Page 38 of Devoted

"Uh oh, you've got that starry-eyed look. Must beSheila."

"She's at work and she missed me so she decided to send me atext."

"She misses you only cuz she can't smell you through thatphone."

"You aren't exactly fresh as a daisy yourself, Maddox." He goes to put the phone away and it beeps again. No smile this time. He lifts it so I can't see thescreen.

"Well, that's fucking obvious," I say. "How is shedoing?"

"About the same as the last time you asked me. It was yesterday, I believe. She says she's not hating the therapy sessions as much. I'm worried about her though. She's really thin and there's just no spunk in those brown eyes. And frankly, I'm blaming that all onyou."

"Nah, it's not because of me. She's got a lot more on her mind than me." If only I could say the same, I think but don't sayaloud.

"Sure keep telling yourself that if it makes you feelbetter."

I turn to look at him. "You know, having a girlfriend has made you pretty fuckingcocky."

Silvana's cheeks round from his attempt to hold back a grin. "Guess love makes me more confident. You should try some. What happened with that girl who typed her number into your phone at Charlie's Grill the other night? Boy, she was somethingelse."

"Yeah. She's not really mytype."

"Yep, we all know who is your type. But I guess you can just keep denying yourself." The car wobbles as he sits up quickly. "Didn't you say Junior had a redcar?"

"Yeah but that's not it." A small red sedan parks in front of the abandoned house. Three girls who look no older than sixteen climb out. They are giggling and talking as they walk quickly into the house. "Guess that house has become the main meeting spot. I'll call the city and make sure they get it boarded up thisweek."

I relax back. "So has she asked about me?" I know I sound like a fucking chump but I can't help myself. And it's Silvana. He's already seen me in full chumpmode.

He rests his arm along the window ledge and drums his fingers on the hot metal. "Hmm has she asked about you? Let me see? There was that one question," he says. "No, wait that was about Clark. Oh, but she did ask about—No, that wasn't about youeither."

My fist circles across and thumps him hard on thearm.

"Ouch, fuck. I didn't deserve that," hewhines.

"Yeah, yeah you did. And just forget it. I don't want to know. It's better thatway."

"Oh, all right. Then I won't mention that—like you—she asks about you every time we talk. If I'm visiting her at her apartment, she asks before the door even shuts behind me. Frankly, it's getting pretty damn insulting. Sometimes I don't even get a hello just a how is he? She doesn't even say Maddox. Just uses the pronoun because she knows that I know exactly who the hell she's asking about because she's always fuckingasking."

I turn my face to look out the window and hide the sliver of a smile I can'tstop.

"Hey, since we're on the subject," Silvana starts. "The team working on the Freestone case thought they had him. He was spotted on the security camera at some nice hotel up north. I guess the guard noticed. But he had already checked out by the time anyone identified him as Freestone. Paid in cash apparently and signed in with a false name. He's always one step ahead. Can't believe he never tried to make contact with Ten once she left LaceUnderground."

I nod and keep my mouth shut. I never told anyone, not even Silvana, that Freestone showed up at the beach house. Ten would have lost her position for sure. I'm only sorry that I wasn't there that night. I would have loved to confront the asshole face toface.

A red car comes from the opposite direction and pulls up a few houses down from the abandoned house. We both sit up straight. "This is it," I say. "Let's let him get insidefirst."

A rush of adrenaline has revived us after hours in the hot car. Junior is squat with a thick trunk and tattoos on his neck that climb up the side of his face. His dark hair is pushed under a green beanie. He walks up to thehouse.

"Look at that," Silvana says. "So fucking confident that no lawman is going to harass him, he doesn't even look around forcops."

"Yeah, that's the best kind of bust. The 'surprise we got cha, fucker'arrest."

Several minutes seem to take hours as our focus stays glued to the house. We need the suspect to be caught red-handed and not just standing in a house filled with underagegirls.

I open the door. "Let'sgo."

Silvana has to half run to keep up with my long strides. I motion for him to cover me from behind as I walk lightly up the decaying front steps. I can hear music and feminine laughterinside.

I draw the gun from my shoulder holster, turn the knob and push the door open. Three girls are sitting on broken down furniture that's lost most of its upholstery and stuffing. The music is just loud enough to mute their stunned gasps. Their movement and reactions are slowed by the drugs. But six wide eyes are staring at me. I put my finger to my mouth to signal them to be quiet. I motion to Silvana to get them rounded up on one side of the room, preferably out of the way in case Junior pops out with a gun. I can hear grunting and a muffled sob behind a bedroom door. I point my weapon and kick the dooropen.

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