Lily sent a small, wan smile in her direction. “I forgot to tell you about the ‘smart’ shirts Georgia Tech developed to monitor soldiers and patients for medical problems. The Natick Soldier System Center in cooperation with Crye Precision developed the MultiCam Multi Environment Camouflage system. Companies have a line of personal clothes as well as combat clothes. The hottest thing is microscopic mirrors sewn into the fabric to reflect the environment around them. You’ll never guess who is testing these clothes.”
“Jack and Ken Norton,” Flame said. “Of course. And Whitney had to pull some strings to make that happen.”
“Whitney seems very adept at pulling strings,” Kadan agreed. “You’re right. He isn’t alone in this.”
CHAPTER 7
“You’re pregnant.”
Briony stared at the doctor in shock. “That’s impossible. I’m on birth control pills. You prescribed them yourself.” She detested the man; the way he looked so reptilian, she often thought scales would erupt all over him at any moment. He had the coldest smile, almost a smirk when he looked at her. She didn’t trust him-had never trusted him. Even as a child, she had wanted to run screaming from the room whenever he entered. When she left the office, she was going to go out to the car and wring Jebediah’s neck for calling him. She’d only agreed to come because she wanted a few answers. This was definitely the last visit she would ever make to Dr. Sparks.
“You’re pregnant, Briony, about eight weeks. Perhaps you forgot to take a pill when you should have.” His shark-toothed smile flashed at her, but never once reached his eyes. “The father will be overjoyed.”
A shadow slid into her mind. Her body went into alert mode-she felt the alarm shooting through her, but she maintained her shocked look and swung her leg back and forth in agitation. “Tony? I’m sure he will. He’s wanted to marry me forever and this will be his big chance. My brothers will all get out shotguns and side with him.”
For the first time his smirk slipped. The eyes grew even colder. “Tony?”
She shrugged, trying to look casual. “One of the tiger trainers. We’ve had a steady relationship for a while now.” She looked him straight in the eye, determined to carry off the lie just to see his reaction, because something wasn’t right and she had a very bad feeling that she was in more trouble than just being pregnant.
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.