The Lives Between Us (52 page)

“You guys are kidding, right? I mean, I was just goofing. You’re not serious about kidnapping her, or...or... Right?”

“Skye’s right. We can’t harm her, but we have to find a permanent solution to quiet her,” Mark said.

An implacable, hard expression froze on Edward’s handsome face as he scanned the circle, gauging the other’s attitudes and asserting his dominance. When he spoke, his low voice rumbled in quiet determination. “Let’s not forget just exactly how dangerous this woman is. She has the capacity to destroy both Mark’s family and mine. I can’t allow that.

“We haven’t harmed anybody, we aren’t a danger to society, and I will
not
allow that woman to ruin our lives.” He turned to Skye. “And your family’s not in the clear yet either. Serena still hasn’t found their ESC line and we don’t know for sure what she did with their embryos.”

“Still, there has to be a better way. Remember, the easiest solution often isn’t the best solution?” Mark threw Edward’s words back in his face.

Edward sighed. “I suppose my Special Forces friend could persuade Eileen to retire to another country. If this all came out, off the top of my head, I can think of at least three federal offenses she’d be charged with, and, if found guilty, could send her to jail for ten to twenty years.”

“That’s a decent incentive to keep quiet,” Jenny said.

“So we could beat her at her own game.” A smile lit Skye’s face and the weight in her chest lightened. “I like that option.”

“It’s much more risky—no way to be sure it’s a permanent solution,” Edward warned.

Skye looked at Jenny. “You can be more subjective. What do you think?”

“I like turning the tables on her. Burn the files, have Serena keep Noelle’s vials under lock and key. You can do that can’t you?” At Mark’s nod Jenny continued. “While still trying to locate Lynch ESC line and embryos. And blackmail her so she’ll want move to another country. And. If at all possible I’d try to get her to sign a document swearing that the senator knew absolutely
nothing
about her switching the cells—just in case it ever comes out.”

“It can’t come out.”

“Just in case.”

“There can be no ‘in case,’” Edward said.

Mark looked back at the group. “We’ll have to wait a week or so, to give Serena time to grow the cells to be positive Eileen used ESCs and find the Lynch line, then we’ll have to fake documents to show that Noelle had a spinal tap to bluff Eileen, and we have to make copies of the PI’s report.”

“And you think this’ll really work?” Skye asked.

Mark caught his lower lip between his front teeth, and slowly nodded. “It could. Eileen loves her work. Her son’s grown and, with her husband gone, work is all she has.

“If this comes, out she’ll go to jail for a minimum of five to ten years at least. She’ll be broke, and her reputation will be shot. She won’t be able to get a job anywhere in the world. When we get through pointing out all the advantages of her relocating, I’m sure Eileen will go.”

“There’s just one more thing.” Edward paused. His gaze swept the group until he had their undivided attention. “This is our mission, and I need your word that whatever happens stays with us.” He divided a stern look between Skye and Jenny. “Especially you two. This is beyond off the record. Do you understand?”

A verbal blood oath.

“Agreed.” Skye said, along with the others, this time having no hesitation.

“My wife can never find out about this mess.
Never
.” Edward pinned them all with a serious look. “Noelle has been through more than any one person should ever have to endure. Finding out that ESCs were used in her treatment would kill her—if the spinal injury doesn’t. I will
not
have her burdened with that. Please,” he added in a husky voice.

Skye turned away, no longer able to stand the too-bright eyes and the pleading last word.

What was one more secret?

Mark held Skye’s hand as they walked through the cold night. She jiggled their entwined hands to get his attention. “You’ve been pretty quiet tonight. Feeling okay?”

“Just tired. I haven’t been sleeping well.” Sleep lost to worrying about the missing Lynch ESC line, combing the company’s finances, and brainstorm with Ed.

“Worried?”

“And mad. I’m still just so pissed at being put in this position.” He sighed. “Serena and I are going to have to increase the security and revamp policies and procedures so something like this can’t happen again.”

“I’m not really sure you could institute enough safeguards. Desperate people do desperate things.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry you got caught in the fallout from my desperate family.”

He raised their clasped hands and kissed the back of hers. “
That
I don’t regret.”

“You know,” Skye frowned. “I’ve been thinking about the Faith’s missing stem cell line and… What if it isn’t missing? It’d be absolutely crazy, but, you don’t think that Eileen could have used their ESCs in Noelle’s treatment, do you?

“I mean…she had the line ready. That could be why Eileen was so cocky and unconcerned that we’d find them. What if she’d already used them for Noelle? I know it’d be obscenely coincidental that they’d be a good match, but it’d explain why Serena can’t find them and it’d be the perfect safeguard for Eileen ’cause she’d know that if we did discover the truth, Edward would
never
let us destroy them.”

They stopped walking. Mark faced her. “Damn, that’d be genius. Crazy, but genius.” He pulled his cell from his coat pocket. “Let me text Serena and tell her to test them.”

“I’m grasping at straws, but why else can’t Serena find them? Could she have sent them to a different lab?”

“I doubt it. She’d want to keep them close.” He sighed. “This is such a mess. Why’d Eileen have to pick Ed? Anybody else and it wouldn’t be half as bad. I understand her getting carried away at the opportunity, but why’d it have to be them?”

“Because the opportunity fell in her lap. Because she could. It’s not so bad, really. I mean look at the results. Noelle
is
a lot better.”

“Yeah, but she would’ve been with the CBSCs, too. Eileen tricked Ed and Noelle into going against their principles. And in doing so she’s jeopardized my company.” Mark’s pace slowed and he sighed. “I’ve made such a mess of things. It’s gonna break Dad’s heart.”

He thought of the long hours, missed meals, the hard work Dad put into building Aviva. He was going to be furious and then heartbroken.

“You didn’t—Eileen did. Behind your back.”

“That argument won’t hold up in court. She ruined our reputation—nobody in the industry—or clients will trust us if this comes out. All Dad and I have worked for will be out the window before we really even had a chance to prove how great CBSCs are.”

“Only if she talks.”

“I screwed up. I should have just stayed away from all ESCs—no matter what.” It killed Mark to make this admission. He made fewer mistakes as an adult, but they were far costlier.

“But you would have lost your best researcher.”

“Nobody’s irreplaceable.” Mark scowled at the empty street. “How am I going to tell Dad I wrecked thirty years of his hard work while he was in Singapore? He was only gone six months for Christ’s sake.”

“Don’t tell him. Don’t tell him anything. Get rid of Eileen and convince Serena to work for Aviva so she can keep an eye on the R & D and this never happens again.”

That’s a good plan, but Mark had to tell Dad. He couldn’t live with himself otherwise. He wasn’t Ed. “He has to know.”

“Of course he does—eventually, but not until you’ve fixed things. I’m sure you and Edward can convince Eileen to move and keep quiet. Don’t forget, she has a lot to lose, too. Her career, her son, her reputation… Her freedom.”

Mark stopped walking. “She does. You’re right. One way or another, we’ll convince her. Ed’s right. She can’t be allowed to screw up all our lives.”

Mark’s phone rang. He looked at his sister’s photo on the screen. “Only good news, Serena.”

* * *

Edward looked at Noelle who stared back at him, thoughtful. “You’re quiet tonight. Something wrong?”

He shook his head and pursed his lips before coming out of the chair to sit on her bed. “Nope.”

“Stop worrying.”

Edward didn’t bother to deny it. “Aren’t you? I mean those little neurons are all around your spine now and—”

“And they may be growing tumors or who knows what kinds of cancers,” Noelle said in her raspy voice.

Edward hated Noelle’s verbalizing his greatest fears so nonchalantly—like her life was unimportant. Like it didn’t matter to her. He frowned, not sure what to say. He wanted to yell that this threat was real and serious and she needed to stop speaking so cavalierly about her life.

He needed her to stop acting like it didn’t matter if tumors grew like popcorn along her spine or if cancer cells multiplied and spread manically throughout her body, invading and strangling her healthy organs. Edward wanted to rail at her, but taking his fear out on Noelle wouldn’t help.

“Don’t forget we have the suicide transgene,” Noelle said.

“The neuron and cells have to malfunction or grow a tumor before they can destroy it through the transgene. It could be too late then and who knows what side effects the drug that destroys the neuron might have? And what if the cells have chromosomal abnormalities? It could happen, you know.”

“What’s to say
my
chromosomes are perfect now?”

Edward scowled at her. “Stop joking. I’m serious.”

Noelle’s lips spread in a gentle smile. “You’re tired. The traveling must be wearing on you.”

Edward was tired. Tired of being afraid. Hopefully after tomorrow he’d have one less thing to be afraid of. There were still plenty of worries with Noelle’s limitations: muscle spasms, dysreflexia, pressure sores, infections, pneumonia, osteoporosis, pulmonary embolisms, cardiovascular disease—and the list went on, seemingly endlessly.

“A little.” Edward caressed the soft skin of her cheek. “I just miss you so much during the week.”

“Edward?”

“Hmm?” He looked up.

“When session was in, we didn’t see that much of each other during the weeks anyway.” Noelle smiled.

“But I always knew you were just thirty minutes away if I needed you.”

“Now I’m an airplane ride away.”

Not just an airplane away, a world. This accident had stolen his life—not his woman, because she was still her, but his routine. His comfortable, fairly predictable life was gone, and in its stead they now struggled with the uncertainty of Noelle’s condition. He struggled to work with his father in-law in raising his son. He felt guilty accepting his father in-law’s extensive help.

“Go ahead, say it.” Edward shrugged. “I know the truth. I’m a needy, pitiful man.” He forced a grin to his lips in an attempt to recapture their old, easy banter. “Go ahead. I can take it.”

Noelle turned her head and twitched her shoulder. She actually jerked her shoulder against his—an amazing feat. Edward’s heart swelled in satisfaction. This time there was no need to force his lightened mood.

Noelle patiently waited for him to raise his glance to hers before speaking. “You are perfect. You are my champion. My hero. There’s nobody I have ever wanted, or ever will want to spend the rest of my life with, but you.”

Hero? He’d screwed up in so many ways. Edward had rarely felt less heroic.

He eased an arm around her and hugged Noelle to him to hide his tears. Edward swallowed hard. “Good. ’Cause you’re stuck with me.”

Face buried in her neck, the scent of Noelle’s familiar light shampoo and her soft hair teased his senses. Edward blinked hard against the emotions swamping him. Joy at her amazing attitude, bravery, and her incredible recovery, warred with fury that she’d even had this devastating accident, that she might never walk again, and that Eileen had the power to hurt his love further.

Anger won. Edward released Noelle and smoothed her hair. Straightening her covers, he carefully tucked her in—all the while keeping his face averted so she couldn’t guess the hot rage building within him. There was so much he couldn’t control—so much he’d failed at—but Eileen he could control. Edward would
not
fail his wife again.

Edward closed his eyes and kissed her, pouring all his love and determination into that one kiss. Noelle moaned and he pulled back. “Wow. You have missed me.”

A satisfied grin lifted his lips. “Just want to be sure you don’t forget me.”

“As if I could.”

Edward planted another quick kiss on her lips and then walked toward the door. “Night, babe.”

“Love you,” she called out.

He turned and winked. “Love you, too.”

In the elevator, Edward flipped open his phone and scrolled down his contact list to a name he seldom thought about and even less often called. Without a second thought, he pushed send.

* * *

Ten minutes. Ten minutes to the meeting that would determine their fate. Mark checked his phone for messages, then turned it to vibrate. Ensconced in leather executive chairs in front of his desk, Mark and Ed faced each other.

Ed wore a tailored striped navy suit, white shirt, and light blue tie. With two hours to go before his flight to D.C., he sat with one leg crossed over the other, picking at a hangnail, giving it undue attention and concentration.

Mark had dressed less for the occasion, wearing Dockers and a dress shirt. His gaze wandered the pictures on the credenza to the left of Ed, pictures of his family and his past. He thought about the great picture of Skye Noelle took at Christmas. Noelle had taken dozens of pictures during the vacation and emailed them to him before her accident. He’d have to get Skye’s photo framed and add it to his collection.

Eileen knocked on the door and entered. Her lab coat flopped open revealing a scarlet silk blouse and a short black skirt. Power clothes, yet nothing different than she wore every day. Her spicy warm perfume drifted through the office, coiling around his senses, a subtle reminder of a female presence.