New Species 03 Valiant (18 page)

his knuckle and avoided the sharp tip. She lifted his hand

up to stare in shock at his thick fingernails. They weren’t

really long but they were slightly pointed and obviously

sharp enough to cut cloth.

“You really should cut your nails down.”

He grunted again.

She released his hand looked up at him. “Thank

you.”

His gaze drifted slowly down her body and he

growled again. “I want you.”

She stepped away fast toward the shower stall.

“Thank you, but get out. I am going to get clean and isn’t

that doctor coming?”

She stepped over the tub rim and firmly closed the

nearly clear shower doors between them. He made a

purring noise when she bent over to turn on the water

faucets. She adjusted the temperature, deciding to ignore

him if he was determined to watch her through the door.

“I need clothes, Valiant. Please?”

“Fine,” he agreed loudly but he sounded irritated

since his voice came out deeper than usual, something

she noticed he did when he became angry or aroused.

He quit the bathroom and Tammy relaxed. It amazed

her that he wanted her in the messed-up condition she

was in. She turned on the shower spray and was

surprised when she glanced at the fully stocked shower

shelves. She turned to stare.

She’d stayed at enough hotels to expect samples. The

New Species gave the real deal. She examined the two

kinds of shampoo, two kinds of conditioner and they

even stocked full-sized body-soap dispensers. There were

two razors—one pink, one blue—shaving cream and a

pumice stone with a handle on it. She smiled over it.

They really go all out for their guests.

She showered quickly and unfortunately found a cut

on the back of her head when the shampoo made it

burn. She shaved her legs with the pink razor, stalling a

little on time so she wasn’t alone with Valiant too long

before the doctor arrived. She knew he wanted her and

she wasn’t certain how to handle that.

She dried off and wrapped a towel around her head

and another around her body. She stood there a second

and sighed. She was clean and she couldn’t hide inside

the bathroom forever. She opened the bathroom door

and gripped the towel tightly as she stepped into the

bedroom.

“Did someone find me any clothes yet?”

Tammy froze instantly upon seeing that Valiant

wasn’t alone inside the room anymore. She stared at the

large New Species male and the smaller female with long

blonde hair. The woman was human and obviously

pregnant. Three pairs of eyes met her surprised ones.

The blonde smiled, moving forward. “Hi. I’m

Trisha―”

“A doctor,” the man standing next to her said quickly.

“I’m her security officer. She’s a visiting human who’s

applied to be a doctor here and she’s a friend of Justice

North’s.”

The woman frowned while shooting him a dirty look

before she turned her attention back to Tammy. “I heard

you had a rough night. I’m sorry it took so long for me

to get here but Slade had to wake me and I had to get

dressed.”

“I woke her from two rooms away,” the tall man with

really blue eyes growled. “I protect her while she’s

visiting.”

The woman flashed him another frown. “This is

Slade and he’s very protective of me.” The woman looked

highly amused. “He’s my security guard.”

He tensed. “Security officer.”

The doctor laughed. “Whatever.”

Tammy glanced at the blue-eyed man. She stood in

nothing but a towel and it wasn’t a big one. He got points

for not staring at her though. She turned her full

attention back to Trisha. “Thank you for agreeing to look

at me so late or I should say so early in the morning,

since that’s more accurate.”

“It’s my pleasure. The men will leave us alone while I

take a look at your injuries.”

Valiant growled. “I don’t have to leave. I’ve seen her

bare. Make Slade go. He can’t see her that way.”

Tammy shot a glare at Valiant. “Please leave. Don’t

make me argue with you in front of the nice pregnant

doctor and the guy protecting her. She got out of bed to

come all the way over here to examine me and the last

thing she needs is to listen to us go another round.”

Valiant growled at her again.

“Stop that,” she snapped. “Stop growling at me. I’ve

had a long night, I’m tired, and I’m in pain. Can’t you

just do one thing without making me argue with you?

Please?”

He stormed out of the room. The New Species man

laughed and a look of joy passed over his features. “This

was so worth getting dressed to see.” He grinned a

second before he spun on his heel and left the room too.

The door closed behind him.

“Thank you,” Tammy called out. “I appreciate it.” She

looked at the doctor, knowing her cheeks blushed slightly

with embarrassment. “I’m sorry about that.”

Trisha grinned. “Don’t be sorry at all. I would have

paid to see someone stand up to Valiant.” She had a bag

with her that she set on the edge of the bed. “Why don’t

you tell me where you hurt and we’ll see what I can do?

What happened to you specifically?”

Tammy walked closer to the bed, hesitated, and

dropped the towel. “I guess looking is telling. Four men

grabbed me, kind of beat me up a bit in the back of a

truck, and dragged me through the woods. They tortured

me too but Valiant and his friends came to my rescue.”

She slowly turned a full circle to show all her injuries.

“My shoulder hurts the worst and I’m limping. My hip

took a few big bumps inside the back of the truck bed

when two of those assholes were making a dog pile out

of me. I was stuck on the bottom so their weight

slammed me into the truck bed.” She stuck her wrists

out. “This is from a belt they used to tie my hands

behind my back.”

The woman wasn’t smiling anymore. She had

Tammy stand while she sat on the bed and opened her

bag. “Let me treat some of these scratches and bandage

them.” The woman touched Tammy’s hip, feeling it.

“Sorry if this hurts. I just want to make sure nothing is

broken.”

“It’s not broken but it sure hurts.”

Tammy stood there while the doctor put some kind

of cream on her cuts and bandaged the worst ones. The

doctor gave her a few ice packs and told Tammy to shake

them to make them cold. Trisha stood and asked Tammy

to turn so she could rotate her shoulder. Tammy winced.

“That hurts the most.”

“You have some bad bruising. Does your throat

hurt?”

“It’s uncomfortable but I don’t think any real damage

was done. The soreness feels about the same as when I

have a slight cold.”

“I’m going to give you some pain medication that I

brought just in case you needed it. I want you to take

two as needed for the pain and if you run out, have

Valiant give me a call. I want you to visit the medical

center in a few days if the pain in your hip or shoulder

worsens or doesn’t subside. We’ll get some X-rays.”

Tammy nodded. “Thanks.” She retrieved the towel

and wrapped it around her. “I really appreciate it.”

Trisha sat on the bed. “So, have you seen Valiant

since the incident at his house?”

Tammy wanted to wince but didn’t. “You heard about

that?”

Trisha nodded. “Yeah. Slade, Tiger, Justice, and I

know you had sex with him but that’s everyone who

knows.”

“No. Tonight was the first time I’ve seen him since

that day. I can’t believe he forgave me for knocking him

out with the lamp and was great enough to come looking

for me tonight.”

Trisha’s voice dropped in volume drastically. “You

knocked him out with a lamp? I was under the

impression he let you go. Tiger didn’t tell us that.”

“I coldcocked him.”

A grin split the woman’s lips. “Thank you,” she

whispered. “I’m going to have a great laugh about that

when it’s safe. Their hearing is amazing so always keep

that in mind.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Tammy whispered back.

Her gaze lowered to Trisha’s stomach. “I bet you and

your husband are really happy. Is this your first baby?”

The woman touched her stomach with a grin and her

voice rose loudly when she spoke. “I’m not married. The

guy knocked me up and just took off on me.”

A growl sounded from the hallway and someone

A growl sounded from the hallway and someone

knocked on the door. “Is she decent? I’m coming in.”

Trisha winked at Tammy. “Come on in, Slade.”

Slade looked furious as he shot a glare at Trisha.

Valiant followed at his heels. Trisha chuckled.

“I was just telling Tammy about my baby.” She

tapped her stomach.

“When are you going to have the baby?” Tammy

gripped her towel tightly around her body, trying not to

feel too weird that Slade was inside the room.

The woman hesitated. “I’m not really sure. I’ll find

out whenever he decides to be born.”

Tammy let that sink in. “I meant when is your due

date?”

The woman hesitated again. “I’m five months

pregnant.”

Tammy’s gaze dropped to the doctor’s protruding

stomach again. “Wow. A re you sure you aren’t carrying

twins? One of my friends is eight months pregnant and

she…” Tammy closed her mouth and blushed. “I’m sorry.

You aren’t big or anything. I just realized how that must

sound. It’s just that you are so small and your tummy

looks as if you’re more pregnant. I―”

Trisha burst into laughter. “Stop! I’m not insulted or

offended. I know I’m huge and look as though I’m ready

to pop. The father is a big guy and the baby is too.”

Tammy was happy she hadn’t offended her. “Do you

even speak to the father? You really should force him to

pay child support. Kids are really expensive these days.”

Slade growled again. Trisha laughed. “We worked

things out and he realized he was a bonehead for leaving

me. I’m going to make him marry me. I love the jerk a

hell of a lot but he’s kind of thick-headed, you know? I

brought up marriage just a few weeks ago and he said it

wasn’t necessary since we were already a family.”

“Men.” Tammy shook her head. “They just don’t get

it.”

Trisha grinned. “A ll too true. I’m thinking of going

on a sex strike.”

Tammy smiled at her. “That might work. You could

also tell him that, if he won’t marry you, someone else

will. You’re beautiful. I’m sure another man would be

happy to if he’s not smart enough to seal the deal.”

Slade growled again. Tammy glanced at him with

concern. Her gaze flashed to Trisha. “Is he all right?”

Trisha handed Tammy a bottle of pills. “He gets

cranky when he gets woken up but he’ll be fine. I’ll send

him to the guestroom when we get back to where I’m

staying and he can take a nap. It was nice meeting you,

Tammy. Have Valiant call me if you need anything.

Maybe one day this week I can bring lunch. It will be nice

to talk to another woman.”

Tammy grinned. “I’d enjoy that if I’m still here.

Thank you again, Trisha. It was really nice meeting you.”

Trisha turned to study Tammy. “By the way, Tiger

interfered with you making a statement tonight. The

sheriff is going to come back in the morning. I hope

that’s all right but I told him you would need rest. I

asked him to tell the sheriff that you’d been given pain

medication already and he will be back at nine in the

morning to interview you.”

“That’s great. Thank you. I am kind of done in.”

Trisha stopped next to Valiant. “She’s got some bad

bruising. Be nice to her and make sure she gets plenty of

rest. She needs two pain pills every four to six hours,

depending on how much pain she is in. Have her eat

before taking them.”

“Thank you.” Valiant hesitated before he opened his

arms.

Trisha laughed as she hugged him. “You’re learning.”

He stepped back. “It’s not so bad. You still smell

nice.”

These people are just weird. Tammy watched as the

woman left the bedroom. Her security officer suddenly