Page 29 of Marked By the Devil

Not a single member of the agency had acted like she was gone.

Why?

How?

I shook my head, impatient with the questions.

I entered the house, sliding the door shut after me.

“I demand that you let me go.”

She stated it like she was tired of hearing those words out of her mouth.

I glanced at her as I steered her to go upstairs, done with the kitchen.

“Viktor, I’m not going to change my story. I don’t know any answers that you want or need.” She climbed the stairs, my hands on her shoulders as I guided her to call it a night. “I can’t change my story.”

I was running out of ways to ask her the same things over and over again. According to her, she’d been looking into Rico Johnson, tracking him from a financial angle only. She didn’t have any guesses about how Smithson could be corrupt but wouldn’t claim that it was impossible as part of human nature.

In my room, she moved to the sofa she was claiming as her bed.

Even that compromise was wearing on me.

She sat on it while I lowered to sit on the edge of the coffee table in front of it.

“I had nothing to do with anything that anyone was investigating about your family.” She raised her brows as if curious whether this hundredth time of saying it would work.

I set my hands on the edge of the table and stared at her.

“What are you looking for?” She shook her head, exasperated. “What do you think I can know that you’re keeping me here for?”

I tilted my head, studying her. “You think you can turn the tables and ask me the questions?”

“Haven’t you, all of you, asked me the same things over and over again already? It’s not getting you anywhere.”

Maybe not. But having her live with me in this confusing co-inhabitance was getting me more closer to losing control.

“You think you’re in any position to ask the questions?” I repeated.

She smirked, shaking her head.

“Fine.”

I’d play this game.

“What?” She furrowed her brow, wary.

“You ask me whatever you want.”

She opened and closed her mouth. “What?”

“Gotta be more specific than that.”

“No, I’m— Viktor. That’s what I’ve been telling you. I wasn’t on any case that involved you. I didn’t have any cases of my own at all. I just started that day. I only know a little about Smithson being the one to keep tabs on all the crime families, but I don’t have any questions I need you to answer for me.” She huffed, like she couldn’t believe it was hard for me to understand that.

“You did just ask me questions, though.”

She nodded. “Okay. Here. When will you release me? Why won’t you release me? There. That’s what I want to know.”