Justice

Chapter Two

Justice froze and turned. His dark gaze met Jessie’s. “Yes, Ms. Dupree?”

“I wanted to know if you had any free time soon. I hoped we could talk about your females. There are some policies I’d love to discuss with you that need to be changed.

I’ve brought it up with Tim Oberto but he isn’t exactly sensitive to female needs. Is there any possibility that you have some time to listen to my ideas? I think they are valid ones.”

He seemed to ponder it. “How long will you be at Reservation?”

“A few days, if that’s all right. I thought I’d stick around to help the new females adjust to outside life unless I get a call from the task force. I have a lot of free time between recoveries.”

He bit his lip. “Why don’t you come to the cafeteria with me if you are staying? I’d like them to know you on sight to make certain something like this doesn’t happen again. We could share dinner afterward. It’s the only time I have free. You can talk to me while we eat. After dinner I have to prepare for a press conference being held outside the gates at ten o’clock regarding last night’s activities.”

“That would be great.” She remembered her torn shirt. “Do I have time to change?”

She smiled. “Although if I didn’t, I’m betting none of them would forget how I look if I released my shirt. I’m not sure they’d remember my face but it might do something for boosting human relations with your men if they saw me in a bra.”

His entire body shook with laughter. Justice is scorching hot, Jessie decided. His eyes sparkled and his generous mouth widened to reveal white teeth. She saw a flash of points along his bottom lip. He has the Species fangs after all. She felt her body respond.

She’d not only have to change her shirt but her thong too if she didn’t get a grip. She wondered what his teeth would feel like against her skin if he nipped her with them.

“Down girl,” she muttered.

His laughter died. “Excuse me?”

He’d heard her speak. She’d forgotten that Species had enhanced hearing. “It was nothing.” She smiled again. “So, do I change or go as I am?”

“Why don’t you exchange shirts? I’ll talk to them while we wait for you and I’ll introduce you when you arrive. Do you know where the cafeteria is?”

“I ate breakfast there with Breeze this morning.”

“I’ll see you when you return.” He turned and walked away.

Jessie watched him move out of sight. The man fit a pair of jeans better than any guy she’d ever seen. He had long muscular legs that stretched the denim around his thighs and his rounded ass. He wore black high tops. They had Velcro strap closures.

They would be fast to take off.

She grinned over her wayward libido, moving quickly toward the elevator. She appreciated a man who wore things that were fast and easy to get off. She shook her head at her reflection inside the elevator as she rode it up. He’s Justice North, a New Species and you know you can’t ever go there. It would cost my job. Tim would not only kick my ass but he’d boot it from the task force.

Jessie leaned forward, peered at her reflection in the mirror and winced. She could use some makeup but she rarely bothered unless she had to. She’d done all that for her first husband and it had been a waste of time. He’d expected her to primp for him or he’d been insulting. Her need to please had died when her marriage had. The bastard had an affair with a fellow soldier while on training exercises. She backed up and ran her fingers through her hair. It was really bright red, a mess and she couldn’t look worse if she tried. She might be attracted to the sexy Species but he wouldn’t feel the same about her.

The elevator doors opened and she practically ran down the hall. She wasn’t sure what had gotten in to her since meeting Justice but the man turned her on. It had been a long time since she’d met anyone who attracted her. He definitely made her heart race and wild thoughts filled her head. Two years had passed since her bitter divorce and she hadn’t been interested in men.

Well, there was that one guy, she remembered, but does a one-night stand after drinking too much count? She decided not to ponder that one. That had been a rough night and she’d needed the comfort of another person. It was right after the first time she’d retrieved the body of a New Species female.

The bastard who’d murdered her had buried her small, broken body under the basement floor of the cell he’d kept her in for years. The sight of watching the body unearthed had driven Jessie straight to the nearest bar and right into the arms of the first man who looked good. She’d wanted to forget the pain of knowing what had been done to that poor victim and how they’d been too late to save her. The one-night stand had been a dud. He had talked a good game but once he’d hit the field, he hadn’t pitched worth a damn.

She entered her room and grabbed the first shirt lying on the bed, a blue tank top. It was big on her but she wasn’t surprised since all the New Species females living at Reservation were experimental prototype females for the drugs they’d used to make them so big and strong. The smallest one she’d ever seen stood about five foot ten. The tallest had to be about six foot three. They were sturdily built women who could bench press the average male if need be. The supply store carried spare clothes for the residents at Reservation and probably didn’t order a size small or medium in anything.

Jessie rushed out of the room, shoving her room key back inside her jeans. The only pants they’d given her were sweats. She didn’t like them. That left her living in the pair of black jeans she’d been wearing when she arrived. She wasn’t one to use a purse and if something didn’t fit inside a pocket or could be strapped somewhere on her body, she didn’t see the need to carry it. She stepped back on the elevator and checked her reflection again. Her long hair hung past her ass. It was a brassy, bright red, the color created from two boxes of hair dye.

She’d found the courage to break out of the mold working for New Species. They were different, special and made their own places in life. Jessie had changed her hair to the bright, flashy color in defiance of the norm. She knew she probably should glow in the dark from the luminosity of her hair but she loved it. It really set her dark-blue eyes off and was a drastic contrast to her naturally almost-milk-white skin. She would never tan and didn’t care.

The elevator doors opened and she strode toward the cafeteria. The double doors were wide open and two New Species uniformed officers stood guard. She slowed her pace and studied the men, wondering if Justice had informed them that she’d been invited to the meeting.

They moved out of the way. Jessie flashed each man a smile and walked inside the large room, only to stop a few feet past the door. She spotted Justice right off, not being able to miss him towering over everyone, standing on a tabletop on the other side of the room by the long buffet island. He naturally drew attention anyway but elevated he seemed to be larger than life.

“Humans are not our enemies. Not most of them.” Justice looked annoyed and his face scrunched a little. “There are good humans and some bad ones like those we were exposed to at Mercile. The bad ones are a minority. Am I making myself clear? Good humans freed us and fought to give us rights and privileges. We are equal in all ways because of them. They are not the ones who enslaved and tortured us. They didn’t know what was being done to us but when they found out, they have done everything possible to help us get where we are today. Every one of you sits here because of those good humans.”

A male stood. “Are we supposed to trust them now? It is hard, Justice.”

Justice relaxed, his features smoothing. “I understand your hesitancy but we must change with the times. Yesterday you were locked inside a cell but today you are free.

Yesterday the humans you dealt with were evil monsters but today you are dealing with good humans who would be horrified if they realized what had been done to us by their own people. They want those people punished as much as we do.”

A few men in the back suddenly turned their heads to stare at Jessie. She kept her smile in place and figured her scent had reached them. It had only taken about fifteen seconds for everyone to realize she had entered the cafeteria. She stayed put by the door and watched the men, spotting anger on a few faces.

“This is Jessie Dupree,” Justice stated loudly. “She’s a good human. No one is to attack her again. Her job is to help locate New Species who are still imprisoned. She goes in with a team of trained human males who fight for our freedom and could easily die to save us. Her job is taking care of our retrieved females. She was there when you were freed last night and risks her life to go in and take our females to safety. Her life is devoted to us but she was attacked by a few of you in the lobby.” Justice paused, his stern gaze drifting across each man before he spoke again. “It is unacceptable what happened to her. We don’t attack humans unless we are attacked first.”

“She attacked me,” a male growled.

Justice arched his eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, a look of anger returning as he zoned in on the speaker. “Really? How did she attack you?”

Jessie bit her lip to keep her mouth shut. She waited silently until the man finally spoke.

“She offended me and tried to break my wrist.”

Justice took a menacing step forward on the table but stopped at the edge. “Did you touch her first?”

“Her arm.”

“You grabbed her. I saw marks on her wrist and you put them there. You attacked her first. She defended herself by trying to get free of you.” Justice paused. “Quite well too.”

The male growled in protest and Jessie’s gaze wandered until she found him. It was the guy she’d kicked in the balls who made the angry sound. She tried not to smirk. He had totally deserved it but still, she had meant to catch him with her heel in his stomach. She was short, he was a tall guy and shit happened.

“Any human at Reservation is invited, is here with our blessing and welcome. They are under our protection and you won’t attack one. You won’t be rude to one either.

You will also never attack a female human under any circumstances. Their women are not as strong as ours and weren’t raised our way. They don’t posses our fighting skills or strength. I swear that you will be dealt with extremely harshly if you attack a human female here. Some of them live with our males as mates. They have committed to each other, mated for life. Those males will kill any one of you who touches his female and it would be his right to do so.”

Justice paused and took deep breaths before he began speaking again. “Those are our laws. You are to never attack the officers you see in black uniforms either. They are to be respected and listened to. Their word is law as if I have spoken. Our females are off limits unless they consent to being touched. I hope I shouldn’t even have to mention that but I wasn’t raised in the same testing facility as you. We treat our females with respect and never share sex with them unless they initiate it. You will know punishment if any of you refuse to live by these rules. I hate to stress this but these are laws that are never to be broken. You will find yourself in lockup if you can’t live by them and I promise you won’t be set free until you realize we need to have some laws to live in peace together. Am I clear?”

The room remained silent. Justice took the time to meet every man’s gaze before he slowly nodded. “Now, dinner will be served. We’ll consider this matter closed.”

Justice jumped down gracefully from the table to walk directly to Jessie. He looked grim when he paused at her side. “Let’s eat.”

She wasn’t sure what to say to alleviate his bad mood. He offered her his arm. She reached out and her fingers curled around his forearm. Another jolt shot through her body from his hot, firm skin under her fingers. The man was so warm, it almost felt as if he ran a fever.

“We’re not eating here?”

“No. I hope you don’t mind but we’ll dine in the living room of my suite. Do you really want to have a discussion in front of all of them? I don’t. They aren’t real happy with me right now for laying down the law but it needed to be done.”

“I’m probably not their favorite person either. That’s fine.”

Jessie’s heart pounded over the concept of being alone with Justice for dinner. It sounded intimate instead of businesslike. Then again, if he had an office at Reservation, they would be alone if he took her there. The living room of his suite would be larger than an office. Justice led her to the elevators.

Justice refused to look at Jessie once the elevator doors closed, peering everywhere but at her. Jessie didn’t release his arm but she had the urge to. Why wouldn’t he look at her? He took a deep breath.

“I ordered us dinner. I wasn’t sure what you wanted.” He paused. “I took the liberty of asking them to bring various dishes. I would have waited to ask you but it would have taken more time. I have a speech to write after dinner and the faster I eat, the faster I can get to it.”

“That sounds like a great plan.” She smiled. “I’m not real picky about food. I’m happy to eat.”

He finally shifted his gaze to hers. “You don’t appear as if you eat much. You are small.”

She laughed. “Rigorous workouts will do that. My father and brother were both Marines and I married a Navy SEAL.” She shrugged. “My mom died when I was five so I’ve always been around men who stayed fit. That’s where I picked up some fighting skills. They wanted to make sure I could take care of myself in any circumstance. I was always mouthy and curious as a child and definitely not the timid type. My Dad said my mouth and my ability to find trouble meant that I needed to be able to defend myself. He was right.”

Justice had tensed. His voice was naturally deep but it came out rougher. “Your husband must hate your job if it keeps you away from him.”

“Ex-husband. We divorced two years ago.”

Justice avoided glancing at her again. She noticed he slowly relaxed as the doors to the third floor opened to allow them to exit the elevator.

“We’re staying on the same floor.”

Justice didn’t say a word as he led her down the hall. It was in the opposite direction of her room. At the end of the hallway he pulled out a key from his front jeans pocket to unlock the door. Jessie had to release him when he opened it and motioned for her to take the lead.

She took note of the nice suite with the spacious living area. A small kitchenette had been built against one wall with a wet bar. The hallway that led to the bedroom was on the other end of the room. Justice motioned toward the couch.

“Please have a seat. Do you mind if I remove my shoes? I don’t care how long I wear them, I still can’t wait to be barefoot.”

“It’s your place. Be comfortable.”

She sat on his couch. That was another thing about New Species she’d heard from the team. Most of them hated to wear shoes, preferred to go barefoot, since they’d never worn them inside their cells. She knew firsthand the females weren’t overly fond of underclothes either. She wondered if it were the same with the males and it caused her to smile. Is Justice commando under those jeans? Say something, she ordered her mouth, to get her mind away from that topic.

“I’m not real fond of shoes either. When I’m home, I kick them off the second I walk in the door and I don’t put them on again until I leave.”

Justice sat a few feet away and removed his shoes. He tore open the Velcro closures, jerked them off and Jessie grinned at seeing his large, bare feet. He must hate socks too since he didn’t wear them. Chances were he was naked under those jeans. She’d almost bet on it.

Her attention focused on his lap when he stood but she couldn’t tell one way or the other. Her gaze lifted up his body and she blushed slightly. He stared at her with narrowed eyes, obviously catching her eyeing the front of his pants.

“You were staring at me. Did I forget to zip the fly of my jeans?” He reached down to brush his hand over the front of them.

She shook her head, more embarrassed. "No. You didn’t forget."

He blinked. "What were you staring at? Is there a stain? Did I drop something on my lap when I had lunch?" He bent forward a little, glanced down, before straightening.

“I don’t see anything.”

She hesitated. New Species liked bluntness. That was one thing she knew about them with certainty. They appreciated honesty. “You don’t like shoes or wear socks. I know your females hate underclothing and I was inappropriately wondering if the men felt the same. I was trying to judge if you wore something under your jeans or not. I can’t tell. I’m sorry. It was extremely rude of me.”

Jessie expected him to be offended or perhaps grow angry. Instead his eyes crinkled and a deep laugh erupted from his throat. It was a nice surprise that he was amused.

“I see. I do wear them. I find jeans are a little harsh on sensitive skin and they can pinch too. I enjoy wearing thick, soft cotton between jeans and my skin.”

Jessie wondered how sensitive his skin was where ”the thick, soft cotton” covered it. Is he a boxers or briefs man? Maybe a Speedos guy? She hoped not. The later were her ex-husband’s underwear choice and she would hate to discover Justice had anything in common with Conner.

A doorbell chimed that distracted both of them. Justice walked to the door, his graceful, long legs carrying him there quickly. “That will be our dinner. I don’t have a dining table but would you mind eating with me on the coffee table?”

An image flashed of him sprawled out on his back, hopefully naked and her eating food off his muscular body. She shoved it back . Damn it, stop! He’s the boss of my boss.

Thoughts like those will get me canned. Stop fantasizing about Justice! Concentrate on something else and answer him.

He was so thoughtful and polite. It surprised her more than a little, considering the way he’d been raised in the testing facility. “It’s perfect. I never use my dining room table at home.” She laughed. “I’m one of those people who watch TV while I eat at my coffee table. I know it’s a really bad habit to have but I live alone. It beats watching something rather than staring into space.”

Jessie couldn’t see who Justice spoke softly to but it was a short conversation. Her host pulled a silver cart into the room and closed the door. The cart had four covered plates on top and on the shelf under it were half a dozen various sodas and four small covered containers. Justice pushed the cart across the carpet to the edge of the coffee table.

“You may choose whatever you like. I ordered things I enjoy so I’ll eat anything that’s left.” Justice lifted off lids and tossed them on an overstuffed chair nearby. He had a great aim when each lid landed perfectly on target.

Jessie peered at the four dishes. One plate contained pasta in a white sauce with shrimp and a side of garlic bread. Good. There was probably the largest piece of prime rib she’s ever seen on the next one with side dishes of a baked potato and some veggies.

The third dish almost made her flinch. It was a whole cooked fish, possibly trout and she had flashbacks of her past at the mere sight of it. Her ex ate them constantly and she’d grown to hate the smell. The fourth plate was a stuffed, baked chicken with gravy.

“It all looks good except the fish.” She smiled. “You pick.”

He hesitated before reaching for the chicken. “I’m partial to chicken. I never had it before we were freed.”

“I didn’t know that. They didn’t feed you chicken?” Jessie reached for the prime rib.

She set the plate down on the coffee table carefully. Justice moved across from her and sat opposite her a few feet down so they could both comfortably stretch their legs under the table without touching. She sat on the floor too. Her back settled against the couch, finding it really comfortable.

Justice was nearest to the cart. “What kind of soda do you want? Do you mind soda?”

“The cherry one, please. I love them.”

He smiled. “So do we.”

“You were never given caffeinated drinks. I knew that one.”

“Just water. Sometimes we received juice.” He gripped the cherry soda and handed it over. Their fingers brushed.

“Thank you.”

They both popped the tabs of their cans and arranged the silverware. Justice dug in to his chicken and Jessie smiled at his amazingly good table manners. It surprised her again. She had eaten with the female Species plenty of times. They ate with their fingers mostly, tearing things apart and swallowed food quickly as if it were about to be snatched away.

Justice cut and chewed his food leisurely. She glanced at the baked chicken. He ate fully cooked meat too, also astonishing her. Maybe men were different from the women and his time away from his cell had changed his eating habits. Jessie knew she thought cooked food tasted a hell of a lot better than raw or almost-raw meat.

Justice’s cell phone rang and he sighed. He looked tired to Jessie suddenly as his features seemed to turn haggard. He shifted his body to reach inside his back pocket to dig it out. He glanced at the screen before he met Jessie’s curious gaze.

“I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

“Go right ahead.” She hoped they’d get to talk before he was called away.

He flipped open the phone but kept eating. “What is it?”

Jessie ate as Justice listened to the caller, responded with abrupt answers and kept eating his meal. He looked like a man used to working around a phone since he didn’t struggle to eat while holding a conversation. He could juggle the phone and his silverware with practiced ease. He chewed between words. He finally hung up and used his face and shoulder to close the phone. That was talent that drew a smile from her.

Justice lifted his gaze to stare at her while the phone slipped down his chest to perfectly land in his lap. “What is so amusing?”

“You. I’ve never seen that kind of talent before. You closed your phone without ever having to use your hands and then you wiggled a little so the phone would slide down your chest into your lap. Do you do that often?”

He smiled. “It is a skill I have learned.”

The phone rang again and he sighed. He closed his eyes for a second before releasing his fork to reach into his lap. He studied the caller ID and set the phone on the edge of the table. His gaze met Jessie’s.

“I can skip that one. It’s one of the news stations trying to get an early comment from me.”

“Do you ever get days off?”

“Never.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I knew it would be a tough responsibility when I was asked to take the lead.”

“Take the lead?”

“My people asked me to lead them. I was calmer than most and reasonable. I was the best fighter too and I had the quickest response time adjusting to where they took us after we were freed. I did not try to kill any humans who annoyed us with their way of criticizing everything we did. I was always the cushion between my people and yours. I became the negotiator when there were disagreements between us. The Species were asked to elect a spokesperson to represent them and I was asked by my people to lead. I accepted.”

She took a sip of her drink. “You’ve done an amazing job. My father is Senator Jacob Hills and he always tells me that your job originally was supposed to be limited but you stood up for Species and argued to get them where they are today. He says you are a force of nature that no one should be stupid enough to mess with.”

Justice chuckled. “I like him. I didn’t realize you were his daughter.” His gaze skimmed her. “You look nothing like him.”

“I resemble my mother but I barely remember her. She died when I was five years old after a drunk driver hit her car on her way home from the gym. I have a lot of pictures of her though and I definitely take after my mom.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Your father is well liked.”

“He likes you too. Not many people realize I’m his daughter and he tries to keep that off the radar. I’m kind of wild.” She touched her hair. “He hates the hair.”

Justice studied it. “You were not born with that bright hair, correct? I like it but I have never seen that color before and I have seen a lot of people since we were freed.”

“It’s straight from a bottle. It’s not the color he objects to but he does miss seeing it a lot less colorful. It’s the length he hates the most. I refused to cut it after an especially bad haircut when I was sixteen that made me look like a boy and it was days before my big sweet-sixteen birthday. That’s a big party event and I hated it short. I stopped cutting it after that fiasco. Then my ex-husband demanded I keep it short after our wedding. He said it was too long, always annoying him, and he and my father tried to gang up on me to cut it to my shoulders. ‘Responsible people don’t have hair to their asses.’ That’s a quote.” Jessie laughed. “I won’t cut the hair and Dad gives me some grief about it whenever I see him.” She shrugged.

His pretty gaze softened. “It’s beautiful. Anyone is foolish who wants you to cut it. I don’t know how anyone could find it annoying. I have long hair. It’s not nearly as long as yours but long hair for a man isn’t fashionable it seems, from what I’ve been told by our media consultants. I also refused to cut my hair short but I do allow them to keep it at this length. I am responsible and hope humans see me as such. I hope you leave yours flowing down.”

He likes long hair. Jessie felt her heart twist. Sexy hot, nice ass, a body that didn’t end and he liked her hair. He was nearly perfect. His phone suddenly rang and he reached for it. Scratch that. A perfect guy wouldn’t have an annoying cell phone that kept ringing all the time. He wouldn’t be a workaholic. Justice North lived and breathed work.

“I’m sorry but I have to take this.” He flipped open his phone. “Justice here.”

Jessie finished her dinner. Justice had finished with his too. Halfway through the conversation he’d shot her an apologetic look and rose to his feet. He walked to his briefcase on a desk by the front door and opened it to leaf through some folders as he spoke quietly. He remained on the phone.