Page 78 of Wicked Devotion
The bedroom door bursts open while I’m still snuggled up against Lily, and I tilt my head to take a look at the intruder.
It’s Ruby, obviously, because any other person has the decency to knock before entering a room. It is only a matter of time until this woman will walk in on something she doesn’t want to see—again—and like the last time it happened, I won’t be the one apologizing.
“Rockwell needs to talk to you guys. Work-related.”
Groaning, I roll on top of a half-asleep Lily and prop myself up on my elbows, so I don’t crush her.
“You wanna come with us or stay in bed?”
“Bed.” I give her a kiss on the tip of her nose, and she makes a face. “Max,” she grumbles sleepily, but kiss after kiss turns her frown into a smile.
“I’m going to sleep on the balcony,” Logan says, glancing in our direction. “Or better, throw myself off of it.”
“May I present the man who callsmedramatic,” I whisper, and Lily grins at me. Giving her one last kiss on her forehead, Iget up and put on a pair of shorts before I follow Logan out of the bedroom.
In the living room, Rockwell is pacing around, wearing a sweaty shirt and shorts. If he went jogging, that means he almost reached the top of his losing-it chart, and three beers on movie night were just the beginning.
“Cantrell is sick,” he says, his voice devoid of any emotion. “Sanders will be taking over his duties until he recovers.”
One could mistake Rockwell’s behavior for calm, but I see how he clenches his fists every few steps and how it’s only the wisdom that comes with age that keeps him from slamming them into the nearest wall. This, and the fact that Ruby would yell at him for ruining her house.
“Well, I’m out.” Logan huffs and I’m tempted to say the same.
Back when Sanders arrived on base, Cantrell didn’t know how tight he had to hold his leash. After my first unpleasant run-in with him, I spent countless nights going through old reports because Sanders insisted that they were faulty. The phrase ‘they won’t hold up in court’ fell more than once, and I kept asking myself which court he was referring to. Maybe the fuck-my-ass-court, because if some of the things we do came to light, it would drag so many people down with us that they could give us an entire wing in prison.
“Call Joyce,” Rockwell says, facing me. “You haven’t taken leave since you joined us. Do that now. A week or two should be enough. And Cabrera—“
Logan is already in the kitchen, eating roast beef right out of the fridge together with Mochi, and I turn back to Rockwell.
“He needs to lie low,” I say.
“It’s better if he stays a few miles away from base. We can’t afford him provoking Sanders right now.Sam, Charlie, and I will be driving to base in two days, but we’re leaving today. Gonna pay someone a visit.”
“Vinnie kept an eye on the leading detective in the Delaney case. Turns out one of his sons has a bit of trouble adhering to the law, and well, one hand washes the other…” Ruby says with a grin, rolling her eyes when she catches Logan teaching Mochi to play dead in exchange for yet another slice of roast beef.
“Vinnie’s gonna do shit like this for you until he’s 90.”
“It’s the perfect cover. No one questions an old guy who sits around and watches people. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.” She puts her hand around my arm, pulling me out to the terrace.
“Shouldn’t we call Logan over?” I ask, pointing at the kitchen where Logan is now eating an apple bent over the sink.
Why have breakfast at the table, like a civilized person?
“Call him if you want to. Knowing him, he won’t be much help,” Ruby says, letting out a chuckle. “Look, I love having you guys around, and you can stay here for as long as you want. I adore Lily. Honestly, I don’t know how you two idiots managed to snatch such a sweet girl.”
“Through abduction,” I say, and Ruby punches my arm. “Did Logan say something stupid again?”
“Sure, I would worry about him if he doesn’t, but that’s not the point. I don’t know if you guys realized it yet, but Lily is really sensitive.”
“Who’s sensitive?” Logan asks, strolling out on the terrace with Mochi in tow. “No, don’t tell me, I wanna guess.”
Ruby groans. “Do you even know her? Up here,” she points at her head, giving Logan a look. “Not the rest. She is a human being with feelings, and she had a fucking hard time.”
“I’m constantly having a hard time, yet no one gives a shit,” Logan says, and Ruby exhales loudly.
“You wanted a guessing game, Logan? Cause I’ve got onefor you: When do you think she was on vacation the last time?”
“Last year?”
