Rebecca Zanetti - Forgotten Sins

“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.

Shane shot an elbow into Nathan’s gut, halting their progress. “Go back to the fucking truck and wait for me.”

Nathan dipped a shoulder and rammed solid muscle into Shane’s arm. “No.” With smooth movements, Nathan yanked open the door to the police station. He’d discarded the bulletproof vest, but in his dark shirt and cargo pants, he still looked more like a soldier than a lawyer. “Detective Malloy has already met me, and there’s no reason to do this by yourself. Alone.”

A flashback to the military barracks smacked Shane between the eyes. “Never alone.”

“Never alone.” Nathan repeated the mantra they’d coined as scared kids.

Shane followed his brother into the station, their boots clomping in unison on the sparkling wood floors. They should’ve changed into more casual clothing, but there hadn’t been time. “Asking the cop for help might seriously backfire.”

“Yep.” Nathan plastered on a charming smile for a young blonde behind the bulletproof glass. “Hi, darlin’. We’re here to see Detective Malloy.”

The woman flushed, her pretty eyes sparkling as she grabbed a phone. Even through the glass, the sound of her breath speeding up forced Shane to bite back a smile.

Seconds later Malloy shoved open the door. He appraised Nathan and then Shane with shrewd, albeit tired eyes. His heartbeat remained steady and calm. “What the hell’s going on, gentlemen?”