Page 82 of Fighting Conviction
The other man barked a laugh before replying, “Don’t have too much fun without me!”
Devil could hear the elevator doors close but not before his target’s snickering made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
He returned his attention to Ellie only to find her golden skin now a sickly pale as she pointed behind him.
“What is it? Angel, what’s wrong?”
“Th-that’s him, Dev.”
At the terror in her voice, Devil spun around, using his body to shield Ellie behind him, but there was no one there. He positioned himself to see Ellie out of his periphery. “Who? I don’t see anyone.”
Ellie’s fingernails dug into Devil’s forearm. “No, I recognized his voice… the one going up the elevator. Th-that was the man who… who—” She swallowed. “Sasha—” She choked out the name and understanding washed over him in an icy wave as he turned and tugged her in a tight embrace.
“Fuck, I’m gonna fucking kill him.”
“No, Dev, you can’t.” She pushed away. “It’s bigger than him. He knows who’s behind all this. He has to. Just figure out a way to turn him in. It’s the only way to stop everything. Promise me, Dev. I can’t have another death on my conscience, not even his.” He paused, still unconvinced until her caramel eyes pled with him. “Sasha didn’t get any justice, but she believed in fate. Don’t take this into your own hands. Let justice and fate decide what happens to him.”
Fuck, she wasbegginghim. He nodded once, still holding at bay the fury in his chest. It wasn’t like him to get emotionally involved, but where Ellie was concerned, he was a live wire.
“I’ll do my best not to kill him, that’s all I can promise you—”
“But Dev—”
“Angel, do you trust me?”
Ellie nodded her confidence without hesitation. Devil tried not to let the gesture go to his head, but there was no hope for his heart. He’d been drowning in the silence of detachment for so long, her faith burned in his chest, making him feel like he’d just taken his first deep breath.
“Good.” He coughed to clear his throat of emotion, but his voice still hitched when he spoke. “You have to leave. I can’t be thinking about you when I’m trying to focus on the mission.”
His phone buzzed and he cursed before releasing her and getting his phone.
Snake: We hear fucked-up noises from 307. Get up there NOW.
Devil shoved his phone into his pocket and grabbed his gun. “Leave, Ellie. You have to get out of here right now.”
“No, I can help! I already did!”
Anger pierced through reason like a hot poker, and words he didn’t believe forced their way out of his chest. “Christ, Ellie, leave! I can’t have you fucking up and getting yourself kidnapped again on my conscience.”
Ellie recoiled like he’d struck her. “God, Devil, that’s awful.” Her face crumpled, but he couldn’t stay there. On one level, he knew he’d fucked up everything, but his logical side told him it was too late and he had to fucking go.
He shook his head, hating himself, but hoping she’d listen. “There are victims to rescue, Ellie. I can’t worry about saving your hurt feelings, too.”
With that, he turned out the hallway and ducked into the adjacent stairwell across from the alcove. He hopped the steps two at a time on silent feet until he reached the top. He opened the door slowly and quietly, only to be greeted by the barrel of a gun.
Chapter Thirty
Neal paced to calm his nerves instead of leaning against the wall. He’d already attempted that once, but his blood was crawling underneath his skin and adding even the slightest bit of pressure almost made him lose his shit.
Music from the ballroom blasted in his ears even from his position farther down the hall, but he tried to focus past his headache. It was imperative he keep his cool for as long as he could while he monitored the lobby entrance to the McIntosh Ambrosia Room.
He was looking for a Russian, but he had to pretend like he was running security. He was supposed to be off duty, but no civilian would question him while he was in his uniform, right? He was an officer of the law, they’d expect him to be part of the security to protect the people inside the hotel.
“They don’t know you can’t protect anyone.”
The biting judgment in Cici’s voice tasted like acid in his mouth. She knew he’d come to the conclusion that if the Russians didn’t pull through this time, he’d have to resort to helping them again before striking back. He needed to get them more women… just once, so they’d have to thank him somehow.
“It’s not like that Cici. Just this one last job and they’ll give me more medicine. You know I can’t go without my medicine.”
