AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I ask, “Has he used his power to avoid prosecution?”
“Yes.”
“Has he ever killed someone?”
“No,” says Ingram. “Not to my knowledge.”
I rephrase, “Has he ever had someone killed?”
He hesitates, then nods.
“Yeah.”
“Then he has to pay too. There are no excuses. What’s wrong is wrong.”
“Then what about me, Kate? Who do you think Jamison asked to do the deed when he wanted someone dead? Who do you think handed off those bribes, or threatened the attorneys and investigators? I’ve been the gun in Jamison’s hand for years. Anything he’s guilty of, I am too.”
I want to say that’s different — that he was the gun, but not the shooter. However, he’s not done.
“In addition, Jamison was grooming me to take over — to do what he has done for decades into the future, to turn some other young operative into the new me. How can you excuse what I’ve done, but not him?”
“I’m not,” I say, though there’s no conviction in it. He’s right. I’m holding him to a different standard. “I shouldn’t. But, have you killed anyone innocent?”
“Kate, maybe I’ve only killed mercenaries and assassins and people like myself who chose this life, but I’ve still hurt innocent people. I can’t undo any of it. Can my good deeds erase the bad ones? And if they can, why can’t Jamison’s?”
I want him to shut up. I want him to stop making sense. How am I supposed to love him and be with him, when he’s guilty of everything Anton has done? He’s still one of the Masters. If they go down, so does Ingram.
Even if I wanted to make an exception for Ingram, how would that actually work? If we take down men like Griekin and Locke, they’ll sell each other out for a chance at leniency. They won’t hide the fact that Ingram was one of them — even if they still think he’s dead, his name will be associated with the Masters.
“I don’t know what to do,” I say.
“Don’t worry. I do. But, what does this mean for us?”
When I look into his eyes, I know I love him. I want to be with him. There has to be an answer. Whatever it is, though, it escapes me.
“Where do we stand, Kate?” he asks.
I wish I knew.
