Page 69 of The Rook
In the morning, my hands were still shaking. I’d slept like shit, imagining all the ways that last night could have gone wrong.
And all the ways that Westin could have had you.
Every time I’d closed my eyes last night, there he’d been. His hand over my mouth, telling me to be quiet. And then things had gotten significantly more R-rated from there.
In some dreams, he ripped my clothes off in the tunnel. Others, the car. Oddly the dirtiest ones were always after he’d admonished me in the flat.
You have got to get a grip love.
I truly did need to get a grip. At least I’d have a reprieve today as Westin was off. So my meeting with Interpol would be under the radar.
My new human tank wasn’t familiar. This one didn’t say much and stayed at the entrance of the Law Section of the library. Better he didn’t see where I was headed and get too curious and ask questions.
Oh, I was nervous, but I was one hundred percent convinced he had lied to me for years. He'd kept her from me and then lied to my face about not being able to find her. All to control me and my movements, to keep me docile. Well, I was done being docile. I was done with him.
Maybe I would regret this. Maybe I would want to think twice about doing this, but right now, this was the right decision.
If you're so sure of that, why didn't you tell Westin about it last night?
I licked my lips as I sat at the corner table in the stacks, waiting for the text that let me know Amelia was nearby.
If you trust him then why not tell him?
It boiled down simply to the fact that I thought he would stop me. And I was done being patient. I was done waiting. I was done letting someone else control my movements, actions, my life.
But also, I didn't want blowback on him. If he didn't know, he couldn't be forced to tell anyone.
As I waited for Amelia in the library, I was still shaking. The nerves from last night hadn’t dissipated yet. I'd taken one too many risks, and I'd almost been burned.
But it was worth it.
My phone chimed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Amelia: Come to Listening room A.
I gathered my things and headed back to the listening rooms.
Amelia was pacing the room when I entered. "Hello. Why are you pacing?"
"I'm glad you decided to come and talk to me."
“You knew what I would find.”
Amelia’s eyes went soft and sympathetic. “I had a feeling what you would find, yes.”
“How did you know?”
“Your father has been a person of interest for a long time. We've been looking for a way into his organization. We've been unsuccessful thus far. Currently, you have been making moves to separate and distance yourself from him. Which makes you a good potential asset.”
“So you want to use me.”
“I want us to use each other.” Her shrug was slight. “I won't pretend like I'm helping you to be altruistic. I want your assistance. I want your cooperation. Will I hurt you to get it? No. But I'm not above giving you what you've wanted in exchange to get what I want.”
“What is it you want?”
“Your father's head on a pike. He's been doing business with some very nasty men. One in particular. His name is Antonio Igno. Your father took something from him. Or maybe it was an exchange, we don't know. All we know is he has something on Antonio Igno. Or has something that belongs to Igno. We don't know the whys or the hows, but we know it’s the reason for the increased security on you. We need to listen in. And if possible, we need to catch your father and Igno in the same room. We don't need you to do anything dangerous, just plant a couple of bugs so we can listen in. That's all."
“Oh, that's all, is it? Do you understand that this man has been controlling every facet of my life since I was ten years old? I don't have any proof, but I think he sabotaged my interviews recently. You want me to help you spy on that kind of a person?”
