Page 63 of Wicked Devotion
Sam grabs my arm, but it only takes a nod and a feather-light touch for him to let go.
“I removed her from an area she had no business being in, Mr. Cabrera. An area she was only able to access because you seem to be rather negligent with the equipment our institution graciously provides you with, by the way.”
Exhaling loudly, I turn to look at Lily.
“Where did he touch you?”
She glances down at her right arm, which is enough of a confirmation for me.
Before Sam or any of the others can think of holding me back for real, I’m behind Sanders’ desk. He lifts his arms to shield himself a second too late, and his jawbone gives a satisfying crack as my fist collides with his face. Something small and white flies through my field of vision, landing on his desk while a mix of spit and blood starts running down his chin.
A big grin spreads on my face as I grab his tooth, holding it up for him to see.
“I usually like to take souvenirs,MisterSanders, but I wouldn’t want to taint my beautiful collection with even an atom of your repulsive body.”
I flick his tooth away, and with a quiet plop, it lands in his cup of coffee.
Sanders scrambles in his chair, torn between wiping over his bleeding face, keeping his defense up, and trying to stand. He drops his arms, and I lift my fist a second time, just to scare him, but the others apparently think I’ve had enough fun.
“That’s it, I’m calling the General,” Sanders fumes, coincidentally finding his courage when Sam pulls me to the back of the room.
“Oh no, he’s gonna tell Mom,” I mock, and a vein on Sanders’ forehead starts throbbing.
I wonder if I could provoke—or torture—him to the point of a heart attack. The latter would be more fun.
As soon as Rockwell stands between him and me, the little fucker jumps up from his piss-stained chair and runs out ofthe office with his phone in hand, closely followed by Rockwell.
I don’t give a shit about his antics or his threats. If the guys weren’t so uptight, I would kill him right here, right now, and then simply apologize to Cantrell. Accidents happen.
“Hunter,” I say, ignoring Lily as I turn to face Charlie. “Thank you for staying with her. I know how much you hate confrontational shit or getting your dad involved.”
“Didn’t have to,” he says. “It was like he wanted me to break open the door. Didn’t even yell at me, just stared at Lily until you guys arrived. I’m sorry I let her out of my sight, should have known she was up to something.”
“Not your fault, Charlie,” Max chimes in, putting his arm around Lily.
“Yeah, who would have expected her to do something so fucking dumb,” I add, narrowing my eyes when Lily dares to meet my gaze.
Somewhere in the hallway, Sanders starts yelling.
“I’m going to get all of you fired. This—“
“This isn’t a kindergarten, gentlemen.”
I guess Rockwell wasn’t able to convince Sanders to leave General Cantrell out of this.
Said man stomps into the office and sits down in Sanders’ chair with a loud groan. Cantrell is far from a youngster, but he looks worse than the last time we met. My involvement in the task force is tied to Cantrell only, and it’s not the first time I’m asking myself what’s going to happen once he steps down from his position.
“I hope you plan on cleaning this mess, Louis.”
Disgusted, Cantrell looks down at the bloody handprints on the desk, and the antipathy in his gaze grows even stronger when Sanders clears his throat.
“I have neither the time nor patience for this constant back and forth between all of you. Louis, I appreciate yourefforts, but Task Force Phoenix is entirely my responsibility. Entering their building without permission not only shows your lack of respect toward them but also toward me, which is the far more concerning issue.”
The grin on my face comes too soon.
“Logan.” Cantrell sighs.
“Want me to take care of the problem for you, sir?” I ask, pointing at Sanders.
