Forgotten Sins

Chapter 30

“I don’t understand.” Josie wrenched her wrists against the handcuffs that held her attached to the grab bar above the door of the large SUV. Pain cascaded up her arm. From the backseat, she glared at Tom’s head as he drove through after-work traffic. “I thought you wanted Shane to trace the call.”

Dr. Madison sighed from the front passenger seat. “How in the world did my Shane fall for such a ditz?” Reaching out red-manicured nails, she ran her hand down Tom’s arm. “You always had better taste now, didn’t you, Tommy?”

He nodded. “Sure. Though I wanted to stay and wait for good old Shane.”

“No.” Madison settled back into her seat and crossed her legs. “We need you to protect us for now. The commander will capture Shane and whatever brother is with him. Then don’t worry. We’ll let you in the training ring with him.”

“I can’t wait.” Satisfaction oozed in Tom’s deep voice.

Fury swirled through Josie. “He’ll kick your ass.”

Tom’s brown eyes flashed to the rearview mirror. “Not a chance. Believe me, once he understands what I’ve done to you, anger will make him easy to beat.” Tom shook his head. “You’re a weakness, Josie. A big one.”

Damn it, she was his weakness. Nathan had been correct. Josie was going to get Shane killed. She tugged again on her wrists. The metal cut deeper into her skin, and she fought a whimper at the pain. Anger brought sharp focus to her eyesight. A blaring of a horn made her jump. Fear shoved the anger away. Her lungs wanted to seize up. “Where are we going?”

Madison smoothed her pencil skirt down. “To a safe place until Shane is contained. Then we’re going home. Thank God.”

“God?” Josie gasped. No way did the psychotic bitch believe in God. “Where might home be?”

Madison twisted in her seat to flash a tight smile. “Back East. Not the facility where dear Shane grew up, but similar. State of the art, in fact.”

The woman had more than one screw loose. “You honestly think you’ll be able to capture Shane, and he’ll go back to work for you? That he’ll be an ultimate soldier doing your dirty work?” Dr. Madison really didn’t know Shane.

The smile widened. “Of course. Now that we have you, Shane will do anything I want. And those brothers of his will follow suit.” She sniffed. “They’ve had an almost unnatural loyalty to each other since birth.” Her exhale scented the car with mint. “I wonder if it’s something we did with the genetic engineering.”

Josie shook her head, trying to ignore the pounding ache in her shoulder blades from her odd position. “More likely a survival instinct. To survive their childhood and being raised by a complete nut job like you.”

“Interesting theory.” Madison pursed her lips, lines in her forehead creasing as she frowned. “Though the commander held death over their heads. I just studied them. Put them through their tests and so on.” She turned around, her gaze wandering over Josie’s face. “So who’s with Shane? There must be one of the brothers close by. Close enough to call for help.”

Just Matt. Nathan had headed out to a new assignment. Could Matt and Shane take the commander and his soldiers? Josie raised an eyebrow. “Shane doesn’t need backup, and you know it. What kind of trap do you think will work, anyway?” There had to be some way to get a message to her husband. To warn him.

Tom switched lanes, allowing a hot yellow Ferrari to pass him on the left. “Let’s just say the trap involves nerve gas that would knock out a stegosaurus. Before your boy knows it, he’ll be at the new facility working to draw his brothers back in.”

What kind of gas? Shane had just recovered from a concussion and surgery—and he didn’t even have his entire memory back. Josie had to get out of there and warn him. How did people get out of handcuffs, anyway? The more she tugged, the harder the cold metal dug into her wrists. They were already raw. Blood oozed to coat the metal. Bile swirled up her throat, and she swallowed the horrid taste back down.

Tom signaled and took the off-ramp toward Miller’s Strip.

Josie stiffened. “We’re going to the airport?” Miller’s was a small, private airport for the superrich. She’d picked up wealthy clients there before. If she left Snowville, Shane might never find her. Panic threatened to cut off her breathing.

“Yes. The airport it is.” Tom maneuvered the vehicle around a horse trailer and followed the quiet road several miles until stopping next to a large metal-walled hangar.

Josie peered out the window. The area around the building remained quiet and empty in the gathering dusk. Clouds rolled across the sky, the wind scattering loose leaves over the deserted tarmac. She shivered at how alone she felt.

Tom jumped out of the SUV and opened her door, releasing the cuffs and dragging her from the car. His frown marred his handsome face as he glared at her bloody wrists. “Josie,” he breathed. “What did you do?”

She tried to tug her hands out of his grasp. “I’d do anything to get away from you, jackass.”

He smiled. “I’ve always liked your spunk.”

Two black Escalades approached, halting on either side of Tom’s car. Men dressed in black combat gear clomped flak boots onto the cement as they jumped out, machine guns in hand.

Tom glanced at a muscular bald man. “Secure the perimeter of the hangar.”

“Yes, sir.” The man began barking orders and pointing out positions to the soldiers. They didn’t look real. Not one of them even seemed to notice Josie. She counted eight armed soldiers as well as two men dressed in polo shirts and khakis. Must be the pilots.

Turning, Tom dragged her through a small doorway into a wide hangar with two sleek jets parked in the middle. Madison clipped her high heels across the spotless cement behind them. The sharp sound echoed through the vast space. The pilots silently strode toward the two planes, opening hatches and getting to work.

Josie stumbled to keep pace with Tom, her mind whirling. How did she miss the emptiness in him? Even while he threatened her, he only seemed half there. Like he’d enjoy attacking her but could take or leave the possibility. “You know, most people who torture other people need to do it. Like a compulsion.”

Tom yanked her into a spacious office, shoving her into a plush leather chair. “Oh?” He reached behind his waist and brought out a large, square handgun to place on the desk.

“Yeah.” Josie settled into the seat. Could she get into his head? “I think so. But you, well, you don’t seem to really care.” She lowered her voice. “What did they do to you?”

His smile chilled the air. “They created me.” Both broad hands grasped her armrests, and he leaned down, his face inches from hers. “And you’re wrong. The only time I feel alive is when I have someone screaming.” Heat flared through his eyes. He inhaled, a dark flush crossing his smooth face. “You smell like softness and purity. Like clouds.” His gaze dropped from her eyes to her breasts. “Something tells me you’ll be a screamer.”

There was the fear. Yet she lifted her chin, waiting until his gaze once again met hers. “If Shane doesn’t kill you, I will.” She leaned in closer to his face, satisfaction welling when his eyes widened just a fraction in surprise. “I promise you’ll die,” she whispered.

His teeth flashed in a parody of a smile as he pushed away from her chair. “I adore your confidence.” Grabbing his gun, he checked the clip.

Her confidence? Yeah, it was fake. The entire situation sucked. “I stopped being afraid of bullies a long time ago.” In kindergarten when she’d smashed Jason Jones in the face with her backpack. Somehow she doubted she could take care of Tom the same way. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t try, however.

Madison clipped into the room with a diet soda in her hand. “Has the commander checked in yet?”

“No.” Tom rolled his shoulders. “I should be there with him.”

Josie fought the urge to rub her oozing wrists. “So, Dr. Madison. How did Jory die?”

Madison smiled, closing her eyes to inhale. “My Jory.” Her blue eyes flashed open and warmed. “What a smart boy and an even smarter man.” She giggled. “He was so small, and then poof, one day he turned into a giant. With huge feet.”

“How did he die?” Josie eyed the large phone at the edge of the desk.

“He died because he turned against us.” Madison formed her lips in a perfect pout. “He turned against the commander.” Her head shook. “Terrible decision.”

Fire ripped through Josie. “Do you call him the commander when you fuck him?” It was a shot in the dark, but instinct took over.

Madison’s tongue darted out to lick her glossy lips. “Well, dear, the commander fucks me.” She raised an eyebrow. “Surely you understand the difference.” Another giggle escaped, and this one ripped through Josie’s nerves like a cheese grater. “And no, his name is Franklin.”

Tom started, his gaze slashing to Madison.

Josie let a slow smile slide across her face. “Didn’t know that now, did you?”

“No.” Tom tilted his head to the side. “I didn’t know that.”

Madison shrugged. “We’ve been close through the years.”

Josie snorted. “I knew his name. Shane told it to me.” She crossed her legs, slamming her innocent foster kid mask on her face. “Franklin.”

Tom growled. “Shane doesn’t know his name. None of us know his name.”

Ah, the jerk didn’t like that, did he? Josie opened her eyes wider. “Sure Shane did. He told me a long time ago.” She lowered her voice. “Maybe Franklin liked the Gray brothers better than you, Tom. I mean, they were his favorites now, weren’t they?” Another pure guess, but what the hell.

Tom pushed away from the desk.

Dr. Madison’s pale hand on his arm stopped his forward motion. She turned her focus on Josie. “She’s quite the little manipulator, isn’t she?”

Josie refused to flinch under the hard gaze. “Just like your daughter, am I?”

Madison smiled. “Yes. Although Audrey has a genius IQ.” Shiny dark hair flew as Madison shook her head. “Unlike you.”

“She was smart enough to get Nathan to fall in love with her—and not with you.” Josie let a calculating softness filter into her voice.

Madison giggled again. “Your attempts at digging into my head… I love them. Oh, I wish I could’ve seen you work on Shane—I’ll bet you had my boy so tangled up he couldn’t find his way free.”

Yet he had now, hadn’t he? Besides, she’d never tried to manipulate Shane. She loved him, and she’d given her trust along with love. Josie glanced at the full wall of windows behind her. The sparkling jets waited, silent and watchful in the large space. “I figured you’d have more soldiers here.”

“The soldiers are all waiting for your husband,” Madison said just as her phone buzzed. She pressed it to her ear, gliding from the office and out of earshot.

Tom followed the doctor with heat in his gaze. “The commander will bring Shane and whoever’s with him to the plane, and then we’ll get the hell away from this Podunk town.” He focused back on Josie. “Not that I didn’t enjoy playing the out-of-luck workingman.” A Cheshire cat’s smile had nothing on Tom’s smirk.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a jackass.” The gun waited, heavy and sure, on the large desk. Maybe she should tackle Tom, just lower her head and aim for his gut.

He shook his head, grabbed the gun, and tucked it into his lower back. “Not going to happen, Josie.”

That’s what he thought. She flexed her fingers. Her wrists nearly bellowed in pain. “So how does this work? I mean, don’t you have to file flight plans and everything?” Not that he didn’t have government backing anyway.

“No.” Tom glanced at his watch. “This is a small airport. We can turn the lights on ourselves, and so long as we appear to be flying by visual, we just take off. Perfectly legal and acceptable.” His gaze focused on her, gaze skimming her legs. “Maybe we should come up with something interesting to pass the time.”

What an ass. “You’re an idiot.”

His face darkened with a purpose that chilled her completely through.

Madison clicked her high heels into the room, a frown marring her flawless skin. “We have a problem.”

Tom straightened up. “What’s the problem?”

Madison glanced at Josie. “Shane hasn’t shown up. Not even a hint of him.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we overestimated his feelings for her.”

Josie allowed a small smile to lift the corners of her lips. Adrenaline ripped through her blood. “Maybe you underestimated Shane.” Oh, yeah. Hope filled her. Her husband was coming.