Elton’s chest heaved. “You’re right.”
“I’ve been laying our trap across the Internet the last couple of hours.” The idea of finally catching all of her boys nearly made her giddy. She was born for a purpose, a grand one, and that was to create them. Beyond science and beyond even faith, she’d taken the male form and improved it. From brainpower to muscle to heart—she’d done that. Pride and something deeper filled her. Something beyond mere mortal.
If her boys thought they could leave her, could just go livenormallives, they were wholly mistaken.
She wasn’t delusional; she knew she wasn’t a god. Yet God, if one truly existed, had given her gifts to change the world. And she was going to do it, one male specimen at a time. “Elton?”
His focus cleared. “Sorry. I was thinking about what I’m going to do to Denver. His silent, innocent act never worked on me.”
She nodded. “He was very clever.” Of course, she’d made him that way. “I have a plan that will glean both of us justice, my love.” Not for one second would she allow Elton to harm Denver. But there was no need to tell him that.
His eyebrows rose. “Is that a fact?”
She barely kept from clapping her hands together. “Yes. I’m formulating it now and will get you up to speed once I figure it all out.” She glanced toward the picture of her daughter on the desk. “Audrey will be giving birth soon.” Audrey had married one of the Gray brothers and turned her back on everything important. “I must get my hands on that baby.” To think that one of her soldiers had procreated. The child would be something . . . new.
“All in good time,” Elton said. “First we get Denver, Ryker, and Heath. Then those three will get us the Gray brothers.”
That was somewhat her plan with a couple of mutations thrown in.
Elton cleared his throat. “So have you, um, decided?”
She lifted her chin, rather appreciating his temerity. “Yes. I already had my eggs harvested last month when you were touching base with your department in North Carolina.”
His eyes flared. “I was retiring, Isobel. In order to give our projects here all of my time, as you requested.”
He was retiring from being a simple sheriff, which was good. The man had more potential than he realized, or she wouldn’t care for him. He wouldn’t interest her to this degree. “You’re still in the prime of your life, darling,” she said, letting her voice go breathy. “We have a bigger calling, and you’ll do more good with our new enterprise.” Of creating and training the next generation of soldiers. “I already have three requests for our soldiers from different governmental entities.” She needed her boys back first.
Elton swallowed. “You harvested your eggs?”
“Yes.” Thank goodness she hadn’t gone through menopause yet. She’d take her samples and make new babies. Oh, she’d give Elton one just to keep him tied to her. But her other material would be combined with her earlier creations. Those soldiers who were so much more that she’d ever hoped. “Would you like a boy or a girl?”
“Why would I want a girl?” he asked, his frown deepening.
Why indeed? “Then I’ll make sure we have a boy,” she soothed. “As soon as we get my soldiers into place, we’ll find surrogates like before. I’ll find just the right one to carry our child.”
Elton patted his very flat belly. “I’m not too old to have a child.”
“You’re barely over fifty, my love. These days, that’s young. Very young.” Maybe she could splice the insecurity out of whatever child they created. It was so tiresome. That was one reason to have a girl. Women were so much stronger than men. Naturally. Of course, she’d changed that with her boys. What could she do with a female she created in the lab? Audrey had been an unfortunate accident, so Isobel had just let her be. She tapped her finger against her lip.
Her egg with one of her soldiers. Interesting. It’d be difficult to choose which one. She could use specimens from several, but the idea of having several teenage girls running around someday made her blanch. One. She’d just choose one for a girl.
Her laptop let out a sharp alarm, and she swiveled to read the code flashing across the screen.
“What is it?” Elton asked, snapping to attention.
Her chest filled with the thrill of the chase. “It’s Denver. I think I can find what he’s been up to.” She set her nails on the keyboard and started to type.
Oh. Her boy was good, but she’d taught him everything he knew. She had him.
Yes.
Noni held the gun tightly, fine trembles coursing through her arms. This was crazy. They were chasing a speeding ambulance down back roads and definitely away from the city with a bleeding veterinarian in their backseat. She turned to check on Tina. “How’s your head?”
“Fine,” Tina said, her hand pressed above her eye. Her thick black hair had been tied at her nape and out of her face. “Bleeding has almost stopped. Now tell me who has Jamie. What is going on?”
Denver leaned over the steering wheel, his focus absolute. He didn’t utter a word.
Noni bit her lip. “Somebody who is after Denver thinks maybe you and Malloy have information about finding Denver and his brothers.” She didn’t care if it was a secret. Tina had been shot at and kidnapped. She definitely deserved some truth. “We’ll get Malloy back. I promise.” No, she couldn’t make that promise, but again she went on instinct. “Right, Denver?”
