gazed at her with such wonder in his eyes. It had been what she’d wanted to see, what she thought she could force with Jonas. What she’d wanted from Derrick all these years. Reece didn’t even know her, but he had regarded her as if she were a prize to behold, as if he’d wanted her. And so she threw him across the room. Served him right.

Secretly, she had hoped he’d tried to escape. She’d been looking forward to putting him in his place, and still, he had ogled her as if there was no other woman in the world.

Maybe he was into whips and chains. The thought repulsed her. Though she’d thrown him across the room, she’d much rather hold a man than fight him.

Vic stood in the middle of the corridor, battling with her feelings, wondering how she’d ever get her life in order if her hormones kept raging as if she were in high school.

At the last second, she turned in the opposite direction of Michael’s room. As Michael had suggested, she’d wait until he was healed and back home, and then they could go out as a couple and attempt to make a relationship.