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“Promise?” Hux asked.
“Yeah.”
“How did we not see what Lord Fothersam was up to?” Judd asked angrily.
Judd prided himself on being good at his job. This had to be eating at him, the way it was killing all of them.
“Don’t blame yourselves,” Caleb said tiredly. “I let him into the country at Kassim’s request. We’re going through all his meetings, but so far they all seemed legitimate other than his meetings with Mr. Fical, who is being questioned now. There was little indication of what he was up to. I have to go, and I need you guys to do your job.”
“We always do our job,” Judd barked, insulted.
“We will,” Beck said with a sigh.
“Owen?” Caleb asked.
“I need to get something for you to give her,” Owen said. “I’ll meet you out front of the palace. And just tell her I don’t care what she’s done. She’s mine.”
Chloe looked up wearily as someone else entered the interrogation room she was being kept in.
How long had she been in here? She really wasn’t sure since the room didn’t have windows.
They were just the same questions. Over and over.
They’d put her in a holding cell for a while before bringing her back again for more questions.
She was scared. Exhausted. And also . . . angry.
They hadn’t come for her.
They weren’t coming for her.
Because they believed Jonathan.
Why would I lie and implicate my dear, darling daughter?
His daughter?
She was his daughter?
How had she not known? Why had he never told her? Her hands clenched into fists. All that time, she’d lived in poverty, scared and alone, and he could have done something.
Bastard.
And that’s the way he decided to tell her?
She closed her eyes tight. Why would he do this? And why did he lie and say that she’d known what he was up to? Did he secretly hate her? He’d saved her in order to throw her under the bus?
She blinked blearily, surprise filling her as Caleb entered the room. Alarm and concern filled his face.
“Chloe. Shit. You look terrible.”
“I feel worse,” she replied. Her clothes stunk of the smoke bomb that had been set off. She guessed it was a security measure they’d had in place for situations like this. She was probably the only one besides Jonathan who hadn’t known it would go off. Her throat was raspy from coughing. And she was shaking from exhaustion.
“Shit. Did they even offer you any water?”
She shook her head.
“Wait there.” He grimaced. “I mean . . . I’ll be right back.”
Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, he was back with a bottle of water and a chocolate bar. She ignored the candy, but gulped down the water.
Judd would be so proud of her.
Except for the fact that he hated her.
“I’m sorry you haven’t been treated well. I’ll be having words with whoever left you in here.”
“It’s all right.”
He frowned. “No. It’s not all right. And you shouldn’t accept it as all right. Chloe, you have to fight back when someone does you wrong.”
She stared at him in confusion. “Shouldn’t you be yelling at me? Don’t you think I’m the enemy?”
Caleb shook his head. “No, sweetheart. I don’t. And Wolfe is working on gathering evidence to help you. I have to ask, though. . . did you agree to distract Beta team for Jonathan?”
“Yes,” she said, knowing there was no point in lying. And now, he’d hate her too. “But I didn’t spend time with them because he asked. I like them, Caleb.”
Even if they had to hate her. Guilt flooded her.
“I should have told them. I was stupid. It’s just . . . Jonathan.” She sighed. “My relationship with him is so complicated. I felt indebted to him. But I don’t know why he said I was helping him in any other way. I wasn’t. I swear, I’d never do anything to harm Pippa. I really thought we were here to set up some trade agreements. But I should have realized something was wrong. I should have told someone what he asked me to do.”
And she’d have to live with that guilt.
His phone rang and he glanced down at it. “Shoot, I’ve got to go. I’ll be back soon. I’ll get them to move you to a more comfortable room.”
What would be the point when she was going to jail?
“Oh, and Owen said to tell you that he doesn’t care what you’ve done. You’re his. Here, he sent this for you.” He drew Amy Alpaca out of the bag he’d carried in with him. She reached for the toy with a small cry.
“They let you bring her in here?”
“I have some connections.”
She hugged the toy against her chest. Relief flooded her. Owen still cared about her. He’d known she would need Amy Alpaca.
But she was well aware that he’d only mentioned Owen.
“The others?” she whispered.
Caleb grimaced. Which was answer enough.
