Page 66 of Warrior

I adjusted seamlessly.

“One hundred twenty-nine days, to be exact,” I said, my voice trembling just enough to sell the act, or so I hoped.“I was terrified.”I wrapped my arms around myself.“They treated me well, never gave me any reason to fear them, but I still couldn’t stop longing for home.”I held his gaze, feigning vulnerability, the kind that used to come naturally before.

“They’re little more than animals.I just couldn’t take it.”For good measure, I shivered, forcing myself to look unsettled.“Still, I can’t help worrying about them,” I added, my voice softer now.“It upset me greatly to see their barracks empty.Where are they?”

The corners of his mouth twitched upward briefly before returning to their usual pinched state.

“Would you like to explain why a hundred Shadow Warriors are camped outside our walls, apparently planning to invade the Federation?”

Finally.

This was the moment I’d been waiting for.He’d laid his cards on the table and what a hand it was.

The upside?There were actually a little over two hundred and fifty Warriors outside the walls, with King among them.The downside?One of my friends in analytics had betrayed me.

Keeping my voice even, I forced a look of alarm onto my face.“You think they’re going to attack?”My eyes darted around the room as though searching for a way out, feigning fear.

It didn’t work.

“Why don’t you cut the bullshit?”he snapped.“We have Commander Michaels in custody on charges of treason.”

I gave him my best blank stare, keeping my breathing calm and even.

“You’re friends with his wife, Skylar Michaels, aren’t you?”

Damn.

“Yes, I’m friends with Skylar,” I admitted carefully.“What does she have to do with this?”

“Commander Michaels is going to die for the treasonous acts he’s committed against his country,” Smyth said, his eyes boring into mine like twin drills.“But he was kind enough to protect his wife by giving us everything he knew.”His lips curled into a predatory grin.“As I said before, it’s time to cut the bullshit.”

Oh, goodie.I was so done with the scared little girl routine.

Slowly, I placed my palms flat on the table, spreading my fingers as I locked my gaze with his.I could feel my eyes harden, and I knew they’d darkened.It was a telltale sign Ms.Beast was alive and well.She churned in my gut, sharpening her knives and waited for the moment to strike.

“Then why am I sitting here and not in a jail cell?”I asked coldly.

His smirk widened, his confidence growing.“You’ll tell us everything we want to know,” he said smugly.“And then you and a jail cell will be very well acquainted right up to your execution.”

He thought he scared me.That was adorable.

A full-throated laugh burst from my lips, catching him off guard.“You’re giving me no incentive to cooperate if death is the only thing waiting for me,” I said, my smile deliberate, even as it refused to touch my eyes.

His lips pressed into a hard line; his fists clenched tightly.“I believe your friends Landan and Mila would disagree,” he said.“They’re being questioned too.They watched while we tortured Kara, and now they’re writing their statements.She’s dead, by the way.Kara, I mean.She didn’t want to betray you and look where that got her.”

The scream tore through me internally, but I refused to let him see how much I was breaking.

Surprisingly, Ms.Beast had gone silent.

I gave him a tight smile.“You’ve made this easy for me.Whether I talk or stay silent, the outcome is the same.”I mimed zipping my lips shut.“I’ll just zip it.”

The reaction I wanted came swiftly.Smyth’s fist slammed against the table, and he shot out of his chair.

“You will tell me everything,” he thundered, his face twisted in rage, “or your death and the days leading up to it will be your worst nightmare.”

My grin grew substantially.“Death is never pretty.It shouldn’t be.But you should work on your delivery.Slamming your fists into the table?It lacks finesse.”

I should have anticipated the punch.

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