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Chapter 304
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 305
[Clark]I ease my way into the room and close it behind us. She says something cocky about not being Mrs. Steele yet, and I smile. If she's joking with me, it's a good sign that she's halfway to forgiving me. "How can I make this up to you?" I place my hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. "How can I make this better?""You can't," she huffs, defiant. "You ruined my wedding day." Her lip trembles and I want to kiss away her pain, but I know she'd rather be heard now than seduced. "No, that's not exactly right or fair. Magnus ruined it. Again. That bastard ruins everything."I pull her into my arms and hold her to my chest. "We can still have a beautiful day. So what if the press won't care? Maybe that's for the best. I should have never tried to turn our wedding into a press opportunity in the first place.""Press opportunity?" she huffs, "You mean publicity stunt."I twist my lips but do not correct her. There's no use when she's in this kind of mood. "So what are you going to d
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 306
[Atlas]Cordelia has never been good about taking care of herself or using good judgment regarding her safety. I know she is a grown woman now, turning 26 this year, but in my mind, I'll always see the 19-year-old girl he was at my engagement to her sister--sweet, quiet, and a little bit careless with that big heart of hers. Remembering how young and sometimes clueless she can be makes me want to keep her locked up in our bedroom, never leaving, always there so I know she is safe.She's matured a lot in the last two years. She hasn't had much choice. Our divorce, and then everything that happened after including starting her life over twice, building two businesses from nothing, you'd think she'd have learned a few lessons.Especially when it comes to Jude. For some reason, she has an especially large and fairly infuriating blindspot when it comes to that man. But I really can't blame her for falling into his trap this time--he had us all fooled. The letter he left in her place wrin
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 307
[Atlas]Yanking the note from my hands, Clark immediately frowns. "Jude," he grumbles sounding at least as irritated as I feel. "Jerk had to write the note in code! Who does that?""An insane person," I throw my hands up in exasperation. "A madman that we decided to trust for god knows why and now he's in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with my wife!"Clark huffs under his breath about Jude being a serious prick as he takes a moment to read over the note. His fingers brush over the letters slowly, as he begins pointing out a few key details. "The only word not encoded is Cordelia's name. We can use that as an anchor. This cipher is likely much easier than it looks. Just give me a couple of minutes." Taking the letter, he slams the door behind him, disappearing, leaving me alone in the hallway. A few minutes later he's dressed, and so is Tilly. She looks even worse than he does, not having bothered to even run a brush through her hair, her mumu barely covering her bulging belly as sh
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 308
[Clark]Not again, damn it! We lost Cordy again! My heart racing, I try to hide the fear I'm feeling but Tilly sees it. Looking at her eyes I know she's feeling it as well. Cordy is her best friend in the world. And my first crush. Working next to Tilly, watching her as she puzzled through the code with me made my heart swell with love and pride. This beautiful, intelligent woman is the mother of my daughters. As much as I will always love Cordy, the one thing I am the most grateful for is that infatuation led me to find this perfect woman. As soon as we crack the code, I am ready to race from the room. Tilly squeezes my hand to calm me as Atlas' brain catches up to our conclusion. I can see the location clearly in my mind. I know where we'll find her, and I know where he wants to go. The map is wrong. It isn't empty water. I'm not sure how I know this, but I see a jungled paradise clearly in my mind with a building hidden deep in the canopy. My head hurts at the fading vision, som
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 309
[Atlas] My heart seizes as I feel a sudden stab of pain. I can't see straight, my world spins as my heart skips a beat and for a moment I feel like I'm dying. "Cordelia will be fine," I take a deep breath with my hands over my head as I lean against a wall. This isn't the first panic attack I've ever had, but it has been a very long time. The first time was when my parents died. It happened again the day I learned Angelica was "dead." "She isn't dead," I swear to myself. I won't let her be dead. "I'd know if she were dead." And I believe that. My heart would stop beating as soon as hers did because she is my heart—she and Jasper and that new little angel growing within her. The Captain got straight to work. It isn't enough to just turn a key and release the controls to change course, there are other elements to moving a boat like this, especially at the rapid rate we want to move her in. Things could go wrong, engines could fail. Waiting for the first mate to arrive so that
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 310
[Clark]Atlas comes around the table and lets me lean against him as I cry. I feel guilty, falling apart like this while he's so worried about Cordelia. I'm worried about her too, but right now my family is on the bottom deck suffering. Dying. "So much blood," I repeat, unable to shake the vision of her lying on that bed, drained of color as blood and other fluids continued to flow from between her legs. I know she wanted to rush the babies along, but I can't help but blame myself for yesterday afternoon and the emotions that led to her need for comfort. If we hadn't made love, would she be dying now? If we had just waited until we were close to a real hospital, would I be praying for her and my girls like I am right now?She's right, I am selfish. I wanted to give our family something to cheer about and show the world we are powerful and not broken from everything that has happened, and in doing so I broke my love's happiness. She deserves a dream wedding, not a rushed elopement th
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 311
[Atlas]Clark draws our attention to something reflecting the light on the surface of the water. A member of the crew sends down a net and brings it to the surface.The aluminum casing of the item shines brightly in the sunlight and I blink. It takes me a moment to recognize it as my eyes adjust. It's just an empty water bottle. In any other circumstance, I'd just dismiss it as old sea-trash. But as I rotate it in my hands I realize how big a mistake that would be. The logo for Steele Industries is engraved on the side. This water bottle came from this ship, a ship that has not sailed these waters in 25 years. Clark reaches forward and takes the bottle in his hands. His eyes closed, he rotates it, feeling it with his fingertips as he makes his own observations. "Jude threw this overboard. He's going through the water rapidly," His voice is rasping and quiet, sounding like they are coming from far away. "We need to hurry. Cordy is hurt. We are running out of time.We all stand there
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 312
[Cordelia]The sun shines in my eyes as I blink awake, my head pounding, each small stroke of the boat sounding a bit like a wet drum hitting the side of my head. Wait, stroke? We're moving again. Jude must have found a way to keep going to wherever the hell it was he wanted to go. I hope we get there soon, preferably before I need to vomit over the side. While I was knocked out by whatever Jude had given me, he had somehow managed to maneuver the boat onto another course. Jude's shoulder and arm muscles are impressive as he uses a large paddle to move the small boat forward, his skin tanning darker in the noonday sun. I want to demand to know what was in that shot that he gave me, why every muscle in my body still screams in pain, but I can't do more than open and shut my mouth uselessly. My mouth is so dry that it feels cracked, the inside of my throat is without even a hint of moisture. I am so thoroughly dehydrated that I can't swallow.Trying to talk, I make a strange dry raspi
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Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 369
[Atlas]Delilah Fisher steps around the corner in a long, silver gown, her makeup flawless, and her smile large and welcoming.She looks so much like Angelica did when I first met her that my heart stutters. I love Cordelia with my entire being, and yet a part of me still reacts to the memory of the shining girl who captured my attention almost a decade ago. But this isn't Angelica. Delilah, while beautiful and poised, lacks the immaculate grace that Angelica exuded. Each of the sisters has a unique nature that shines through, despite having almost identical faces."Atlas Steele," her heels click in the silent room as she steps into the light. "Why is it so hard for you to believe your brother? Haven't you seen enough wonders in this world yet to understand that anything can be possible?""There's no such thing as mind control," I repeat. "Believing in psychic powers is for fools.""And you pride yourself on not being one," she smirks, amused. "But a true wise man would keep his mind
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 368
[Jude]Sydney. Now that she has me under her control, I'll never be free of her. When I came to save her, I was convinced she was pregnant with my child. She had sent a distress signal to me using our private channels letting me know of her pregnancy and it was enough to get me to betray the Steele family and derail their plans to find their cure. Using what I knew about Atlas' missing mother was just a distraction.My goal had always been to claim my son.But then I discovered that beyond all logic Angelica is still alive.I should have realized this was possible and known that Magnus wouldn't give up such a valuable tool so easily. Angelica had been Magnus' toy for years before she was sent into my world. I knew he had modified her, and turned her into the perfect weapon, but I had no idea how deep those modifications went until I saw her face staring at me on that magazine cover.She shouldn't have survived that explosion. And yet here she is, unscathed, awaiting a new uterus in
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 367
[Atlas]I twist my arm away from the guard in black. His face is blank as he reaches forward again. "Don't." My voice carries forward, and although it isn't loud, it holds a note of command that makes the armed guard pause."Sir," he blinks retracting his hand. "You are trespassing. I was ordered to take you into holding." My face remains still as my voice rings out again, "You will not touch us. You have no right." The guard swallows, taking a step back, my words hitting him with the force of a slap. "We will leave," I inform him. "You will report our apologies to your boss." He nods, accepting my command. "Atlas," Clark calls my attention to our situation. Blinking I snap awake, and pull my gaze from the guard. As soon as I blink, the guard stumbles backward shaking his head in confusion, as if my words and stare alone were enough to entrap him in some kind of trance. Around the edges of my vision, I see more guards headed in our direction. If we are going to make it out of h
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 366
[Atlas]Damn it, Cordelia!"Pick up, pick up, pick up," the phone rings but nobody replies. "This number is unavailable as dialed, please try again," the message on the other end informs me as my blood pressure rises and my hands shake.A moment ago I had been talking to my wife. And then the line was dead. I sent her to Canada to keep her and our children safe, and she chose to bring herself to Magnus' attention. Sending a quick message to the guards in charge of watching over my family, I stare at my screen waiting for word of their status. "Atlas, is there anything I can do to help?"Blinking away from the screen I look up at my brother as our rented van parks a few blocks away from the luau. Our driver informs us of our arrival and waits for further instructions."I'm sorry, Clark," I close my eyes, rubbing my temples. "You were saying something?""Is everything okay?" He tries again and I groan. "No." I groan honestly. "Or at least, I hope everything is fine. Lately, it seems
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 365
[Clark]The message "Tilly SOS" flicked across the screen three times before winking out, leaving my screen blank. I open my email that I keep under an alias on a secure server. There is a single message alerting me to new information available on my server. I've used this system when working with people who needed to keep their identities safe and their messages secret. The last time I needed it was working with Jude while he was still under Magnus' watch.Even though it has been months since I used it, my fingers remember the passcodes. Soon, I'll be on the server. Two emails are waiting for me, both are from Tilly's parents. In the first message, they inform me that they have landed and are settling in their new place. It is a secure facility, surrounded by several acres of land, disconnected from the distant towns and cities. The Madisons, sparing no expense, went to extra lengths to include copious additional security.They are, after all, securing their legacy. Tilly is their o
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 364
[Cordelia]There is a loud explosion just to the right of the airplane. "What was that," I lower the phone, turning it off as I gaze out the window to see what had caused the noise. "Nothing, Ma'am," the co-pilot says over his shoulder, "Just a little turbulence.""Turbulence?" I shout back as another boom resounds just outside the passenger's cabin as a curtain goes up between the pilots and the rest of the plane, blocking our view. "But we aren't even in the air yet!""Calm yourself, Mrs. Steele," Jake, the security guard, takes his phone from my numb hand. "Sit next to your children and trust your staff to get you out of here safely. We've got this, Mrs. Steele."He almost seemed offended in my lack of faith as he types into his phone what I'm guessing is a message to Atlas to calm his nerves and let him know we are alive. "But nobody is telling me what's happening," I grumble as I buckle in next to Jasper and the little girl I've decided to call Saphira until I learn her real na
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 363
[Atlas]"What do you mean gone," I barked into the phone, my hand clenching it tight enough to hear it crunch. These new smartphones seem to get flimsier with each model. I've broken 3 in the last 6 months from anger or nerves. I love my wife, but I'm pretty sure she's going to stress me into an early grave. "Your mother created a distraction, Sir," my lead guard, Jake, apologizes over the phone, not making excuses as much as stating facts. "Mrs. Suzanna Steele arrived late last night along with a young man she called Sasha. The next morning, while your mother and Ms. Devaroux kept me distracted searching for a false threat, your wife and this young man escaped."Cordelia has always been sneaky when she needs to be, and until this point, he had been very good at keeping her from falling into mischief. I wasn't expecting my mother to be part of the problem. At least now I know where she ran off to. Her room had been empty when I returned to the boat yesterday. "Are you sure it is m
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 362
[Clark]There are things that I need to keep secret from my brother, not because I do not trust him with my secrets, but because I do not want to burden him with them.Which is why I needed to get away. Without Tilly, there is no reason for me to stay on the boat."I'll meet you later, when it's time to go to the luau," I promise Atlas as I give him a hug and take my leave. I know that I could just stay at our family hotel, but I need to be somewhere else, somewhere that nobody recognizes me. And also, I want to ensure that what I am about to do is as untraceable as possible. "Mr. Janus," the man at the front desk smiles when I hand him a wad of cash in exchange for a key card. "Enjoy you stay. Please call down if you need anything."Adjusting my sunglasses, lower the bill of my baseball cap, grab my small bag, and make my way through the other guests milling around in the hotel lobby. Located along the beach it has a spectacular view of the the ocean.And the location of tonight's
Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele Chapter 361
[Jude]Opening the door, I push back the clinician waiting for Angelica to rise. The poor man looks lost, most likely expecting Angel to greet him and not a gruff guard in black."Excuse me," he calls out as I walk down the hall. I don't owe him any excuses or explanations. I'm her bodyguard. I can be seen coming and going from her room. Besides, I don't have time for niceties. I'm already late reporting to work. The guards all bunk together in a large room on the basement level. There are beds and a shared shower as well as a kitchen so that we don't disturb the rest of the house as we take care of our daily necessities. There weren't any free bunks when I arrived, so I sleep on a camping bed on the floor. As I march down there, the leader of the group raises his eyebrow. He can tell by the unused state of my sleeping area that I haven't been back to rest."Late night?" he questions me as I walk down the stairs, "Whoever she was, she better be worth it." He smirks. "Mr. Fisher will
