Page 33 of Dangerous Devotion

“Ladies,” Birdie said, her voice crisp and authoritative. “I’m Birdie, and this is Milli. We’re part of Hawk’s team.”

My stomach clenched when our eyes met, and I raised my hand.

Birdie looked at Fee and me, crossed the room, reached out, and squeezed each of our hands.

She wasn’t much older than Fee and me, but that’s where the similarities between us ended.

Birdie couldn’t have been more different from me. Where I was just me, everything in Birdie screamed trained, silent, very deadly professional.

Milli, who was the shorter of the two, with kind eyes that belied her serious expression, looked directly at me. “Jemma, right? Hawk briefed us about the…situation. If there’s anything we can do for you…”

The room fell silent. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, burning with curiosity. The way she hesitated before the word situation… Did that mean they knew about my involvement in the hacking?

My heart raced as I fought to keep my expression neutral. I desperately wanted to look at Isa to gauge her reaction, but I knew that would give her away, and as far as I knew, nobody had discovered her—Iset’s—involvement yet.

Because if anyone had, and they’d told Vince about it, he would’ve bitten her head off by now. Instead, I kept my gaze steady on Milli.

“Thank you,” I managed to say, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.

Fee leaned forward, her brow furrowed. “Okay, can you finally fill us in on what exactly ‘the situation’ is?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How could I explain what had happened on that roof when I still didn’t know how it all was connected?

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal, but Birdie stepped in, saving me from the awkward silence.

“There was an attack,” she said, her voice steady and professional. “A helicopter with a group of armed men approached the rooftop where Jemma and Vince were about to board the company helicopter.”

The room fell silent as everyone processed this information. I could see the shock on Fee’s face, the concern in Mirabella’s eyes, and the grim understanding in Isa’s expression.

Birdie continued, “Vince, Hero, and Peaches stayed behind to hold them off while Hawk, Dante, Jemma, and Goofy escaped in the company helicopter. They managed to commandeer the attackers’ chopper and followed them here.”

My heart raced as I relived those terrifying moments. The sound of the helicopter blades, the wind whipping around us,the sickening lurch as our helicopter dove off the platform. I shuddered involuntarily.

“Were you hurt?” Fee asked, her eyes scanning me for injuries.

I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. Vince…they all…protected me.” The words felt strange on my tongue admitting that everybody on that roof had risked their life for me.

“Do we know who was behind the attack?” Isa asked, her voice tight with concern.

Birdie shook her head. “Not yet. We’re working on identifying the attackers. For now, we’re treating this location as a safe house until we can determine the extent and direction of the threat.”

Mirabella looked between all of us, clearly lost. “Is this for real? It sounds like a scene right out of some kind of action movie. Maybe it was all for show?”

I shrugged.

Birdie cleared her throat. “Perhaps we should wait until we have more details. We’re just here to introduce ourselves and let you know we’re your personal protective detail. We’re fully briefed, and if you need to talk about anything”—she paused—“we’re here.”

I nodded gratefully. “That’s great. Thank you.”

I caught Iset’s eye, and she narrowed her eyes and shook her head in an almost indistinguishable movement. With the slightest nod—a silent understanding passing between us—I agreed to keep my mouth shut—at least for now.

Our shared secret—our involvement in the hacking—we would talk about it later. Isa didn’t know Birdie, and until Ihad the chance to tell her we could trust her, I would remain silent.

The tension in the room was suddenly thick enough to cut with a knife. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to break the silence.

Fee leaned forward, her eyes narrowed as she looked between Isa and me. “Okay, what’s going on with you two? You’re doing that weird silent communication thing. When did you get to know each other so well?”

I forced a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as nervous as I felt. “What? No, we’re not. It’s just…we met yesterday and this morning, and it’s a lot to process, you know?”

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