Reaching for Chase’s outstretched hand, she followed his pointed gaze to the memory stick still firmly between her thumb and forefinger as the grizzly inquired, “They’re gonna need that, don’t cha think?”
“Oh, shit, yeah, but…”
"But you wanted to have a look at it first?" Miranda nodded, handing Freddie a small FUC-n-GO, the newest, most compact design of a handheld computer she'd ever seen. "Use this to copy the info. You can replay it on the screen. It's—”
“New and from Willem.” Freddie snickered. “Damn, that man never stops.”
Doing as the bunny instructed, Freddie watched the percentage of download increasing when she remembered she was waiting for results and asked, "Hey, what about the DNA?"
Eyes meeting Del's, she laughed out loud when the doctor shook her head. "Girl, did you doubt me? Or yourself, for that matter?" Holding up the handheld DNA synthesizer, Del nodded. "And you are right again. As if there was any doubt." Eyes clouding with a sadness Freddie had seen before, one that said the cruelty of people was something she would never understand, the doctor confirmed, "There is little of the original DNA that hasn't been altered, but it's there, and this man is indeed Dr. Alexander Anatoli."
"And if those little beauties are there, we can do our damnedest to fix them, to return the doctor to his original, brainy self."
"If anyone can do it," Dino Dave, aka Alexander, replied hopefully, "it is you, Freddie Lightfoot." Swinging his head to Chase, the dino nodded. "I am ready to go. You have my full cooperation and undying gratitude."
Watching them walk away, Freddie instinctually and comfortably leaned into her mate, and then it hit her—what she'd almost forgotten. Words flying out her mouth, she shouted, "What about the wolfsbane, Dino Dave? Do you know why Zenobia used it? What was it for? Did she modify it? Do I need to synthesize an antidote?"
Turning his head to the side, his eyes narrowed as they met hers, renewed hate flaring to life, the dino snarled, "To trap you. This was all about trapping you, Freddie. Zenobia cackled like the lunatic she was when she had the idea. Said you couldn't stand things that didn't fit, unsolved puzzles. Knew that if for no other reason than to solve the mystery, you would come here, and then she would have you. That was also the reason for the explosion and the debris that could be seen from the sky. I am so sorry."
"Son of a bitch!" Freddie swore. "And the award for craziest bitch in the universe goes to…drumroll please…Zenobia Petalblast." Meeting Dino Dave’s eyes, she forced a smile. "Not your fault, dude. I'll see you as soon as I can."
Looking up at her sexy-as-hell honey badger, Freddie smiled a goofy grin and whispered, "And as for you, I have a question. Who is the Rhode Island red? Better not be an old girlfriend. I have a jealous streak you would not believe. Heck, I turn green when I need to, and like another awesome emerald-hued hero, I have the authority to say you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
13
All he wanted to do was take Freddie back to the swamp, strip her down to her gorgeous naked body, and have his wicked way with her. He'd literally thought about it so many times and hard enough that even Harry was tired of hearing it. "Son, you just need to go all Neanderthal on your mate. Grab her up, throw her over your shoulder, and head out. Once you’re in the air, what can she—”
“Jump out of the plane because she has wings.”
“Well, shit, I forgot about that.” Harry sighed. “Okay, I got nuthin’.”
And neither did Buck. His amazing mate was hearing none of his well-crafted, expertly delivered reasons. She wanted to stay at the site of the explosion. Needed verification that Zenobia was well and truly dead. Had to know that the copy of her had been destroyed.
Freddie had to know. Had to see it with her own eyes. Otherwise, in her own words, “I’ll be flippin’ like a fish, constantly lookin’ over my shoulder and wonderin’ when Miss Cuckoo Crazy Pants is gonna pop up and try to kill us all again. Or…” And this was where her finger flew up between them and wagged in sync with her words. “I’m gonna open the door and find myself staring back at me. Nope, not going anywhere till I know for sure.”
So, Buck joined the dig. Twelve hours in and no closer to finding anything but pieces and parts of dinosaurs, lab equipment, and electronics, he climbed out of the massive crater, stalked over to where Freddie was standing, and put his hands on her shoulders. Looking deep into her eyes, he announced in a tone that left no room for debate, "We're going home."
Holding up his finger when she tried to speak, he kept right on going. “To my house. That crazy bitch is dead. Your doppelganger was destroyed. You know it." He tapped a tempo in sync with their beating hearts on her chest. "I know." Throwing his thumb over his shoulder, he confidently added, "They all know it, too. You need to sleep." He laid a tender kiss to her forehead. "I need to hold you." He kissed the apple of one cheek and then the other. "And I need—"
Putting her hands on either side of his face, Freddie pulled his lips to hers. Kissing him with all the passion he felt mixed with a shit-ton of her own, his mate whispered into his mind, “We’re sleeping on the plane, ’cause when I get you alone, all bets are off.”
“Damn.” Buck happily sighed. “I love you, Freddie Lightfoot.”
"I love you, too, Buck Blackthorne. Even more, if you have lots and lots of coffee at your place."
“Oh, baby, I gotcha covered.”
True to her word, Freddie slept almost all the way back to the swamp, her head on his lap, her hand holding tight to his. He couldn’t look away, didn’t dare let his eyes close. Sure it wasn’t a nightmare that ended in a dream, knowing it had all really happened, Buck simply refused to take his eyes off her. He had his mate right where he wanted her, and heaven help anyone who tried to get in the way.
“Hey, boss,” Dusty whispered. “How’s she doin’?”
“She’s great.” Recognizing the sappy tone of his voice, the honey badger just couldn’t care. It felt good, really good, so much so that he hummed, “She’s fuckin’ awesome.”
“I heard her ask about me.” Chuckling as softly as a Rhode Island red from the deep south with a wicked sense of humor ever could, Dusty quipped, “My jaw ’bout hit the ground when she asked if I was your ex.”
"Me, too." He snickered. "But she doesn't know either of us very well. Okay, she knows me, 'cause of the whole mate thing, but not even Freddie could've dug that far into my past in that short of a time. I guess it makes sense."
“Yeah…” Dusty’s answer trailed off, making Buck turn his head to look her in the eye.
“What’s up?”
“Oh, nuthin’, I was just… Well, it’s that…” Hemming and hawing, something the Rhode Island red never did, the honey badger bit his tongue and waited. Something was up with one of his oldest and closest friends, and he wanted to be there for her in any way that he could without pressuring her to talk before she was ready.