Page 13 of Knight

I study her for a moment, keeping the gun steady. Growing up with Bishop taught me how to read people—body language, micro-expressions, the tells that give away lies. She's either the world's best liar or completely delusional. Neither option improves my mood.

"Stay put." I lower the gun but don't holster it. A calculated move. Let her see I'm willing to use it, but also willing to beslightly reasonable. "If you're lying, I'll know soon enough. And if you are, you won't like what happens next."

She slumps against the wall, defeat written in every line of her body. I close the door on her tears, letting darkness swallow her again. The lock clicks.

I reset the internal sensors, adding new parameters. If she so much as twitches wrong in there, I'll know about it. Some people think hackers are just nerds hiding behind screens. They tend to forget that in my world, the ones who can’t handle themselves don't survive long enough to build reputations.

Whatever game she's playing, whatever brought her to my door with valid codes and ridiculous claims about me helping her—I'm going to find out. And then I'm going to track down whoever is responsible for this breach of my security.

It’s time to see what kind of amateur brings a computer into my home and expects to keep their secrets. Between Bishop's lessons in human nature and Rook's education in handling threats, I've learned that information is just another kind of weapon.

And I've always been good with weapons.

Someone is about to learn why people avoid playing games with me.

I don't lose well.

And I never play fair.

After all, I learned from the best.

CHAPTER SIX

Evangeline

Hours pass in darkness,marked only by the steady drip of the bathroom faucet and my spiraling thoughts. My wrists are throbbing where the handcuffs bite into them, the metal digging deeper every time I shift against the radiator. I've lost all feeling in my fingers.

What happened to Knight?

He was messaging me just hours ago, teasing me about my Netflix choices, and sending those ridiculous cat memes. Something must have happened between his ‘See you soon’ and my arrival.

Who is the man with the gun? Why is he here?

The door opens without warning, flooding the space with harsh light. I squint against the assault to my eyes, my heart hammering as the man with the gun steps inside. He looks cold, threatening.

"Let's start over." He blocks the doorway, arms crossed. "Who are you working for?"

"I work in a library." My throat is dry, and it hurts to talk.

“A library.” It’s clear that he doesn’t believe me.

"Please, just tell me ... what have you done with Knight?"

"Why do you keep asking that?" He studies me like I'm something unpleasant he found on his shoe. "What do you think I’m doing? Holding this mythical person of yours somewhere?"

"The proof is in my laptop. Just let me show you the messages?—"

"Your laptop? The one with the shattered screen that won't even power on?" His voice is flat. "Try again."

"I'm telling the truth!" The metal bites deeper as I twist against it. "Knight's been helping me find my brother. He was looking into Michael's disappearance from Horizon Tech. He said he found something?—"

"And you just happened to get my security codes?"

"Knight sent them! What have you done with him?"

He stares at me for a long moment, then turns and walks out. This time the lights stay on. I’m not sure I prefer it. The harsh fluorescents burn into my skull. My shoulders are screaming from the awkward position. Every attempt to find a comfortable way to sit pulls the cuffs tighter, sending new sparks of pain down my arms.

Time becomes liquid, measured only in increasing discomfort. The numbness in my fingers spreads to my hands. My throat feels like sandpaper. The dripping faucet becomes torture.

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