Page 26 of Fighting for Scarlett

A hand touched her shoulder, squeezing gently. “I don’t know, but whatever it is I know you didn't do it. You're the kindest, sweetest, most generous woman I have ever met. You're nice to everyone. You care about everyone. I have to go, I'm not supposed to be in here, I just … couldn’t let them keep you here with nothing to eat or drink.”

“Thank you,” she whispered again, doing her best to get her tears under control. She was obviously in hot water, but she had no idea why. If she was going to be accused of something, she couldn’t show any weakness, and tears were a definite weakness.

After offering her an encouraging smile, Dora slipped away, and Scarlett quickly forced down the sandwich, knowing that as part of the interrogation she was about to be subjected to, she would be denied water, food, sleep, and painkillers.

Ten minutes later, the door to her interrogation room opened, and the suits strolled in. They both eyed the empty sandwich wrapper and the cup of tea she clutched in her hands, but neither commented.

“Ms. Madden, we need you to answer a few questions,” one of them said.

Gathering strength she hadn't had to reach for in a long time, Scarlett set down her cup of tea and met their gazes squarely. She hadn't done anything wrong, she had the money to pay for a lawyer if she needed one, and she had plenty of practice facing problems alone.

She had this.

Or at least, she’d pretend she did until she convinced herself it was true.

“Why am I here?” she demanded, pleased her voice came out strong and steady.

“What is your relationship to Raul Castillo?” one suit asked.

Feeling the blood drain from her face, Scarlett curled her now trembling fingers around the edge of the table, letting the bite of the sharp metal keep her sane. “My relationship to him? You make it sound like we’re lovers or something.” Her stomach rolled and she pressed a hand to it in the vain hopes of keeping the sandwich down. “The man is a monster who kidnapped me, tortured me, and demanded I give him the formula for the Reactivator. Which I did not do,” she said, proud that it was the truth. “I don’t know what you think I did, but I do know I'm happy to do whatever it takes to convince you you're wrong because a dangerous man wants a drug I helped create, and no way is he getting his hands on it.”

January 13th

5:04 P.M.

He should have left already.

Gone home and washed his hands of this entire situation.

Yet Tate was still there. Still in the Prey building, still watching the feed from the camera set up in Scarlett’s interrogation room, still feeling like something wasn’t right.

Leaving with the rest of his team felt like … leaving Scarlett to the wolves.

Knowing that she was getting what she deserved, and that if she had been tortured because she’d been double-crossed then it was her fault, didn't seem to make one iota of difference.

When he’d tried to go home it was like his body physically could not leave the building as long as Scarlett was being kept in an interrogation room.

The weirdest sensation.

After Scarlett had been taken into custody, he and his team had debriefed in an empty conference room. Then they’d grabbed their stuff and headed to their vehicles parked in the underground garage. Only as soon as he got in the car his hands got all sweaty, his pulse sped up, and it seemed near impossible to draw a full breath.

Almost like he was having a panic attack.

Absolutely as annoying as it was weird.

Lying to his team that he wanted to stay because something in his gut was telling him something was off felt wrong on so many levels. You didn't lie to your team, not if you wanted to make it home alive. Trust was imperative in their world, you had to know the guys watching your back had you one hundred percent. It could mean the difference between life and death in the field.

But his ability to trust and accept others’ trust in return had been shattered by his father’s recent ordeal, and he found that lying had been easier than it should be.

No one had questioned him when he’d said he was going to stay and see what happened and headed back inside. Just because no one had questioned him didn't mean he didn't see the questions in their eyes.

Had felt those unasked questions the entire ride back home.

They knew something was up between him and Scarlett, and they were wondering why he was interested in a traitor.

Only Scarlett had consistently denied being a traitor.

She’d shed a few tears, and her body had shaken, whether from exhaustion, fear, or pain he wasn’t certain, but she had answered every question, maintained her innocence, kept her back straight and her head up, taking on each increasingly harsher interview session.

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