Tainted Hearts (30 page)

“Her real name
is
Mary, Mary Dayle.
Lazarus is her brother.” He moved away from the bodies and closer
to Laura, who was now propped against the wall with her hands
securely restrained. “When did Nate meet Lazarus?”

“The people you shatter have a way of
finding each other,” Laura sneered.

“Then, Lazarus is involved?” Raeanne asked.
“I thought the scripture sent you off in the wrong direction.”

Laura’s hostile gaze snapped back to Marc.
“You thought Job was Lazarus? Oh, he’d be so disappointed. You’ve
completely missed the imagery.”

“Well, why don’t you explain it to us so he
can rest in peace?” Sarcasm dripped from Raeanne’s words.

“Nate never equated himself with Lazarus.
Nate was Jesus, the divine savior of the PUREified world.”

“Charming.” Tuesday shivered.

“Then what name is Lazarus using now?”
Raeanne asked impatiently. “Is he still at the stronghold?”

Glaring right into Raeanne’s eyes, Laura
concluded, “Lazarus changed his name to David. Now he dispenses
discipline at Job’s command.”

“Or he did, until Rahab cracked open his
skull and cut off his thumb so we could escape that godforsaken
stronghold,” Tuesday reminded.

Laura looked as if she’d say something
hateful, but Raeanne didn’t give her the chance. “I don’t care what
names they used. They got what they deserved, and so will you. I’m
going to see to it personally.”

Marc took Tuesday by the hand and led her
back outside. “I think Rahab has the situation under control.”

“And I’ve had enough biblical imagery to
last a lifetime.” Tuesday shuddered then melted into his arms. “Is
it finally over?”

“It’s over,” he assured. “The future belongs
to you and me.”

“And Elise.” She looked up at him and
smiled.

“And Elise.” He framed her face with his
hands and kissed her with all the tenderness flooding his
heart.

“So, are you relieved it’s all over or are
you going to miss the excitement?” Vonne asked, her smile almost
maternal.

Tuesday relaxed in the chair and wrapped
both hands around her coffee mug. She’d needed time off to let her
wrist heal and regain her emotional equilibrium, but it felt good
to be back at CPT. Vonne’s office was comfortingly familiar.
Tuesday had spent endless hours here, explaining her newest designs
or just chatting.

“It’s been two weeks but I still get a sick
feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I check my messages,”
Tuesday began. “Laura sang like a bird once she realized there was
no easy way out. She explained the details of all their plans,
listed names, real and PUREified. Marc was horrified when he found
out how many of his trusted colleagues Job’s recruiters had led
astray.”

Vonne refilled Tuesday’s mug as she asked,
“Why did they hijack the shuttle? Once you guys realized they had
contaminated the cocktail that should have been the end of it.”

“The shuttle was bait. They knew Marc would
play hero. He can’t help himself. That poor pilot was an ancient
gauntlet, an affront Marc couldn’t ignore.”

Vonne shuddered. “But why the
murder/suicide? Wouldn’t they have had a better chance of killing
Marc if all three of them were shooting?”

Tuesday offered an elaborate shrug. “Now
you’re asking me to defend their stupidity. Raeanne has detailed
every flaw in PURE’s strategies, and believe me, there were many.
They were zealots, not tacticians. Sacrificing two lives to take
out their enemy meant nothing to them. The important thing is this
misadventure gave General Bettencourt the justification he needed
to dismantle the PURE stronghold. All their secrets are exposed,
their leaders are either dead or incarcerated—it’s over.”

“Speaking of their enemy…” Vonne segued
cheerfully. “How is Mr. Sinclair these days?”

Tingling warmth pervaded Tuesday’s abdomen
and she smiled. “Mr. Sinclair is a very busy man. Destroying the
contaminated cocktail played havoc with his delivery schedules for
a while. But thanks to his lightning-fast reactions, all the
shuttles were intercepted, and not one tablet of tainted product
reached the public.”

“That’s not what I was asking and you know
it.”

“Our relationship is…complicated.”

Folding her arms on top of her desk, Vonne
leaned toward Tuesday. “So uncomplicate it. If you let this one
slip away, you’re certifiable.”

“Thanks for the advice, boss. I’ll give it
due consideration.”

“You’d better,” Vonne called as Tuesday
stood and slipped out the office door.

Complicated. That didn’t begin to describe
her feelings for Marc. She loved him so much it scared her to
death. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. But logistics were a
problem. Marc had a housekeeper who didn’t mind watching Elise, now
that the girl’s health had stabilized, but Marc preferred to be at
home.

She couldn’t blame him. Her apartment was a
dump. But she had always spent more time in her lab than in her
apartment, so finding more spacious accommodations had never
occurred to her.

A large hand covered her mouth and an arm
wrapped around her waist, trapping her arms to her sides.

“Don’t move or I’ll make you scream,” Marc
whispered into her ear. “No, wait, that’s don’t scream or I’ll make
you move.” He turned her around and pressed her against the wall,
framing her body with his arms. “See, I was never any good at this
kidnapping stuff.”

She traced his smile with her fingertip and
basked in the warmth of his eyes. “Fortunately, you make up for the
lapse in other areas.”

“Can you sneak away for an hour or two?”

“What did you have in mind?”

He shook his head, eyes sparkling. “It was a
yes or no question.”

“With you, the answer’s always yes.”

His arms closed around her, pressing her
body against him, while his mouth settled over hers. Tuesday opened
for him, ready for his kiss, his taste, his touch. Always ready for
him.

“Let’s go.”

He whispered the words against her parted
lips, his warmth making her tingle.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

Despite her best attempts to cajole more
information out of him, Marc refused to say a word regarding their
destination. He’d said an hour or two, so they couldn’t be going
too far.

He slowed the shuttle and floated to a
smooth landing on the drive circling the front of a stately
mansion. Tuesday stared at the massive structure with a mixture of
wonder and dread. This couldn’t be…was this his house?

Three stories high, with charming dormer
windows, the red brick mansion was trimmed in white. Tall, leafy
trees created a secluded feeling, though Tuesday had seen numerous
other homes from the air. Rose bushes lined the wide gallery, which
appeared to wrap around the entire building.

“Shall we go inside or would you just like
to stare?”

“Is this really where you live?”

“Not lately, which is what I want to talk
about.” He took her by the hand and led her up the sweeping stone
steps to the arched double doors.

The interior of the mansion was no less
impressive. Every room had a distinct personality. Tuesday was
surprised by the functionality of the floor plan, though the sheer
scope of the house overwhelmed her.

“Mrs. Manchester is my only live-in
domestic, but I assure you she keeps everything running smoothly.
You could make whatever changes you wanted or not bother yourself
with anything—”

“Are you asking me to move in with you?”

He caught her hands and pulled them to his
mouth, pressing a warm kiss against her knuckles. “I hate being
apart from you, but…”

“You hate my apartment?” She laughed.

“I was going to say I hate being apart from
my daughter, but the apartment has got to go! Why do you live like
that?”

“I hate moving more than I hate the
apartment, I guess. Besides, I used to spend so little time there
it didn’t bother me.”

“I want to show you something.”

Lacing her fingers through his, she hurried
to keep up with his excited strides. “No need to hurry, big boy. I
can take the afternoon off.”

He laughed, gently squeezing her fingers. He
led her to a set of beautifully carved French doors. “The view is a
little different here than at my mountain lodge, but I think you’ll
like this, too.” He opened the door just a crack and motioned her
near.

Tuesday stepped in front of him and peered
out through the small opening. Drenched in afternoon sunlight, a
wide, rustic deck extended off the back of the house. A padded
lounger had been set up near the railing and Elise sat in the
chair, a book open across her lap. Eyes closed in contentment, she
tilted her face to the sun, greedily absorbing its warmth.

“She’d sleep out there if we’d let her. She
loves feeling the wind against her skin.”

“Can you blame her? She spent the first
eight years of her life in a hospital bed.” Tuesday glanced at him,
hesitating over her next question. “Does she ask about Laura? What
did you decide to tell her?”

He closed the door and she turned to face
him.

“I avoided her questions for as long as I
could. I tried to tell her the truth—I know she’ll find out in
time. But right now, I want her to enjoy being a little girl. She’s
never had that. Never.”

“I understand.”

“So, I pulled some strings and had Laura
make a recording. It seems she’s living in a nice home somewhere in
Europe. She explained how she hated to leave Elise, but there was
another little girl who needed her desperately, so she had to go.
They’ll correspond until I think Elise is ready to hear the
truth.”

“Don’t wait too long,” Tuesday cautioned
him. “Nothing good ever comes from deception. Does she know about
us?”

He shook his head. “It will be pretty hard
to hide once you…move in?” He paused. “Or marry me?”

“Yes.” She grinned.

He laughed. “To which one? That wasn’t a yes
or no question.”

“Either, or both. I told you. The answer is
always yes.” She pulled open the door and walked out onto the deck.
Elise looked up. Her wide brown eyes blinked and then narrowed.

“Ms. Fitzpatrick? What are you doing
here?”

Marc slipped his arm around Tuesday’s waist.
“We were just talking about that. Weren’t we, Tuesday?”

“Yes, we were. Do you mind if we join
you?”

“Is something wrong with my heart?” Elise
asked.

Marc chuckled and leaned down to kiss his
daughter’s brow. “No, sweetheart, Tuesday isn’t here because of
you. She’s here because of me.”

“Is something wrong with your heart,
Daddy?”

He shifted his loving gaze from Tuesday to
Elise and back. “Not anymore, baby. Not anymore!”

Don’t miss Cyndi’s Best-Selling

Sci-Fi Romance series:

Shadow Assassins, Book One

Royal Obsession

Cyndi
Friberg

FREE download at many retailers!

Radical separatists, created at the onset of
the Great Conflict, have been made obsolete by years of peace. They
live in their subterranean Shadow Maze and only emerge when it’s
time to breed. For Varrik, that time is now.

Varrik, current leader of the Shadow
Assassins, knows his people are on the verge of extinction. If they
cannot adapt, they will die. Yet if his son were a direct
descendant of the High Queen it would secure a place for future
generations. Protecting his people is his first priority, so Varrik
assembles a hunting party and kidnaps the royal twins. He is
determined to claim the eldest for his own.

Echo, the younger princess, knows her
pampered sister will never survive the sexual appetites of their
virile captor. Echo doesn’t understand the powerful attraction she
feels for Varrik, but drawing his attention is a far better choice
than allowing him to overwhelm her twin. She doesn’t expect to find
him fascinating or to crave the demanding passion he ignites. Can a
dominating warrior and his willing captive bring light to the
Shadow Maze?

Royal
Obsession

ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED.

Copyright © 201
3
Cyndi Friberg.

“Only you can stop this madness. You must
speak with the elders.”

Varrik closed his eyes as the plaintive
words echoed through his mind. Ripples of discontent had been
disrupting the Shadow Maze longer than he could remember. After
developing useless feelings for his female, Varrik’s brother,
Sekall, had planted seeds of doubt and whispered clever lies.
Sekall’s treachery still germinated a decade after his
execution.

“I am not my brother.” Varrik opened his
eyes and glared at his misguided friend. “Unlike Sekall, I hold
true to the Customs.”

“Customs that were obsolete before we were
born.” Bemzire wrapped his arm around a woman’s shoulders and drew
her close against his side. Varrik didn’t know her name, didn’t
allow himself to wonder. Females had only one purpose in the life
of a Shadow Assassin and this woman had fulfilled hers. He glanced
at the baby sleeping in her arms, ignoring the tightening in his
chest. Soon it would be his turn to breed.

“You have a strong, healthy son.” Varrik
dragged his gaze away from the infant and focused on Bemzire. “Let
that be enough.”

“Enough for what? We are expected to remain
in this prison, allowing others to dictate what gives meaning to
our lives.” Bemzire stroked his son’s tiny face. Tension hardened
his tone, yet his gaze remained tender. “With or without the
elders’ consent, we’re leaving the Shadow Maze tonight.”

“They will find you and kill you. You know
the law.”

Bemzire stepped closer, challenge flashing
in his eyes. “I know it’s forbidden, but can you tell me why?”