Page 64 of Married at Midnight

Amanda shook her head as she stood, sending her long, dark hair cascading about her shoulders. The woman looked more like a supermodel than she did a supervillain. But it would be wise not to underestimate her. “I’ll be long gone to some foreign country before the officials realize what I’ve done.”

That Amanda was telling her all this didn’t make her own prospects for survival look great. Despite a shiver that racked her, Ellie continued with her questions. “Why couldn’t you simply do the research yourself instead of stealing from Connor? First in college, now this? Don’t you have any morals?”

“I’ll let that insult pass. Why not? I’m feeling generous. I’ll soon have all the money I could ever want.” Amanda turned off the lantern, pitching the room into darkness once more.

“What a way to start your new life, as a thief and a murderer.”

“I’m not going to kill you. At least not right away. That wouldn’t be very exciting. Besides, I still have faith that your husband will come around to seeing our demands. I mean, why love a car when you can love a woman instead?”

Ellie drew a steadying breath, trying not to let Amanda’s words undermine what little bravery she still possessed. She had faith in Connor as well, but when it came to his car, he was unpredictable. She’d had to compete for his attention from the moment they married.

Amanda moved away from her, toward the doorway off to her left. The metal door screeched open, then closed.

Ellie’s heart fell at the sound of a dead bolt sliding into place.

Instantly she brought her hands back up and, doubling her efforts, chewed at the knot, all the while cursing Amanda for the darkness.

A shiver went through Ellie, but she forced her fear away. Instead of allowing the darkness to close in around her, she closed her eyes and imagined the ballroom and all the thousands of twinkle lights she’d woven into the trees and around the room.

Viola and mystery Elvis’s wedding was not one she intended to miss.

When Connor arrived at the lab, his project lead was waiting for him at the door. In the distance Connor could see two medics near his office, moving someone to a gurney. A pool of blood darkened the concrete floor. “Who’s hurt?” Connor’s brain fired in all directions as he took in the scene.

“Alex Ferrara. I found him sprawled on the floor. Someone bashed him in the head,” Mike Mulligan replied, looking more haggard and distraught than he ever had in the five years they’d been working together.

Alex was the lead researcher he’d hired only one month ago. The fifty-year-old robotics genius had been a critical part of the progress they’d recently made. “He’s alive?”

Mike nodded. “Unconscious.”

“Have the medics said anything?”

“He’s breathing, and he’s lost a lot of blood, but they were able to stabilize him,” Mike said, his voice thin, watching as the medics rolled Alex out the door. “They’re taking him to Harborview now.”

Connor was relieved to hear that. “And the prototypes?”

“They’re fine.” Mike drew a breath and held it a moment before continuing. “The original is in the research lab, exactly where we left it, and the alarm is still set. The second one is safely locked in the basement.”

“Then what happened here?”

“The alarm to your office tripped.”

Concern flashed through Connor. “The safe?”

“Untouched.”

Connor breathed a thankful sigh. “Have you checked the security video?”

“Disabled.” Mike nodded toward Connor’s office. “I need you to check your office to make sure nothing else is gone.”

After a quick search, Connor agreed everything was where he’d left it. Turning to Mike, he threw up his hands. “I don’t understand. Why go to all the trouble of a break-in and possibly risk assault or murder charges when they didn’t take a thing?”

“I have two theories,” Mike said as he leaned against the doorjamb.

“Let’s hear them.”

“All our security precautions stopped whoever broke in from getting the original white prototype or your research. Maybe they were after those things all along, and Alex just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Nodding, Connor asked, “And your second theory?”