Page 98 of Storm and Tempest

The older woman stomped out, past Zeyla, who stood at the door looking unsure of what to do.

“I’m fine.” Maizie shook her head, lifting her chin. Trying to convince them.

It didn’t work.

“We know you aren’t, and you haven’t been since Kenna was taken.” Jax had to swallow against the lump in his throat. “I know that because none of us are okay.”

“No one’s getting on anyone else’s case. Just mine,” she said. “Because I’m ‘poor Maizie’ who can’t function like a normal person. Who gets—” She caught herself and stopped talking.

“What?”

Ramon said, “Tell us what’s going on.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m dealing with it just like Amara did.”

Jax frowned. “Either it doesn’t matter, or you’re dealing with it. Not sure it can be both. But either way, we want to know what it is. We need you to let us in, Maizie.”

“Or what? You’ll force yourself in.” She stared at him, defiance in her eyes. “Been there. Done that.”

Someone gasped, and he thought it might’ve been Zeyla, but didn’t look.

“You know the kind of men we are,” Jax said. “You know you’re safe with us.”

“Then leave me alone.”

“Plug your iPad into their system.” Jax wasn’t backing down. “And your computer.” Because that was what had started all this.

“No.”

“Why not? What don’t you want anyone to see?” He took a step toward her, knowing she understood how he would act in her personal space but not touching her. “Maizie, why doesDominatusseem to not care about you at all?”

“You don’t know that,” she snapped.

“Tell me.”

“It isn’t a big deal. We’re not even at the FBI anymore, so it doesn’t matter.”

Jax lifted his brows. “The worm in their system?”

She sniffed, glancing away.

“You put it there so thatDominatushad access to the Bureau’s computer system, likely giving them access to other systems and national databases in the process.”

She didn’t deny it.

Jax’s mind spun with the implications. It had been her. “So they’ve infiltrated the government because of your choices.” He folded his arms. “Which means the president’s taskforce might have been burned because of you.”

Her features flashed with anger. “You don’t know that.”

“I know that Samuel and Sandra, and now Elliot, are dead because our enemy can track your every movement. And if you plug your stuff into the system here, MSI gets hacked by the people they’re trying to stop.”

“We need to destroy her system.” Hollace took a step toward her.

Maizie backed up.

“Why did you give them access, Maizie?”

Ramon took a step forward. “Hermanita?”