Page 15 of Marked By the Devil

“The truth.” I wasn’t going to repeat questions. Every and any question I asked was giving something away. They all contributed to what she would know I wanted to know, and that had to be a calculated riddle until I knew what to do with her.

“That is the truth.” She shook her head faintly, but it didn’t seem like a nervous tic. More like she was confused. Her blinking so often could be a tell that she was lying, but I couldn’t be sure about that yet. “I was not informed about any assassination attempt on your brother. I mean on anyone there.”

The slight inconsistency snagged my attention, how she worded it and didn’t quite say the same thing at once.

“I was there for a stakeout. Not to watch you or your people but to keep an eye on Rico Johnson.”

I could almost get behind that and believe her. Rico Johnson was a fucking pain in the ass who was trying to kiss up to Adrik. He had money but lost it. He wanted money but doled it out too. It was only a matter of time before he got caught with the wrong people or accounts, and that was why Adrik was cautious and slow to move on anything Rico Johnson asked for or suggested. We had yet to give any money to his goddamn campaign, and I bet Adrik wouldn’t “donate” anything just to steer clear of him.

“Yet you want me to believe your presence caused a second shot to be fired? That you were a target? Not my brother?”

She lowered her gaze, squinting as she blinked. “I… No? I was shot at. But⁠—”

“I didn’t see any injuries on you.”

She pressed her lips together in a firm line, perhaps not fond of my looking at her when she was out of it. A stupid twist of mischief entered my mind with the idea of looking at all of her as soon as I could.

Yeah, right.

Quit it.

I didn’t have enough answers yet to know if she was involved with an attempt on my brother’s life or not.

“I didn’t say I was shot.”

“Then how can you know you were supposed to be?”

“Someone shot in the general direction of me.”

I gave her a dubious look.

“I didn’t have time to assess all the details. You all made a commotion down below. Security was alerted. I was trying to get out of there as well.”

“You were trying to flee before or after this ‘second’ shot was fired?”

Her flinty glare returned. “Before and after.”

Her reactions signaled her defensiveness. Her replies hinted at inconsistencies. I wasn’t fond of partial truths, but I could tell that I wasn’t going to get anything more from her now. So many questions remained to be asked, but it seemed prudent to back up a second and analyze what she’d said.

“Can I use the restroom?”

I pointed at the corner of the room. No toilet or bucket waited there, but I wanted to goad her. To see if she’d sass or sulk at the lousy accommodations I’d offer her.

“I need to wash my hands.”

I rolled my eyes.

She glowered at me, but her blinking ruined the intensity of her fear and anger. She was scared. I felt her fear that she tried to mask behind defiance and strength. She wasn’t stupid. She knew she was caught and wouldn’t escape easily—or at all. She was probably banking on the possibility that she’d be killed here. But I wasn’t sure about that yet. If she was connected to Smithson and those other fuckers at the agency that employed her, I could try to get other answers from her.

“I need to take my contacts out.”

Ah. That could explain the blinking.

“Some dust got in my eyes when you tackled me, and it’s more irritated since I slept with them in all night.”

“Do you think I give a shit about your comfort?”

“I know you don’t,” she replied with heat. Her tense posture proved she was all talk, though. She was still scared. “Just like I know you’ll want to take your sweet ass time to figure out whether I’m a threat to you. I’m not.”