Brawn - Laurann Dohner [71]
“It’s at Homeland or Reservation?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s at another location and I’m not telling you where. Some of the people who used to run Homeland before New Species took control are now in charge of that facility. It’s not a resort, let me assure you. They aren’t mistreated but they sure aren’t watching cable or getting visitors.”
“New Species now get to hold the people prisoner who once kept them locked up. That seems fair.”
“No. Justice didn’t want to put any of his people in that uncomfortable situation. The prison is completely staffed by us.”
“Your team?”
“Humans.”
“They are human too, just not completely.”
“That’s true but they call us humans. It’s starting to rub off on me.” He smiled. “I’m going to sleep downstairs on the couch tonight unless you want me to sleep on the floor in here. I could.”
She was touched that he’d offer. Usually he drove her nuts but after what had happened, she didn’t really want to be alone. “You’re too old to sleep on the floor,” she joked. “You’d never get up. My couch pulls out into a king and the mattress is pretty comfy. Thanks, Dad.”
He released her and stood. “I’m just downstairs. Do you want me to leave the light on?”
Becca admitted to being tempted to do just that but she shook her head instead. He was being really sweet at the moment but she didn’t want him using her moment of weakness against her later. Her dad had a way of doing that. Before she knew it he’d be trying to talk her in to moving back into the main house.
“When is Brawn returning?” She really wanted to see him.
“He’s not.”
Shock struck, quickly chased by pain. “What? I was under the impression when I reached Homeland that they’d take his statements and afterward he’d be coming back to my house.”
Anger deepened Tim’s voice. “Tiger is in charge while Justice is on vacation and he deemed it a failure having one of their men live here. They were pretty helpful today getting you back but it’s just not safe for them to live outside those walls. It puts anyone they are with in danger.”
“It wasn’t his fault.”
“I know but I’m glad he’s not coming back. I have a meeting in the morning to go over different scenarios to get some of their guys to integrate with my team. I just have to figure out how to do it safely.”
“I’d like to talk to Brawn,” she braved, risking her father’s temper.
He paused by her door. “That’s not going to happen. I was assured that he’s done with humans. I know something happened between you, you refuse to tell me the details, but I was assured he wants nothing to do with humans ever again.” He flipped off the light and closed her door.
Tears fell. Brawn was done with humans? As in he never wanted to see her again? She remembered how he’d reacted when she’d touched his arm and yelled at Trey to get her out of there. Maybe he’d lied and he was angry at her.
It hurt. She’d fallen for him but should have remembered he didn’t want to get involved with her. He’d made it clear, yet she’d hoped. Becca turned her face into her pillow and clutched it. She missed Brawn and it tore her up a bit that it was over without even getting to say goodbye to him.
Chapter Twelve
Nine weeks later
Becca wandered around the cabin, bored and lonely. She finally settled on the couch, curled into a ball and used the arm of it for a pillow. She was due to contact her dad soon and she’d have to think up a new lie. He thought she was traveling through Europe and would be shocked if he knew she’d never left California. They kept in touch via her computer.
It was much easier to lie that way than to figure out how to route calls with her dad’s caller ID. She had friends and family who lived in France and Germany, they knew her dad was a tyrant and were sympathetic enough to send the occasional postcard his way to keep him fooled. They thought she just needed a break.
That part had been true up to a point. Her dad had driven her nuts after she’d come home and she’d needed a break from him charging into her home trying to draw her out. She’d been