Page 14 of A Mate For Matrix (Cyborg Protection Unit #1)

“A man has needs, Jana,” Herman stated, rising to his feet as well.

“Mary always used to say if you lost a few pounds, you could find a man who would be interested in you. I’m willing to ignore the fact that you are overweight.

You obviously have an eating disorder if you name your pets after food. ”

Jana’s mouth snapped shut, and she slowly counted to ten, curling each of her fingers until two tight fists formed. Only when she felt some measure of self-restraint did she speak again. The low, hissing breath she took should have been his first warning that she was royally pissed off.

“Get out,” Jana ordered in a barely audible voice.

Herman grimaced, but didn’t move. “It’s the truth. I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but someone should have told you a long time ago. I’m willing to ignore it. Think of how much you would save each month on rent. I’ll even throw in Mary’s car. It is in better shape than that thing you drive.”

“GET OUT!” Jana shouted, her fury vibrating the walls as she pointed towards the front door. “I would sleep in my old car before I’d ever sleep with a slimebag like you. According to the law, this is my house until next month’s rent is due. I won’t tell you again.”

Herman’s eyes flashed with anger. “You can consider this your eviction notice then,” he said, turning on his heel. He stumbled when one kitten ran in front of him. “I swear that looks like one of those damn kittens I put in a pillowcase and tossed in the trash.”

“ You put them in the trash?! ” Jana demanded in a harsh whisper.

Herman grunted as he turned to frown down at her.

“Of course. They were a nuisance. I poisoned the mother—” Jana gasped in horror, “but she had already had seven damn kittens.” He looked at her with irritation.

“I put them in one of our old pillowcases and threw it out. One of the garbage men must have found it and dropped it off at Wilson’s office,” he grumbled. “I hate animals.”

Jana had never been so angry in her life. She turned and reached for the fly swatter hanging from the hook by the back door. Gripping it, she turned back to Herman and waved it at him menacingly.

“Get out of my house,” she hissed. “Don’t you ever, EVER, talk to me again. If you do, I swear I will tell every old biddy within a thousand-mile radius what a horrible, horrible ass you are! Do you understand me?”

Herman’s lips tightened, and he took a step toward her. Jana didn’t stop to think. She didn’t want to. She wanted to beat the crap out of Herman Marker, then pick him up, and do it all over again. Instead, she started smacking him with the fly swatter.

“Ouch! That hurt!” Herman exclaimed, stepping backwards in surprise. “Stop that!”

“Never!” Jana growled, hitting him again. “Out! Out! Out!”

Jana followed Herman, smacking him anywhere she could reach until he was forced through the front door.

They were almost to the edge of the porch when Herman turned and grabbed the fly swatter out of her hand.

He raised it to strike her. A flash of blue fur sent him careening backwards off the porch and onto his back on the hard ground.

“What… What the hell is that?!” he choked out, terrified.

“Meet my newest pet, Linguine !” Jana growled, rubbing in her use of food names. “He’s named after one of my favorite foods. He’s big. He’s mean….”

“And he loves to rip out the throats of those he does not like,” Matrix added, stopping next to Herman where he lay on the ground.

“Who… Who are you?” Herman demanded in a barely audible voice.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Jana boasted, glancing at Matrix with a pleading look of entreaty.

“I am more than her boyfriend,” Matrix stated in a quiet voice filled with conviction. “I am her life mate. Shall we dispose of him, Jana? No one will ever find his body.”

Jana’s eyes lit with amusement when she saw the teasing twinkle in Matrix’s gaze. She fought to keep her lips from twitching. Her gaze dropped to Herman as he turned and started crawling frantically across the ground.

“Nah, just toss him out with the garbage,” she said coolly.

“Garbage duty again? Ugh,” K-Nine grumbled with a snicker of amusement.

Herman jerked around and stared at K-Nine in disbelief. Jana couldn’t help the grin that curved her lips. She tilted her head and looked at Matrix.

He reached down, grabbed Herman by the arm, and jerked him to a standing position. When Herman took a swing at him, Matrix caught the other man’s fist in his left hand and squeezed it. Jana bit her bottom lip when she saw Herman pale.

“Did she also mention that we are aliens from another world?” Matrix asked in a soft, menacing voice.

“Oh, shit!” Herman choked.

“He wet himself,” K-Nine said with dry amusement.

“I can smell it. Get out of here before I change my mind and kill you,” Matrix ordered, pushing the man toward his transport. “If you say a word to anyone, we’ll hunt you down.”

“I always find what I’m hunting!” K-Nine called out as Herman wrenched open the car door and fell inside.

Jana walked down the steps to stand next to Matrix.

Warmth flooded her when Matrix slid his arm protectively around her waist and pulled her close.

She didn’t resist. There was something that just felt so right about the way he was holding her.

She didn’t want to question it. There was always time for a reality check later.

At the moment, she just wanted to enjoy this amazing, incredible, and totally unpredictable day.

They all watched as Herman started his car and put it into drive. Loose gravel flew out from behind the vehicle as he sped down the long driveway. Jana wrapped her arm around Matrix and casually scratched K-Nine behind his ear when he came to sit down next to them.

“That was absolutely the coolest thing that has ever happened in my life,” Jana whispered before bursting into uncontrollable laughter that quickly turned into tears.

“He was the one who put the kittens in the pillowcase,” she sniffed, turning into Matrix’s arms when he gently wrapped them around her so that she was facing him.

“I should have ripped his throat out,” K-Nine muttered under his breath.

“You and me both, partner,” Matrix agreed in a grim voice as he tenderly stroked Jana’s trembling form.