Rebecca Zanetti - Blind Faith

She smiled and eyed his bare chest, interest gleaming. “You’ve filled out even more in the last five years.”

He swallowed down nausea. “I’ve made it all day without puking. Let’s keep it that way.”

She giggled.

The sound assaulted every muscle in his gut. For years, he’d heard that giggle—unnatural and weird from such a brilliant scientist. “I’ve always thought you might be crazy,” he said conversationally.

She shrugged and moved forward to tap her fingers along his ribs. “You’ve broken a couple.”

No shit, lady. “They’ll heal.” He tested the ties at his wrist—solid.

“Yes, they will.” She hummed to herself. “Do you still heal quickly?”

Faster than ever, actually. “Not as fast as Jory. Where is he?”

Madison giggled again. “I’m asking the questions today. You fought well—kept up the training, have you?”

“Did you think I’d get fat and slow after I escaped you?” he asked lazily.

“No.” Madison shook her head, reaching for disinfectant and a cotton ball. “I figured you’d prepare to come back and try to take the commander out.”

Nate gave a short nod. The woman had studied him since birth, and she was an expert in psychology and all of that crap. “I considered it. Planned it, in fact. But things change.”

“I’ve noticed. Where are your bothers, anyway? They should be mounting a rescue by now.” She dabbed the cotton along a cut above his right pec.

Pain bit into him, and he kept his expression bored and his body relaxed. “Like I said, things change.”

She leaned into him, wiping blood off his shoulder. “Don’t be silly. There’s no way you and your bothers have had a falling out bad enough that they wouldn’t save your sweet ass.”

He swallowed and turned his head so they were eye to eye. “We’re as solid as ever, but now they have something else to protect.”

Madison breathed out, her gaze dropping to his mouth.

He levered back.

She sighed and stepped away. “You don’t mean those silly women, do you? I met Josie once, and I’ve read all about Laney. Those twits wouldn’t come between you.”

Nate chuckled and shook his head, ignoring the strained muscles in his neck. For once, he could give her the truth. “My sisters-in-law haven’t come between us. But they’ve given my brothers a reason to keep living, and nothing, not even me, will keep my brothers from protecting them.” Nate tugged on the restraints. “You don’t know either one of them if you think they’re sacrificing those women for me, and you don’t know me if you think I’d let them.”

Madison clucked her tongue. “I taught you all better than that.” She studied a cut above his right eye that was still bleeding. “When you’re fighting, when such pain is inflicted on you, I figured you’d be thinking about your brothers. Or escape. Or some beach in Cabo. Is that true?”

“No.”

“Then, what?” she asked, reaching for the tablet, fingers poised to type.

“Fuck you.” The woman would never understand. When he fought, when pain tried to trap him, he thought of nothing . It was a trick Mattie had taught him early on, and it had saved his life more times than he could count. Think nothing, feel nothing, and just fight back.

His childhood had shaped him into a survivor, into a predator, and those lessons had taken hold and dug deep.

Madison reached over and jabbed a bruise along his jaw. “Not nice, Nathan. Considering we’re going to share a little boy, you might want to be nicer to me.”

Rage ripped through Nate, and only a tight rein on his control kept him from showing it. “Audrey and I are going to share a little boy. He won’t need nutty granny, you bitch.”

Madison barked out laughter. “Did I hit a nerve? Sweet boy.”

Nate shook his head. “I really don’t get it. How can you not care a whit about the baby? Or Audrey? She’s your daughter.”

Madison gave him a blank look. “I do. Audrey is safe, and we’re going to train that boy to be even better than you.”

No way was his kid going to be a cold-blooded killer. No fucking way. “How could you impregnate her like that? Without even asking her?”

Madison smiled. “Why ask her? The girl has loved you since day one. She would’ve said yes. And the baby is yours, Nathan. I promise.”

She was telling the truth, but he’d already known the kid was his. Regardless of the sperm donor. “Don’t make me kill you, Madison.” His voice became hoarse.

She blinked and then scoffed. “You couldn’t kill me, Nathan. Not only did I raise you, but I’m also Audrey’s mother. She might not understand me, but like any child, she wants to love me. She does. No matter how much you might dislike me, she’d never forgive you for killing me.” Dr. Madison patted him on the top of the head. “You sweet boy. Think.”

Nate jerked his head away. As much as he hated it, the woman was right. Audrey wouldn’t be able to deal with him killing her mother. Plus, he wasn’t quite sure he could handle killing the woman, as horrible as she’d been to him through the years. Unless—“Did you shoot Jory?” he asked.

Madison stepped back. “How did you know Jory had been shot?”

“I saw a video.” Nate watched her closely.

Her eyebrows rose. “Interesting.” She reached out and brushed a finger over his tattoo. “Freedom.”

“Yes.” He kept his face stoic, wanting nothing more than to kick her away from him.

“I don’t understand you.” Dr. Madison frowned. “We could give you the world. A freedom you can’t even imagine.”

“That’s not freedom. That’s fear.” Nate shook his head. “No matter how smart you are, you’ll never understand.” The way the commander and Madison had controlled them, with threatening harm to their brothers, guaranteed no other outcome but escape. “We will never want what you have to offer.”

She scratched her chin, frowning as if trying to solve an impossible puzzle. “You and everybody you love are going to die in slightly more than two weeks if you don’t come back.”

He lifted his chin. “I’ll take freedom and death over the life you’re offering.”

“For your brothers, too?” she asked, her painted lips coy.

“Yes.” He kept her gaze, allowing no expression to cross his face. The thought of his brothers dying hurt deep inside him, but the thought of them being subjected to the commander’s whims again sliced deep beyond the here and now.

Her head jerked up, and her frown deepened.

The door opened, and Audrey rushed inside and toward him. “Nate!” Her eyes widened when she eyed the damage marring his chest. She touched a bruise under his eye. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” He glanced at Dr. Madison as she turned to furiously type on her tablet. “Taking notes, are you?”

“Yes.” Madison didn’t lift her head. “The emotion in your relationship intrigues me. It’ll be interesting to see how it changes when the baby arrives.”

Audrey went pale.

“Audrey,” Nate said softly. “Look at me.”

Her tear-filled eyes lifted to meet his.

He forced a smile through battered lips. “We’re going to be fine. I need you to stay calm.”

“What should I do?” Her brow furrowed as she leaned around to look at his restraints.

“Nothing.” He wished he could hold her. “Trust me. Please.”

Dr. Madison leaned against the counter. “I’m sure he has an escape plan. Don’t worry.” The scientist didn’t seem too concerned with the possibility.

Nate gave a short nod that hopefully only Audrey caught.

The door opened again, and two soldiers stomped inside. “The commander is ready for him,” the taller one said.