Conspiracy Game (GhostWalkers, #4)(41)

Pregnant? Was it really possible? Was he lying to her? She was sick all the time, unable to keep any food down. He didn’t feel as if he was lying, but she never could tell with the doctor, almost as if his mind was shielded from hers.

Sparks cleared his throat. “I thought you told me you couldn’t stand to be touched and doubted you’d ever have a relationship. Has that gotten better?”

She rubbed her temples. Funny, with the doctor she didn’t get pain, but a strange buzzing noise in her mind always persisted when she was close to him. “The exercises helped a lot and I’ve been working with biofeedback and meditation.” That part was true, but no amount of meditation would free her from pain enough to allow a close relationship with anyone other than maybe Jack—and she wasn’t going to ever think about trusting him with her heart again. She tried a small smile, pursuing the lie. “For some reason, when I’m with Tony, it’s not nearly as bad, although I don’t know about marrying him.”

“Will you want to keep the baby then?” Dr. Sparks asked, watching her closely.

She fought back her first reply. Of course she was going to keep her baby—she wanted the baby, even if its father was a complete bastard. She was quite capable of taking care of a child on her own. She shrugged again. “I’ll think about it. I hadn’t thought in terms of having a baby right now—or ever for that matter. My brothers are going to go psycho on me and Tony will lose his mind too, all wanting me to do the right thing and marry, so I’m not going to say anything to anyone until I decide.”

Dr. Sparks turned away from her and opened a cabinet. “Let me know, Briony, and I can certainly help you with whatever you decide. In the meantime, you’ll need prenatal care, just in case you decide you want to keep the child.” With his back to her, he glanced over his shoulder, busying himself with a syringe. “Did any of your brothers come with you? Perhaps if I spoke to them they’d understand that it would be difficult for you to remain in a relationship for any length of time.”

“No, I came alone.” She had no idea why she lied. Jebediah drove her, afraid she’d be too sick to stay on the road, or—more likely—afraid she wouldn’t actually see the doctor. Her eyes were on Sparks’s face as he turned, and her heart jumped with fear. His reptilian features seemed nearly alien, twisting with a kind of fanatical glee as he approached her with the needle. Briony drew back. “What’s that for?”

“Vitamins, for you and the baby. You look a bit pale to me. You don’t want birth defects if you decide that you’re going to have the child after all.”

She inhaled and knew immediately there were no vitamins in the syringe. “Back off, Dr. Sparks, I’m not getting a shot of anything.” She was in danger, every sense on full alert. Adrenaline flooded her body, rushing through her veins with certain knowledge.

“Don’t be silly, my dear; this is necessary and it’s just a small stick. You’ve had stitches and far worse than this.”

“Maybe, but I’m leaving now without a shot. If I need vitamins, I’ll get them the old-fashioned way—over the counter in pill form.”

Dr. Sparks raised his voice. “Luther, will you come in here, please?”

The door burst open and Luther blocked the only exit. He was big, and Briony knew immediately he was enhanced. Maybe it was his scent, but more likely she simply sensed the enhancement in him the way she had in Jack. Briony inhaled sharply and found herself frowning. There was something about Luther that repelled her.

“Sit still, Briony; we don’t want to make this harder than necessary,” Dr. Sparks said smoothly, still smiling at her.

Luther grinned at her.

The ape and reptile, she thought a bit hysterically.

Briony held up her hand as if to ward off the doctor, her gaze on Luther, mind racing to figure a way out of the room. “What exactly is that? And don’t tell me vitamins. What’s going on?”

“I can’t have you running out and getting an abortion. I think we’ll just calm you down until you’re more reasonable.” Sparks stepped closer.

“I’m more than reasonable,” Briony said. “I don’t understand.” She lowered her hand as if in surrender, but kept her gaze on the huge man in the doorway.

“That’s a good girl.”

“Incubator you mean,” Luther said with a little smirk. “I even volunteered to be the donor.”

Dr. Sparks glared at Luther. Briony kicked out hard as Sparks turned his attention from her. She wrenched the syringe from the doctor’s hand as he went down, screaming, clutching at his groin.

The smirk fading from his face, Luther rushed her, leaping over the doctor, his arms outstretched to wrap her close. She was grateful for her smaller size—one that allowed her to perform all kinds of aerial tricks, and to slip through small spaces. She used the gurney to kick off of, going up and over the arm reaching for her, and stabbing at Luther with the syringe. She couldn’t push the plunger to release the liquid—liquid she was certain was a knockout drug—but she managed to complete a full somersault in the air and kick out, going feet-first through the window. She protected the baby with one hand and her face with the other, although her feet pushed most of the glass out onto the street.

She landed in a crouch, and was up and running toward the parking lot. Luther was too big to get through the window, but strong enough to smash the frame out. She heard him swear as he hit the pavement.