Forgotten Sins (Sin Brothers, #1)(66)

“Regroup?”

“I’m sure we’re just the first wave of experiments. So we wanted time to get away, get positioned, and then take them down.” Nate’s eyes hardened to slate. “Of course, we thought we’d be further ahead than we are right now—considering we have three months to live.”

Shane stilled. “Excuse me?”

Nate’s slow smirk lacked humor. “You didn’t think geniuses smart enough to genetically engineer us would fail to have safeguards in place, did you?”

Shane’s gaze dropped to his hands. A familiar but unremembered fear washed down his entire back. “I guess not. What’s the safeguard?”

“Kill chip in your spine.” Nathan scratched his neck. “Needs to be reprogrammed every five years, or smush.”

“Smush?”

“Yep. The thing blows and you die.” Nathan picked at a string on his jeans. “If we try to remove it…”

“Smush.” Shane eyed the too-quiet doorway. He should’ve sent her back to bed. “What’s the plan?”

“Jory was looking for the code or how to remove it, and so is Matt. We’ll find it. For right now, we need to concentrate on the current problem.”

“Matt said he’s a U.S. marshal,” Shane said.

“Yes. And I’m the head of Sins Security, which is a corporation owned by the four of us. I mean three of us.” Nathan frowned. “We supply support, protection, and such when necessary. We’ve been shoring up resources for when we strike—which has to be soon.”

“What group was I with in the marines?”

“A specialty unit in the United States dealing with bioterrorism.”

Bioterrorism? “What did that have to do with our childhood?”

“Some of the top scientists in our government created us in the first place. You were hunting them.”

“I left when Jory died.” A statement. He’d left more than the marines, and he knew it.

“Yeah. We think he got too close to the commander.”

The name sent a rock of pure hatred blasting under Shane’s skin. “I remember him. He needs to die.”

“Yes, he does,” Matt said, stalking into the room.

Shane scratched his head. “What’s up with my super hearing? And sight?”

Matt shrugged. “Along with the abnormal strength and reflexes, we all have special gifts. Might be hereditary and experimental, or just flukes from all of that. We all have hyper senses, but yours are the best.”

“What’s your gift?” Shane asked.

Nearing the sofa, Matt pivoted, his gaze on the dark hallway. “Your woman is eavesdropping,” he mouthed.

“I know.” Shane stretched to his feet. “Gifts?”

“I sense movement right before it happens. Might be slightly psychic, empathic, or just notice the shift of air. They’ve never been able to explain it.” Matt eyed the hallway.

“Must be handy in a fight.” Shane jerked his head at Nathan.

“I read people. Facial expressions, movement, everything. I’m a human lie detector.” Nathan grinned, all rogue. “Very handy with the women.”

Matt lowered his tone. “Josie shouldn’t know all of this.”

Shane nodded. “I’ll discuss the matter with her, and then you and I can go over Jory’s death. Maybe figure out where I’ve been the last two years.”

“Sounds good. And we need to get out of town as soon as we solve her problem.” Nathan grabbed his cell phone again. “My contacts are supposed to check in with any new information.”

Shane nodded, stretching his neck as he strode toward the hallway. A scurrying sounded before a door clicked. Ah, angel. Nice try.

*

Josie’s heart beat a rapid pattering in her chest. She kept her gaze on the dark entrance to the room. The door opened. Faint light from down the hallway filtered inside, silhouetting Shane’s strong form in the doorway.

She caught her breath in her throat. Still. Stay very still.

“Did you hear everything you needed to hear?” he rumbled, crossing inside and shutting the door. A rustling sounded and his jeans hit the floor before he tugged open the sheets and slid inside.

The scents of warm cedar and male filled her nostrils. Heat encompassed her.

He yanked her butt into his groin, curving an arm around her waist. “Well, did you?”

She shrugged, her mind spinning. “Your childhood sucked.”

A barked-out laugh stirred her hair. “Yeah, sounds like it.” He sighed. “Though the scientific explanation rings true. I mean, some of my senses aren’t normal.”

“Not even close.” She wiggled to get more comfortable, her chest aching. “Do you think Nathan is right? Are you going to die in three months?” The words hurt to say.

“I think Nate is right that there’s a kill chip in my spine, but no, I’m not going to die. We’re going to figure it out.” Calm reason filled his tone—too much calm.

That was a promise he couldn’t make. He seemed so invincible—how could he die? Tears welled in her eyes, and she shoved them back. Crying wouldn’t help a damn thing. “How is genetic manipulation possible? I mean, I can understand taking a soldier’s sperm and making babies, but how do you explain the enhanced hearing? Sight? Strength?”