Smiley(114)
Torrent grinned and accepted it. “Good shot.”
“Not really. I was aiming for his balls.”
The male laughed outright. “Do you want another try? We could wait for him to recover and ask to borrow another officer’s weapon. I don’t have one since we’re not allowed to carry while transporting prisoners from room to room. They might attempt to take it.”
Vanni bit her lip, seeming to consider it.
“No, she doesn’t.” Smiley was still stunned. “Vanni?”
She looked at him. He saw uncertainty there.
“Are you angry at me? I just saw Jericho’s sidearm and realized what it was. Bruce shot me with one so I wanted to return the favor.”
He never wanted to see that look from her again. “I’m never angry at you.” He lowered his voice. “I’ll teach you how to shoot better. I really want you out of this room though. His blood is everywhere and Torrent is right. He probably is diseased. He’s insane too. I don’t want you in danger.”
“Okay.” She turned and walked calmly out of the room.
He watched her go and Jericho shrugged, as if to say he hadn’t expected that. He grabbed the door handle and closed it, staying with Vanni on the other side.
“I like her,” Torrent admitted.
Smiley whipped around, glaring at him.
“Not that way. She’s your mate. I just like what she did. That’s all. Want to help me pick him up and drag him back to his cage? He’s out cold.”
“I still want to speak to Gregory Woods.”
“Let’s deal with this one first and do a little cleanup before we bring him in here. That male cries like a little girl. He’ll see the blood on the floor and will probably scream like one too. He’s already pretended to have a heart attack. This might bring on the real thing. He’ll believe we murdered someone.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Vanni sipped the orange juice Jericho handed her. He hadn’t said a word about her grabbing his weapon or using it. They’d watched Smiley and Torrent drag the unconscious Bruce out of the room. Another New Species had entered to clean up all the blood. She finally worked up the nerve to speak to Smiley’s friend.
“I apologize. I just didn’t want to spend my honeymoon sitting on the other side of the bars with Smiley. I thought he was going to kill Bruce and get arrested.”
“It would have been justified if he had. The male threatened his mate.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
“Our laws aren’t the same as yours. Ours always make sense.”
She wasn’t sure what to make of that but he explained.
“We do get human news in here. It’s depressing. We don’t believe in murder but some just shouldn’t be allowed to live.” He glanced at the glass. “That male is one of them. You heard what he said. Any male capable of harming a female that way deserves death.”
“Then why didn’t you stop me from rushing in there if you really believed that? You could have stopped me if you’d tried.”
“I knew you going in there would stop Smiley. I didn’t want him to suffer for his actions, despite how much that male deserved it.”
“He said he’s killed before.”
“He has. A lot of us had to at Mercile and we probably will again to defend each other if we’re attacked. This time though, it would have made him fear losing you and feel insecure.” Jericho leaned against the wall. “It’s a real fear when mating a human that they’ll see violence and believe we’re a danger to them. Smiley already worries that you’ll change your mind and leave here. You have become a huge part of him.”
“I love Smiley.”
His features softened. “Good. Keep telling him that often. He needs those assurances.”
“He does?”
“Yes.” Jericho glanced at the glass wall, then back at her. “We feel deeply but try to hide it. It’s a flaw.”
“Why?”
He scowled. “Call it instinct or genetics but we’re more emotionally vulnerable compared to the canines and felines. Don’t ever forget that, Vanni. You could destroy him from the inside out.”
“I’d never do that.”
“Even better. Touch him often and tell him how much he means to you if you really love him. He’ll always take everything you say to heart. Don’t forget that if you argue with him. Think before you speak.”
She appreciated the advice. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “I want both of you to be happy. I can’t stand seeing Smiley depressed. It wasn’t easy watching him endure misery before and I never want to see it again.”