Page 74 of Sinful Palace

“Then who was?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“We still don’t know, but I can assure you that we are investigating every possible angle.”

I went silent for a moment, narrowing my eyes. Even with the voice-changer, everything about Q and the way he spoke reminded me of my father. The cadence, the tones, the particular phrasing of certain things… it all sounded deeply familiar. Just like the man I saw and spoke to nearly every day.

I leaned forward. “Let’s just cut the shit.”

“Pardon me?”

“I know it’s you, Dad, so you can drop the act. Stop talking to me like I’m a fucking rube and tell me the truth.”

Q folded his hands in front of him again and lapsed into a cold, lengthy silence. “I’m not your father, Logan,” he finally said. “Even if I was, you know I wouldn’t tell you.”

I stared right back at him, refusing to be intimidated. “See, that’s another problem I have—you keeping your identity hidden. Everyone else in the Order seems to accept it, but I’ve never understood it.”

“Hm. I see.” Q went quiet for another moment, head dipped forward. Then he lifted his chin again. “What would you say is the most important quality for a successful leader to have?”

I shrugged. “Integrity?”

“No. It’s invisibility. The greatest leaders remain unseen and unknown. Do you know why?”

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” I muttered.

“When a leader is known to others, he is vulnerable. There are always those who will want to usurp his power, and there isn’t much stopping them, is there? Not when they know his face, his voice, and everything about him.” Q leaned forward again. “There’s only so much that even the very best security teams can do to stop someone hell-bent on seizing power, especially from someone with as much reach and influence as me. In other words: a hell of a lot of people would kill for my job.”

“So you’re worried about assassination attempts.”

“Yes. If people knew exactly who I was, they could and most likely would attempt to take my power from me so they could wield it themselves.”

“I get that, but it’s just a risk all leaders have to assume if they want to be in charge.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that matter.” Q lifted his shoulders in a quick shrug. “There’s also the matter of my decision-making. If no one knows who I am, no one can question what I choose to do.”

I frowned. “That’s exactly why I have a problem with it. The invisibility gives you unrestrained power. You can do whatever you want and no one can ever stop you, because they don’t know who the hell to stop. So even if you make bad decisions which don’t benefit anyone, no one can do anything about it.”

“That’s why trust is so important,” he said, lifting a palm. “Do you remember what you were told when you were first brought here on Pledge night? Participation requires absolute loyalty, a lifelong vow of secrecy, and complete commitment to the services of our purposes.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Sometimes I might do things that you don’t understand, but you must know that I am always working toward the greater good for our society and our country. Every single move I make is part of it. Even when it looks like nothing is happening, I am always working behind the scenes, planning and executing everything. You just have to stay committed and trust that I will always do the right thing and make the best decisions for you and everyone else.”

Yeah fucking right.“Okay.” I sat back and raised a brow. “Can you tell me one thing?”

“What?”

“Is your identity a secret for absolutely everyone? Or are there a few key people who know who you are?”

He hesitated for a few seconds. “There are a few, yes,” he finally admitted. “My most trusted allies know my name and face.”

“Could I ever become one of them?”

Q let out another deep, booming chuckle. “One day, perhaps. But only if you prove your devotion and loyalty. Right now, you aren’t doing a very good job of that.”

“Because I’m questioning things?”

“Yes.”

“Right.” I wrinkled my brows. “Why did you even agree to meet with me if you think I’m so annoyingly disloyal?”

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