Mason didn't break eye contact. "I don't give a shit what you believe. I don't know a damn thing about Anita, and I think our time here is done." He tapped his knuckles on the table. "Guard."
I was forced to keep my anger in check despite the fact that I wanted to force Mason to stay and tell me what he knew. I wasn't stupid enough to believe the lies he was spewing.
"Did that go how you thought it would?" I turned my head to find Sylvia raising her brow at me. I almost forgot, for a few minutes there, she was in the room with us. She had kept quiet, and I had been so zoned in on Mason that everything else fell to the wayside.
"Pretty much. I knew he wouldn't cooperate." I pushed the chair back and stood up. "Let's get the hell out of here."
I waited until we were back in the vehicle to say, "He knows a hell of a lot more than he's letting on."
"I agree." Sylvia turned so she was burning a hole in the side of my head with her stare. "Who the hell is Anita, and when were you going to tell me she paid you a visit?"
Shit!
I forgot she didn't know about that. Cat was out of the bag now. "She was Nova's best friend and highly involved in my case seven years ago."
"So why am I just hearing about her now?"
That was a good damn question. One I didn't have the answer to. I don't really know why I kept that information to myself. "There wasn't much to say. Other than her being Nova's friend, I don't know much about her."
"We're the FB fucking I. How do you not know much about someone who's involved in a case?"
Oh right. This was why I kept the information to myself. I didn't like being questioned.
"We might be the FBI, but even we have limitations. Somehow Anita knows her way around the system because there's nothing on her."
"Give me her information, and I'll find something. We both know I'm better at technology."
My partner wasn't going to like what I had to say. "As far as I know, she doesn't have a last name."
Yup, her bugged-out eyes were enough to tell me I hit that one on the head. "What do you mean she doesn't have one? Everyone has one."
"Apparently not Anita. Her driver's license only has a first name and no record. She's also not in any database. Fingerprints. DNA. Nothing. And believe me I've looked."
Sylvia huffed. "Well, now I'm intrigued. I love a good mystery, and something tells me this one is juicy."
I didn't know if juicy was the word I would've used, but if Sylvia wanted to dig, then so be it. My partner was like a dog with a bone. Once her mind was set on something, she didn't give up. Maybe she would be the key to unraveling the mystery that was Anita.
CHAPTER NINE
ANITA
I never thought I would have a soft spot for another person again, but Krista was proving me wrong. She reminded me of Nova at that age. A fighter until the end despite the shit life threw at her. Which was why I found it hard to hand her over to our contact and walk away.
"Anita, you coming?" I didn't take my eyes off Krista to answer Sloane. The betrayal in Krista's eyes cut deep. She didn't want to be left with Mary even though the older woman would ensure Krista had a great life moving forward.
Mary was another gift from Hawk. She was the go-between for the people we rescued and the organizations who helped get them back on their feet. Hawk assured us Krista would be placed with a great family since she was orphaned before her capture.
"Yeah…" I finally looked away and followed my teammate back to the vehicle.
"I thought one of the rules was never to get attached."
It was, but Krista was different. I didn't know why or how she came to be, but the urge to protect her with my life was strong.
"Let Hawk know that I want a complete background and regular updates on Krista."
The young girl hadn't spoken a word since we left the burning house. She didn't cry or cling to us like most children would. There was a haunted look in her eyes that told a story of the nightmare her life was before she was sold to Hakan.
"Why?" Sloane challenged.
