Page 64 of Wicked Devotion
“Logan,” Cantrell repeats, with a stern undertone this time. “Our agreement doesn’t include you threatening members of staff. Or assaulting them,” he adds. “This isn’t the kind of behavior I want to see around here.”
“Heard how he didn’t call you my superior, asshole?” I whisper over to Sanders, who comes closer, his mouth opening and closing in search of a comeback.
“It won’t happen again,” Rockwell says.
“I sincerely hope you’re right.” Cantrell stifles a yawn, and I lean over to Sanders.
“Pathetic little leech. No one respects you. Never did, never will. Just wait until I catch you alone, gonna crush you like the cockroach you are.”
“They need to be fired,” Sanders yells, barging over to Cantrell. “They are a danger to society, unprofessional brutes who belong in prison instead of being handed deadly weapons. Men like Rockwell can’t be trusted. I know what happened in—“
“You are overstepping your boundaries, Lieutenant General,” Cantrell snarls. “You better start acting according to your position instead of pointing fingers like a nosy little kid. Task Force Phoenix does not concern you, and I won’t tell you a third time, Louis.”
Cantrell leans back in his chair, sliding a hand over his balding head. “One week of unpaid leave. For all of you. You are dismissed,” he says, directed at Rockwell. “Arthur, pleasebring your men back to your quarters. Without further incidents, if possible.”
“And Mrs. Holton,” Cantrell says while he gets up, and Lily scrambles to let go of Max and stand up straight. “I wish you only the best for your future, off base. No need for enemies with a husband like that,” he says, giving her a soft pat on the shoulder before he leaves the room.
Sanders runs after him, obviously not done with his tantrum yet.
We take the stairs to avoid passing the two men who are having a screaming match in Cantrell’s office. For the entire walk back to our building, Max is the only one talking.
He keeps telling Lily nonsense, stuff like: It’s not your fault, we’re not angry, everything is okay, baby.
If there is no award for stupidity yet, I am going to invent it and give the first one to Max.
Because the current tragedy is essentially Lily’s fault,Iam angry, and ultimately, things are anything but okay.
“Can we stop with the secretiveness?” Max says as soon as Sam, who is the last to enter Rockwell’s office, closes the door behind himself. “I deserve an explanation.”
“Not here. And I don’t think you are currently in the position to demand anything, since it was yourresponsibilitywho got us in fucking trouble.”
“Don’t talk about her like this,” Max snarls back, stepping in front of Lily.
“Max,” she whispers, pulling on his hand. “He is right. Don’t make it worse.”
So, there is a brain hidden somewhere in her pretty head.
I make my way over to Rockwell’s couch and sit down. With my arms crossed in front of my chest, I observe the blatant formation of groups. Sam and Charlie have sided with Rockwell while Max and Lily stand on the opposite side of thedesk, seemingly trying to fuse into one body. And I am, like always, my own one-man team.
“We’re going to my house. It’s close, and—“
“No,” I interrupt Rockwell. “Your place has one bedroom, and your guest bed is a fucking couch. How’s this supposed to work? I’m not going to sleep in the garden and play summer camp.”
“We could ask Red,” Max suggests, but Rockwell shakes his head.
“Too far away.”
“Too far away for what?!” Max really doesn’t get it. If you ask me, the walls here have ears.
“Sergeant Vaughn,” Rockwell bellows, and Max raises his hands.
Sam groans, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Fine, I’ll ask Ruby.”
He unlocks it with the pace of a sedated sloth, obviously waiting for one of us to tell him to stop. Won’t be me, because his wife may be as annoying as Max if she wants to, but she also owns houses with more than two bedrooms.
“Darling, we had a situation at work,” Sam says once Ruby picks up the phone. “No, no one died, but can the guys stay with us for a few days? Ruby, no, that’s not necessary, please—” Sam’s cheeks puff up as he lets out a loud breath before he puts his wife on speaker.
“Who’s coming?” Ruby asks, her voice so sleepy I’m sure we’ve just woken her up.
