He had more than a few words to say to Cam when this was done. Even if she didn’t trust him enough to ask for his help, which irritated him, she surely could’ve asked Aislinn or Neena for some kind of back up.
What the fuck had she been thinking, going into this alone? Her former life in the Fed League must have scarred her deeper than Marco had thought. It would explain her irrational and illogical behavior.
Sitting around, doing nothing wasn’t his style. He decided to spend the remaining time he had until Aislinn called back by questioning the shadow-shifter. “Since we have a few minutes to kill, how about you tell me why you wouldn’t trust Ekstrom with anything.”
“First, you tell me why I should. Who is Melini to you?”
“Cam is my co-worker.”
“Bullshit.”
“You know, if things were different, you and I might’ve gotten along.”
He rolled his eyes. “Best buds, I’m sure.” The shifter peered at him. “If you want information about Ekstrom, just tell me the damn truth.”
Marco raised an eyebrow. “You’re awfully demanding for a man who needs my help.”
“After what I’ve seen during my time with the Collector, I’ve learned that beating around the bush or hesitating is a waste of time.”
Wow, this guy is confident. But, in truth, he had a point. Marco had spent a good chunk of his life pretending to be someone else, never taking the plunge to trust someone. At least, until Cam had come along.
And now he might lose her.
For once in his adult life, Marco wasn’t going to try to hide his true self with a stranger.
He eyed the shifter. “Truthfully?” Marco shook his head. “I’m still trying to figure that out.”
“See, now was that so hard?”
He resisted rolling his eyes. “Tell me about Ekstrom.”
The shifter’s ease disappeared, replaced by anger. “We used to be friends, years ago. But ever since his sister died inside the AMT, he’s changed. He doesn’t care about anyone anymore. He just wants vengeance for his sister’s torture.”
And yet again, the fucking AMT was complicating his life. “While I’m sorry for what happened to his sister, it doesn’t allow for kidnapping and threatening people.”
“That’s not the worst of it by half. Ekstrom plans to pick off the AMT head wardens one by one.”
Marco leaned forward. While he wanted to bring the AMT system down, violence was sure to ignite greater hatred toward the first-borns. “When is Ekstrom planning to do that?”
The shifter shook his head. “Not until I know my sister will be taken care of.”
Marco growled. He was about ready to try a little intimidation, but Aislinn chose that moment to call back. The shifter answered the call and put it on speakerphone. “Yes?”
Aislinn answered. “Marco, your newfound friend there is indeed working for the Collector. Am I right, Jorge Salazar?”
The shifter—apparently named Jorge Salazar—blinked. “How do you—”
“No time for that,” Aislinn said. “Now, here’s what you’re going to do, Jorge, if you want us to help your sister, Alejandra.”
Between the Fed League and DEFEND, Cam had nearly a decade of experience when it came to reading people. A nervous twitch or erratic tapping could tell someone a lot about that person’s mental state. Most people had a way of showing their agitation or unease, but unfortunately, she couldn’t get a read on Richard. That was the problem when a person had training similar to yours—they became unpredictable.
The longer she sat in the passenger’s seat of the Beetle, the more logic and reason returned to her brain. Sure, she wanted to stop Richard, but without the most powerful tool in a soldier’s arsenal—knowledge—she’d never be able to make that happen. She had no choice but to tolerate Richard, which meant acting in a somewhat civilized manner toward him.
Several of her past missions had made her play the part of spy, so she had some experience with pretending to be someone she wasn’t. However, her emotions were going to make it trickier with Richard.
Maybe once all of this was over, she should ask Marco for some tips. That man had fooled everyone, including her.
Determined not feel guilty again about what she’d done to Marco, Cam focused on Richard. Whether she liked it or not, they shared a past, and she could use that. Her best bet was to pretend Kiarra was still trapped inside the AMT, and act as if she’d be willing to do anything to get her free. The Richard Ekstrom of her past would’ve offered to help her, so it was time to find out if that part of him had stayed the same.