Page 106 of Brainwashed

His eyes do something strange. They darken even further, which I didn’t think was possible, also somehow hardening and softening at the same time. It’s an interesting thing to witness.

His throat dips in a visible swallow. “Officer Chevelle is almost a perfect example of what I expect from my officers.Almost.” His gaze goes far off for a moment, as if he’s considering something. Then he comes back to me. “He’s the perfect henchman. But of course, he’s still human. He makes mistakes.” He pauses and zeroes in on me. “As we all do.”

It’s my turn to swallow.He’s definitely talking about Felix now.

The waiter returns with our bottle of wine, making a show of opening it and pouring some for Manuel to sip. He nods with very little excitement, much to the chagrin of the eager waiter, who pours us each a glass and mumbles, “Any ideas for tonight, Señor Blanco?”

Manuel looks at me, and my eyes drop to the menu. I haven’t even glanced at it yet.

“Any food allergies?” he asks me, and I shake my head. He plucks the menu out of my hand, handing it, with his, to the waiter. “We’ll both have the paella.”

“Muy bien, Señor,” the waiter says, scurrying off.

Manuel folds his hands on the table, placing his full attention on me. “I enjoy the food here, but it’s nothing like what I grew up with.”

“Are you from Spain?” I ask, even though I know he isn’t. My research told me he was born and raised in Cartagena.

“No, no.” He chuckles. “I’m Colombian. Unfortunately, the best Colombian restaurants in the city are more like holes in the wall. Don’t get me wrong, I find my way there during most of my trips into Manhattan. But for dinners like this, I prefer something more upscale.”

“Dinners like this?” I repeat his words, an uneasy pit forming in my stomach.

Manuel Blanco picks up his glass of wine, swirling it for a moment before taking a sip. “I would like to get to know you better, Lem. Because as much as I know you can be left alone to do your job, I don’t reallyknowyou. I would like not to be surprised by the things you do again.”

I shift. “If you’re referring to what Felix did, I assure you that experiment was hugely beneficial to my research—”

“Lem, please.” He holds his hand up. “I’m not mad.” He pauses and I let out a silent breath. “Am I thrilled to have lost two inmates in one day? Of course not. Am I filled with purerageat the idea that my most recent addition, one who was sent specifically to me from Governor Russo to keep a very special eye on, is now out in the world somewhere, roaming around like a free animal? Yes. Very much.”

His dark eyes narrow on me, and I remind myself to stand my ground.Don’t let him intimidate you.“Manuel, I understand your frustrations, I do.”

“Do you?” he growls.

Gulping, I retort assertively, “I can empathize.” He nods subtly. “But I am promising you, this is all a very important part of my research. You’ve seen the assessments. What I’m gaining from him… It’s unrivaled.”

“Hmm… yes.” He rubs his chin. “Sometimes I resent that the world thinks he’s dead. We could make some real money with the things he’s been confessing to you.”

I don’t care about money.“Yes, well, all that aside, I’m on the verge of some groundbreaking work. My experiments are unorthodox, yes, but you knew these were my interests when you hired me.”

He stares at me for a moment before mumbling, “Yes, I suppose I did.”

“And truth be told, it’s not like you haven’t had casualties before with Johansson’s team. I read the file on Henry Landon. He swallowed his tongue after being dosed with exorbitant levels of LSD against his knowledge by Dr. Templeton.”

“Yes, yes, well, honestly, I’m much less concerned about the death of Kieran O’Malley than I am about Dascha Reznikov’s escape.” He sips his wine, then lets out a frustrated breath.

“Sure… that makes sense.” I take a large gulp of my own.

“But it’s alright, Lem.” He sighs. “Like I said, I’m not mad. And trust me, if I want Dascha back, I’ll find a way to get him.”

My brows zip together. “You know where he is?”

His jaw clenches visibly. “Iwill.”

I nod in agreement, because he’s getting a little scary right now, and I’d prefer to go back to him talking about how he isn’t mad.

“Let’s just leave it at this, Lemuel.” He leans in on the table. “Felix Darcey is to remain in my custody, no matter what. That’s the only stipulation I’ll put on your research.” He glares at me, and my chin bobs. “Everything else is up to you. But just remember, Dascha wasveryimportant to me… But The Carverismy most prized possession. If anyone tries to take him from me, they will meet my unprofessional side. Do you understand?”

“I do,” I tell him sincerely.

His face morphs from quiet simmering fury to pleasant dinner guest in the blink of an eye and he smirks. “Wonderful.” He lifts his glass for us to toast, which I follow him in doing. “Here’s to a mutually beneficial working relationship. And to Felix Darcey, and his severely corrupted mind.”