Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele
Heart 59

Chapter 59 Chapter 59

[Cordelia]

I wake up gasping for breath, my heart racing like someone had dunked me into a pool of ice water. I am wet from head to toe in sweat, my skin flushed and pink. I try to take a deep breath but replace myself unable to stop hyperventilating. My eyes struggle to replace their focus as my heart beats so rapidly and with such intensity, I can feel it pounding against my ribcage.

"Try to breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth," Angelica coaches me from beside my bed. "You aren't dying, but you just woke up from a medically induced coma. It is normal to feel like someone hit you with a semi-truck." "What did you do to me?" I try to say but it comes out in a garbled mess, my mouth betraying me as my tongue flops uselessly against my teeth.

"Patience," she holds out her hands in a calming manner, trying to soothe me as she goes about unbuckling my arms and legs. "It's just the effects of the adrenaline. Give your body a few minutes to replace its equilibrium. An injection this size is enough to bring a horse back from the grave."

Shifting my eyes to where she is pointing, I see a used syringe with a long needle. She must have used that to inject the adrenaline into my heart.

"Now hold still," she cautions as she moves to the catheter holding my IV in place. "I am going to remove your IV. If you aren't still it might be...painful," the edges of her mouth twist up into a tight little smile.

I'm not sure if she's smiling to ease my worry, or because she would genuinely like to see me suffer. With the way she is acting, it could be either.

I replace myself wondering how many other IVs she's removed as I watch her remove my IV with the grace and skill of a trained professional. There were so many body parts floating around in jars in Jude's house, and I am sure there must be more in this facility somewhere. How many of those procedures had she participated in? Did she become so skilled because she spent years learning by Jude's side as she assisted him with his plans?

The Angelica I knew and loved was afraid of blood and needles. She once fainted getting the flu vaccine. This Angelica, the woman pulling out the tubes from my body, seems to have no problem around either. It seems that the last five years changed both of us into new people.

"Why?" my voice is rough, my mouth completely dry as I struggle to make recognizable words. "Where?"

She pulls me up by my arm, dropping me into a nearby wheelchair. "We need to go," she announces without more explanation, as she tucks me in with a small lap blanket and unlocks the chair. "He's distracted right now, researching something about what he plans to do next. He gave me a moment to say goodbye to you," she explains hurriedly as she pushes me towards an exit. "He thinks we should be acting immediately, but I told Jude that I needed time to say my farewells and that it might be a while." She looks back over her shoulder, making sure we haven't been followed.

We pause. At the end of the hallway is a large set of double doors leading outside. But to get there we need to pass several open corridors.

I try to say something else, but she shushes me with a finger to her lips. "We need to be quiet if we are

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+25 BONUS

Chapter 50

going to get out of here unnoticed. I don't want him to notice we are gone until it is already too late for him to do anything about it.

I am so confused. I thought they were lovers and that she was only keeping me around so that she could have my womb removed in about two months.

Why would he betray him now?

"Jude is convinced that you aren't my sister," she confesses quietly, her eyes darting back and forth as she takes a brief look at each hallway before crossing. "I don't believe that. I was there when you were born. I know you are my sister."

As we cross the last corridor, she swings my chair around so that she can use her back to open our way to freedom.

Swinging the chair around she pushes the door.

And then stops.

"Jude." Her voice falls. "I..."

"Where are you taking our patient, Angelica? His voice is dark and smooth, almost relaxing except for the sinister edge that sharpens his words,

"I was just going to take her for one last walk, one final goodbye before....

"Don't lie to me, Angelica," he takes a step forward. "I know you are confused and you think what you are doing is the right thing, but she knows too much,

I clench the arms of the chair. It sounds like he wants me dead.

"But she IS my sister," Angelica stomps her foot. "I don't care what your stupid tests say. Maybe you just messed up. Maybe her results got mixed up with someone else's in the lab. Either way, I'm not letting you get rid of my best chance for success." "I don't think it will do any good," Jude explains. "The test was thorough. I know it is hard to believe, but maybe your parents can explain how..."

"I saw her coming out of my mother, Jude!" Angelica shouts

"Are you sure she wasn't a purchased embryo?" Jude queries, "Maybe your mother..."

"NO!" she starts to shout. "You're speaking nonsense!"

"Come back to me, Angel," Jude reaches out to touch her arm but she jerks away roughly almost tossing me to the ground.

"No, Jude. Not this time. I know what you are planning to do. I won't you trick me like you did before." She pushes her way backward through the door. "If you won't give me what I want, I'll replace someone who will."

There is a sharp intake of breath as Jude grabs Angelica by the waste. I watch in horror as he plunges a syringe into her neck. "I'm sorry, Angel," he apologizes. This is for your own good."

Terrified and helpless, I watch as he picks her up and takes her back inside.

'Go ahead and try to run," he dares me. "You won't get far."