Conviction: Devine

by Sidebottom, D H

  “Sure.” I nodded, taking the file from him when he handed it to me. Making myself comfy at the other side of the desk from Keegan who tapped away like a maniac on the computer, I opened the file. My eyes popped wide at the information held about a man, Harry Edmonds, who was apparently seeking legal action against Jake. His brother, allegedly, had been killed during one of Jake’s ‘illegally’ run cage fights. What the fuckety fuck? Cage fighting? What the hell else was Jake into?

  I shook my head and sighed as I read through the rest of the court papers, but it wasn’t those that grabbed my attention, it was the information held about Harry Edmonds and his brother, Keith, which made me shiver. I knew instinctively that Harry was a dead man. The file contained everything from his daily schedule to known associates and even his blood type and allergies.

  “You okay?” Keegan asked.

  Looking up I saw him regarding me sceptically. I nodded but he noticed my apprehension and sighed. “You shouldn’t look for things that aren’t there, Isla. Jake won’t be prosecuted for this.”

  I scoffed. He thought I was worried for Jake. “Why am I not surprised? I’m not concerned about Jake’s outcome in all this. I’m worried for Harry Edmonds.”

  Keegan’s brow pinched. “Why?”

  “Well,” I fumed, amazed by his confusion with my empathy. “He’s just defending his brother, who I might add was killed during an illegal sport Jake organised.”

  Keegan shook his head. “I just told you, don’t look for things that aren’t there. All the men who compete in the fights know the risks. They also know that they get a hefty packet for competing, even if they lose. Cage fighting goes on everywhere but Jake is the only one who pays the losers a rate too.”

  “And you think that makes it okay? A loser’s rate is no good to Keith Edmonds now, is it?”

  “Isla, love.” Keegan spoke quietly but I saw the determination in him to stick up for Jake. Whatever I said or whichever opinion I voiced, I knew it would fall on deaf ears. “It’s in men’s natural makeup to fight. They’ll do it in the streets, at football matches, hell, even boxing. Jake just provides them with somewhere to release their pent up frustrations without them doing it on some poor innocent fuck who just wants to watch their local football team for the afternoon. Plus they get paid for it.”

  “It still doesn’t make it right, Kee.”

  He shrugged. “We all have opinions. But you should know that Jake is the only person on this planet who has ever helped me. He cares. Don’t look at what you can only see. Look deeper, look at him and his ways from a different angle. He always looks after his men, he always makes sure we’re safe before we get a ‘job’ and he always, always gives guys like me a break.”

  “Guys like you?”

  He shook his head. “All I’ll tell you is that I would be dead if it wasn’t for Jake. I owe him my life. Fuck, I owe that man my afterlife too. Another thing you should know is he loves you.” I flinched but Keegan carried on. “I’ve never known him to care for another woman, ever . . .”

  “Genesis?” I interrupted.

  Keegan huffed and shook his head, “Genesis and Jake’s relationship is purely business. I’ll admit they had a fling years ago when they were kids, but there’s been nothing between them for years.” He huffed again and shook his head as if angry with me. “You should be talking to Jake about all this, not me. Just hear him out. He misses you. I’ve never seen him so uptight.”

  I sighed, hearing the same thing about Genesis and Jake from both Keegan and Adam. “It’s not just the Genesis thing though, Keegan. There’s other stuff.”

  “That’s also for you to sort out with him. How do you expect him to explain if you’re not willing to listen?”

  I grumbled playfully and threw a pen at him that I snatched up off the desk, narrowing my eyes teasingly on him. “Fine, fine. I give in.”

  Keegan smiled, his sad gaze for once fading into a happy twinkle. “Thank you. He’s a good man. Please just give him a chance.”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll at least hear what he has to say.”

  Keegan grinned at me and just as he was about to say something, Kris stormed into the room. “We’re needed,” he barked at Keegan, giving me a swift cool glance before he disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

  Keegan shot upright, my stomach clenching when he pulled out a gun from behind his back and checked the ammo and safety. “Go find someone else who needs you,” he ordered sternly, his previous friendly manner gone as a shadow crept across his face. I stared at him, my mouth popping open with his bluntness. “Sorry,” he mumbled as he snatched up his coat and ushered me out of Jake’s office. “Not worth my life leaving you in there on your own.”

  “Fine,” I mumbled back as Keegan locked the office door and fled down the corridor that led straight outside.

  Shaking my head at his and Kris’ rudeness, I strolled out of the building.

  “Isla!” Gary, Deviant’s car park attendant shouted to me, his arm raised high as he waved to get my attention.

  I groaned under my breath, curling a lip and shivering as I grew closer to the creepy arsehole. All the women at Deviant, apart from a few, hated Gary. No one trusted him, even the other male employees. His eyes were little black beads and the way he spoke with a heavy lisp had me likening him to a snake—a venomous one.

  “Hey, pretty thing.” He grinned, triggering another repulsed shiver to rip through me. “Blair Rochelle is waiting for you in the foyer, she wants escorting to the spa. I did text you but you didn’t answer.”

  I frowned and pulled out my phone. Shaking my head I showed him the blank display. “Seems you didn’t. Nothing is showing on my phone.”

  He shrugged, dismissing me as though he had a title when a famous rock star pulled up to the gate. My jaw snapped open when Travis Sawyer, lead singer for Travesty, the hottest rock band on the planet at the moment, stepped out of the back of a BMW. His long legs were encased in jeans that displayed the delicious outline of his legs and backside.

  I nearly keeled over when Travis’ eyes slowly moved from Gary to me, then leisurely travelled down my body. His gaze returned to my eyes and he stared at me for a moment before one corner of his mouth lifted and the sexiest grin peered back at me. “Well, hi. And who are you?”

  “She’s just the Deviant gofer, Mr Sawyer,” Gary interrupted quickly, jumping in front of Travis. “If you’d care to follow me, sir, I can have Genesis show you around and sort out your membership.”

  My cheeks heated with the way Travis was looking at me. If his eyes could have exposed what his mind was viewing, I swear I would have been watching a porn film.

  His head slowly turned towards Gary and he narrowed his eyes. “Forgive me . . .” Travis made a point of lifting Gary’s name badge and squinting at it, “ . . . Gary, but I thought the point of a gofer was to be at people’s beck and call, especially people like . . . me.”

  I flinched, his attitude getting my back up a bit. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? Sensing his arrogance, I smiled sweetly. “You’ll have to excuse me, Mr Sawyer. I already have another client waiting for me. Gary will show you to Genesis. I’m absolutely positive you’ll love her.”

  Travis’ face darkened. It was evident no one ever told this man ‘no.’ “Well perhaps I don’t want Genesis to escort me. Maybe . . .” He stepped right up to me, thrusting his face in mine. “Maybe I want you.”

  I swallowed, the way he said ‘I want you’ leaving nothing to the imagination. Again, Gary jumped in front of us, sliding his body between me and Travis. I tried to hide my shock when Gary’s hand stealthily grabbed mine behind his back and he pulled me to the side and pushed me gently, urging me to get out, and quickly if the way his hand flapping was anything to go by.

  I frowned, slightly stunned by Gary’s obvious attempt to protect me from the arsehole trying to force his status on me. “I’m afraid, as Miss Cormack said,” Gary practically growled at Travis, “she is unavailable. If you would care t
o follow me, Mr Sawyer, I’ll escort you to Genesis. She will be only too pleased to cater to your every demand.”

  For a moment I was shocked still. Gary, Gary the sleezebag, was doing his all to steer Travis Sawyer away from me. However, Travis was having none of it. Pushing Gary aside, he stepped towards me again and took my hand tightly in his, my fingers almost crunching with the tight hold. Once again, Gary stepped up. This time, the smile had gone and his stance had altered drastically. His pale face darkened and his eyes narrowed to slits. His fists clenched by his side but it was the way his feet shuffled apart that told me exactly how much into the Devine side of business the so-called car park attendant was buried.

  “I hate to repeat myself,” Gary hissed as he glared at Travis. My blood chilled with the sinister sound in his voice and the way he looked at Travis made me swallow heavily. Travis, apparently stupid as well as good-looking, glared back, until Gary said something that had Travis finally moving backwards pretty damn quick. “Miss Cormack is taken. She is the current property of Mr Devine. I wouldn’t encourage any forward remarks . . . Mr Sawyer!”

  I gawped at Gary as Travis shifted quickly and bowed his head. “Please tell Jake that I’m sorry. I had no idea that she was his piece.”

  His piece? His fucking piece?

  What the hell was wrong with people? “Excuse me?” I spluttered. Gary flicked me a glance as Travis held up his hands.

  “Please accept my apologies, Miss Cormack. I wasn’t aware of your connection to Jake.” He dipped his head politely, a complete contrast to five minutes ago. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go find Genesis in reception.”

  I was speechless as I watched him scuttle away, hurriedly bursting through the doors into the Deviant foyer.

  Spinning to Gary, I found him regarding me with a bored look. “How dare you?” I blasted. “I don’t belong to anyone!”

  He snorted, shaking his head. “Whatever. You’d better hurry before Blair complains about you.”

  “Good! Maybe I’ll finally get the sack!”

  He peered at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. Nothing made sense in my life anymore. “Like that’ll ever happen!”

  I sighed resignedly. “Yeah, wishful thinking on both parts, eh?”

  He shook his head. “I think you’re an alright person, Isla. Why would I want them to fire you?”

  “Well.” I struggled for a moment. “You just seem like the type of guy that doesn’t really like anyone. No offense.” Sometimes I hated my inability to filter whatever came out of my mouth, my forwardness forever upsetting someone or getting me into trouble.

  He held up his hands, his face totally showing his wounded feelings as he gulped and winced. “You know, if I’m nice to someone then I’m creepy. If I’m casual with them I’m an arrogant bastard. I can’t win!”

  I regarded him for a moment, hating that I’d obviously got the guy so wrong. Eventually, I tipped my head and held out my hand. “I’m sorry, Gary. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and I’m afraid I’m guilty of that.” He blinked at my outthrust hand. “Can we start again?”

  He smiled and I was taken aback with how wide and bright it was. His usual smile was tight and leery but the one he gave me then was genuine and open. Taking my hand he shook it hard. “Nice to meet you, Isla. I’m Gary Tenby, Deviant’s car park assistant.”

  “And right hand man to Jake Devine,” I whispered giving him a wink.

  He winked back and smirked, leaning into me. “But that’s between you and me. I’m positioned here to keep out the riff raff. But only you that know that.”

  I held up a hand as I made my way into Deviant. “Take it to the grave!” I shouted back, crossing my finger over my chest.

  He chuckled behind me and I smiled to myself. The smile dropped when I saw Blair Rochelle’s fierce glare find me as I walked through the glass doors. Groaning to myself, I gave her a wide false smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Rochelle, welcome back to Deviant.”

  “Well,” she snapped as she clicked her fingers at her bag on the floor, gesturing for me to pick it up for her. “It’s about time. I’ve just spoken to the receptionist about your punctuality. I mean, really? I arrived ten minutes ago. I expect someone to be ready and waiting to escort me. This never happened with previous visits. And another thing . . .”

  I nodded in time with every other syllable, rolling my eyes every other word and curling my lip every sentence as my afternoon went from bad to worse.

  But then again, it was just like every other day in my life.

  THE SMILE THAT COVERED my face was wide as my fingers moved blindly over the keys; my mother’s favourite song now an instinctive tune for my subconscious to play. My gaze was focussed on the moon through the window as Debussy’s Clair de Lune teased the stale air in my room, the music gentle and almost eerie. A slight breeze blew through the open window teasing my hair, the long brown curls I’d inherited from my mum dancing softly to the melody.

  I hated the tears that trickled across my cheeks, tickling and irritating as they gradually progressed to my chin and dripped onto my fingers, splashing across the keys as my fingers moved.

  My heart hurt, physically ached, as I closed my eyes and finished the song, my mother’s very last smile tormenting me and bringing on a sob that seemed to tear me apart as it ripped through me. I missed her so much, her soft smile and comforting words, even her honesty when she would tell it how it was. I missed every single part of her.

  I knew he was there, I’d smelled his cologne and his unique scent when he’d entered my bedroom quietly. I hadn’t acknowledged him but I knew he’d sensed the slight stutter in the music halfway through the song when I’d become aware of his presence.

  His arms wrapped around me from behind, his chest a strength for me to bury my face into when he turned me, his arms a shield that protected me from myself and his quiet soothing words a gentle comfort to the guilt ripping my soul apart.

  “If I could take your heart and soul and lock them up in a glass container to keep them safe, I would,” Jake whispered softly in my ear. “I would. My heart and soul is already yours and all I can give you now is my arms.”

  I didn’t answer him, I didn’t know what to say.

  “I’m so sorry,” he continued, the ache in his voice matching the one in my chest. “I’m sorry. I tried, I tried so hard to stop it.”

  I swallowed, knowing we’d gone from talking about me to my arrest. Pulling back, I looked up at him, his face blurry through my tears. “What are you doing here, Jake?”

  His expression flicked from offended to angry to frustrated. “I’m here for you.”

  “For me?” Had this man any scruples? “For me?” He blinked at me, shocked by my outburst. I shook my head at him. “You never do anything but for yourself, Jake Devine. Don’t you dare try to . . .”

  My breath left me in a single burst when I was hoisted over his shoulder and dropped rather rudely on my bed, my back hitting the mattress and bouncing a few inches into the air. His large body enclosed mine as his fingers buried deep into the roots of my hair and he wrapped a clump around his fist, holding my head still. His face was furious, his eyes narrowing and glinting as he leaned into me, the tip of his nose feathering mine as his heaving chest pressed against my own. “Don’t you dare, Isla. All I’ve done since I was eighteen is think about you, run my life for you! I did FUCKING TIME FOR YOU!”

  I winced when his hold grew tighter the angrier he became.

  “Have you any idea what happens in those places? What I gave up for you. FOR YOU!”

  I shook my head like a lunatic, his face distorting with every move and every tear that flicked off my face.

  He grimaced as if suddenly aware of his rage. His grip loosened but he didn’t let go. Dropping his face closer, he drew the tip of his nose along my own, his breathing stalling for a moment. “I can’t ever give you up. Not now. Not now I have you. The first time I saw you I knew you were it, the one for me. You were so
beautiful and gentle, like this perfect little flower that would lose its petals if the wind blew too hard. And when the storm came, you held on. Oh, how you held on. But now your petals are falling and you’re standing at the edge watching them wilt and drop. This isn’t you. You fight, Isla. You always fought.”

  I stared at him for a moment, my heart in my mouth, my soul hanging on like my petals. “Maybe I’m tired, Jake. Maybe I don’t want to fight anymore. Maybe I want to step over the edge and fall to the bottom. I can’t do this anymore.”

  He shook his head. “You can. This is just the autumn, sweetheart. The spring will come and when it does you will be so much stronger for holding on. I promise.”

  He brushed my hair aside with a gentle sweep, his eyes fixed on mine as I stared at him. I could read the desperation in them, the hope and the guilt but it was the love displayed so openly that caused me to nod. I was still so angry with him but still I nodded.

  “I’ll hold on,” I whispered.

  He smiled softly, dropping a tiny kiss to my nose. “I’m sorting it, I promise.”

  I nodded again. If I was honest I wasn’t even sure what I was feeling never mind what I was thinking. Jake had this hold on me that whatever we both did I couldn’t sever the link. I didn’t think I would ever be able to sever it.

  “And Genesis?” I had to ask. I needed to know.

  He sighed and sat up. “It’s complicated.”

  “Of course it is!” I huffed but he scowled at me and shifted so that he was looking at me.

  “Not in the way you think. Gen and I go way back.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Gen and Dwaine share the same mother.”

  I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. “What?”

  “That’s how I met her, through Dwaine and Meredith. However, her father, Freddy, is high in the underbelly of our world.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Are you telling me you’re using Genesis to get to Freddy?”

  He shrugged. “I told you. I’m not a good man. I’m far from a good man. I will do whatever it takes to get the outcome I want.”