Page 13 of Fighting Conviction
Spots appeared in Devil’s vision and he gripped his chair as he concentrated on deeper breaths. He swallowed back the nerves and sat up straighter to listen.
Why didn’t she tell me?
He had no right to be kept in the loop revolving around Ellie’s life. Although Devil’s world was revolving more and more around Ellie—no matter how hard he tried to fight it—the bottom line was he was nothing to her. Just her brother’s friend. A coworker. Her not confiding in him proved it.
“You coming, man?” Jaybird swatted Devil’s shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts to realize his teammates were ready to leave. Burgess and Henry were already shaking hands with Hawk.
He stood to do the same and shook Burgess’s clammy grip. It took all of his control not to immediately dry his hand on his pants. Officer Henry tilted his head up as a goodbye before heading down the hallway back to the pit, where all the beat cops had their cubicles and desks. Burgess walked them out of the conference room while fishing in a side pocket on his vest with one hand and digging his phone out of his pants with the other. He dialed quickly and shoved the phone up against his ear, speaking rapidly before charging into his office.
Devil shook his head and followed behind Jaybird and Hawk down the hallway. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his distrust of the investigator, but his intuition was telling him the man’s idiosyncrasies were odd as fuck. Devil didn’t know what to do with that information except watch him closely.
“Hey, man.” Jaybird paused for Devil to catch up. “Mind doing me a favor?”
“Mind telling me what the favor is before I agree to it?”
Jaybird cocked a smile. “That’s probably wise.” He chuckled and swiped his hand through his hair. “I’ve gotten to the point in Jules’s pregnancy where I can’t stand to have her out of my sight. Nora fucking figured out how to hide Jules’s location on her phone and it drove me crazy. I get she doesn’t like to drive alone anymore, but I sure as fuck wish Nora would stop taking off the damn GPS I keep putting on her car. I searched all around town for Nora’s damn Chevy Spark until Jules finally called to tell me she was on her way home.”
“She probably wants you to leave her the fuck alone.”
He barked out a laugh. “Well, joke’s on her, that ain’t happening. I love her and she’s carrying around my baby, Jules is gonna have to suck it up that I’m gonna keep being a psycho until she gives birth. Probably after that too, if I’m honest.”
Devil grunted in response. “And? What’s this gotta do with me?”
Jaybird shook his head. “Damn, man, lighten up a little. I can’t ever read you. It’s unnerving as fuck.” Despite the words, Jaybird chuckled. “Anyway, I’ve been giving Ellie self-defense lessons the past few months—”
“Shit, really?” Devil interrupted. He’d had no idea.
Fuck, I need to stop losing my mind over this girl and start paying attention.
A creaking sound played in his memory and he clenched his fists until all he could focus on was the pain in his fingertips. Never again.
“Yeah… but Hawk agreed to let me be Jules’s bodyguard until the baby comes. I can’t be in two places at once. Do you think you could take over lessons?”
Devil blanched as he fished through his brain for any excuse to keep his distance from the woman who already lived rent-free in his head.
“Well, damn, there’s a reaction.” Jaybird laughed as he opened the door out of the precinct.
Hawk waited outside, rubbing his nape as he talked on the phone. When he saw them, he jutted his chin up in acknowledgement as they stepped outside and the three of them made the trek to his sedan. They usually parked as close as possible and backed into a spot so they could haul ass if necessary. But with it being a police precinct, the first several rows were taken up by cop cars.
Devil shoved his hands into his pockets against the brisk fall wind, and sucked air between his teeth. “Can’t someone else do it?”
“You’re the best hand-to-hand after Draco… And well, Draco’s in a fucking coma. Hawk has a business to run. Snake is great with a keyboard and a weapon, not so great with his hands—”
“Phoenix?”
“Fuck, dude,” Jaybird scoffed. “Do you really wanna sic that hound dog on her?”
A surprising flash of anger flooded his body and he clenched his jaw.Nope. Definitely do not want that.
Jaybird rubbed his hand through his hair again. “Anyways, I didn’t ask him. Hawk’s got him on client intake meetings lately. Besides, Ellie likes you. And don’t you think she deserves the best?”
Devil scowled. “Of course I fucking do.”
Jaybird smirked. “Alright then. It’s settled. We were supposed to have a lesson next week bright and early before her classes, but Jules’s doctor scheduled an appointment last minute. That work for you? We can switch off with you as her trainer after that.”
Devil’s lips tightened into a thin line and he bit his tongue. He was out of options and couldn’t help feeling cornered into what felt very much like a trap.
But Jaybird had a point. He was the best at hand-to-hand, even better than Jaybird. Besides, the girl needed someone to make sure she took care of herself, what with skipping class, forgetting to eat, letting some creep follow her around for God knows how long. She was dragging ass the last time he’d seen her at Sasha Saves.
