Broken Communication (5 page)

That had not been an option. Not when she’d just wanted to keep everyone safe.

“Is Laney all right?” she asked, needing to know her friend was alive and well.

The man nodded. “Yep. Went and got herself mated.”

Laney was mated? Harmony smiled. “To that LabLupus guy she met online? The one I pushed her to punch her V-card with?”

He cast her a questionable look. “Is V-card what I think it is?”
 

“If you think it’s virgin dance card then, yes, you would be correct-o.”
 

“Youth today. Weird little shits, aren’t you?”

“We prefer the terms
hip
and
cool
,
” she supplied, licking her lower lip.
 

“Ah, well then, hip and cool it is. And, yes, she is mated to the V-card-punching guy.” He wrapped his hands around the bars.

She eyed him cautiously, fearful he might actually be a spy sent by the Corporation to test how much she knew. “Who are you and how do you know so much?”
 

“Name’s Weston and I don’t know how I know what I do. I just do. You want a play-by-play, or for me to get you out of here like I came to do?” he asked, his blue gaze locked on her.

She gasped. “You came
here
for
me
? Why?”

“Do you mean why did I come, or why didn’t Casey come?”
 

More tears came as the truth of his statement washed over her. She’d been upset that Casey never came for her. He was either dead or he didn’t give a crap about her. Either way, it stung. She’d spent so long pretending he meant little to her and now there was a real chance she’d never be able to correct that. She wiped her damp cheeks once more. “Yes.”
 

He grinned, but this time the smile didn’t seem like he was amused. “I was there when you were taken.”

Her hand went to her hip, and her attitude kicked up. “You helped those sleazebags kidnap me?”

“No! I just couldn’t get to you before those two morons grabbed you. Wow, Casey is going to have a field day with you as his mate,” Weston said with a shake of his head. “You don’t listen well. I said I was there. I didn’t say I took you. I showed because I suspected something might happen to you. I just wanted to watch over you for Casey. I knew he was dealing with Laney’s disappearance. Knew the guy’s focus was split. And I owe him. Protecting his mate is the
least
I could do.”

Harmony narrowed her gaze on him. “I’m not his mate. Also, I was kidnapped under your watchful eye, so I’m not sure you’re exactly awesome at the protecting bit. Might want to rethink another career.”
 

“You even know what a mate is?” he asked snidely.
 

“Yes, it’s the poor, unfortunate female the Fates up and decide will get handed to one of you furballs,” she snapped back.

He grunted. “Oh yeah, you’re a peach.”
 

“I changed my mind. Don’t break the bars. I’ll stay with Jerk Off and Shorty.”
 

Weston yanked hard and then tossed one of the bars behind him like it weighed nothing. He did the same to three others, the sound echoing throughout the area. He stepped through the opening. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here, brat.”
 

Her lips twitched. “Yeah, well, I didn’t wolf-out at breakfast. You did. I may be a brat, but you’re a furball just like Casey.”
 

He shook his head. “Nope. Didn’t wolf-out. I beared-out. There is a difference, young padawan.”
 

“Shut the front door,” she returned, her mouth agape. “You’re a bear shifter?”

“Figured you for a bigger geek. I should have known better,” he said. “As to me being a bear, yep. Well, the doctors who made me one were aiming at something else. Guess they didn’t plan on my family history already having bear shifter in it. I know I sure the hell wasn’t planning on it. Anyway, had to do a partial shift earlier to help reduce the effects of the tranquilizers I let those two dickheads shoot me up with.”
 

“You let them take you?” she asked. “Did the scientists drop you on your head or something?”

He was quiet a moment. “What all do you know about the scientists?”
 

“Please, I know all about what is going on in the paranormal underground,” she returned.
 

“And how is it you know all this information?” he asked.

She hesitated and then answered. “Read about it all. Now, back to you getting caught on purpose. Was I right? Head
droppage
involved?”

“Had to see if they would lead me to you. But I’ll admit, I thought they’d snatch me, I’d pretend to let them get the upper hand, and then I’d tear their heads off as soon as I saw you.”
 

“Plan didn’t go accordingly?” she asked, slightly amused.

He grunted. “Assholes have some sort of crap they injected me with that packed a wallop. Guess those bad-guy scientists figured out their last injections were useless. Note to self: don’t get stuck with the needles again by bad guys. It ends poorly.”

She watched him. “You took a big risk for me and you don’t even know me.”

He grinned. “Kiddo, I dreamed of you more than once. You needed my help, and I knew you were connected to Casey.” He reached for her. “Like I said, I owe Casey big time. Now let’s go.”
 

The door to the area opened, and Jerk Off was the first through it, holding some sort of rifle. He aimed it right at her as Shorty ran in behind him. “You can’t shoot her just to see if she can heal it. What if she doesn’t? Krauss will kill us.”
 

There was a split second where everything seemed to slow. Jerk Off’s eyes widened as he realized Weston was no longer in his own cell, but rather free and in hers. And then the next thing Harmony knew, Weston was there, in front of her, his body shielding hers as a series of loud booms seemed to make the entire place shake. Faintly, she heard the sounds of the rifle firing, and she knew she was screaming. Beyond that, everything was muddled in the chaos around her.

When she felt herself being ripped from Weston’s protective embrace, her magik flared. Lead bars be damned. Her magik wasn’t playing now—it pulsed out from her and slammed into whoever had seized hold of her.

“Ouch!” yelled a familiar voice as her magik continued to pulse from her uncontrollably.

Reason managed to get through the fog of her brain. She knew that voice. “Casey?”
 

Weston was all she saw, his body eclipsing all else, as he moved before her again and then bent, lifting someone off the floor of the cell. Harmony’s jaw dropped when she realized that someone was Casey.

He looked up at her and rubbed his chest, his eyes wide. “Whoa.”

The hairy, extra-crazy man who lived in the hotel with Casey and Laney shouted from the other end of the huge room—pulling everyone’s attention to him. He was on Shorty’s back, kicking and carrying on, staying true to his nut-case persona. He bit Shorty’s ear just as the other man who lived in the hotel, the one who never spoke, put his foot out, tripping Shorty.

Down went Shorty with the small, crazy man on his back. Harmony said nothing as she stared at the group of misfits who had come to her rescue. They were certainly an interesting mix and, by most people’s standards, insane, but they’d come for her all the same. A slow smile formed on her face, and she nudged Weston, wanting to hug him too just for good measure.

He winked before stepping out of the way.

Casey stood tall and then looked from her to Weston. Shocked etched his features. “You’re alive?”
 

“Takes more than some punk scientists to kill me,” said Weston, something off with his voice. He motioned to Harmony. “I was hoping to return your girl to you safe and sound without you needing to get involved in all this.”
 

Confusion knit Casey’s brow as he looked past Weston at her. With a gasp, his attention returned to Weston. “You dreamed of her death, didn’t you?”

A nod was all Weston replied with.

Harmony wasn’t sure what all the man was capable of, but from the expression on Casey’s face, Weston’s dreams were not to be taken lightly.

“Thank you for coming for her,” he said to Weston.

“It’s what brothers do for one another, Casey.”

Casey faced her. She wanted to ask if he was okay, if her magik had harmed him, but she couldn’t seem to find the right words, or any words at all for that matter. Shame filled her for her lies, her concealing of the truth from him for years. While he’d never outright told her he was a shapeshifter, she understood why.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Casey was in front of her in the blink of an eye. It looked as if he was about to touch her, but then he stopped just shy of making contact. “Dammit, Blondie. What were you thinking going, off to that secondary location alone? Didn’t you give any consideration to your own safety? And what was that stunt you pulled with sending Laney’s secret files on the operatives and the Corporation out to the public?”
 

She jerked as he continued to yell.

“Are you hurt?” he demanded, his gruff tone sending a jolt through her body. He was upset with her. He had every right to be.
 

She took a small step from him and looked downward. She deserved his anger.

Weston cleared his throat, interrupting Casey’s ranting. “What dipshit is trying to say is that he was worried sick about you and he’s so fucking happy to see you’re alive and well that he can barely control himself.”
 

Harmony snorted and hunched her shoulders, wanting to fade away from sight. “He hates me. And he’s right. I was stupid.”
 

“I do not hate you,” snapped Casey.

She lifted her brows. “Okay, sure. Wait a minute—what do you mean, stunt I pulled? I never sent Laney’s ‘in the event of my death, tell the public my conspiracies are real’ file.” She thought back to when she’d been taken. “When I got there, the computer was destroyed. I never touched anything to do with it.”

“If it wasn’t you, then who?” demanded Casey as if she had a clue.

She narrowed her gaze on him. “In case you didn’t notice, I was locked up here.”

“I’m still tired and cranky from the shot they gave me,” said Weston to Casey. “So you better hug your mate and set this straight, because if I got shot up with that crap for no reason, I’m going to kill you.”
 

Harmony waited for Casey to deny she was his mate. He didn’t. Instead, he took a deep breath, his shoulders moving up and down. When he made eye contact with her again, the anger was gone from his dark gaze. “Come on, Princess. Let’s get you home.”
 

Confused as to why he didn’t correct his friend that she was not his mate, Harmony tipped her head and refused to budge.

Casey touched her hand gently. “Let’s go.”
 

“Kiss her,” said the crazy little man from the sidelines. “Kiss the princess.”
 

Casey growled, and the man shut up, choosing instead to whistle.
 

Weston laughed. “I’m with that one. Kiss the girl.”
 

Harmony stepped around Casey and faced Weston. “Thank you for coming for me. I honestly didn’t think anyone would. I understand you did it for Casey, and while that doesn’t make sense to me, I still wanted to say thank you.”
 

Weston nodded, saying nothing in return. He looked past her at Casey. “She’s a peach.”

This time, the comment didn’t sound like an insult.

The crazy little man nudged the quiet one. “See. I told you she was the princess. The one we had to save.”

Normally, the two men tended to weird her out. Now they were a sight for sore eyes. She hurried to them and bent, kissing the short one on the cheek.

He blushed and pulled his hat off. “Aww, shucks. The princess kissed me.”
 

She knew from Laney that the man had been subjected to LSD testing long ago. And she knew it left him living in his own reality. She touched his shoulder. “Thank you, brave knight, for coming to my rescue.”
 

His name is Bill
, came a voice in her head. She gasped and looked at the quiet one, sure it had come from him. He made the briefest of eye contact with her.
Casey is a good man. Be patient with him. He never learned how to love.

Harmony had to think on the man’s name. It hit her then, and she smiled. “Gus, I thank you and Sir Bill for coming for me.”

Bill smiled wide and then broke into a strange dance.

“Casey, is your buddy dancing a jig?” asked Weston. “Also, I smell dead guy. Am I to assume the other is handled?

“Yes,” said Casey.

Harmony snickered and then moved over to Gus, leaning in much slower, unsure how he would react to being touched. When he leaned in to meet her, she smiled and hugged him, kissing his cheek as well. “Thank you.”
 

My pleasure, Princess
, he pushed into her mind.
And you will learn to wield your magik soon enough. For now
,
focus on taming the alpha male who is standing behind you.

Harmony tensed as Casey put his hand on her back. He pushed up against her from behind, his large frame making her feel small.

“I am
more
than happy you’re alive and all right,” he said softly, his lip to her ear. She felt the telltale signs of his erection against her backside. “More than happy. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Her body responded to his closeness, but she remained facing forward. “Captain Black,” she said, purposely calling him the name she’d done so many times before. “Thank you for coming for me.”
 

“Harmony, the moment I sensed your fear, your confusion and then everything went blank, I stopped what I was doing and tried to find you. I should have been there with you. I should have never gone off to help anyone else and left you at risk.”
 

“What do you mean sensed my fear?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“Okay, Laurel and Hardy
,
” said Weston, cutting through some of the sexual tension between her and Casey. “You two come with me. I know they brought me here in a van. We can hotwire it and take it for our own. I haven’t stolen a car in days.”