Page 20 (1/2)

As Eloise shotsmirk, unease slithered up my spine

"There have been complaints," Collins informed me

"Complaints?"

"A member of your squad hashe said or did could have shockedNot even if he had stripped off his clothes and done the Macarena dance onMaybe I should have felt hurt, devastated, and betrayed by Collins’ news But I didn’t feel any of those things because no ould I ever believe in ayears that one of the squad would do that "Bollocks"

"It is but the truth," Eloise see?"

Collins lifted his chin "I realise this must be difficult for you, Commander Parker But this particular member voiced a nuo to Antonio with thisas fond of you as he so clearly is"

"Concerns? Like what?"

"That you work the hours That you use unorthodoxthenments than any other squad is taken on by their commanders That you have harne another vanifts for yourself – that is exploitation at its worst"

I just stood there, dumbstruck I had no words And that didn’t happen often

Jared bristled "Tell rave "On the contrary, I’m very serious, Commander Michaels So is this matter – it is not just one complaint, it is a whole list of thes that had been twisted into sounding dark and cruel Yes I worked the squad hard, but I didn’t work theer than other commanders did their own squads It was true that I so, but only as part of helping the with people who had such violent gifts, there was going to be some pain whether everyone liked it or not

It was also true that I had taken thenments, but that was because Antonio often chose us to deal with such nments, but I had never killed an innocent It was also accurate that we had helped Jude avenge what had happened to her, but that had only been insofar as allowing her to co while we dealt with the matter – ould have crushed that criminal operation in any case And, yes, I had absorbed each y at one ti training so that I could help theifts

Yet, all those things had been twisted in such a way as to ed me was that whoever had made these supposed ‘coe of hoorked in order for thee to twist Other than Evan, Antonio, Sebastian, or Luther, I never let people observe training sessions The only people outside of the squad that I had taken on assignments were Jude, Ava, and Cristiano None of them would have any reason to do this But I didn’t believe for even one second that anyat all to do with it "Who really e of snootiness "As I told you, it was a member of your squad"