Page 104 of Retribution

I frown. “What does that mean?”

Dai Qing hits the button that lets us hear as well as see them. “There have only been two issues since he got here. I’m sure he’ll circle around to one or the other again.”

Lorcan tilts back in his steel chair and eyes Zahir. “You won’t tell me which of the people we rounded up was FBI?”

“That’s correct.” Zahir’s voice is silky. “That’s not going to change no matter how many times you ask.”

Lorcan looks up at the ceiling and then stares at the mirror. “Who’s watching?”

I freeze, afraid to look at Dai Qing. Lorcan’s eyes are piercing in their intensity. He’s so angry, and I yearn to go to him.

“A stenographer. We have someone taking notes to protect us both.”

Lorcan snorts. “Oh, I’m sure.” With another appraising glance at the mirror, his eyes give him away. He’s put something together. “Your agent was the black guy. The one following Kim.” He shakes his head, the rest of his body tight with unreleased tension. Even here, behind the glass, the room seems to vibrate with his rage.

Zahir says nothing, just continues to watch.

“If you’ve planted an agent inmyorganization and I find out about it, or Finn finds out about it, they’re dead.”

“I suppose it’s a good thing we haven’t done that then.” He picks at a piece of fluff on his suit and then glances at Lorcan. “We asked you to turn on your brother. That offer is still open.”

“After you come onto my property, kill one of my men…” Lorcan’s voice cracks, and he clears his throat.

My heart aches at the thought of Antonio.

“I’d never do a deal with you people.”

Zahir regards him for a moment before rising. “I understand you’re angry with us. We could have handled the extraction of our agent a little more cleanly. I won’t deny that. We’re checking into procedures.” He sighs. “Don’t be naïve. Whether we come for you today or tomorrow or next week or in a month, we’ll be knocking down your door, dismantling your organization. It’s only a matter of time.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His jaw is like granite. “We’re clean as a whistle. Come looking. You won’t find shit.”

Zahir chuckles and rebuttons his suit jacket. “You realize we don’t only come for you and Finn, right? We come for everybody.”

“I already told you—” He clambers out of his seat, fists clenched. The other agents in the room stir in anticipation.

“And I’m telling you, it doesn’t work like that. We don’t exclude anyone. You only get to negotiate if you’re at the table with something to bargain with, and you’ve brought nothing.”

Dai Qing hits the button on the wall with a click as Zahir exits the room. It only takes a second for the door to our viewing area to pop open. My focus is glued to Lorcan whose elbows are digging into the table as he runs his hands along his face. I don’t want to be in this room; I want to be in his.

“You caught that?” Zahir comes up beside me.

“Enough,” Dai Qing says before I can speak.

“Yes.” I focus like a laser on Lorcan.

“You understand you cannot tell him who you are.”

“I think I could turn him.”

“I think he would kill you.”

Through the window, he starts pacing around the room, running his hands through his hair. My gaze strays to him again. “What if Finn did kill their father?”

“Our intelligence says it was the Russians.”

My smile is tinged with bitterness when I give him my attention. “I got news for you about your intel. It’s not always right.”

“We aren’t created equal. Some of us get the job done better than others.”