Absolute Zero (27 page)

“I was their property at one time.”

“What’d they do? Scan you when you went into each room or something?”

“Wireless monitoring devices. They knew where I was at all times. Like a dog, they could click their buttons and summon me.”

“Oh, Nate. That’s horrible.”

I rested my palm on the marks. His heart crashed against his chest.

“I don’t heal like you, so when I took them out, it left its scars.” He smiled. “No one, besides Tim and Martin, have seen this.”

I leaned forward and brushed my lips against the black lines and worked my way to his neck, then his jaw, then his lips. “I’m glad you let me see. I think you’re beautiful,” I whispered into his mouth.

His kiss intensified until he had me dizzy. Gentle hands worked my tank top up slightly, and he leaned back. “Okay?”

I raised my arms and sat up as I nodded. He guided my shirt over my head, and I rested on my back again, reaching for him. He snatched my hand and pressed it against the pillow. Slowly his gaze roamed over my body.

Heat surged through me as I lay before him in only my red bra. His fingertips grazed along my wrist, my arm and to my shoulder. “Soft,” he whispered.

It was like he was absorbing everything he touched and saw. Committing it to memory. Resting back I gave him free rein, bathing in his attention. I’d never felt so treasured.

He leaned into me, dropping one of his massive thighs between my legs. A zip of energy pulsed through me, and I drew in a sharp breath at the pleasure of it.

“Feel good?” he asked, still tracing his fingers along my skin, toward my neck.

“Yes,” I whispered.

He pressed his palm against my chest while his fingers caressed my throat, and he closed his eyes. “Your heart pounds. I love that feeling.”

“You’re getting me worked up.” I couldn’t help but smile.

“I am?” Wonder-filled eyes looked down at me. “I enjoy touching you.”

“You’ve never even touched a girl?” I cupped the side of his face, and he closed his eyes briefly.

“Not like this.” He leaned into me more. “Read about…it.”

I traced his smooth skin over his shoulder. He’d probably not been touched either. I gripped his waist, and he let out a long sigh. I wasn’t even closed to experienced, but learning with Nate…that sounded like fun.

He pressed a kiss to my lips, then my cheek and neck as his hand slid further down. He’d not ever done this, but he must have read something good to be so slick, because he
seemed
to know what he was doing.

So gentle and tender.

His hand cupped my breast, and we both took in a sharp breath. I arched into his touch and tugged him in for a kiss. It wasn’t so tender this time, but that was okay with me.

Soon he inched down and kissed my chin, then nuzzled his face to my neck. Nips and playful sucks had me squirming beneath his touch.

“Nate,” I gasped.

He groaned against my skin. “You’re so responsive.” Hot breath danced along my neck. “Amazing. You’re amazing.”

His voice was filled with so much awe I couldn’t help but smile. He shifted between my legs, and that had me gasping again. I only wore pajama shorts and him only pajama pants so I felt every hard plane of his body.

My abdomen tingled as heat shot straight through it.

Kissing a trail from my neck to my chest stoked the fire even hotter, and I couldn’t help moving against him, needing more pressure. More of his touch.

Nate propped his elbow into the bed right beside my head, but his other hand trailed down. “Trust me?” He nipped at my bottom lip. “Mandy?”

I clung to him like the buoy he was and nodded.

His hand curved around my butt, then gripped the back of my thigh. Oh the electricity that ignited…

He pulled my leg up a little and shifted against me until I nearly leapt out of the bed. His kiss swallowed my cry as he picked up the pace. Heat and energy erupted in my chest, my abdomen…and lower.

I grabbed his shoulders as I arched into him. I closed my eyes, but bursts of white lights lined the corners of darkness. My lungs felt two sizes too small, but I just held on for dear life to the one person I trusted with my life.

And now, with my heart.

Chapter 35

G
eorgia’s scream shattered my utter sense of peace. With the speed of only a non-human, Nate jumped off me. He grabbed his shirt, and as he threaded his head through he stepped toward the door.

“Go fast. I’m coming.”

In a blur, he disappeared. With my normal, human speed, I threw on my clothes then followed, sprinting down the hall to the stairwell door in my bare feet. Not the smartest thing to do, but I had to hurry. Georgia was in trouble.

My bare feet made no noise on the cold, steel steps as I stormed down a floor.

I gripped the frigid metal railing as I skipped two steps at a time down that last flight. I yanked the door open and dashed toward our apartment.

Nate stood outside the door. “Everything’s okay.”

My heart still crashed against my chest as I darted into the apartment. “Georgia!”

“Here,” she said from her room.

I burst in and found her sitting on the floor, back sagging against the wall next to her chair. Black streaks of mascara-stained tears cut down her pale cheeks. Tim sat on his knees in front of her.

Wait. Was she smiling?

Were those tears of joy?

I looked at her hand, and in it, she held a brown leather covered book.

“I found Mom’s book.”

I sagged to my knees before her, mostly because I was crashing hard after the adrenaline rush she’d caused me but also at the realization of what my sister held in her hands.

Mom’s book.

“I remember Andrey crashing into the chair,” I half whispered, reliving the scene in my mind.

“It was hidden in the seat. I saw stuffing hanging out, and I was tucking it back in when I felt something.” Georgia brushed her red bangs off her forehead. “I dug a little further and there it was.”

“Come on,” Nate said from beside me. “Let’s go into the kitchen and check this famed book out.”

Within a minute or two I was sitting in a chair beside our tiny kitchen table. A Georgia-sized indentation in the wall made me shudder.
Damn Andrey.

Georgia pulled her chair next to mine as Tim, Nate and Martin gathered in behind us. Georgia set the book down on the table and snagged my attention. “Should we have Scott come here and look with us?”

“Probably, but I can’t wait that long. And plus, they’re still at risk until we dump those trackers.” I glanced at Nate.

He nodded.

Georgia cracked the book open. The first page had Mom’s handwriting.

Dear Georgia. This, with the disc, will help you understand everything.”

Much love, Mom.

My breath left me, and my mouth went arid.

Georgia turned the page.

I felt the babies kick again today. Feels like they’re playing soccer with each other. Josh has kept us safe yet again, moving us to Trifle, AZ. He is my rock. Only two more months until our children are born. The Center will stop at nothing to get their hands on me and the babies. They don’t know I have twins, and we have decided to keep it that way.

I met a fantastic young couple, Lois and Gary. They want to adopt and seem like the perfect fit for one of my babies. They’ve grown up in Trifle, and I know they will provide a stable home for one of my children.

I’ve decided to keep a log of everything. Since I’m starting at my seventh month of pregnancy, these first few entries will be a recap.

I, Sarah H. Hillman, took part in an experiment offered by Zatech. My husband, Josh Hillman, worked there as an environmental scientist. He’d been there for several years working on state of the art and progressive ways to produce green energy. A new and upcoming strategy to combat use of fossil fuels.

It was an FDA approved experiment. Gone through the trials required before human testing was involved--supposedly. Josh looked over the specs and had been involved with everything to date. Confident in the outcome and on the verge of a spectacular success in finding clean fuel, we began testing.

First, we went through a physical to determine the baseline. Josh has enclosed the data from that round of testing, along with everything else he could find before we had to flee, in the back of this book. Then we began. Think of it as allergy shots. The subjects received the shots to supposedly test for allergies to the emission of the proposed fuels.

Anyway, several weeks of testing later, the scientists determined the experiment results insignificant. Josh read the results and confirmed the conclusion. The company shut down the division, and he transferred to the chemical engineering division.

A few years later, like I said in the video, I started exhibiting certain powers. Please refer to the video for the details. This book is mainly to name names. Site locations and activities and actions taken by The Center against us.

“So, those allergy shots were what changed her.”

“Yes. I’ve seen what they injected the subjects with, but I want to have a look at what she put in the book, too,” Nate said. “May I see it? And what does she mean by video?”

Georgia handed him the book, but something slid out from the back as she did. “Oh hey, what’s that?”

I grabbed it and flipped it over. An envelope addressed to Georgia. I handed it to her. She slid her finger beneath the lid and inside was a letter.

July 31st

Dear Georgia,

I’m sorry I had to leave. I had promised Sarah that I would give you whatever she sent to me after you graduated, when I told you of your adoption, but this is too scary for anyone to have. I should burn it, but my instincts tell me not to, so I hid it and ran. Your dad knows nothing of this. Sarah made this arrangement with me alone, and when I got the CD and book, I said nothing.

Let them chase me, instead of you. I’m not sure what Sarah was into, but you do not deserve to be any part of it. I’ve lived a full life. God chose me to adopt you. He brought you into our lives for some reason, but I will not allow any harm to come to you because of something Sarah was involved with.

I know I’m not your true mother, but I love you with all my heart, Georgia Kelsey. I hope you can forgive me for not telling you about your adoption earlier. I always wanted to, but when I give my word to someone, I follow through. And I promised Sarah I would keep your first name, Georgia, and I would give you what she sent me.

I will contact you and tell you everything. If you’re reading this and haven’t heard from me, I fear the worst. But know this. I love you and if I can, and when it’s safe, I will find you.

Love,

Mom.

“Oh my gosh,” Georgia said. She sagged against her chair.

“Lots of blank pages, but here in the middle, there’s a list of names and at the back I see some testing results.” Nate creased the page open and handed me the book.

I scanned the list and nothing popped out to me except the last name Landry.

“Georgia. This name here is Dr. B Landry. That’s Zach’s last name.”

“What?” She grabbed the book from me. “Zach’s mom’s first name is Elizabeth, I think.”

“Beth is short for Elizabeth,” Tim said.

“Zach’s mom?”

Georgia scanned the list. “I don’t know any of these names. Why would this make Lois run?”

“Lois is your adoptive mother?” Tim asked. He stood behind Georgia, hands rested on her shoulder.

She nodded. “We
really
need to find her.”

“I think you’re right. But Jess hasn’t had any hits on her since Minnesota, has he?”

“No. But he’s been messing with Samantha stuff. Maybe we can pull him off that to focus on Lois and these names?”

“Worth a shot. We should get back to the house, huh?” I looked at Nate. “What about the tracers?”

“I think it’s our best bet to lure this Andrey guy to us if we keep these. He found you here, so he’s been watching you for who knows how long.”

“Nate, how can we help?” Martin said.

“I’m in, too.” Tim nodded.

Both looked to Nate, waiting for instruction. Such a young person, but Nate had years of experience on us all. It was then that I noticed just how old his eyes were. Normally I was lost in the flicker of the amber against the deep, chocolate brown color, but from this angle, he looked wise, years beyond his young, wrinkle-free, face.

“I think getting this Andrey and finding Georgia’s adoptive mother should be top priority. We have two humans to watch over as well. Zach Landry and Scott Smith, or Hillman as he’s truly known.”

“Where are they?”

“Jasmine has them at her safe house, but it’s been compromised with Mandy’s tracking devices. It’s out of the city, so we could see things coming if we set the trap for Andrey there.” Nate looked at me. “What do you think, Mandy?”

“I agree. Georgia?”

She nodded.

“Okay, gang, let’s go get our stuff. Meet here in ten.” Nate stood and nodded toward Tim and Martin. “Hustle.”

Tim bent and kissed Georgia’s cheek, then led Martin out of the kitchen. “Mandy, you two gather a few things, stay here, and stay alert. We’ll be back in ten.” I nodded and reached out for his hand. He grabbed my fingers and gave them a quick squeeze, then bolted out the door in a blur.

God I loved having him around. Georgia stared at the letter her adoptive mother wrote.

“You think Lois is okay?”

“I hope so. She evaded Scott and Jasmine in Minnesota. She must know what she’s doing a little bit.”

“But how would she, Mandy? She’s been living in small town, Trifle, all her life. How would she know anything about staying alive with Agents after her?”

“No idea, but it’s amazing what parents can keep from their kids, though, right? I had no clue about our Mom.”

“True.” Georgia looked at me. “You chose Nate over Zach, didn’t you?”