“For his protection.”
“From?”
“From the Imperium Council. From Johnson, Volkov, the rest of them, and from Maya too.”
“You were protecting Jay from your sister?”
“That’s right.”
He looked at her long and hard, his gray eyes probing, assessing, calculating. Jesus, she could see the wheels turning as he weighed the risks of letting her into his inner circle versus the alternative.
In her mind, he had two options. Trust her with the lives of the people he loved. Or take his chances on surviving a global catastrophe brought on by a world-altering computer virus. She couldn’t help herself as she sat up straighter in her seat, her spine hardening under his scrutiny.
Jay trusted this man with her life—with the lives of billions—and now that she knew the truth about his identity, how could she not do the same? Working with Adam and the JTT to stop the Imperium Council was her best shot at finding her sister and bringing her to justice.
After that…
She tamped down the glimmer of excitement threatening to ignite. She didn’t do hope. Didn’t look to a future beyond Maya’s incarceration. Didn’t dare to dream about what she might do or who she might be without the threat of Dominion hanging over her head.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other,” Adam said. “And we both have some hidden agendas and competing priorities if I’m reading the situation right.”
“That’s true,” she agreed, folding her hands on the counter to keep them from trembling. “But I’m willing to share information in exchange for the same.”
“You should know, as much as I want to stop Dominion, my primary goal is the safety and security of my family.”
She nodded. “That’s something I’ve already worked out for myself, and I can promise you, I’m not a danger to anyone here.”
“But you are a danger to someone somewhere.”
“I’m not the level of threat you are, but yes, I want to shut down Dominion, expose the Imperium Council, and get justice for my parents.”
“And what about you?” he asked as though he could see the deepest, darkest parts she did her best to keep hidden.
“What about me?”
“Maya didn’t just murder your parents; she tried to kill you too. Don’t you want justice for yourself?”
She shook her head, not the least bit caught off guard by the fact he knew her history. Most of the painful details of her life were available for public consumption on the Internet, and he was the type who made it his business to know everything about the people around him—friend or foe. “There’ll never be justice for what she did to me.”
“But you’re not after revenge?”
“No.” She looked Adam in the eye, willing him to see the truth. “I want Maya to pay for killing my parents for the rest of her life as opposed to paying with her life for attempting to take mine—but I won’t risk anyone else getting hurt or dying in the process to make it happen.”
He studied her while she counted her heartbeats.
She needed this. Needed him. His resources. His team. His protection.
In the last twenty-four hours, her world had been flipped upside down, her carefully laid plans usurped by Jay and the JTT. A development she’d never considered as a possibility, and therefore, had no contingencies in place to fall back on.
If Adam dismissed her, sent her away, she’d be on her own and starting from square one.
Humanity didn’t have that kind of time. Without the key, the JTT had no chance of controlling Dominion. And without the kill switch, zero chance of stopping it.
“Okay.” Decision made, Adam reached his arm across the counter, offering his palm in a gentleman’s agreement. “Let’s see what kind of damage we can do to these assholes by working together, starting with a full team briefing tomorrow morning. Deal?”
“Deal,” she agreed, clasping his palm and shaking his hand. “On one condition.”
“What’s the condition?”
