Page 28 of Until the End

“Jobs was the architect, the mastermind behind the work of engineers like Wozniak,” Willow said, half to herself, doodling on the notepad.

Oh, sweet baby Jesus. Would this chick please shut up?

“Your status here has changed. As the founder of the Outliers, you’re not a simple POI.” The accusation in Sanborn’s tone and behind his eyes had Kit’s belly drawing tight. “You’ll sign the NDAs and answer my questions. Or your life is about to take a very ugly, very painful turn.”

That was ambiguous and creepy at best.

But no one was going to erase her civil liberties. She had the right to privacy, due process, a fair trial. And if Simply Sanborn wanted a fight, she’d give him one.

She lifted her chin and scooted to the edge of her seat, but Castle clamped a warm hand over her knee under the table and squeezed hard. The silent warning shook her to the core.

Message received: don’t fight.

But Sanborn considered her a threat, and the information on the hard drives would substantiate his beliefs.

Now she didn’t know what to do.

“I need to use the bathroom.” Kit lurched to her feet and scrambled away from the table. “Can someone point the way to the restroom?”

Castle rose, pushing his chair back. Kit darted behind him, making a beeline for the door.

“Doc, accompany them,” Sanborn said. “Ensure Ms. Westcott is comfortable.”

“I don’t need one to hold the stall door open,” Kit said, “and the other to wipe me.”

Without missing a beat, Sanborn gave a slick, well-practiced smile. “An armed officer will keep eyes on you at all times in my facility. There isn’t a female operative available. I’d hate to put you in an inappropriate position.”

“Three’s a crowd,” she said, ignoring Castle’s glare. “I’ll risk it alone with the big guy.”

Castle stepped in front of her, blocking her line of vision to Sanborn with the wide expanse of his torso, and threw her a spine-chilling scowl. Cupping her shoulder, he escorted her from the room.

In the hall, Kit shrugged free of Castle’s grasp, but he only slipped his hand back under her elbow and carted her down the corridor. Between the thundercloud of testosterone that he radiated and his big hand locked on her arm, resistance was futile.

Throwing the women’s room door open, he scuttled her inside. Castle checked the row of stalls, pushing doors in, and stalked back up to her.

“I’m trying to help you.” His deep, angry voice struck hard, like a whip. She not only heard it but felt it. “You are stuck waist-deep in quicksand. Sanborn is a good man but tough when necessary. The more you fight him, I promise, the faster you’ll sink.”

“Sanborn can’t just take away my basic rights—”

“You’re on that damn list! Sanborn can bury you.”

The panicked rush of blood in her ears was the only sound she heard for a moment. “Because of Ever Shield? We never attacked the government with it. Never even sold it.”

“He can still put you in a gruesome black site where you’ll never get a lawyer. Hell, he doesn’t have to go that far. We have a trained interrogator on the team who’ll redefine your concept of pain. Reaper is off-site right now tracking one of those guys from the park. I’d prefer it if you were clear of this facility before he gets back.”

His declaration pressed on Kit’s chest like a lead weight. Her knees were seconds from buckling. She locked her legs and looked around as if a miraculous escape hatch might appear out of thin air.

Castle curled his hands around her shoulders, and she realized she was trembling. His tender touch was a jarring contrast to his rough tone, restoring her bandwidth enough to breathe. Everything about him was rock-steady. But he was used to gunfights and the coercion of civilians without due process.

“The only way I can help you is if you talk to me, Kit.”

Her mouth tasted like chalk. “They’re dead. The Outliers. All dead.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t want to weep. Not in this place, especially not in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Death took everyone she loved. Those with limitless potential while she was mediocre at best and living on borrowed time. It was so unfair.

Exhaustion and grief ballooned inside her. She wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. If she didn’t stay strong, the Outliers would never have justice.