Destiny Forgiven (Shadows of Destiny) Read Online Free

the two lines. Why didn’t they have more information about this woman? Couldn’t they find out her age, her family, anything?
    Someone had paper-clipped a photo on the inside of the folder. Blue, soulful eyes half-hidden under shaggy brown bangs and lips pouted into a sullen frown.
    “Who are you, girl?” he asked the photo. “And how do you know me?”
    “Know who?”
    Startled at the sudden presence, Maddox closed the folder and jumped up from the chair. The older man walked in, slowly. The frown lines on his face were his most prominent feature.
    “Father,” Maddox said with a nod.
    “I missed you at dinner last night.” He gestured to Maddox’s chair. “Please, sit.”
    He obeyed, as he always did, even though his father remained standing. Saith was always putting himself in a position of dominance and authority. Maddox admired that and strived to imitate it with soldiers and foes.
    “I wasn’t hungry so I stayed late to work.”
    Saith was not one to accept excuses easily. Maddox ignored the suspicious look.
    “And how is that going? Has the new girl spoken yet?”
    “Not yet, but I have her on food restriction. She’ll cooperate soon.”
    “I can’t stress how important this is for our cause.”
    “I know. I’ll make her talk.” Did his father think he was an idiot? Every case was important to their mission. He dropped his gaze to the folder still in his hands. “Why is it we have no information on the girl?”
    Saith took the folder from him and opened it. “She’s an elusive one. Fast, smart.” He studied the photo briefly then, with a bored look, handed it back. “Who she is doesn’t matter, son. Only what she can do. Who her contacts are. Where they’re getting their weapons. That’s what we need to know.” Leaning forward, he stared down at Maddox. “Don’t concern yourself with who she is. Think ahead, Maddox. Many people are counting on you. Lives of our soldiers and friends depend on you extracting this information.”
    As if he didn’t know that. But still, the urge to learn her history gnawed at him. Why was she so sure she knew him? And why did he believe her?
    His father straightened. “Understand, soldier?”
    He nodded. A year ago, he’d have been all sirs and salutes, but now that Maddox had moved up in rank, they were almost on equal footing. Almost.
    A fleeting smile crossed his face. His father rarely showed emotion, but the more Maddox abided by his will, the more his father showed his pride.
    Saith turned on his heel and started toward the door.
    “Sir?”
    He stopped.
    “Do we have her friends in captivity? Her accomplices?”
    “No,” he answered, regretfully. “But she doesn’t need to know that.”
    Maddox nodded. It was a tactic he used often with stubborn prisoners. He found out who the prisoner loved most and used it against them. But with no information on the girl, he’d have to be especially creative to make her believe they had someone she cared about.
    Again, he felt sick. In his mind, tears pooled in her eyes. He forced that vision away. His father was right. Too many people depended on him. This was no time for a crisis of conscience.
    When he looked up, he caught his father giving him a suspicious look. Was his struggle that apparent?
    He cleared his throat. “Not to worry. In two years of interrogation, I’ve never failed. This little girl won’t get the best of me.”
    His father gave him a last glance then nodded curtly. “Keep up the good work.”
    He left the room and Maddox was alone with his thoughts. Through the confusion whirling in his mind, two visions appeared, seeming to fight for his attention – the girl with the soulful eyes and his father’s proud smile. Conflicting, pulling him in two directions. His mind spun to a halt.
    A solution. Despite his father’s advice, finding out who she was would break the spell she had over him. He would learn why she thought she knew him – maybe he would even play along. Once he knew