The jane colt trilogy, p.94
The Jane Colt Trilogy, page 94
“Oh?” Roxas, apparently bored, turned to the side and waved at someone out of sight.
Between the small, embellished gold ornament covering her ear and the black hairline of her tight updo sat a small, red tattoo of her insignia.
“Let me be straight with you.” Jane’s whole body tightened, and she hoped she looked determined rather than terrified. “I want a cut of my father’s fortune. Half is rightfully mine, but I’m willing to settle for a smaller percentage. Flame Dancer may be an asset, but no one knows my brother like I do.”
“Your proposal has merit.” The corner of Roxas’s mouth coiled into a cruel smile. “But I know how deep family ties can run, and I’m having trouble believing that you’d really betray your brother, especially after you just saved him.”
“He betrayed me first. You know how I ended up here, right? Heard that I was basically banished from my home for attacking a Kyderan military ship? Well, that was because of him. And now I’m scraping for survival while he basks in my father’s wealth. How is that justice?” Proud of the coldness in her voice, Jane leaned closer to the slate. “I’ve been sucking up to him this whole time, hoping he’d throw me a bone. Saved him from you so he’d be sure to owe me. But I’m sick of this. I want what’s mine, and you’re my key to getting it. So let me help you.”
The words tasted like poison, but Jane spoke them as if they were truth. If saving Devin meant turning herself into a villain, she’d do what she had to.
The girl’s cold as ice. Madara rested her head against the back of her new throne in the Venovian town she’d recently landed in. She hadn’t expected Jane Colt, of all people, to contact her with an offer to help in her present plot.
But from the lack of emotion in the girl’s words, Madara was certain that Jane was serious. Though the girl had seemed sincere enough when accompanying her brother on his noble mission to save Flame Dancer—or rather, Ines Valentin—Madara knew how convincing actresses could be, particularly when their targets were as gullible as Devin Colt.
Jane had a point. Her brother wouldn’t question her after she’d saved his life. And there was no doubt that the girl knew about the plan to gain the Colt fortune. The chance remained, however, that Jane’s acting was not aimed at Devin, but rather at Madara. Perhaps Jane was attempting some desperate ploy to save him.
Nevertheless, she could prove useful. Even if Jane was a fugitive, she was still a Kyderan. What was more, she’d lived in Kydera City. She knew the place, and if she were caught, she was too far removed from Madara for any crimes to be traced back to Venovi. That was more valuable than any monetary prize.
And Jane was throwing herself at Madara, yearning to be used.
“You’re breaking my heart, Jane,” Madara said mockingly. “I loved my sister, Isabela, more than life itself. If she’d done what you’re planning to do to Devin, I would have died of grief.”
Jane gave a tight smile. “Did Isabela throw you to the Grina-beasts and leave you to flail while she inherited your family fortune? Devin has no right to it. It was my father’s, and he always loved me best. Like I said, all I want is a piece of what should belong to me. Even twenty percent would be enough.”
Madara let out a harsh laugh. Though she and Isabela had never feuded over such petty things, she’d known plenty of moneyed families that tore themselves apart over wealth. Considering how significant the Colt fortune was, Jane’s desire to see her brother dead didn’t seem so far-fetched.
“I’ll give you five percent, and you’re to obey my commands unconditionally.” Madara rested her elbow on her armrest.
“Fifteen.” Jane’s lip twisted with apparent satisfaction at having reached the bargaining stage of a deal.
“Seven.” Madara narrowed her eyes. “Don’t push me, little girl. I can always send my people to track you down and implant you.”
“Nine, then.” Jane rolled her eyes.
Madara found herself somewhat impressed by the little psychopath. “Eight, and your head remains free of devices.”
Jane crossed her arms. “Fine.”
“Good. I’ll contact you shortly.” Madara waved at her attendant, who ended the transmission. She smiled to herself. If Jane was pretending, she was the best actress Madara had seen in a long time. If she wasn’t, she was truly desperate to save her brother, and she would do anything Madara wished.
Even if it meant destroying her own nation.
Chapter 13
All Too Vivid
Being told to return to Kydera Major had been the last thing Devin had expected when he’d made contact with Adesina after leaving Travan Float. Yet that was exactly what she’d done. ISARK was less willing to deal with Kyderan lawyers than he’d anticipated.
“Their fussing is drawing unwanted attention,” Adesina had said. “So go claim that family fortune of yours before the media starts nosing into why the Colt heir’s gone missing.”
Devin pressed his hand against the security pad of his old apartment in Kydera City. As the door slid open, he stepped into the familiar residence. For years, he’d walked in and out of the place with only emptiness within. Working, networking, running errands for his father—that had been his life from the moment he’d left ISARK as a shaken twenty-two-year-old to the moment he’d stumbled upon Pandora’s secrets.
The door closed behind him. He looked around, both comforted and unsettled by the sights of too-perfect furnishings chosen by an interior decorating program. Against the white floor and walls sat a black sofa and chair—the latter of which Sarah, whom he’d once imagined spending the rest of his life with, had occupied when she’d told him she’d awakened. By the kitchen area lay a transparent table surrounded by metal chairs—one of which Adesina had sat in when she’d told him that she needed him to return to the agency. And beside the wall waited the desk with a drawer that had always hidden a gun, even during the years he’d been nothing more than a Silk Sector drone.
Once, Devin had imagined he’d live in the apartment forever. Other than the meaningless routine he’d lived for his father’s sake, he’d had no purpose. He still wasn’t sure if he had any, but gathering information for Adesina felt close to one.
And then there was Silver. He’d staked his life—and in a way, his sister’s and Adam’s as well—on the belief that she had a good heart. In those few moments at the edge of a Venovian cliff, she’d revealed her true self. But she’d concealed it again all too quickly, leaving him to wonder whether Jane had been right about Silver being another illusion. After all, he didn’t even know her name.
Devin sank into the sofa’s stiff cushions, wondering if he’d ever found them comfortable. A dull ache pressed against his side as he retrieved his slate from his pocket. Silver had been right about his fractured ribs. A medical team had fixed him quickly enough, erasing every injury left by the Navasme patrolmen. The memories remained vivid, though. Yet despite the raging pain their blows had caused, he knew the situation could have been much, much worse. In fact, he had the creeping suspicion that they’d gone easy on him. They’d apparently wanted him in one piece when they’d deposited him on that cliff. Roxas must have had further plans for him. He just wasn’t sure exactly what they involved.
In any case, everything he’d been through had all been worthwhile. He’d succeeded. Silver was alive and free. The memory of her flooded his mind: the touch of her fingers against his skin, the concern in her eyes, the pain behind them. No matter what she’d said afterward, he knew what he’d seen in that brief moment before Jane had arrived.
But he could ask nothing more of Silver. Any debts between them had been paid, and her abrupt departure had answered any questions in his mind. She wanted nothing to do with him. Though he couldn’t have expected anything else, it left him feeling as if someone had dug a shovel into his chest and hollowed out his heart.
A beep from his slate called his attention. Unsurprisingly, Adesina’s was the face that greeted him.
“Are you here to tell me I have to go back on lockdown?” he asked, only half sarcastically.
“No, though the higher-ups are riding my ass about why I granted you an exception.” Her dark brows gathered. “So tell me I haven’t misplaced my faith.”
An uncomfortable feeling churned in Devin’s gut. Though he’d kept his ears open his entire time on Venovi, he’d failed to learn anything ISARK didn’t already know. “I can confirm that Vang is behind the threats, though Roxas appears to be conducting all the action. I heard them talk about it myself.”
“And judging from your med reports, learning that tidbit took quite a bit out of you.” Despite Adesina’s mocking tone, concern tinted her voice.
“I’m fine. Even if Roxas is ultimately Vang’s pawn, we can use her. But I can’t go back to Sector Seventeen-Oh-Eight if we’re to carry out our plan to capture her.”
Adesina nodded. “Do what you need to, but you’d better deliver in the end.”
“I will.”
She ended her transmission, leaving Devin to wonder how he’d fulfill his promise.
A second beep sounded from the slate. Wondering who other than Adesina would contact him, he glanced down and widened his eyes at the sight of his caller. Sarah DeHaven, the woman he once would have married. And who was no longer the woman he’d fallen for.
He pressed the icon to accept the transmission, and a hologram of Sarah’s beautiful face appeared. The black cascade of her hair, the alluring tilt of her eyes, and the red fullness of her lips captivated trillions of hearts across the galaxy.
But his was no longer among them.
Sarah gave a demure smile. “I’m glad I reached you, Devin. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to. Ever since you took that government job, it’s like you disappeared.”
“Analyzing economic data can be very engrossing.” Devin gave the cover story he’d been instructed to use should anyone ask about his occupation.
“You always were a workaholic.” Sarah shook her head. “Well, if you can spare an evening, my fiancé and I are hosting a charity gala next week to raise money for the Zim’ska Re Children’s Foundation. I’d love it if you came.”
In that moment, Devin felt as if he’d been transported through a time warp, back to the life he’d known before Pandora had blown it apart. Making polite, hollow conversation with fellow members of the Kyderan elite wasn’t something he’d expected to do again after he’d been pulled into Sector 1708. If it weren’t for the lawyers, he might have forgotten he’d ever been a Colt.
“I appreciate the invitation.” Old habits rose to the surface, and his oft-rehearsed words slipped out. “I’ll try to make it if I can, though with my schedule, I don’t want to make any commitments.”
Sarah nodded. “I’ll send you the details just in case. I really would love to see you again. I know you don’t want anything to do with me, but… I thought I’d reach out anyway.” A hint of nervousness clung to her words.
Devin recalled how she’d once sought his help after awakening and realizing that her being an AI made her a target. In the months that had passed since then, she appeared to have found a secure life on the arm of one of the galaxy’s most powerful men. But was she still afraid? Was that the true reason behind her call?
Unsure of how to respond, he said, “I’ll do my best to come.”
Sarah ended the transmission. Devin checked the time in the corner of the screen. Two hours remained before he’d have to head down to the legal offices and, finally, settle Victor Colt’s estate. Accepting the inheritance felt wrong. He’d never been the son his father had wanted, though he’d spent seven years pretending to be. Moreover, his father’s death would never have occurred if it weren’t for him, and to benefit from it seemed like a crime. But if he didn’t claim the fortune and property, the government would, and he’d have no chance of ever giving it to his sister. Besides, she’d kill him if he lost their childhood home.
I’m sorry, Dad, he thought, though he didn’t know if he believed in a world beyond in which his father could hear him. I wish I could have been who you intended me to be. If I had, you’d still be alive. A sharp pain spread through his chest. It was too late to go back to pretending. Dad was already gone. And though Victor Colt’s stern face, crackling with expectations, would haunt Devin for the rest of his life, Devin knew he couldn’t change who he was. He’d tried before, only to find himself a shadow of a person. He had no desire to try again.
As he folded his slate and stood, the slight shift of a shadow caught his attention.
“Fancy place.” Silver’s voice shot toward him.
Startled, Devin whirled to find her leaning against the kitchen’s doorframe. She’d kept the straight red locks and bright blue eyes he’d last seen her with, though she’d chopped the front of her hair into a blunt edge over her auburn eyebrows. She must have arrived at the apartment before he had. He was usually good at noticing signs of another’s presence, but she’d left no trace.
“Fancy life, really.” Amused sarcasm rang from Silver’s words. “I think you should go to Sarah DeHaven’s little party. It’s for charity, after all. Besides, you want to show everyone that the Colt heir exists before the media starts speculating, right?”
Devin dropped the slate into his pocket. “What do you want?”
“Maybe I’m on the job. Maybe you’re the target.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I just wanted to swing by.”
He took a few steps toward her. “I thought I’d seen you for the last time.”
“That was the idea, but it didn’t really work for me.” Silver’s expression lost its mockery. “I tried telling myself to forget you, but two seconds after I walked out of that Angler, I found that I missed you. Though vanishing has always been my go-to, it felt wrong this time.” Her gaze met his. “So here I am. No agenda, no expectations, no plan. Just me.”
Devin regarded her. A hint of vulnerability had seeped into her tone, and though she looked as if she were trying to keep her eyes hard, a trace of emotion flickered through them. If she was acting, she was damn good at it. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”
“No. But I’m here. And I’m unarmed. No devices either, in case you thought I was spying on you. Well, I suppose I was, but not for an employer.” She sighed. “This is the last thing I expected myself to do as well. I just thought I might try behaving like a real person for once. Problem is, I’ve forgotten how.”
There was something honest in her tone, just like there had been for a brief moment under the Venovian lightning. Devin wanted to believe her. “Who are you, Silver? I thought I knew, but the truth is, you’re a mystery to me.”
Silver’s mouth tightened. “I’ve played so many characters, I often forget which one’s the real me. Sometimes, I don’t think there is one. And sometimes, I think they’re all real, just different sides of myself pulled out for whatever purpose I need them for.” She turned away. “Forget it. This was a mistake.”
Devin watched as she marched to the door. Something within yelled at him to stop her, but what would he do if she stayed? Yet he knew she’d make another appearance soon enough. She’d come with a purpose, and she wasn’t the type to leave things unfinished.
An incoming transmission flashing across her slate caught Jane’s attention. Her insides turned icy with nervousness. But she had a role to play, a job to do.
Sitting on the bed in the small room on Travan Float she’d rented, Jane glanced at the door. Adam had left a few minutes ago, and chances were, she’d conclude the communication before he returned with lunch.
She accepted the transmission. An image of Roxas filled the screen. This time, she was visible from the waist up, offering a glimpse of her Venovian royal garb: dark-red gown with long sleeves, embroidered with gold patterns and studded with tiny jewels, plus those funny-looking ear coverings sticking out the sides of her head. Only her face was visible, though so much makeup covered it, Jane almost felt as if she were looking at a digital rendering of a person rather than a live image.
“Since you hesitated to accept this transmission, I assume you were checking to ensure your location’s security.” Roxas placed one arm on the edge of her wooden throne’s curved armrest. There was something different about her, though Jane couldn’t pinpoint what.
“That’s right.” Jane spoke in a low voice. “Let me guess: your plan is in motion, and you want to know what it will take to get my brother to leave the Colt inheritance to your money-laundering scheme.”
“I would welcome any suggestions.” Roxas’s light tone was more terrifying than any booming command.
Reminding herself that she was supposed to be a psychopath, Jane gave a wicked smile. “The easiest way to convince him of anything, really, is to guilt-trip him. He thinks he’s a huge screw-up who owes everyone, which is kind of true, especially after what he did to me. In fact, I might be more useful than Flame Dancer in persuading him.”
Roxas gave her eyebrows a slight lift but didn’t respond.
What does that mean? The silence made Jane uncomfortable. “Between Flame Dancer and me, we should be able to get Devin to do whatever we want. Of course, it’s easier if it’s something he would have done anyway. He’s a sucker for social justice. Got tangled up with some shady Fringe types when he was younger because he thought he was supporting the overthrow of a repressive regime. Well, his sad attempt at heroics got our mother killed, and that ended his do-gooder quest. But the old tendencies are still there, so whatever fake foundation you’re setting up, make it look like it’s about amnesty or something.”
Roxas pulled her lips into a downward curve but remained silent.
Jane’s heart pounded, and she hoped the nervous sweat popping up on her forehead wasn’t visible through the camera. Having said everything she’d planned, she waited. After a moment, it became obvious that Roxas was waiting for Jane to make a move, and annoyance flashed through her. “Well, any questions? Or are you gonna stare at me all day?”
