She frowned. What did he have to do with anything? Kiarra was going to have to contact Neena in order to start making sense of Jaxton’s actions, because he sure as hell wasn’t going to be forthright with her.
Cam stopped cleaning her nails and looked at Kiarra, raising an eyebrow in question. Kiarra shook her head. “I don’t remember much about either one.”
“How many are there?” Jaxton asked.
“Two,” Kiarra said.
Jaxton looked at Cam. “Tell me about them.”
Cam focused back on cleaning her nails. “Only if you ask nicely.”
Kiarra grinned and Jaxton shot her a look. Kiarra raised an eyebrow, as if saying: See? I’m not the only one who thinks you need some manners.
She swore she heard Jaxton mumble something about Melini women before he said, “Would you please do me the favor of telling me about your uncles, Ms. Melini?”
“I don’t like your tone, but I’ll forgive it this one time for Neena’s sake.” Cam laid her knife across her thigh. “We have two uncles. Their names are Alexander and James Sinclair.”
Marco sat up in his chair. “The James Sinclair?”
“Yes.”
A look passed between Marco and Jaxton that Kiarra didn’t understand. “What are you not telling me?”
Bloody hell. Her uncle was James Sinclair.
All of Jaxton’s assigned research on the man seemed too much of a coincidence, which meant Neena had been planning this for years.
And now he had Sinclair’s nieces sitting right in front of him.
Judging from Kiarra’s face, she had no idea who Sinclair was or what he was trying to do. Since Cam remained silent, Jaxton decided to explain at least some of it to Kiarra. “James Sinclair works with the Feiru High Council and is influential with Feiru politicians the world over. He is one of the driving forces behind tightening and enforcing first-born policies. We believe he’s pushing to have first-borns locked up from the moment of birth, to prevent any sort of familial attachment.”
Kiarra blinked. “My…uncle…wants to lock away babies?”
Jaxton’s earlier irritation and anger eased at the disbelief and horror he saw on Kiarra’s face. He almost went to her, but Cam beat him to it.
“Don’t call him uncle.” Cam patted Kiarra’s arm. “Save it for Uncle Alex, who deserves the title.”
For years Jaxton had been sorting through intelligence, hoping for more concrete information and evidence he could use against Sinclair. But at the end of the day, he’d had to work with whatever had been brought to him.
But now he had Sinclair’s niece.
Between what had happened to his brother and Kiarra’s scars, Jaxton would never allow the AMT to take another first-born from him if he could help it. Still, neither Sinclair nor those close to him would know that, meaning Jaxton had some leverage. He just might be able to use Kiarra to get the evidence he needed.
Suddenly Neena’s words, about knowing what to do, made sense. “Kiarra and I will leave for Edinburgh in the morning.”
“Edinburgh?” Kiarra echoed.
“The High Council’s base moved there from Accra a few years ago, and Sinclair goes where the High Council goes. Getting to Sinclair is impossible, but I might be able to find some of his closest followers and get the information Neena and Aislinn have been searching for.”
Cam picked up the knife on her thigh and sheathed it. “Then I’m going with you.”
Jaxton shook his head. “No, Neena said Kiarra and I must go alone.”
Cam stared at him at length before finally nodding. He was relieved when Cam didn’t argue. They both knew she could easily check with Neena to confirm Jaxton’s words.
When Neena gave an order, it was best to follow it. To understand that meant Kiarra’s sister had been with DEFEND for some time.
“I don’t like it, boss,” Marco piped in from the corner. “You’ll need backup.”