If I hadn’t seen the tiny tic in Declan’s jaw, I would’ve thought he was angry at me. But he looked down and away, and I knew it wasn’t me he was angry with. In that moment, I was pretty sure that he hated his brother just as much as I did.

“All right. There are some inconsistencies in your files, and they’ve set off some questions. Your blood was processed, and that checks out. But we need answers.”

I fought to keep any shock off my face at the news that my blood checked out. I wasn’t sure how much I could say or what he wanted me to say. I was sure that this was all for show, but beyond that, I was clueless. Staying silent seemed like the safest option.

Ahiga leaned forward and grabbed my wrist, hard. He slapped on a thin film, and my skin burned as it powered up. A little line appeared, flat and even, but when I moved, it jumped.

“That’s a lie detector. You answer my questions. Yes or no. Answer them honestly.” Ahiga’s low, rumbling orders were said with a cold calmness that had my heart racing.

The thin strip of tape lit up and started beeping in sync with my heart. Too fast. It was going too fast. A tiny readout of my beats per minute, along with my body temperature, appeared on the tape.

“That’s right. You’re getting the severity of this now.”

My gaze jumped to Declan. He stayed quiet but did a slow, long inhale, prompting me to do the same. Just like he’d taught me in the warehouse.

I counted my breaths. Six in. Three out. Three in. Six out. Four in. Eight out. And just like that, I was calm. I could do this.

“You live in Albuquerque?”

Eight in. Four out. Six in. “Yes.” My heart rate stayed steady. It wasn’t a lie.

If he was annoyed at how slowly I answered, he didn’t show it at all. “Have you always lived here?”

Three out. Three in. Six out. “Yes.” A lie, but the beeping stayed the same, so I kept the measured breathing going.

“Your father is deceased?”

Four in. Eight out. Eight in. “Yes.” Lie.

“You’re a member of the gang who calls themselves the ABQ Crew?”

I kept my even breathing going, though this one wasn’t a lie. “Yes.”

“Have you ever done anything illegal as part of the ABQ Crew?”

“No.” Also, not a lie.