You Don't Belong Here

Chapter Twenty Two

"What would you like for lunch today, Sarah?" Brielle sat on the stairs outside of her apartment building, absentmindedly tubing her palms together as she watched the blue-eyed businessman typing on his phone as he stood on the sidewalk.

"Mister Brooks, my name is Brielle. Not Sarah."

"Right, my mistake. You just really look like a Sarah to me." Brielle inhaled slowly as she pushed down her frustration. "Well then Brielle," she ignored the added emphasis on her name, "what will it be? Steak? Seafood? Perhaps veal..?"

"Mister Brooks, I appreciate your generosity regarding my employment...but I cannot participate in fraternization with the C.E.O. of the company."

"Nonsense." He waved a dismissive hand. "It's not fraternization if there is no sex involved."

"That's not how that works, Mister Brooks." She fought to ignore the pink blush that was creeping onto her cheeks from the inappropriate comment. "Fraternization means-"

"I am fully aware of the definition, Sarah. And if you continue to argue with me over trivial matters, then I will have no choice but to transfer you to a different department within the facility. Perhaps Public Relations?"
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Brielle was pulled from her thoughts as her head was forcefully pulled to the side. She cried out in pain but the three males ignored her protests as T'ahrou lay outstretched on the sofa while holding a dagger in the air above him to inspect it, Zaiyu occupied himself with some sort of drink in the kitchen area, and Ghost stood silently against the nearby wall with his arms folded over his chest as he watched the torture unfold before his amber eyes. "Would you stop that?!" She tried to turn and look at her abuser, but she was met with a swift smack to the back of her skull. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, but the harsh pop sound was enough to more or less 'reset' her focus.

"I will stop when I am done!" Brielle glowered at Dhadtoudi's snide remark but didn't argue. "Your tresses are unhealthy. They break."

"They're probably breaking because you're ripping them out of my skull..!"

"I will rip your skull from your shoulders and hang it on my wall if you continue..!"

"Dhadtoudi." The female looked to her mate from behind her eye shields as she continued to twist and blend the strands of hair together. "Have patience with her. They are called 'soft meat' for good reason." He never removed his eyes from the silver blade in his hands, but he could sense the look that was being cast his way.

"All the more reason why O'kaor should not have brought it here. It complains too much."

"You complain as well, Dhadtoudi." She looked to Zaiyu now as he finished his drink and decided to have another. "You are not without flaw."

"I feel like I'm at a nail salon, and you're the Asian nail techs who are badmouthing my callouses in your native language." The four of them looked at the human woman for a long moment before Dhadtoudi clicked in irritation and continued her task of forming the bulky dreadlocks atop the human's head. "And you're the lady that files my nails down until my fingers bleed." Another swift pop upside her head silenced her once more.

"Why must I be responsible for it's appearance? All of you know how to form tresses!"

"You know why." She glared at Zaiyu again and frowned when the human began to shift uncomfortably in her cross-legged position on the metallic floor. Dhadtoudi lightly shoved the back of her shoulders, nearly toppling the young woman in the process. "Walk."

"Thank God..!" Brielle eased her way to a standing position, taking care not to drop the fur-hide blanket that was wrapped around her body to hide her nudity. Dhadtoudi tugged at the elastic bandeau top that bound her chest before stretching and popping her back. Brielle continued to walk laps along the corridor with a slight limp on her right side, and Dhadtoudi watched carefully as she moved.

"A recent injury." O'kaor explained as he too watched the female. "The leg bone was shattered. It happened within the first five solar rotations during my stay in the Ooman facility."

"Her body is weak, O'kaor. She will not survive here for long." He ignored Dhadtoudi's warning and kept his focus on the human woman as she slowly leveled out her steps, only reaching out to balance herself against the wall every once in a while.