Page 50 of Protected By the Convicts
Chapter Eleven
VAUGHN
Eight days had passed since their brotherly bonding ceremony. While tensions had eased considerably in the house, Vaughn still could not shake the feeling that they were all doomed. Three days ago, he and Sersie came up with a bullshit medical excuse as to why NK171 wasn’t having an effect on the mice. They’d had no choice. Dresden had returned to Sersie’s lab and had made it quite clear he would send Sersie to the mines, or worse, to a Level 5 prison world if NK171 didn’t perform within the week.
Vaughn had unilaterally decided it was time to remove Sersie from danger and take on the burden before Sersie cracked from the pressure and ended up using. There was irony in using an addictive drug on innocent miners to keep Sersie from using an addictive drug on himself, except Vaughn couldn’t appreciate it now with the NK171 trials in full swing.
For now, Vaughn was watering down the potency of the drug he used on the first batch of miners. Ten men had placed their lives in his hands. And there were seventy more waiting behind them.
Images of Ferguson with burned skin over eighty percent of his body and a face wracked in horrific pain constantly battered Vaughn.
The miners experienced minimal discomfort thus far, but nothing life-threatening, not yet. Vaughn could only stall for so long, however. Dresden would be on his back until several miners died, proving NK171’s danger. Only then would the trials using Salvation begin. Salvation wasn’t the problem. The rescue drug would help Flight and Crash addicts and make The Company money. Dresden would flood the market with NK171 first, getting who knows how many innocent people addicted tohisdrug.
Too many would die before The Company realized a new drug had entered the market. A population scared shitless would pay anything to save their loved ones. While The Company would sell them Salvation, so would Dresden, through back channels, making another tidy profit for himself without The Company ever knowing.
Guinea pigs. These miners were nothing but guinea pigs to Dresden.
“I don’t like it when you frown,” Hannah said as she played with the light layer of hair on his chest. He trapped her hand against him, the need to hold her close inexplicable.
She’d moved into the large bedroom, and Ky’Li had moved out. Vaughn now shared the middle bedroom with Ky’Li while Sersie and Ren shared the storage room. They had all agreed that Hannah should have the largest bed for when she wanted company.
Vaughn had suggested a rotating schedule. Everyone except Sersie had agreed. That was a switch; Sersie, not Ky’Li had an issue with sharing Hannah on a schedule. Sersie wanted the freedom of spontaneity. The man was young but not necessarily wrong.
They’d settled on no schedule and a general rule that no one entered Hannah’s room without being invited. Hannah had tried to kiss Vaughn’s worries away, which is how they’d ended up in bed together last night. Score one for Sersie’s idea of spontaneity.
“I’m not frowning,” Vaughn replied, giving her one last kiss before rising. “I’m simply lost in thought. I have a lot to do today. I have a double shift.”
“How are the miners doing?”
“Group one is restless and anxious as expected. Group two’s ravenous. That was not a side-effect we anticipated.”
“I don’t recall being hungry at all.”
“You inhaled the drug. We’ve been injecting the miners. Different effects are expected.”
She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. “Everything will be fine, Vaughn.”
He let his fingers brush over her throat and collar bones. “Where’s your necklace?’
“Over there.” She pointed to the dresser. “I’m afraid it will go off if I sleep on it the wrong way.”
“Start wearing it. All the time. Including in bed.”
Her eyebrows lifted with concern, but she said nothing, as if she didn’t want to hear anything bad after a fun night in bed. He understood that, but they couldn’t let their guard down.
“Humor me. And you better get going. You have first shift too, right?”
“Yes. Will you walk me?”
“That’s the plan,” he said, swatting her ass as she headed over to the dresser. She dressed in a simple black pair of pants and a long-sleeve white top. Sharp, sleek, like any professional on Argus. This time of year the temperature could dip low at night and stay low until mid-day.
Hell, he hadn’t thought about life on Argus in a while. He had a new family now. Maybe they’d be lucky to have a child one day. He didn’t even care who the father would be. A child would be nice to have, even if the idea of raising a child on Narkos worried him. At least the child would be loved. He and the others had already agreed any child born to Hannah would have four fathers. Or maybe one father and three uncles, as Ky’Li suggested. The titles wouldn’t matter as they would all love the child, protect him or her with their lives.
“How many kids do you want, Hannah?”
“You mean in addition to the four of you?” she teased.
“I’m serious.”
