Absolved (Altered series) Read online

  Excitement soared through her at the prospect of being near him.

  No. She forced that all down. There wasn’t time for that. And she was the last person he’d see that way.

  She glanced at the clock on her dashboard. “It’s late, Luke, almost eight. I know you’ve been working all day.” It would be easier if he wasn’t there. Her body did traitorous, butterflies-racing-in-the-stomach things when he was around. It made it hard to argue with him. And they always argued when they were together.

  Always.

  “I don’t sleep anyway,” he offered, as if that were a valid explanation. “I’ll see you when you get there.” The line went dead, and her radio kicked back on, blaring through the Jeep’s speakers.

  She lowered the volume and glared at her phone as she flipped on her headlights.

  As if investigating a murder and burglary wasn’t going to be difficult enough, she’d need to do it under Luke’s intense gaze. Heat sliced through her blood as she carefully turned out of the parking lot and headed for the interstate.

  As she hit the highway, she dialed in to headquarters and started giving instructions. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Two

  “They don’t have the proprietary chemicals. We’re the only ones who have them, and they can’t make Solvimine without them. We’re still ahead.” Beth rolled away from Luke’s computer and tucked her legs under her, crisscross-style. She’d already kicked her Doc Martens aside, and Luke caught a peek at rainbow-striped socks. She pushed her glasses on top of her head, and they caught in the tangle of short waves around her face. One curl escaped the makeshift headband, twisting in front of her ear.

  Wonder if it was as soft as it looked…

  They’d spent the past two hours sifting through Simpkins Pharmaceutical’s inventory list. While they worked, they’d received the preliminary report about Curtis, the security guard. As Luke expected, he’d suffocated, but there was no sign of external trauma. It just appeared that he couldn’t breathe. Or he’d been told not to and hadn’t been able to help himself.

  Parker.

  “Are we absolutely sure they can’t manufacture the components to make it?”

  She didn’t hide her sigh. “Yes. We have the download logs from all of Dr. Fields’s computers. We know what was on the flash drive that Parker stole from him.” She recited her points like she was crossing off a list. “We’re the only ones with all of the Solvimine research. And you know that. Because you’re the computer whiz, the one who told me that in the first place.” She pointed at herself. “Me, science whiz. You, computer whiz.”

  He placed his hands on his hips, pacing and staring at the ceiling, gritting his teeth. She was right, damn it. Except that didn’t explain the sinking pit in his stomach, the sick suspicion that he was missing something.

  Beth continued. “Besides, I’ve spent the last months pulling those proprietary chemicals apart. As far as I can determine, Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Barnett haven’t taken any ingredients they would need to make the components.”

  “Have you been able to recreate them?” He’d been so busy chasing down dead-end leads from the pharmaceutical break-ins that he hadn’t checked in with her on the science end.

  “Not yet. But Steve and I are close. Very close.”

  God help them.

  “Huge mistake.” He rubbed his forehead. “This drug doesn’t require more study. It requires us to stop it from going anywhere else.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “We don’t know what they have planned. We need to be ready for anything. Knowledge is power.”

  Parker had described Solvimine as Pandora’s box. Luke had to agree. And in that story, knowledge wasn’t power: it was death.

  His frustration simmered just below the surface, but going off on Beth wouldn’t help anything. This was her job, to gather information, to study the chemistry. He was supposed to fight the real bad guys.

  Studying her jeans and gray T-shirt that said, “Surely not EVERYBODY was kungfu fighting,” he tried to imagine her out there, like him, in the field, fighting. Nothing about her said ”soldier.” She didn’t pretend to fit in, and who could blame her? She was a twenty-one-year-old child prodigy. With her ridiculous socks and her sexy librarian glasses, Beth was an alluring mix of adorable and hot. And innocent—not like the rest of them.

  She’d never been faced with the real horrors of Solvimine. The blood-streaked faces. The hemorrhaging and agony. Studying it wasn’t the same as living it. He shivered, filled with the memory of those hours that the drug had torn him apart from the inside.

  It wasn’t her fault she didn’t understand. God, he wished he didn’t, either.

  Because of that innocence, she trusted that they could keep the chemicals housed here a secret from Parker. He clung to that possibility, too, even as he waited for the other shoe to drop. He couldn’t shake the feeling that it would, and that they’d made a mistake.

  He couldn’t afford another one.

  Oblivious to the war waging inside him, she scrutinized the list of Simpkins’s stock on the screen. “There were a few things there tonight that they would need to recreate the proprietary chemicals we have, and they didn’t take them.” Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth the slightest bit, like it always did when she was thinking hard. “And they took things they don’t need.”

  “Why?” Luke stepped next to her, leaning over to see better. He ran his finger down the list of things taken from the Simpkins facility, pausing on the few items that she’d marked as not being part of Solvimine, his finger indenting the screen.

  They’d robbed a place, killed a man. They should have been in a hurry to get out of there, to avoid detection. Why take things they didn’t needed? “They took these chemicals for a reason.”

  “Probably.” Her voice sounded weird. Softer, maybe. Breathy. A shiver rolled down his spine, the feeling unexpected, sending unwanted heat to his gut. He stilled, unsure what to make of the sensation. Glancing to the side, he found her still studying the screen in front of them, avoiding his gaze. But the color on her cheeks was higher, visible in the screen light. That soft blush caused his breath to hitch, his heart to pick up.

  From this angle, her features looked smoother. The curve of her cheek was delicate. Had he noticed before how full her lower lip was? It really was the perfect shape, a gorgeous arc. He caught his own bottom lip between his teeth, biting down, and his fingers tightened on the tabletop in front of him, holding himself still.

  Around them the place was largely motionless, as usual this time of the night. He regularly worked late, either here or in the main computer room, where they constantly screened the internet for any signs of Parker and Jack. He was used to the quiet.

  This stillness was new, though.

  The darkness pressed in. The other computers were on, but they were in energy saving mode, the lights dimmed.

  He continued to study her, unsettled by the tension. Maybe he’d upset her. Something was different.

  “Are you feeling all right?” With her high color, maybe she was getting sick. “Kitty has the flu. Maybe you’re…”

  “I’m fine.” Abruptly, she pushed her chair back, putting distance between them. Avoiding his eyes, she tugged at the front of her shirt. “I’ll talk to Steve tomorrow. We’ll piece together what they’re doing with the rest of the stuff they’ve stolen.” She slipped her feet into her unlaced boots.

  Shaking his head, he folded his arms over his chest. He didn’t know what was wrong with her, but it was probably his fault, whatever it was. “You think they’re making something else?”

  “Why else would they take extra things?” She shrugged, her voice too mild. “I’m going to go see if I can start to compile options.” She retreated around his chair, keeping wary eyes on him as she edged toward the hall to her office. “Night, Luke.”

  “It’s one in the morning. You’re going to work more?”

  “Yeah.” She offered a wiggle of
her fingers before she disappeared around the corner. Running away.

  He stared after her. What happened?

  It wasn’t uncommon for her to be here late, or even overnight. Like him, she had crazy hours, but she rarely did she her work, where their team’s crop of cubicles was located. She was usually in the lab or her office right off it. He didn’t see her.

  Now, he wondered how they missed each other so often. Unless she was avoiding him, like she obviously was now. She hadn’t been able to get away fast enough.

  That idea didn’t sit well. Maybe Martins was right. Luke hadn’t been too hard on her tonight, but sometimes…

  His stomach tightened. Maybe he’d been so eaten by his need to stop Parker and Jack that he’d become the kind of person people avoided.

  Maybe it was best if she stayed away from him.

  It was late, and he should sleep. But he recognized the hum inside him. There would be no rest.

  There wasn’t much more he could do here now. He turned, heading toward the tunnel that would lead outside and to the barracks.

  He’d need a run tonight.

  …

  God, she was an idiot.

  She hurried down the hall, pressing her fingers to her forehead.

  It was bad enough that she had this stupid crush on Luke, but if he knew about it…? Her cheeks heated. That would be mortifying.

  He didn’t even like her. They’d never had a real conversation, at least not one that wasn’t tinged with frustration about Solvimine. He didn’t think she should study the drug. He was smart enough to know that if she understood it, she could make it, and he was adamantly opposed to that. If he knew she’d only taken this job so she could study how to use it commercially, he would hate her.

  They didn’t exactly fit.

  But, no matter how much she told herself that she didn’t know him, she couldn’t stop being aware of him when he was around. His hair looked so soft. He spent so much time running that he was in amazing shape. When he wasn’t looking, she admired his legs, his butt… She caught sight of his toned abs a couple weeks ago when he’d reached up to get something, and she’d flushed, gotten so jittery that she’d needed to leave the room.

  It wasn’t only physically that she was aware of him, though. There was an ache in him, something he hid under grumbling and prickliness. But it made her want to pull him close, to reach that spot in him that was hurting.

  Her intelligence had been verified by multiple well-respected institutions. Yet, she couldn’t seem to get control of this attraction.

  She’d reminded herself that unrequited lust was unproductive.

  And stupid.

  She’d been so careful.

  Until now.

  He asked if she was feeling all right. He believed she might have the flu. Good grief.

  She closed her eyes, her head down, and ran the last few steps to the lab door. Fumbling for her key card, she swiped it across the locking mechanism and placed her fingers on the access panel. When the door clicked, she pulled it open, closing it behind her. Resting her back against it, she banged her head, staring into the darkness.

  She needed to stop. She didn’t know how, but she had to figure it out. The flutters in her stomach, the way her hands shook when he was around? No boy had distracted her like that since elementary school.

  Granted, she’d left elementary school at eight to study with private tutors, but she’d spent quite a bit of time at MIT once she was ready to begin her undergraduate work. There had been lots of boys there, even ones she recognized as classically attractive. Tall, chiseled physique. Wide shoulders. Symmetrical features. She’d read articles about the biology of attraction. She understood the psychology. Yet, none of those guys frustrated her, made her knees weak, like Luke.

  Tonight, he’d been so close. His clean scent filled her head, maybe a hint of pine, something warm and fresh, all of it spinning together, making her dizzy. She’d tightened her fingers on the arm of the chair to keep from moving, like when you didn’t want to spook wild animals when they came close.

  She didn’t know how to break a crush, but she needed to do so…fast. Maybe she could ask Kitty. Her friend already knew about her infatuation. None of them could hide much from her.

  But Beth didn’t want to drag Kitty into this. She’d figure it out. Give her a book or the internet, and she was ready to go.

  That was it. She’d look it up. Pushing away from the door, she straightened. She knew how to research. There had to be information somewhere online that would help her figure out how to stop seeing him like this. She couldn’t be the only person in the world who didn’t like being held hostage by some inconvenient longing.

  It was direction. Something she could do. At least she wouldn’t feel so helpless.

  Decided, she smiled and flipped the switch to turn on the lights.

  Her laboratory had been destroyed. The tops of the desks had been cleared, as if someone had swiped their arm across them or tilted each of them over, spilling the contents onto the floor. All of their instruments, their laboratory equipment, lay on the ground, broken and shattered. The laptop dock in the center was empty.

  How could this be? Their headquarters at Fort Detrick was heavily fortified. There were physical barriers, technological barriers…alarms and security cameras. This couldn’t be happening.

  If the lab had been compromised, though, that meant…

  She rushed forward, broken glass crunched under her boots as she slipped in the debris on the floor.

  She threw open the door to the closet where they housed their chemicals and stock. Fumes hit her, wafting from the spills on the ground, and she pulled the collar of her shirt over her mouth and nose. The vapors still irritated her eyes, but she waved her hand in front of her, forcing herself inside.

  In the back, the specially-made safe where they kept the proprietary components for the Solvimine was open and empty.

  Chapter Three

  Beth’s Doc Martins squeaked on the linoleum as she sprinted down the corridor to the residential barracks. She bounded up the darkened staircase as if someone was chasing her.

  Because maybe someone was.

  Upstairs, there was darkness under all the doors except one. Luke’s. She skidded to a halt in front of it, banging with the sides of her fists. She couldn’t hear anything over the pounding in her ears.

  The door burst open, and Luke stood in front of her, shirtless.

  “The lab,” she gasped. “Someone broke into my lab.” She wanted to sprint inside, to slam the door behind her. Instead, she braced herself against the doorframe, leaning in. She couldn’t stop searching the shadows behind her.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “What?” she panted. She was jumpy, and her skin was crawling.

  He grasped her shoulders gently, dropping his face until he was in her line of vision. The pressure of his hands grounded her. She took a breath.

  “Beth. Are you all right?” His voice was low, intense.

  She met his brown eyes, finally seeing him. “Yes,” she managed. “I’m okay.”

  “Are you hurt?” He enunciated each word, as if he really needed the answer to his question. She focused on what he’d asked, letting his gaze anchor her.

  Shaking her head, she dragged in a shaky breath. “No. I’m fine.” She allowed the words to seep into her. “I’m fine,” she repeated. And she was. Physically, she wasn’t hurt.

  Fine, fine, fine.

  “Good.” He looked her over from top to bottom before he nodded. Glancing over her head, he glared at the hallway behind her, a crease between his brows. “Is anyone following you?”

  “No. I didn’t see anyone.”

  “What happened?”

  “The lab. It’s trashed.” She closed her eyes, but she could still see her lab, a place of solitude and safety for her, completely destroyed. “They took the chemicals.”

  He pressed his lips together. “Damn it.”

  How ha
d this happened?

  The building was locked down. There were surveillance cameras everywhere, as well as security guards. The lab required her key card and fingerprints to access. Add that to the state-of-the-art security already in place throughout the base and this facility… She’d been convinced they were safe, hadn’t believed this was possible. But Luke had warned them for weeks that they shouldn’t let their guard down.

  The mistake was heavy, and she dropped her head under the weight of it. Except that position brought his chest into sharper focus.

  “Why are you naked?” she squeaked.

  He shifted, slipping between her and whatever might be in the hall. He scanned the darkness, positioned between her and any danger. “I was going to run. It’s hot in the gym.”

  “Now?”

  “I run a lot. When I can’t sleep.” He must have been satisfied nothing was following her, because he finally glanced down at her, his brow creased. “You were going to work. How’s that better?”

  “Right.”

  “Where’s security?”

  She cleared her throat. “I didn’t call them.”

  “You didn’t call them?”

  “I didn’t think about it.” She scowled. Her head had scrambled and she’d run. She’d only wanted to get away. Maybe she was getting sick. That’d be a better excuse than being a coward.

  “Right. Come on.” He grabbed her hand. When he brushed past her, towing her out of the room, the warm skin of his bicep skimmed her arm.

  She leaned back, straightening her legs and putting on the brakes. “You should get a shirt.” She waved her hand to encompass his chest.

  “When I get back.” He tugged and she followed him.

  “Should we tell the others?”

  “Only if you can text while we run.”

  She patted her pocket. She’d forgotten her phone in her lab. “I can’t, it seems.”

  They hurried down the hall, descending the few stairs that headed to the exit. A blast of cold air hit them as they rushed outside. He caught her eye as he held the door for her. “Probably doesn’t matter. We were in front of the entrance to your lab for hours. We didn’t see anything.” His mouth firmed as he ushered her out. “This probably happened hours ago.”