Brynleigh tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Then why not just arrest Jelisette?”
“It’s not that simple.” He gritted his teeth, and his voice was sharp when he continued, “There are laws in the Republic, although I’m not sure you fucking realize that.”
The moment he spoke, the air thickened.
She balled her fists and snapped, “I know laws exist.”
“Do you?” His chest heaved as some of the anger he’d been tamping down bubbled up. “Because I’m not so sure.”
Glaring at him, she rubbed her wrists. “I’m not an idiot.”
“No, just a killer.” The last word ripped out of him in a vicious snarl.
She recoiled.
“Fine. Yes! I’m a fucking killer.” Her eyes blazed with fury. “Is that what you want to hear?”
“No!” Of course, it wasn’t what he wanted. “I want the wife I Chose.”
But apparently, that wasn’t going to happen, and now he was stuck in this deal of his own making.
Several minutes passed in terse silence, the walls seeming to fold in on them, as Ryker wrangled his anger back under control. It was more difficult than ever.
“Listen, Jelisette isn’t in prison because she hasn’t been caught breaking laws,” he said. “There’s nothing directly tying her to the attacks, and we can’t just throw her behind bars for no reason.”
If they could, it would make things a lot easier.
Ryker furled and unfurled his fists. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. This wasn’t the time for hunger.
“We can argue about this for days, but it doesn’t change the fucking facts.”
Long moments passed.
When Brynleigh’s eyes rose once again, they lacked some of the life that used to be in them.
He’d done that. Maybe not on purpose, but he’d let them take her. He hadn’t fought for her, hadn’t looked for her.
This situation was her fault… but it was also his.
By the Obsidian Sands, their situation was so gods-damned complicated.
“What do you need from me?”
She sounded resigned, as if she knew there was only one way this could go.
She was right. Either she agreed to these terms, or Ryker would have to return her to prison.
Not The Pit—never the fucking Pit again, not while he still drew breath into his lungs and his heart still beat, especially now that he realized she wasn’t involved with the rebels—but his influence could only go so far.
He couldn’t fathom the thought of her languishing in any cell, though. Even after everything that happened, he didn’t want to see her in pain.
See? Gods-damned complicated.
Maybe one day, after Ryker’s mother passed the mantle of Representative onto him, he’d have more power, but right now, he’d used every ounce of influence he had to accomplish this.
Doing his job had never been so difficult.
“You need to return to Jelisette and work for her while you uncover information about the rebels,” he said simply. “We need tangible proof of her involvement in the Black Night, and you’re in the perfect position to obtain it.”