Forget About Midnight (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #9)(83)

We followed the hall, branching off the main corridor and curving around through a series of halls back to the elevator the agents used. The place was a f*cking maze. I doubted many escapees made it far before being caught. It had to have been designed that way on purpose.

“It’s going to snow soon,” Briggs announced, as if this was normal conversation for us. “It seems like winter may come early this year.”

I frowned and crossed my arms, leaning against the wall of the elevator as it took us up to the top floor. Why did I get the feeling I was walking willingly to my demise?

“Time to get the winter tires on before the mad rush.” The agent next to me joined in the mindless conversation.

Briggs caught my eye. “How does your car do in the winter? That rear wheel drive must be a pain in the ass. They come in all wheel drive, don’t they?”

My frown deepened, and I sighed. “It’s a muscle car. All wheel drive on a car like that is blasphemy. It fish tails like a bitch on snow and ice, but I didn’t buy it to be practical. I bought it for the power.”

“Of course you did.”

Agent Briggs, with his easygoing nature and casual chatter, heightened my distrust. This jackass was proving what I’d always suspected about him. He was a power monger, harboring a grudge for anyone who had more than he did. He was more like Shya than I think he knew.

The elevator door opened into the admin area on the top floor. I’d been up there once before, when I’d come for Kale the first time and found him being tortured. Briggs led the way, and I fell into step beside him, refusing to walk behind.

A wry smile crossed his face. I could reach out and snap his neck in seconds. We both knew it. Yet he trusted that I wouldn’t do it. Killing him would be satisfying, but taking on every Fed in the building would be difficult. Not worth the risk.

We strode down a hall with blinding fluorescent light guiding our way. I’d been here before. He was taking me to the security room. Sure enough, he opened a door and led me into the room filled with screens and a panel filled with tech stuff that was foreign to me.

A man with wild, unruly hair and large, black glasses glanced up at our entry. The room was too small to fit every agent accompanying us, but half a dozen crammed in behind us with weapons ready.

“Andy, bring up the video from room eight,” Briggs ordered.

Ah, f*ck. He was going to make me watch my own sex tape in a room full of men. The lack of women in this place was bothersome. There were female agents, just not many. I guess men were more blood hungry by nature.

“Is this really necessary?” I asked, doing my best to look unimpressed.

With utter disdain, Briggs nodded. “I think it is.”

Andy tapped a few buttons on the panel in front of him and pointed at one of the many screens. It was hard to focus on that screen when my gaze was drawn to the others, all of them showing a different room with various occupants, until the video started to play. Then my attention was stolen by the harsh image of Falon and me.

There was no audio, but the video was enough. My face grew hot at the sight of Falon standing between my legs while I clawed bloody lines in his back. I couldn’t look. Dragging my gaze away, I stared at another screen, one that showed the little demon girl happily playing with her dolls.

“Aren’t you glad there’s no audio?” Briggs asked with a chuckle.

“Fuck you, Briggs.”

“Now that’s not very nice. We can be professional about this.”

My fingertips tingled. With just a thought, I could drop every man in this room. Resisting was damn hard when my instinct said to kill them all. No, Briggs was going to be Shya’s. I just had to get through this without incident.

“Are you calling this professional?” I gestured to the video, unable to bring myself to look again. “Do you like to watch, Briggs? Are you taking a copy home?”

His grin faded. “Copies have been made. Not for me though. Come. Let’s go sit down and speak in private.”

He ushered me across the hall to a small office. It looked more like an interrogation room. Just a desk sat in the middle with a chair on either side. The rest of the room was bare.

Much to my surprise, Briggs closed the door on the others, leaving the two of us alone. I hated that he was so sure I wouldn’t kill him, but did he know why I would rather spare him?

He motioned for me to take a seat, then he sat across from me. “I’m not going to beat around the bush here, O’Brien. I want you to know that, the moment anything happens to me that you are in any way connected to, that video will be sent to everyone in your inner circle. Something tells me that you wouldn’t like that so much.”

I almost choked on the rage that welled up. So badly I wanted to hurt him. Wait. Soon.

“So what?” I tried for flippant and failed. I was just too angry.

“So this is your chance to have that video destroyed.” He leaned on the table, clasping his hands together. Studying my face, he said, “Join us. Work with me, not for me. Help me cleanse this city of evil.”

“Are you blackmailing me with a sex tape?” My laugh promised horrid things. “Is that what you have to resort to when you can’t find any other way to control someone?”

“No, it’s my way of being nice. Offering you a chance to make the smart choice. We both know what a rarity you are. Why not use your abilities to serve your city? To make a difference.”