Forgotten Sins (Sin Brothers, #1)(91)

Madison’s blue eyes sparkled. “Don’t be so dramatic.” Her smile revealed perfectly straight teeth.

Josie eyed the door. “Rumor has it Audrey set Nathan up, Doc.”

Madison pursed her lips. “Is that what they think? Hmm. Interesting.” Her gaze narrowed. “Apparently my Shane confided in you. I taught him better than that.”

“You know Shane?” Sadness for her husband filtered through Josie. To be raised by a crazy scientist who didn’t even care about her own daughter must’ve been terrible. No wonder Shane had trouble dealing with women.

“Don’t be coy, dear. It doesn’t suit you.” Madison’s gaze lashed over Josie. “I have to say, you’re not what I expected.”

“Why’s that?” She needed to find some sort of weapon. While she figured she could take the doctor in a heartbeat, stupid Tom had to be around somewhere. Or Daniel. Maybe Josie could get Daniel to help her.

The smile turned malicious. “Shane’s training. The darkness in my Shane surprised even me.” Her voice lowered to a throaty purr. “I really wonder what in the world my boy sees in somebody as weak as you.”

“You jealous?” Josie allowed her voice to lower. “From what I’ve heard, you were a desperate dog in heat. Always watching, always wanting.” It was a calculation and a stab in the dark. But something in the doctor’s tone hinted. Josie lifted her gaze to meet the doctor’s. “But they never returned your desire now, did they?”

Fire raced through the doctor’s eyes before she cleared them. “That’s what you think.”

“No.” Satisfaction lifted Josie’s chin at the direct hit. “They wanted your pretty daughter. Your innocent, sweet, and young daughter.”

The smirk on Madison’s face twisted. “Yes, well. Young Nathan wanted Audrey. And he got her for a short time—though she wasn’t quite as innocent as he’d hoped.” Madison crossed the room and placed the file on the counter. “But that didn’t end well now, did it?”

“They’re going to kill you.”

“I doubt it. Believe me, I’ve meant way too much to a couple of them.” Satisfaction lifted Madison’s red lips.

Josie fought down nausea. There was no way Shane had slept with this evil bitch of a doctor. She hoped none of the brothers had been caught in her trap, either.

“Besides”—Madison’s nostrils flared as she sucked in air—“I’m the closest thing to a mother those boys have ever known. They might want to kill me, but it would destroy them to do so.”

But they’d do it. For each other, if one of them got the chance, they’d kill the doctor. Whoever did it would never recover. Josie settled her shoulders. “You’re right. So I guess I’ll be the one to kill you.” She kept her gaze on the closest thing to a real monster she’d ever seen. To protect Shane, to protect his brothers, she’d kill. She’d already shot a drug dealer, in fact.

Madison smiled again. “You know, I’m starting to like you.” Heavy footsteps echoed outside the door. “I think I will give Tom a chance to knock you up—or maybe Danny would like a shot at you. He seems rather irritated that Tom hit you. I wonder if I could get some ultra-soldiers out of the deal.”

Nausea and fear ripped through Josie’s stomach, but she kept her face bland. “You’re an idiot.”

The doctor shook her head, clicking her tongue. “Name-calling, are we?” She glanced at Josie’s unblemished arm. “While I haven’t injected you with anything, I certainly may do so if you don’t cooperate with me. Which of the brothers have you met?”

Josie rolled her eyes. “There are no brothers. Shane told me about you, about your daughter, but that’s it.”

The doctor clicked her tongue. “For a civilian, you’re not a bad liar.”

“Thanks. For a doctor with degrees in clinical neuropsychology and psychoneuroimmunology, you’re stupid if you think you’ll live through hurting me.”

Madison’s girlish laughter wound around the room. “I see what Shane likes about you.”

“You must be really smart to have the degrees you do.” Josie tilted her head, studying the other woman.

“I am.” A satisfied smile lit the woman’s flawless face.

“Why use such knowledge to harm young boys?” Something in her needed to understand. How could monsters truly live among them?

“Harm?” Madison frowned. “No, we didn’t harm them. We enhanced them. We made them the ultimate males, the ultimate fighters.” Her eyes sparked. “I made them incredible.”

Anger tightened Josie’s jaw. “You experimented on them. Like lab rats.”

Madison shrugged. “Of course I experimented. We gave them the best genetics possible and then enhanced those. Before using behavioral techniques to train them as they grew.”

“Aren’t you concerned?” Josie frowned, truly trying to get into the crazy doctor’s head.

“Concerned? That they’ll come after me, not understanding?” Madison shook her head.

“No. Concerned that God will be pissed you’re trying to be Him.” Growing up in foster care had given her a fundamental view of God and death, but it was one she believed in. “As a scientist, you have to be open to possibilities, to what-ifs. What if God exists and is seriously pissed at you, Dr. Madison?”