AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“River. She’s pretty talented too. Better than Banshee, and apparently better than you.” A smile snuck onto her face as she realized there were still secrets her team held. Hopefully the knowledge River was in the picture wasn’t the only information Cipher wasn’t privy to.
“I don’t know anything about her.”
“Good.”
“I thought there were six on your team?”
“You did? Interesting,” she responded vaguely. Her phone began to buzz and she pulled it from the side pocket in her leggings. When she saw Saint’s name flashing across the screen, she shot a text off to him:I’m fine. Call you back in a bit.
“Who was that?”
“None of your business.”
He cocked his head. “You sure want to know everything about me, but you’re not giving me anything in return.”
She shrugged a shoulder, lifting the hem of her shirt to reveal the discreetly holstered Glock. His attention automatically dipped. “She who holds the weapons asks the questions. I want to know what intel you’ve provided Carlisle and I want all ten names of the assholes on The Agency.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m working for Chadwick Carlisle. I don’t know who or what The Agency is.”
Forcing herself to count to ten, Inda searched his face for any telltale sign he was lying to her. She couldn’t find any. Not even a facial tic. “Well, let me clue you in. I may be an assassin, but Carlisle is in bed with the devil. And, since you’re on his payroll, guess what that makes you?”
“For someone who’s a terrorist and a murderer, you’re awfully judgmental.”
Her eyes widened. “I am not a terrorist!”
“Really?” he scoffed. “That’s not what I was told.”
“By who? Carlisle? Only an idiot would believe him.”
Something flashed in the depths of his eyes. Hurt? Anger? She couldn’t quite tell because it disappeared so fast.
“Think what you want,Bruja, but the most important thing in this whole fucking world is making sure my mother has the care and comfort she needs. The money Carlisle waved in front of my face was too tempting to resist when we were up in Oregon. So I said I’d help him dig up some intel on a terroristgroup. I love my country, so why not? Besides, that money moved us down here, paid for her treatments and now her final care. Is Carlisle a good man? You say he isn’t, but why the hell should I believe you? He told me your team hunts down and kills people!”
His voice softened as he said, “Besides, what I chose to do isn’t about you or your team or Carlisle. All I care about is giving my mom the most pain-free and dignified final days I can. And if that means I’m in league with fucking Lucifer himself, then so be it.”
A part of her traitorous heart felt for him. But she was also seriously pissed. “You have no idea what my team does or what I’ve been through. Whatwe’vebeen through.”
“So—enlighten me.”
But, Inda shook her head. No way in hell was she going to give him any intel on her team. They were her first loyalty. And she certainly wasn’t going to spill her guts about her past. “Knowing you work for Carlisle, that you’ve been hacking into Banshee’s system, there’s no way I can trust you.”
“Well, knowing you’re part of Ex Nihilo, there’s no way I can fucking trust you, either, so I guess we’re at a stalemate.”
“Fine!” she shot back.
“Fine!”
The moment the word left his mouth, she caught a flash of something from the corner of her eye. Turning her full attention to the window, she stalked over and looked out.
“What’s wrong?” Lucas asked.
“Stay back,” she warned, her gaze scanning the area, including nearby windows and rooftops. Maybe she was imagining things, but it had almost looked like a muzzle flash. Unease swept through her body and her gut tightened as she closed the blinds. “I think we should leave.”
“Why?”
Instead of answering, she headed for the door. Lucas followed closely behind and they slipped into the hallway. The moment they reached the lobby, the window closest to them shattered and a series of muffled sounds filled the air. Inda immediately recognized it for what it was—shots from a suppressor.
“Get down!” she yelled, pulling her Glock.
