Page 35 of The Devil's Conflict

“So that means we’re stuck with either Crypt working on it, or we ask Thea to help,” Stone summarizes gravely.

“Medic, what’s your prognosis of Crypt?” I ask.

“Well, considering everything he’s been through, he’s making far better progress than I figured he would,” Medic answers thoughtfully. “My medical side wants him to rest his head for a couple more weeks, but we all know that won’t happen. I think the fact that he’s always moving, always working his mind, helps some. He also does take the meds I prescribed him and rests when I order, so perhaps that’s also part of the reason. Either way, I would say that he can do the deciphering, but if he had help, it might make him heal a bit faster.”

Shit. I was hoping he would say that he wouldn’t need help.

“I still don’t like involving someone that’s not loyal to the club,” Bullet huffs. “The only reason she’s here is because of her brother and that she works for Shadow and Viper, and the club by extension. But I’m not really seeing what other choice we have.”

“I know we want to get what we have deciphered, but maybe we don’t worry about it tonight,” Viper suggests carefully. “We focus on getting shit secured, get our rotations figured out and our allies called. Then we look at what we can do regarding Thea. Because we’re going to have to convince her to stay here with us instead of going back to her apartment.”

“And Sadie,” Shadow adds.

“And Sadie, though I doubt it will be easy to convince her.” Viper sighs. “I’ll get Eden to talk to her. And we can get Theo to talk to Thea if we have to. She’ll probably listen to her brother.”

“I agree,” Bullet says. “And that gives us time to figure out if we can do this without involving any of the women, even though I’m sure they’re all going to stick their noses sooner or later. All in agreement?” There’s a chorus of agreement, including from me. Mostly because once we’re done, Thea and I have to have a conversation.

Bullet ends Church, and we file out of the room. I see the women sitting on the couches at the back of the room, with Thea sitting at one of the tables not far away. Her expression is detached, her eyes red from the fire, but also an exhaustion that makes me feel a twinge of guilt. When her eyes connect with mine, they go cold and then look away. That’s fine with me. I have something else to do first before I talk to her.

Cryos gives me a nervous glance as I follow him to his office, shutting the door behind me. “I want her file. Now.”

Without a word, he hands it to me from where it sits on the top of his desk. I take it, open it, and look it over. I see the parts that Cryos found with her background, but those I mostly skim. If I was a better man, I would let her tell me about what happened herself, but I know she’s never going to tell me shit, and I’m not a patient man. She can hate me for it later.

I still when I get to the last few pages. I read it and the fury I was feeling earlier burns hotter. The reports, the complaints, all of it. But then I see the photos, the unredacted report that Cryos clearly worked to dig up. The one that has ice building in my gut as I read it. I fight the urge to punch something, my grip on the file tightening to the point that some of the other sheets tear.

Her team. Her own team did this to her?

I look up at Cryos. “Get me the information on her team and where they are now,” I order him so coldly that I’m surprised that there isn’t frost in the air. “And keep this shit to yourself. Burn the file for all I care, but no one else but the two of us sees this. Do you understand?”

Cryos nods, taking back the file. “It won’t take long to find, and I’ll send it to you as soon as I do,” he assures me.

I nod, turn and storm out, slamming the door behind me. Everyone looks at me in surprise, but no one says anything. I glance around but don’t see Thea. Fuck, where the hell did she go?

“She’s outside with Theo and Viper,” Rose offers calmly as she watches me.

I head for the front door, ignoring Rose’s calls to me. She’s not leaving until we talk and get this shit sorted. And not until she realizes she’s not alone and I’ll always have her back, even if she doesn’t want it.

FIFTEEN

THEA

How dare he.

Earlier

“I know you’re upset, Thea, but they’re in a panic realizing how close of a call that was,” Rose reasons calmly, sitting across from me at one of the tables near the sofas that the other women have taken. At least all but Quinn who went up with Macy to bed, exhausted and half out of it anyway since Shadow brought her straight out of bed. Eden went up to check on her and Viper’s son, Archer, who was picked up from his sleepover by one of the Prospects, but she’s back and looking grim. “When this kind of thing happens, they close rank, and none of us can get through to them.”

I hold her gaze and remind her tightly, “I’m not an Old Lady to one of them. Neither is Sadie. I’m an employee, and that’swhere my connection ends. So while I get closing ranks, that would not include either of us.”

“It does when someone in the club cares about you. Sadie because of her connection to Eden and Viper, but also for being a good friend to a lot of us now. And you because of Theo. If someone is after us, then there is a chance they could go after you too just by association with us.”

I hate that she’s right. “I am not helpless and can take care of myself,” I remind her firmly. “And I have my own system and ways to make sure no one can get into my apartment without me knowing.”

“What about blowing it up?” Syn asks matter-of-factly. I’ve just met her, but she seems like a no-nonsense kind of woman, so I can appreciate her blunt question. She looks tired, no doubt from having to get out of bed, but her gunmetal blue eyes are clear as they watch me. She pulled back her fiery red hair into a simple knot at the base of her head. At her feet are the two K9s that the other women affectionately call hellhounds. The two black shepherds watch me with assessing eyes, and I know they won’t hesitate to attack at the least provocation. Especially considering their handler is pregnant.

“No, I don’t have anything that would predict that,” I acknowledge.

“Then until it’s figured out what’s going on, this is the safest place for you to be,” Rose says smoothly. “And while we don’t have anything that predicts being blown up either, it’s far harder to get to us here than it would be in your apartment in the middle of the city.”

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