Page 50 of Fighting Conviction
Nora rolled her eyes. “Pregnant, not aninvalid, ya crazypants. You need to chill out.” She pulled a chair from the table and plopped into it. “And sorry we’re late, Cap’n. I had to bypass your security.”
“Bypass secur—” Snake swiveled in his chair and typed away at the keyboard before huffing out a surprised laugh. “I don’t even have you on any of our cameras. Damn, how did you do that?”
Nora shrugged. “I have my ways.” Her smile was wide like a cat that got the cream. “I’ll show off after the meeting, babe. Can’t be having just anybody off the street come bee-boppin’ up in here, can we boys?”
“Nora…” Hawk lowered his eyes at her. “Stop antagonizing Snake.”
Her mouth opened but she must’ve seen Snake’s scowl because it quickly shut again. Instead, she sobered, as if realizing she was toeing the line marking Snake’s bad side.
“Sorry, Snake. When I actually pull one over on ya, it feels good to rub it in. You know this game we play is like one of the highlights of my week.”
Snake’s foul expression immediately relaxed as he snorted and shook his head. “Mine too, if you weren’t so damn good at it. Don’t say you won this round yet, though. If I fix the breach before you tell me how you did it, then the score stays zero-zero.”
Devil never understood where the Nora and Snake dynamic came from, but they fought like siblings. It was a constant back and forth, but they always eventually hugged it out.
“Fair enough, Superman.” Nora pointed a finger gun at him.
“Back to the list…” Hawk began. “Marco, Henry, and Nora, as you’ve probably gathered, I’ve invited you here today to help us make plans for the scholarship benefit. We have a hunch the same bastards as last time will make the mistake of trying again.”
“Bold move,” Marco replied, his lips pursed as he nodded.
“Yup.” Snake’s expression mirrored the ADA’s. “But this time we have the guest list and we can vet people. We’ll have a plan instead of going in blind like last time.”
“How’d you get a guest list?” Henry asked.
Snake’s pale skin turned a new shade of beet red as he straightened his collar. “Um, my, uh friend works for a company that helps throw it every year.”
Devil felt his brow raise slightly, but he quickly schooled his face. He’d never seen Snake bashful before.Interesting.
“Is thisfriendthe one who recently started volunteering for Sasha Saves and is gorgeous and funny as Hades with a daughter that’s just as fiery?” Nora waggled her eyebrows before giving Snake a pronounced wink.
“That’s awfully specific,” Marco laughed.
“Yes.” Snake cleared his throat. “It may or may not be the woman you’re speaking about, but she’s taken. And honestly, ‘friend’ might be generous.” He grimaced before mumbling. “I think she might hate me.”
Nora waved her hand at the air as she blew a raspberry. “That woman does not hate you. She’s a little sassy, but who here among us boss ass bitches isn’t sassy every now and then, amiright? Give her time and keep fixing Sasha Saves’s oh-so-spotty security, lately.” She gave Snake a knowing grin. “Seriously, Superman. What isupwith our wiring lately?”
“That’s been you?” Snake snapped his fingers and pointed at her before a bark of laughter escaped him. “Ha, I knew it!”
Nora beamed and gave a small curtsey. “What can I say? Somebody’s gotta play cupid ‘round here.”
Snake’s smile lit up his face before he took off his glasses and massaged his closed eyes with a chuckle. “God, Nora, you’re like the kid sister I never wanted.”
“In any case.” Hawk emphasized the words, cutting off the faux family banter. “Snake’s going to go through the guest list and vet all the attendees. No one will go in or out of that hotel without our knowing about it. Nora.” He paused and turned to her before speaking. “We might need you in the field.”
Nora’s smile vanished, but she nodded as she brushed her newly dyed black hair behind her ear.
“Nora, really?” Jaybird looked to Hawk while he pointed to the woman whose face had turned a sickly pale. “What if anyone recognizes her?”
“I doubt they would.” Snake pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Last time she had a very distinctive shade of purple hair. This time it’s a faded black, the most common hair color all over the world.”
Hawk’s brow furrowed and he lowered his voice as he directed his attention to Nora, as if Snake and Jaybird hadn’t spoken. “It’s okay, Nora. We’ll all be there in some capacity. Nothing will happen to you.”
“That’s what you said last time.” Her whisper was barely audible. “And now you have one fewer agent to make the same promise.”
The room quieted at her point and Devil felt the weight of Draco’s absence heavy on his chest. She was right. The Crew had promised her the same thing last year, but Draco was shot and Nora was kidnapped and almost lost for good, along with Ellie and the rest of the trafficking victims.
Devil and the rest of the men shifted and fidgeted in the silence before Hawk finally spoke up on a deep sigh. “I’m sorry Nora. If we can get around it, we will. But for now, we might need you in there, at least with an earpiece. Having a woman in the mix will put less suspicion on the agents in the field. Do you think you can do it?” Nora pinched her eyes closed before nodding again once. “Thank you.” He turned to the other men. “Marco, Henry. You’re going to be there, right?”
