Stolen and Forgiven (Branded Packs #1)(62)

Moving with surprising speed, the guard was jogging out of the office, no doubt anticipating the sick pleasure he intended to take with the female.

Left alone, Frank hid his grimace. His father would tell him that when he was working in the sewers he should expect to come home covered in shit, but there were still times when his conscience pricked.

Sadly, he didn’t have a choice. Did he?

He couldn’t create a virus without the proper specimens. And with Markham constantly looking over his shoulder, he had to do something.

Right?

Waiting four and a half minutes, Frank left the office and took the emergency stairs down to the hidden basement beneath the parking garage. It was impossible to completely avoid the cameras that constantly monitored the building, but moving with a brisk step, he tried to look as if he were on official business.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he opened the door to the long, subterranean room without being challenged by any of the guards.

With any luck, he would be in and out before anyone paid any attention.

Moving along the cells built against the back wall, he skirted the brightly lit area in the center of the floor and headed toward the far corner where Sinclair was waiting for him.

“She’s inside?” he demanded.

“Yep.” Standing beside the heavy steel door, Sinclair reached out to place his palm against the electronic reader. Silently, the door slid open. Frank stepped forward, only to come to a sharp halt when the guard grabbed his arm in a painful grip. “Don’t forget, doc…once you’re done with her, she’s mine.”





Chapter 7


Cora felt like shit.

Her mouth was dry. Her temples pounded. And her brain felt as if someone had stuffed her head with cotton wool.

And there was a strange pain in her ass.

As if she’d…

Been shot.

With a sharp groan, Cora wrenched her eyes open, not surprised to discover she was lying naked on a cot in a tiny, steel-lined room. She’d known that the gang of wannabe warriors had been sent to kidnap her as soon as the dart had hit her.

Why else use a tranq gun instead of just a traditional bullet to her heart?

What did surprise her was the strange man who was crouched next to the cot, staring at her as if she were a specimen he’d found beneath a microscope.

“Shit,” she breathed in horror.

Awkwardly grabbing the blanket that was thrown over her, Cora wrapped it around her naked body and managed to push herself to a seated position. Then, shoving her hair out of her face, she managed to glare at the intruder.

“Easy,” the stranger murmured, his thin face deeply tanned and his pale eyes filled with a fanatical glow.

He was staring at her as if he found her a source of endless curiosity.

Creepy…

“Where am I?” she demanded.

He flashed a smile that revealed a perfect row of capped teeth. “Don’t worry, you’re safe.”

She snorted. Was he for real?

“Yeah, I might believe that if I hadn’t been shot, kidnapped, and locked in a cell.”

“It was an unfortunate necessity,” he murmured, trying to sound sincere. “But now that you’re here, I can promise that you won’t be harmed.”

She pressed her back against the steel wall, trying to ease the shivers that raced through her. Until she managed to regain control of her muscles, it would be impossible to shift.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice raw.

He held out a hand. “Dr. Frank Talbot, Head of Research for the SAU.”

She ignored his pretense of civility. They both knew she wasn’t a welcomed guest.

“You brought me here to become a specimen for your research,” she accused.

He shook his head. “No. Our interest isn’t in you as a specimen.”

His words were smooth, but she sensed he was lying.

Or at least, not telling her the full truth.

“Then what is your interest?” she demanded.

“Your father.”

Cora’s fuzzy brain struggled to understand. If they wanted her father, then why didn’t they just kidnap him? Why go to the trouble of taking her hostage?

Then, slowly, she managed to shake off the last of the fog that was making it so difficult to think clearly. Obviously, they hoped to control Jonah Wilder by threatening to kill his only daughter.

God almighty.

They had no idea what they were doing.

Her father would be...devastated. But more than that, he would go ballistic.

It terrified her to think what he might do to try and rescue her.

Lost in her dark thoughts, she barely noticed the doctor, who was opening a black bag and rummaging through it. In fact, it wasn’t until he reached under the blanket to grab her arm that she abruptly remembered she was in danger.

Stiffening in outrage, she watched as he turned her arm over and brushed his thumb over her skin.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to make sure the drug is fully out of your system.”

“I’m fine,” she snapped.

He held up a small vial that had a needle on the end. “This won’t hurt.”

She yanked her hand free. “No.”

He pressed his lips together in annoyance. “I just need a small sample.”