“Apparently.” He retreated a step and took one of the seats in front of his desk, offering me the other with a waft of his hand. “And yet, you’ve flown across the world for her.”
“She’s mine.”
“As simple as that, hmm?”
“Nothing about us is simple,” I said gruffly, retreating to the seat with a weary sigh.
“It would seem so.” He continued to study me, for what purpose, I didn’t know. Then, he blew my world apart. “She’s in this house, Conor.”
That had my blunt fingernails digging into the palms of my hand as I balled them into fists.
“Is she safe?” I bit off.
“She’s furious but safe.”
I frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
“She believes herself imprisoned. It is down to you to explain the situation to her. I can’t have someone wandering around my halls and trying to kill me, Conor. Be reasonable,” he quipped, but his amusement wasn’t feigned.
While another person might be offended at being the target of an ex-CIA agent, evidently Anton wasnot.
“This is crazy.” It was all I could think to say.
“Many things are in this life,” he agreed as he made a bridge with his hands and rested his chin on them. “I am not Star’s enemy. I never have been.”
“She doesn’t agree or she wouldn’t have wanted to kill you.”
“She doesn’t know who I am. She has tarred me with the same brush as the Sparrows.” For the first time, he made his distaste known. “I’d be offended, but my people make it their mission to keep me anonymous. For a reason.” He stared at me. “I am the head of the United Brotherhood, Conor. I explained this to my granddaughter, and she immediately slotted me into the same pigeonhole as those damn birds.
“I am the Union. I am law. I am order. I stand for these things. And you must explain this to my errant grandchild before she tries to kill the only person who can give her what she wants.”
Bemused, I stared at him. “And what, Anton, do you think that is?”
“The complete and utter annihilation of the New World Sparrows.”
19
TEXT CHAT
PAST
Conor:Do you think about what will happen once you’re done?
Star:I don’t think I’ll ever be done.
Conor:Because you don’t think you’ll get to them?
**Ten minutes later**
Conor:Star? It’s okay. You know you can talk to me?
Star:I’m David in this fight, Conor. They’re Goliath. I know what I’m up against and I know God definitely isn’t on my side. I will accomplish what I can and I will die trying. That’s all I can do.
Conor:That’s ‘doing’ a hell of a lot.
Star:It’ll never be enough.
Star:I think, this past year, I’ve come to accept that.