Page 144 of Allegiance

Granted she knew who, but she wanted this man to information dump all he knew before his life came to an end.

That was all she had to say.

Stellan began talking.

Fast.

“We were brought in to help out. We don’t know who hired us, so I can’t tell you that. We were asked to make some reports disappear.”

Rogue clued her in.

“He’s dirtier than that. I overheard them talking about using my wife before they shipped her off. They are definitely hunting for women too.”

She stared at him.

“Are you now?”

He said nothing.

Well, the pistol whip to his face changed his mind.

“Yes! We help find the women too if they call us. I’m sorry!”

Now, she was pissed. Cops should be there to help, not do this kind of shit.

“HOW MANY?” she asked, knowing he’d be aware of what she was asking.

At first, he hesitated, but when she moved her arm to pistol-whip him again, that loosened his tongue considerably.

“Twenty-seven,” he said softly.

She stared him in the eyes.

“You helped send twenty-seven vulnerable women out of the country and into the sex trade?” she asked. “Fellow Americans?”

He swallowed but said nothing.

Only, Maura saw the fear.

Never let it be said that she couldn’t read a room. He wasn’t saying something. She could see the conflicted look as he tried to decide if telling them would save him or damn him further.

“What aren’t you saying?” she asked. “Because I can end your life painfully, or mercifully. You choose.”

He must have believed her.

“It wasn’t only women. Some were children,” he whispered.

Oh, holy, fuck.

She turned and took a deep breath before she snapped his head right off his neck like he deserved. As a mother, this information was horrifying.

Jagger saw his wife ready to lose it.

“Where the hell did you get children?” Jagger asked, moving closer to him.

Stellan didn’t want to die.

He was honest.