AllFreeNovel
Share Us
29
MIRANDA RIGHTS
I hadn’t chewedon my cuticles since elementary school.
At a table like this, actually, with a powerful person oozing authority on the other side, elbows propped, glasses on, mouth screwed up in rebuke.
Last time it was the school principal. This time it was an FBI agent in an interrogation room.
“Let me tell you, you have quite the resume,” this man said as he fanned through a file-folder. A peek at the margin and I saw my name in bold, black sharpie.SCARLETT RHODES.
They’d spelled my name wrong.
I focused on that wayward T like it was a lifeline. Anything to stop myself from traveling back, thinking of Theo and his expression before I was torn away from him. Right about the time cracks began to form in my heart, fissures opening, breaking, allowing the rest of the darkness to creep in.
“You gave us quite a few days’ work,” this man continued. At my blank expression, he added, “Quentin Sawyer. I’m head of the Metro Gang task force in charge of the Saxon case.”
It was hard to think of the Saxon crime family as agang, but I supposed that was what Congress had the budget to classify them as. Quentin Sawyer was one head over Chenko, not quite the boss, but close enough. I’d guess that having three Saxons in custody was a big boon, requiring his presence and therefore ensuring his name would be on all the paperwork going forward. And up.
“Your cooperation will be noted,” Sawyer continued. His dark cap of hair was thickly waved back, with black-framed glasses, more hipster than nerd, resting on his straight, Roman nose. I pinned him in his forties. “Especially during this last day and your help leading us to the Saxon brothers. Gordon Saxon especially.”
“Kai was integral to that,” I said. It was the first time I’d spoken since my cheek scraped across pavement, and it sounded just as rough.
“Duly noted,” Sawyer said with a half-smile. He was glad I’d spoken. “But his status in the FBI is none of your concern right now. What should concern you is how we’re going to handle your current situation.”
I inclined my head, arms crossed. “And?”
“And,” he repeated, except with more syllables, “we’re thankful for what you’ve done. Without you, I doubt we’d have any Saxon, never mind three.”
“My importance to you is written out in marker right there.” I pointed to my incorrectly spelled name on the folder, as much as I could while shackled. “So forgive me if I’m reluctant to trust what you say.”
Sawyer frowned. “Your history doesn’t show problems with authority figures. Not until—”
“College. I’m aware. Got ahold of my one-semester transcript, did you?”
“We have everything, Scarlet. I know more about you than your mother does.”
Sad, but true.
He reached to his right, picking up a Sharpie, the sound of the lid popping off the only noise in this small, concrete-lined room. In a big, pungent X, he crossed out the second T.
“Despite what this shows, you’re very important to us. For a long time, you’ve been our only viable link within the Saxon crime family. You’ve accomplished more than a lot of our undercovers were able to.”
“Because I broke the rules.”
“Yes,” he nodded. “You did have that advantage.”
I lifted my hands, the clinks of the handcuffs ringing against the metal table I’d been attached to. “Is this your thanks? Because I’m ready to be booked, put in a holding cell. I’d like my lawyer now. I’ll wait for them there.”
Sawyer leaned back, nothing short of amused. “Time with the Saxons has really done wonders with your personality.”
“You don’t know me.”
“You’re a fugitive. You aided and abetted two of the most wanted men in New York City.”
“I boarded that plane with Theo because yourteamgave up on this mission. The paperwork, the barriers, lack of warrants, the red tape. It was made near-impossible to wrangle Theo, never mind Trace, and bring them to your federal wishes when I couldn’t step foot in a poker room without calculating tax deductions on a log sheet first.”
“Oh, you mean the law?”
