*Julie-Eight hurt all over by the time they let her out of the giant crate. Momma waited outside the van. She peered up at her mother, but she didn’t look happy to see her.
“Look what Juliet did.” She tsked as she looked Julie-Eight over. “No one would believe you were ever perfect. Not anymore. You’re ruined. Like a piece of garbage.”
Angry tears welled in Julie-Eight’s eyes as she clenched her fists. “Other kids don’t have to be perfect, Momma.”
She snatched Julie-Eight’s arm in a tight grip and yanked her in close to her face, her bitter breath puffing on Julie-Eight’s cheek. “That’s because they’re sick and weak. Now you’re nothing. A waste of time, that’s what you are.”
Julie-Eight tugged, trying to break free from her mother’s tight grip. “They aren’t garbage. They’re happy!”
“Is that so?” Her mother shoved her backward as she let go. “You’ve only been gone a few days and you’ve already ruined yourself. You’re too selfish to understand. You could have changed the world.”
An unwanted tear rolled down Julie-Eight’s cheek. “I never wanted to change the world. I just wanted to be a kid, like everyone else.”
The sting of the smack to her cheek shocked her. Her mother grabbed her arm again and dragged her through the back door into the kitchen. Julie-Eight’s face burned, and she touched the corner of her mouth. She stared at her fingertips. Blood.
“You’ve needed that for years.” Her mother tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
Julie-Eight started to reply but thought better of it. Nothing she said was going to get her out of this house. It would only make her mother angrier. Instead, she spun around and ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She slammed the door and threw herself onto the bed, screaming into her pillow.
Heavy footsteps creaked on the staircase. Two sets. Out of habit, she sat up and wiped her face, wincing as her salty tears stung the new cut on her lip. The bedroom door opened with so much force the knob dented the drywall.
Her mother stormed into the center of the room, nostrils flaring. “How dare you walk away from me!”
Fear swelled, overpowering Julie-Eight’s anger. She pulled her knees up to her chest, hoping to hide her newly blemished mouth. “Sorry, Momma.”
Her father hovered behind, face stern and eyes narrowed. “All this work for nothing. Look at your damned knees. Scrapes. You’re worthless.”
A tear rolled down Julie-Eight’s cheek.
Her mother struck like a cobra, snatching Julie-Eight’s upper arm and yanking her off the bed so fast that she gasped for air. Momma slammed Julie-Eight against the wall. “If anyone should be shedding tears, it’s me and your father. You have no idea how much we’ve sacrificed, you ungrateful piece of shit.”
Julie-Eight blinked hard, struggling to keep from crying. Her heart raced. Usually when Momma got really mad, her father would step in and remind her not to leave a mark.
Not this time. He shook his head and turned away. “Not too rough, Martha. We need her alive. She’s our leverage to get Juliet back.”
His footsteps creaked on the stairs, and Julie-Eight’s heart sank. Survival instinct kicked in. She struggled to pry her mother’s fingers off her shoulders. “Let me go. Please, Momma. You’re hurting me.”
“Just like you hurt me.” She jerked Julie-Eight away from the wall and dragged her down the stairs to the closet outside the kitchen.
The closet without a light inside.
“No!” Julie-Eight screeched, yanking backward, but her mother was too strong. “Please! I promise I’ll be good!”
Momma threw her in. Julie-Eight hit the back wall and fell to her knees.
“You were so beautiful and perfect.” She shook her head, speaking as she closed the door. “They polluted you. I could have kept you safe.”
The lock clicked, and Julie-Eight screamed, banging her fists on the door as the darkness suffocated her.
*
Bill opened Skype while Juliet pulled a chair over to sit beside him. One more click and Zack’s and Todd’s faces filled the screen.
“Holy shit, Todd. What happened?” His friend’s right eye was swollen shut, and the corner of his mouth was cut as if he’d just gone a couple rounds with a prizefighter.
Juliet sat by Bill and gasped. “They attacked you? Was it someone from Genesis?”
Todd shrugged. “I’m not sure who they were, but you should’ve seen the other guys.” He sobered. “They got Julie. I’m sorry. Cindy and I tried to stop them.”
Bill rested his hand on Juliet’s leg, grateful when she laid hers on top. He needed her to stay strong and believe in him. Somehow, he was going to find a way out of this mess. He had to. He couldn’t just hand her back to them like a lamb to slaughter. No way.
“I got an email from them. They want to trade Juliet for her sister. We need to be there by eleven o’clock tomorrow morning.”
Zack leaned in closer. “It’s a trap.”
“Yeah.” Bill nodded. “And there’s not much time to come up with a better plan.”
“Before you start planning, things are more complicated than we realized.” Todd held up a sparkly earring with a quarter-sized pearl inlay.
Bill frowned. “What’s that?”
Todd twisted it in the light. “When Cindy and I came to, we tore through her place looking for any clues to figure out who those guys were, and we found this.”
“An earring?”
“It’s a clip-on.” Todd met his eyes. “Cindy said her grandmother is the only person she knows who wears them.”
Bill glanced at Juliet and back to the screen. “I’m not following.”
Todd held the earring closer to the webcam. “Her grandmother was there at the abduction.”
Bill sat back in his chair, his mind spinning. “Her grandmother knows about Genesis? How is that possible?”
The color drained from Juliet’s face. “My sister said Cindy’s grandmother was asking her lots of questions. I thought her imagination was running away with her, but…what if she was right? Maybe she said the wrong thing and Cindy’s grandmother called my parents.”
The web kept widening. He’d thought Genesis was the Huffs, but then his parents were mixed up with it, and now Cindy’s grandmother, too? How many people in Moonlight Cove were connected to the Genesis Foundation?
Juliet straightened, leaning closer to the computer screen. “Julie also told me she saw pictures of Cindy and her sister, and they were like us. Identical.” She shook her head, a tear slipping free. “She was so angry that Vanessa didn’t need to stay perfect like us. I told her she was wrong. But…what if she was right?”
“Whoa.” Zack moved in front of the camera. “So Cindy’s grandmother might be working with Genesis?”
“She’s rich.” Bill’s mouth went dry. “She could be funding them.”
Zack rolled his chair to the side, his fingers flying on the other keyboard while he spoke. “Let me check my reports for her name.”
Todd looked over at him. “She has a nonprofit that gives away grants. I think it’s called the Sutter Syndicate or something like that.”
Juliet rubbed her forehead. “Where’s Cindy? Is she okay?”
“Not really.” Todd sighed. “Physically, she’s fine. They injected her with a sedative, so she didn’t get roughed up like I did. But when she found her grandmother’s earring on the carpet…” He shook his head. “She’s shaken up.”
“Where is she now?” Bill asked.
Juliet reached for the hotel notepad and a pen and started writing.
“Cindy’s at her place.” Todd cracked his neck. “Her grandmother is supposed to bring Vanessa home tonight, and if her grandmother really is involved somehow, Cindy doesn’t want her to know we suspect her.”
“Good plan.” Bill leaned in closer. “What are we going to do?”
Zack looked up from his screen. “Right now, the options seem to be that Juliet either goes home or she doesn’t.”
Bill pulled his hair back from his forehead. “Both those scenarios end with someone dead. We need another option.”
“What about the journal?” Todd asked.
Bill glanced at Juliet. “That research and the money trail are the only hopes of getting Genesis to leave you alone.”
Juliet stopped writing and looked up. “What if I go back and tell them Billy won’t turn over the journal until they deliver my sister to him. That could buy Zack some time to see if he can find evidence of a connection between the Sutter nonprofit and Genesis.”
Oh, he hated this plan already. Choking back the dread, he forced his voice to stay even. “You’re saying we do exactly what your parents asked and trade you for your sister? I’m not leaving you there, Juliet. We’ll find another way.”
She squeezed his hand. “Once you have Julie, you can demand a ransom for the journal or you’ll give it to the media. I can tell them you want me to deliver the money. They won’t want me to be the one to meet you for the exchange, but they won’t have much choice…”
Bill turned the idea over in his head. “How do we know they won’t have a sharpshooter nearby to kill us both? I’m a threat now, too. I know too much.”
The memory of his mother’s dead eyes taunted him, the tiny hole in her forehead. One minute she’d been talking, the next, gone.
“Wait a second.” Todd leaned back in his chair. “If Claudette Sutter is really funding these scientists, maybe Cindy can help.”
Bill’s shoulders ached. When he used to wish he was grown up, he never dreamed the stakes would be so high. He stared at Todd. “How?”
“Cindy comes with us to pick up the ransom. If we grab Juliet and run, that sharpshooter wouldn’t risk a shot if Claudette’s granddaughter could become a casualty—not if she’s funding them.”
Juliet frowned. “Haven’t we put Cindy in enough danger already?”
“She feels horrible that they took Julie, and if her grandmother is involved, too, it’d be tough to keep her away from all this.”
Bill crossed his arms. “Be sure she knows what these people did to my mom. I don’t want her to agree without understanding what she’s getting into.”
“You seriously think I want to put her in this position?” Todd raised the brow over his good eye. “Fuck you, Bill.”
“Sorry.” Bill shook his head. “I just don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”
Zack filled the screen again. “I’ll keep looking for a connection with the Sutter Syndicate. There were definitely some large donations from nonprofits.”
Todd rubbed the top of his head. “How did Cindy’s grandmother get mixed up with scientists bent on cloning human beings in the first place?”
“I’m not sure.” Bill shrugged. “My parents got involved after David died. My mom said the research was a way to make sure families in the future didn’t go through the pain of losing a child. Maybe Mrs. Sutter lost someone, too.”
Todd froze for a second, then straightened up. “Juliet, your sister told you that Cindy and Vanessa were like you?”
Juliet nodded, and Todd cursed under his breath. “Cindy had cancer when she was twelve. She needed a bone marrow donor, but her parents and grandmother weren’t a match. Cindy’s mom couldn’t have any more kids, but Cindy’s grandma found a surrogate. Vanessa was born via surrogate, paid for by Cindy’s grandmother. She turned out to be a perfect match.”
Bill’s heart raced. “Oh shit. Claudette had Genesis clone Cindy’s DNA.”
“It’s definitely a possibility.” Todd looked over at Zack and back to the screen. “Maybe she’s funding them out of gratitude or to keep them quiet about Vanessa. Either way, she’s got to be mixed up in all this.”
Bill blew out a pent-up breath. “Okay, since she’s involved, and her love for Cindy was what got her tangled up in this mess, having Cindy with us at the exchange might work.”
Zack stopped typing. “If I can get proof that the Sutter Syndicate is tied to Genesis, we’ll have the upper hand.”
Juliet set her pen down. “But if you don’t have it by eleven o’clock tomorrow morning, I’m going back. When my parents release Julie, I’ll tell them Billy has my father’s journal and if they want it back, they’ll have need to pay fifty thousand dollars, and I have to deliver the money or he’ll give the journal to the media and the government.”
Bill was not a fan of this plan, but at the moment, he couldn’t come up with anything better.
Zack turned back to his keyboard, calling over his shoulder. “If the money trail exists, I’ll find it.”
“I’ll talk to Cindy and be sure she’s ready, too,” Todd said.
Maybe this would work. Or it could all be wishful thinking. He shook his head. “Thanks, guys. I owe you big-time. We’ll check in with you early in the morning.”
Bill ended the Skype call and closed the laptop. He looked at to Juliet. “Talk to me. Do you really think this will work?”
She shrugged, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “I have no idea.”
He took her hand. “I wish I could call the police, but they’ll take you back even sooner.”
“I know.” She slid her hand free to dry her other eye.
Silence settled between them. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television, eager for a distraction. He watched the clock. It was almost midnight, almost Juliet’s birthday, and he’d be damned if it passed without notice.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t answer the door for anyone.” He held up the plastic card. “I have my key right here.”
“Okay.” She paused and added, “Where are you going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
He slipped out and went to the lobby. He couldn’t risk leaving Juliet at the hotel alone so he’d have to improvise. Luckily, the guy at the desk was willing to help. With two warm chocolate cookies in hand, Bill stopped at the soda machine. He opted for two Sprites and headed back up to the room.
He opened the door and stepped inside. “Happy birthday, Juliet.”
She got up and came over with a soft smile on her lips. “It’s after midnight. I guess I’m officially eighteen.”
He handed her a cookie and set the sodas down. “They didn’t have any cake. I figured a cookie was better than nothing.”
She took a bite and hummed. “Thank you. This is good.”
He popped the cans of soda open and held his up. “We should toast.”
She looked confused for a second. “Like champagne at New Year’s?”
“Or Sprite on your birthday.” He glanced at her can and back up. “So?”
She lifted her can, and he tapped his to hers. “Here’s to many more birthdays.”
Her smile faltered a little, but she sipped the soda.
He turned off the television and she got up, walking to the window as she finished her cookie. “I’m afraid to go back.”
He crossed to her, sliding his arms around her waist from behind. “I wish there were another way.”
“Maybe Zack will find the evidence we need.” She rested her head back against his chest. “Once she’s free, don’t let Julie stay at Cindy’s house again. If her grandmother is involved with Genesis, I don’t want her to be captured again.”
“I won’t.” Christ, he didn’t want to talk about any of this. It just meant Juliet would be locked up in that house again. “I’ll keep her with me until we get you back. I’ll get another hotel. She’ll be safe.”
Turning around, she stared up at him. “Thank you.”
She rose on her toes and kissed him. Her tongue brushed his lips tentatively, and he opened to her, moaning as he tightened his embrace. All his fear, anger, and hope poured into this one moment. He walked her back to the bed, laying her down without breaking the kiss.
Her hands slid under his shirt, exploring his back. Gradually, she pulled back. Breathless, her gaze locked on his. “Make love to me.”
Blood was already pumping below his belt, and under normal circumstances, he’d think the universe was smiling on him. But he hesitated to reach for the condom in his wallet. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek. He started to speak, and she pressed her fingertip over his lips to silence him.
“Please don’t try to talk me out of this,” she whispered. “I’ve read about it in books. This may be my only chance…”
Her words hung between them. She didn’t need to finish the thought. They both understood.
“We’re going to get out of there.” He brushed his lips to her forehead. “You’re going to have plenty of chances.” He couldn’t believe the words falling from his lips. He wanted to shake himself. His erection pulsed between them, aching for release, but he still didn’t make a move for the condom. “We don’t have to rush anything.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, hiding a smile. “From what I’ve read, guys like to rush in this particular area.”
He didn’t know what she’d been reading, but he loved that she never stopped surprising him. He chuckled, whispering against her lips, “I’ve done my fair share of rushing at college, but I’d like to take my time with you.”
Her teeth teased his lower lip. “I’d like to forget about tomorrow and live for tonight while I can.”
His heart pounded in his ears. He stared down at Juliet, his voice hoarse. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes.” She nodded, a sparkle in her eyes. “I’d like to be completely imperfect.”
Imperfect. No way. He shook his head, eager to forget about tomorrow, too. “Juliet, nothing we do together could make you imperfect, or broken, or whatever those assholes told you. You’re beautiful and intelligent and brave. No one can take that from you unless you let them.”
She smiled, running her fingers through his hair. “Before we leave this room, I want you to know something.”
Was she going to say what he thought she was?
He’d never told Cassie that he loved her. In fact, he’d never said those words to anyone he wasn’t related to, but he was ready to put his life on the line to save Juliet. Spending time with her made the rest of the world fade away. He wasn’t ready to give that up yet. Maybe he’d never be ready. Was that love?
He blinked. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but telling her he loved her now terrified him, like they were giving up on having a future together.
No way.
He kissed her before she could say anything more. When he drew back, he whispered, “Tell me when we get you out of that house. Right now, there is no tomorrow. Only tonight.”
She nodded and fused her lips to his as he reached for the condom in his wallet.