Forgotten Sins sb-1

by Rebecca Zanetti

“So long as we stick to the same story, we’re fine.” No way would he let Matt get caught up in the clusterfuck Shane had made of his own life. They’d finally positioned Matt in Seattle, a safe place for his older brother. For now. The commander wanted Matt bad, and they all knew it. A memory shifted behind the drug haze in Shane’s brain. Jory. Something there. He tensed.

  “What’s wrong?” Josie murmured.

  “Nothing.” He couldn’t catch the thought. But it was there. Maybe when the drugs cleared, the last two years would finally come clear. He’d need to get Josie to safety before he went after the people who’d killed his brother. But he’d hunt them, without question.

  He shifted his thoughts to allow his subconscious to take over. “Remember that hat you knitted me for Christmas?” His first homemade Christmas present, just like the families gave on television. Black and gray, she’d interwoven the strands into something guaranteed to keep him warm when they vacationed on the ski slopes.

  She giggled. “Yes. I had to sneak and knit at night when you slept.”

  He’d felt her leave the bed each night and had known why. “I still have it.”

  Her shoulders stilled. “You do?”

  “Yes. My hat, your picture, they’re in a safety-deposit box in California. The most important items I own.” He wanted that hat. Now. Wanted to feel the love and care she’d put into making it for him.

  “That’s sweet.” Her voice thickened. “The necklace you gave me of the silver angel—I need to get it from my house.”

  “We will.” He shouldn’t ask. He really shouldn’t. “Where’s your wedding ring?” His was safely with the hat.

  “Same jewelry box.”

  Well, at least she’d kept the ring. He had time later to talk her into sliding the stunning solitaire back on her finger. “Have you kept up the knitting?”

  “Yes.” She smiled against his skin. “I opened a store on eBay and sell stuff sometimes.”

  Pride. She was something. “I remember that was your dream. To drop the numbers and sell your creations.”

  “It’s just a dream. Numbers pay the bills.”

  “I have money, Josie.” A lot more than he ever expected to have. Nate was a financial genius at investing the profits from Sins Security—probably because he didn’t give a shit and was happy taking risks. “You can do anything you want in life. Live your dream.” With him. God, please let her stay with him.

  “What about you, Shane? What’s your dream to live?”

  He sighed. “You’re my dream, angel. Just you.” Her scent of wild berries filled his nostrils while she filled his heart. His soul. If he had one, it was hers. Made in test tubes, taught to kill, he’d often doubted the possibility. But with Josie cuddled into his side, he felt like he had a soul. Even if it bore stains, his soul existed.

  Her breathing evened out as she slipped into sleep.

  He closed his eyes and listened to her steady breathing. In the dim recesses of his brain, he cataloged the noises outside the room, down the hall, and outside the building. But for this one moment in time, peace settled his heart rate.

  Familiar footsteps echoed down the hallway into his room. He opened his eyes, smirking at his brother. Matt had dressed in faded surgical scrubs and somehow had found a mustache and thick copper-rimmed glasses. “Doctor.”

  Matt’s eyes softened as he glanced at Josie before grabbing Shane’s chart for a quick read. “The bullet didn’t impact anything important. You’re fine.”

  “I know that.”

  The chart clanked against the end of the bed. “She’s something, Shane. Taking down those two men.” Matt rubbed his chin.

  Yeah, she was. He understood the risk he was taking, and leaving his brothers would cut him in two. But the risk was his, and he had to keep them safe. But he had to choose Josie—she needed him more than they did. Any life he had wasn’t worth it without her. “I want to stay with her, Mattie.”

  “I was afraid of that, little brother.” Matt sidled around the bed, dropping into a guest chair. “The whole happily ever after with a family… it’s impossible. Does she know, I mean, ah…”

  “We can have kids, Matt.” If he couldn’t, and Josie wanted kids, they’d adopt. Maybe. Someday when he’d taken care of the danger.

  Matt frowned. “They tried, Shane. The scientists tried to create little test-tube babies with our genetic material. You know that. They never once succeeded.”

  “Maybe test tubes won’t work for our kids.”

  “Maybe.” Matt leaned back, stretching his neck. “It’s more likely they fucked up our DNA so that we can’t reproduce.” Anger filtered through his quiet words. “Something to think about.”

  He would. “Besides, we’re not exactly safe right now, Matt. Won’t be until the commander and his top scientists are in the ground.” That was if they figured out a way to deactivate the kill chips. If Shane were a better person, he’d think about sending those people to jail. But he wasn’t. The only way his family would be safe was if the people who’d created him died. Period.

  “True.” Matt eyed Josie. “I spent the day hacking into the local police database. Apparently, the bugs in Josie’s house were planted by Max’s men.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Shane took a deep breath. “I found the bugs, figured the commander had found Josie, and bugged her place myself. Then when I figured out it had nothing to do with me, I went after the morons lying in wait for her.” Of course, he hadn’t planned on getting hit in the head with a bat.

  “Then you conducted Internet searches that could’ve brought us down. Thank goodness they didn’t. We got lucky this time. From now on, we check in with Nathan once a week so nothing like this happens again.” Footsteps sounded and Matt stiffened, his shoulders relaxing when a nurse passed by the doorway. “Though to be safe, we need to get out of town.”

  “Yeah. I need to get Josie to the ranch—just for the next three months. If we figure out the code for the kill chip, I’ll take her somewhere else to keep everyone safe.” The ranch was one hundred acres in the Montana mountains where Nate had set up a protected space for them all to live if necessary.

  “We need to stick together, Shane.”

  “Not if it puts us all in more danger.” Shane shook his head.

  “We’re not separating.”

  “Leaving her again is impossible, and I won’t let my choices put you in the ground.” Shane winced as his abs protested. “I’m so sorry, Matt.”

  “Don’t be.” His older brother leaned back, his gaze serious. “All I ever wanted was a good life for you. If you think it’s possible, I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to help.”

  Gratitude and love choked Shane. “I can’t let you take the risk.”

  “That’s a fight you’re not going to win—a fight for another day.” Matt steepled his fingers under his chin. “So your memory is coming back?”

  “Yeah.” Shane searched deep in his head where something echoed. “I’m almost there. I can feel it.” Maybe he didn’t want to know what happened to his brother. “Tell me what you know.”

  Matt’s jaw tightened. “We put Jory deep into a company called Millennia Investments.”

  “I remember. The company has its fingers in everything from military contracts to genetic laboratories and drug manufacturing.” Shane had posed as a researcher to get in quickly. “Jory was beyond a genius with computers, wasn’t he?”

  “Yes.” Matt sighed, dropping his hands to his lap and stretching his legs out. “Jory’s IQ kept him alive when he was a kid.”

  Memories of a scrawny kid with huge feet filtered through Shane’s mind. “I remember. You kept him alive as a kid. It was you.”

  “No.” Matt shook his head. “Jory’s IQ was incredibly high. Too high to measure, in fact. That kept him alive until he grew into those feet.” He chuckled. “Then he became downright deadly, remember?”

  “Yes.” Shane nodded. Jory fought with cold, hard logic. No emotion, no anger. His well-trained l
imbs did what that powerful brain dictated. He usually won. “What if he hadn’t? I mean, did you ever wonder what really happened to the kids who left the camp?”

  Matt stilled. “You’ve never asked me that before.”

  Maybe Shane hadn’t wanted to know. “Do you know?”

  “No. I assume they went to a different camp.” Raw pain flashed through Matt’s eyes to be quickly veiled. He was lying. There was no question he was hiding something. “Either way, right now we need to figure out what happened to Jory.”

  Shane could let it go. For now. “So Jory went undercover to filter out whether the commander and his scientists had fingers in Millennia.”

  “No. We already knew they did. Jory went in to find the commander and the names of the other investors. The people playing God.” Matt snapped his jaw shut.

  Shane breathed out. “That’s right. What did he find?”

  Matt lowered his tone, his gaze on Josie. “Don’t know. Six months later we received an urgent message from him that he’d been discovered and was heading out.”

  Something hurt in Shane’s gut. Bad. And it wasn’t the bullet holes. “What then, Mattie?”

  Matt dropped his gaze. Lines dug into his face. “Nate hacked into the computer system, and we found a video file showing Jory being tortured.”

  “The commander?”

  “I don’t know. Just saw Jory.”

  Shane didn’t remember the tape. “I saw the video?”

  “No. Nate and I saw it before a virus uploaded and pretty much exploded his system. What a mess.” He sucked in air, pain filling the oxygen around them. “I saw Jory die. Or rather, a video of his death.”

  “Are you sure?” Shane whispered. Videos could be doctored.

  “Yes. A woman shot him point-blank in the chest.”

  “A woman?” Pain filled Shane’s body along with air as he breathed. “Just one shot?”

  “No. Several.” Matt scrubbed his face. “I saw him fall. Saw his eyes go blank.” He coughed, closing his eyes. “I lost him.”

  “Not your fault.” Shane shifted, hiding a wince at the pain. “So I went undercover to find out who killed him—and what he’d found before he died. Did I check in?”

  “Yes. Not with information, but you let Nate know you were alive every other month. Until a month ago. Then you took off—without a word. We didn’t even know you’d broken cover until you triggered the Internet alerts looking for us.”

  Shane sighed, his head aching. Something there… a memory. Reality flashed through, hard and bright. “I was heading to Seattle, to you, Matt.” He remembered going by his old base for mail and getting the divorce papers. “I stopped here on the way to deal with the divorce.” He’d waited for Josie at her house, the buzzing of the planted bugs instantly alerting him she was in danger. “Figuring the commander had found her, I set up my own bugs to find him, and the next day I had the run-in with Max’s men.” Ending up with him getting amnesia. “But I was coming to you. Something happened, I knew something.” He grabbed his head. What the hell was it?

  “We need to figure out what you found.” Matt lowered his voice. “Shut your eyes and relax.”

  Shane shut his eyes, forcing his heartbeat to slow. His breathing to even out. Such physical control the scientists had given him. An explosion ripped behind his eyelids. “Jesus.”

  “What?”

  “I remember blowing the facility up five years ago.” He opened his eyes. “We escaped. The barracks, the base… we blew it up and ran.” The horrible place they were raised, the horrible place where they were trained to kill. Destroyed. It was easy to blow the place to hell. But they’d remained safe for the time being because of Jory. He figured out how to corrupt the computer system—with most of their records—which made them harder to track and even harder to find. Jory was by far the smartest one of them.

  “Maybe you should sleep. See if anything comes back in your dreams.” Matt’s voice lowered to a hoarse rumble.

  Sounded like a good idea. “What’s your plan?” Shane asked.

  “I’ll keep watch until you get your memories back, and we find out what you discovered.”

  Doubt made Shane clear his throat. “Can you be away from your job any longer?” Another memory… of Matt searching for a witness. “You’re hunting somebody?”

  “Yes.” Matt stood. In profile, Matt’s face appeared even harder than usual. Two strides had him at the door. “Get some sleep, Shane. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  His brother. The one who’d driven Shane so hard to train, so hard to fight. So he’d survive their childhood.

  But they weren’t kids anymore. It was time someone protected Matt. Shane ran his hand through Josie’s silky hair. He’d been trained by the best, and he knew how to survive. Survival meant both Josie and his brothers lived. So he’d make sure they won. No matter the cost.

  Chapter 26

  Josie stretched awake in the hospital bed, her face tucked into Shane’s shoulder. His steady breathing lifted his chest, and she wriggled out of bed to stand alongside his quiet form. She stepped into her tennis shoes, running her gaze over him. Even in sleep, an intensity lived on his face.

  No softness, even now.

  This was the first time she’d ever had the chance to watch him sleep. He had always been alert, ready to jump into action before she even left the bed. The doctor must’ve prescribed something incredibly strong in his IV.

  Early light filtered through the blinds, scattering dust mites through the air. Bleach and the scent of freshly laundered linens filled her nostrils. The low murmur of voices wound through the hallway outside.

  Her heart ached. Love wasn’t supposed to hurt, and she guessed it didn’t. The pain came from the uncertainty of where she stood with the sleeping soldier, and the damn kill chip. Would it actually take him out?

  The smell of coffee out in the hall made her stomach rumble.

  She reached for her cell phone on the counter and tucked it into her back pocket. Brushing her hands through her tangled hair, she tiptoed into the hallway and headed for the vending machine at the end.

  “Mrs. Dean.” Detective Malloy glanced up from his perch on a worn chair, where he was scribbling in his notebook. “Sleep well?”

  Josie faltered. “Yes, thank you.” What the heck was he doing there?

  “Good.” Malloy stood, sliding the notebook into his wrinkled jacket pocket. “We need to go down to the station and finish up with the paperwork.”

  A nurse plunked coins into the vending machine, and a candy bar dropped to the open slot. She grabbed it and walked down to a large counter. Josie watched her leave, then turned toward Malloy. “Why? I already gave my statement.”

  “I know.” Malloy gestured toward the elevator. “But not only did you shoot a man, there are enough holes in your story to have my superiors wanting to send me back to detective school. I just need one more interview to put this entire matter behind us.”

  “But my husband…” Josie stumbled toward the elevator.

  “Will be fine.” Malloy pushed the down button, his face softening. “I checked with his doctors. We should have you back by the time he awakens later today.”

  The door slid open, and Josie sighed before walking inside. “My story isn’t going to change.”

  Malloy raised a bushy eyebrow, poking the button for the parking garage. His gray suit sat frumpy and wrinkled on his large frame, but a shiny green tie brightened the entire look. Nothing brightened his hangdog face.

  “Don’t you ever sleep?” Josie frowned.

  “As soon as we file the paperwork on the shooting, I’m taking some time off. Thanks to you, we’ve solved a huge case, and I deserve a break.” The door slid open and he gestured her toward a brown nondescript car double-parked in a loading zone.

  Josie hesitated at the car.

  Malloy opened the front passenger door. “It’s cleaner up here.”

  She slipped past him and sat, waiting until he had stomped aroun
d the car and settled his bulk in the driver’s seat. “Are you going on vacation alone?”

  He grinned, the smile making him seem years younger. “No.” Starting the ignition, he backed out of the space, his gaze on the windshield. “But there’s nothing wrong with being alone.”

  His scent of peppermint and tobacco wafted through the car in an odd ambiance of comfort. “Are you trying to tell me something?” She clicked the seat belt into place.

  “Kind of. I like you.” He maneuvered the large car out of the garage into the main road. “You’re smart and spunky in a really cute way.” He turned left toward the police station.

  Why were hospitals always near police stations? Josie shifted in her seat. “Um, thanks?”

  “You’re welcome.” He turned his attention back to the busy road, barely skirting a red sports car switching lanes. “Women rarely listen to my advice, but I feel the need to give it anyway. I think you should leave the past in the past… and move on. Away from danger.”

  The big bear was trying to protect her. “You’re very sweet.”

  “I am not.” The detective snorted.

  “Are, too.” But the man couldn’t see that Shane and his brothers were her safe place to land. She loved and trusted Shane more than she would’ve thought possible. The realization set her firmly on her course. No matter what they’d done, or who they were, she wanted to keep them. She needed them. Family mattered, and she finally had one. “Please don’t worry about me, Malloy. I promise I know what I’m doing.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough. You do seem like a smart gal. We’ll get the final paperwork done, and I’ll make sure you have a ride back to the hospital. But if you ever need anything, promise you’ll call.”

  “I promise.” She eyed him from the corner of her eye. “Nice tie. Another gift?”

  A light flush filtered across the detective’s worn face. “Yes.”

  “Really? Who from?”

  Malloy was actually blushing.

  He pulled into a parking spot in front of the two-story brick building. “Let’s go inside, Mrs. Dean.”

  She jumped out of the car and followed Malloy through the bustling entrance, past several uniformed young men to the same conference room as her earlier interview. The cold metal of the chair instantly chilled her butt. “You gave me coffee last time.”