Or nothing.
Everything about him made me think of mafia enforcers or black ops. I really, really hoped it wasn’t the first.
Scarface looked me over, and from his standing position, made me feel small. I knew it was intentional, but it was working anyway. I wasn’t anything exciting to look at. My brown hair was tucked behind my ears, I had on no makeup and I wore the simple Jax maid’s uniform.
“You have one opportunity to talk. To tell us who you really are, why you were in the Jax household and why you were snooping around. I recommend taking it, for if you don’t…”
He let that hang, like a dangling carrot. Sing like a canary and put my mother and sisters in danger, or else.
“If I don’t?” I countered.
His salt and pepper brow went up and Scarface crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t need to do that to be intimidating. He was scary as hell just by breathing.
The corner of Lord Wyse’s mouth tipped up. He flicked a glance at the police officers. “This is just a basic interrogation room at a precinct of the Mytikas police. They handle minor crimes, simple thugs. You recognize my uniform?” he asked.
“You just said you’re with the Optimus unit.” I didn’t want to deny it. I had no doubt all of Alera knew of this elite group. It would be like denying knowledge of the FBI. I didn’t have to be in their custody to know of the FBI’s existence, and their power in the US.
“Yes, and the Optimus unit has enough intelligence data power to know that you do not exist. There are no fingerprints, no eye scans or birth records. Nothing about you, Faith. Why is that? You must have very interesting friends, indeed. Friends with a lot of money. Connections.” He leaned over the table and stared down into my eyes like he was examining an insect. Creep. “Power.”
Yeah, the identity thing was a problem. I wasn’t born here, didn’t have a driver’s license, bank account, own or rent a house. I had no idea how they
tracked people on Alera, but I assumed it was all the same kind of things. Birth certificate. Medical records. Schooling.
I didn’t exist in planetary databases because I hadn’t existed on Alera until recently. I just had to hope they wouldn’t do a DNA analysis or something because then it would become obvious who I was. DNA didn’t lie. My lineage would be verified. My mother would be instantly identified as the queen and myself as Trinity’s sister.
I slid my hands off the table and folded them in my lap. Clenched my fingers together. Maybe I could string him along for a while? Buy myself some time to figure out what to do next.
“What intelligence are you trying to gather on the Jax family?” he asked, leaning even farther forward and putting his palms flat on the table. This close, I could see his eyes were a dark blue.
I lifted my chin, remained silent. They’d found me in the Jax mansion. He thought I was interested in the that family. He believed that I was seeking intel on them specifically. I was, but it was because they’d sent bad guys to kill me and my sisters. Almost accomplished the task, too. Fortunately, there was no reason for him to make a mental leap from a maid to the royal line. And no one outside of the Jax family and the men who’d died knew what had happened the night of our arrival on this planet.
It wasn’t like they put all those dead guards on the news. I knew. I’d been watching.
For once, I was grateful that I looked more like my dad, with my brown hair and eyes, than I did like my mother or Trinity. They were both beautiful blondes with fair skin and blue eyes. There was absolutely zero family resemblance. Thank god.
“I have nothing to say to you.” I couldn’t say I wanted a lawyer. I had no idea what the rules were on Alera. Were people innocent until proven otherwise? Were they provided legal counsel? I wasn’t going to give myself away by asking.
Those laws were set in place by the queen, but they had been operating without one of those for almost thirty years. Who knew what kind of insanity they had created in my mother’s absence.
He stood to his full height, glanced at the officers and snapped his fingers. They moved and stood on either side of me.
“Very well. We will continue this conversation in an environment that is more conducive to… talking.”
I didn’t think he was referencing a comfortable sofa and a few glasses of wine.
Scarface laughed. “Optimus cell level C will get her talking within an hour.”
My blood went cold at the thought of what might happen on this infamous level C, but I wasn’t going to relent now. I couldn’t share about Trinity, about my status. Nothing. I had to keep quiet at all costs. I had to buy them more time. Talking now could endanger my mother. Scared people did stupid things, like kill hostages to hide their tracks.
The Jones sisters needed more time. My mother needed more time. I just hoped it didn’t cost me too much.
The guards grabbed my upper arms and tugged me to my feet, the chair beneath me sliding across the smooth floor.
I didn’t think, but acted, a flood of energy pouring into my body like hot water filling me from the feet up.
I felt powerful.
Invincible.