He looked around in befuddlement.“Are you sure about that?”
Because he’d pretty much caught her red handed.
“Okay, yes, I did kill these humans,” Gus admitted.“But I had nothing to do with their actions.”
“So, you’re not the head of Belladonna?”Jin probed.
Gus’s flinch was microscopic, detectable only because his spawn were watching her with laser focus and sending him the feedback.“Okay, yes, I’m the head of Belladonna too.”
Jin studied Gus carefully, impressed with how upfront she was being.The forty-three weren’t usually this direct.
“But not this Belladonna,” Gus explained.“Someone is using me as their scape goat.”
“I know.”
Gus faltered.“You know?”
“I suspected.”
Jin hadn’t really known until right this second.Of course, there was always the possibility that she was cleaning house so nothing pointed back to her, but her reactions seemed genuine.Especially if she was Titan’s station master as he suspected.
It was much more likely that Mars and Cleo had decided to take advantage of Gus’s isolation to throw her to the wolves.In this instance, Jin and Kira.
“I have proof?”Gus’s tone rose at the end in an almost question.
Jin shrugged.“Okay.”
“O-kay?”
Jin nodded.“Okay.”
Gus didn’t seem to know what to do with that response.She fidgeted slightly as she glanced at Flame with a baffled expression that Jin found somewhat adorable.
Admittedly, he didn’t know this sister of his that well.Even back in the camps, she’d kept to herself.Their master’s obvious favor turning her into something of a pariah among the rest.Jin had never cared about any of that.Back then, they were all just doing what they needed to survive.Her crimes, such as they were, were no worse than anyone else’s.
Gus wasn’t flash and fury like Kira and Pallas.She never outwardly stood up to their masters.Hers was a quieter resistance.The type that ensured medicine got distributed to those punished and food delivered on the downlow when their trainer decided to starve them.All her contributions happened behind the scenes.
But Jin saw her.He hoped others had too.
The idea of her being alone was a touch sad.
“I met Mars and Cleo already.I know they’re the ones behind this,” Jin admitted.
She blinked in startlement.“Does that mean they’re already dead?”
Her question pulled a chuckle out of Jin.“Not quite.”
Her high estimation of his skills sent a pulse of warmth through his chest.A rare gift since his transition to this body.
Gus frowned, disappointment crossing her features before she thought of something else.“They didn’t recognize you?”
“No.”
Gus pursed her lips as her forehead wrinkled in disapproval.“They’re not very observant.”
Jin stifled another laugh.“No, I guess not.”
Gus peeked at him out of the corner of her eye.“I should get going.Kira should be here soon.I put her on course to encounter Roake’s commander and the children.”
