Laurann Dohner - Wrath

“Who cares about his face when he’s got that great body?”

“Look at him, Amanda. Look at his nose and think of your ultimate hero on television, the one you drool over. Here’s a hint. Justice North.”

Amanda turned in her seat so she could get a better view of the man behind her. She stared, tilted her head slightly and the color slowly drained from her face. Her mouth dropped open and she gaped at Lauren.

Lauren nodded. “He’s New Species.”

“Holy shit. What have you gotten me into? He’s like an endangered species, right? They have really strict laws about them. Lauren, what were you thinking? We’re going to get the electric chair if something happens to him. If you kill one of them, even accidentally, it’s the death penalty for a hate crime.”

“I didn’t do this. The people at my work shot him with some kind of drugged dart and it knocked him out cold.”

Amanda blinked. “Why? Did he have bad credit or something? I know your boss is a bitch but that’s even harsh for her.”

“Very funny,” Lauren snorted. “It’s complicated and a mess. I guess I worked with some jerks who used to work for Mercile Industries. They saw him and did this to him. They planned to take him away but I got him out of there first. We need to hide him in your condo until I can get him some help. His team and two of my coworkers who aren’t involved in this mess are back at the office. I could only save him. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Who are you going to call? The police?”

Lauren shook her head. “No. The people Wrath works with told me not to call 9-1-1 so I guess I’ll have to leave them out of this.” Lauren climbed out the car. “Let’s get him inside.”

Amanda climbed out of the car and frowned at Lauren over the roof. “How? I don’t have a crane handy in here to lift him out of the car and up the steps. He’s heavy.”

Lauren studied the steps leading into Amanda’s condo and had a thought. “Do you still have that twin air mattress you use when your niece comes to visit?”

“The princess one?”

“Yeah. We could inflate it, put him on it, and drag it into the kitchen.”

Amanda sighed. “I’ll go get the electric pump and fill it.” Amanda’s gaze drifted to the backseat as she stared through the window. “I wouldn’t do this if he wasn’t hot. He’ll owe me.” Amanda suddenly grinned. “He really does look hot in those clothes. Once we get him inside it would only be kind to take some of them off him.”

Lauren groaned. “Amanda!”

“What? Just his shirt. Be a friend. I was the getaway car driver and hell, I should get some kind of reward after we drag him into the house. I think I already got a hernia from getting him in the car.”

Lauren shook her head. “I think you would benefit from taking drugs and I worry about you.”

“You should be worried. If I don’t get laid soon I’m going to shrivel up and die.”

“The things I put up with,” Lauren mumbled.

“You? I just helped you dump the body of a hunky New Species guy in the back of my car and I’m harboring an endangered species in my home!”

“Good point. You’re the best friend ever.” Lauren smiled. “Go get the mattress. Don’t you have some tarps in here somewhere from when we painted your bathroom last month?”

Amanda pointed to the corner. “Somewhere over there.”

Lauren turned to search for one while Amanda entered the condo. Lauren found a few of tarps folded under a shelf and opened the back door of the car, checking on Wrath. He remained heavily drugged. She spread out the tarp on the floor next to the open door and was grateful that Amanda had a double car garage with only one car so they had plenty of room to work. Amanda returned, lugging a big pink inflatable mattress she dropped on top of the tarp.

“He is really heavy.”

“I know,” Lauren agreed. “I’ll get his feet and pull him out. You climb in the other side and watch his head. I don’t want to bump it when we get him out of the car.”

“Okay.” Amanda laughed. “Are you sure we can’t take his clothes off? It would drop a few pounds off him.”

“I’m sure.”

“Damn. I always wonder if they have tails or any fur hidden anywhere. You know there’s talk that some of them could have those. They could shave their arms and faces to hide some hair issues. We could totally find out.”

Lauren gripped Wrath and tried to ignore Amanda. She was glad the boots were solidly on his feet as she straightened his legs and pulled on him by the ankles. Amanda gripped his arms, kept him from falling out of the car when his ass slid off the seat, and both of them struggled to get him flat and centered on the mattress.

“I should get to keep him since I think I just threw out my back and I’m going to need someone to take care of me.”

Sweat trickled down her body and she knew it would only get worse when they had to lift him up the stairs. There were only three steps but it seemed an impossible task. Lauren kicked her shoes off and out of the way. She leaned down and grabbed the sides of the tarp and lifted.

Amanda grabbed the other ends and stared down at his face. “He’s really good-looking. What color are his eyes? Do you know?”

“Dark brown and beautiful,” Lauren grunted, pulling on Wrath. “Don’t get attached. He’s taken.”

“He’s got a girlfriend? Damn! Why is it that all the good-looking ones seem to be taken or gay?”

They managed to get Wrath up the stairs by protecting his back with the mattress and turning the tarp into a hammock. Both of them collapsed to their knees when they reached the living room, after dragging him from the kitchen into the bigger room.

“I’m not taking him upstairs,” Amanda swore. “Stick a fork in me. I’m done.”

“Me neither. We’d never make it.”

“He looks good right there next to the coffee table. The wood matches his tan.”

Lauren struggled to her feet, got them bottled water from the fridge and passed one to her best friend. It was a warm day and lugging around Wrath had exhausted them both.

“I have an idea,” Lauren announced. “I’m going to use your phone.”

“Help yourself. Forget taking off his shirt. I’m too worn out.” Amanda lay back on the carpet. “I’ll just die here for a while.”

Lauren walked to the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room and sat down on the barstool. She reached for Amanda’s phone and dialed information. She groaned when the automated voice answered.

“Damn automation,” she muttered. She gave them the city she thought was right and the state. “NSO,” she said clearly. She repeated it. She was put on hold for a person.

Lauren asked for the number of the NSO. They didn’t have a listing. She asked for the number by their full name. “It’s the New Species Organization.” They found the number and she wrote it down and dialed.

A man answered. “NSO Homeland. How may I direct your call?”

Lauren took a deep breath. “Hello. My name is Lauren Henderson. I didn’t know who else to call but I have a New Species man in my friend’s living room about ten feet from where I’m sitting. He’s been shot with some kind of dart and he’s out cold. I need you to send help for him.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. “It’s against the law to make crank calls to us, female.”

“This isn’t a crank call. His name is Wrath and he’s living at headquarters. That’s all they referred to it as. I was taken by him yesterday because he said I was working with someone who used to be an employee for Mercile Industries. We went into my office today to try to find the person he’s hunting but it turned out that almost everyone in the office seemed to work for Mercile. They shot him with some kind of drugged dart. I got him out of there but I—”