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My hands were zip tied behind my back. I could easily break them, but until I knew the circumstances surrounding me, it was best to play dead. I was laying on a cold concrete floor, and based on the temperature in the room, we were in a cooler climate, probably somewhere close to the Canadian border. My shoes were missing, along with my socks. That always meant torture. Other than that, I still had my other clothes. That was a good sign for now.
“You’re sure about this?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
That voice…Fuck, my head was fucking pounding and my vision was swirling in the darkness.
“Get him up,” a stern voice snapped.
Hands gripped my arms, jerking me upright. The bag was torn from my head and I winced at the bright light. Men in suits stood around me, scattered around a cold, dank room with utilitarian lights hanging from the ceiling.
I shook my head, barely staying upright on my knees as dizziness washed over me. That hit to the head did more damage than I thought when I woke up. I was seeing double as I gazed at the men surrounding me. It took me a minute to focus, but then I realized what this was.
The man front and center stared at me for a moment, his eyes raking over me, taking in every inch of my body. He slowly walked toward me, measuring the weight of who I was.
“So…you want in.”
I kept my mouth shut. He didn’t require an answer.
“You’re not known for stepping outside the lines,” he said, walking around me.
I tensed as he walked outside my periphery. If he chose to put a bullet in my head, that was it. Game over.
“Rafe…he had what it took to do the job, but he was singularly focused. Such a waste,” the man tsked. “All he cared about was getting his sister back.” He walked back into my line of vision and stopped. “He traded himself for his sister. Very noble, but in the end, not the kind of men we’re looking for. What good are you to us if you’re dead?”
He shook his head and kept walking. “No, there are always consequences for everything we do. There’s a delicate balance, and sometimes the innocent have to pay dearly for that balance. Do you understand that, or are you as noble as your brother?”
He stared at me, waiting for a reply, but I refused to give one. He’d already made up his mind about me. Giving him any sort of answer was pointless.
“You shot him. Tell me, was that a kindness or were you doing what was necessary?”
“I think we both know the answer to that,” I growled.
It wouldn’t do any good to lie. Besides, he was already fucking burning. There was no reason besides kindness to end Rafe’s life.
“You were there to save him.”
Again, I didn’t say anything.
“Tell us what you found that day.”
My eyes flicked to his and I saw the curiosity burning bright. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do,” he laughed. “I can see it in your eyes. I’ve been watching you. Hell, we all have. We may have taken out the senator, but we were not the ones who pulled the trigger on your man. Kavanaugh, wasn’t it? You can’t hide it from us.”
He knelt down in front of me, grinning at me. “You shot your own man. That’s fucking ruthless. Tell us why.”
I gritted my teeth, anger filling me up with every second that passed. I didn’t owe these assholes an explanation. Yet, if I wanted in, I had to give them something.
“We already know why you did it.” He looked behind me, nodding to someone. Heavy footfalls paced toward me, walking alongside me. “The senator told him, didn’t he?”
Michael walked past me, turning to face me, wearing a suit just like the other, taking his place amongst the men before me.
“He knew about Shadow, and you had to protect the man who raised you, so you took out your own man.” He grinned at me, shoving back to his feet. “It would have worked, too. If only he hadn’t seen the sniper rifle’s glint. He turned just in time, and ended up saving his own life.”
My gaze flicked to Michael’s. He stood amongst these men, staring down at me and waiting for me to make a decision. I was either with him or I was out. There was no going back once I made the call.
The man who was questioning me turned to Michael. Something about the way he was watching him had me stiffening. Something else was going on, something I hadn’t anticipated. I heard a rustling behind me, but didn’t dare look. Michael’s face said it all. Something bad was about to go down.