Fighting Conviction by Greer Rivers

Chapter Seven

Offbeat thumping echoed outside the gym, calling to Ellie like a beacon as she rushed through the BlackStone Securities complex to find Dev. The facility was completely soundproof, so she’d already explored the garage, shooting range, and medical room before finally hearing the faint beat. The fact the whole first floor had been empty didn’t help her anxiety.

Dev wasn’t answering his phone, and the wild-goose chase was making Ellie light-headed with worry. She’d let Virginia leave as soon as she’d been dropped off, believing she’d find Dev right away. Worst-case scenarios were flitting through Ellie’s mind, and the fear something was wrong with Jules and the baby was enough to make Ellie feel on the verge of passing out.

As she made her way through the halls, heavy metal blared through the speakers ahead of her and still the thumps grew louder and faster over the beat. When she rounded the last corner before the gym and entered the propped open door, she realized the source of the arrhythmic thudding noises.

In the corner of the gym, Dev was hitting a punching bag with enough force that Ellie was surprised it was still hanging from the walls. His bare back was to her, and the muscles in his rounded shoulders flexed with each hit. For the first time, Ellie finally saw the beautiful, tattooed, skeletal wings spanning his entire back and arms.

She’d seen the feathers lining the backs of his arms, but she’d never seen him shirtless. A closer look at the artwork showed the wings she’d always imagined on the rest of his body were broken and torn. Feathers hung from inked bone and sinew, and there were rips in the design’s exposed membrane. The ink work was so vivid, it was easy to imagine the rest of the wings spread out and wide around him in tattered shreds. Like a fallen angel.

Or a demon.

A lump formed in Ellie’s throat, making it hard to swallow. Whatever tragedy had inspired that tattoo was embedded much deeper than the skin it covered.

The divots outlining Dev’s back muscles contracted and bulged as he boxed, and Ellie couldn’t help but stare at his strong arms as he punched the bag. She’d seen those hands heal and she’d ached for their soft touch over her skin. For his fingertips to graze over her, move her body where he needed her right before they fell apart in each other’s arms.

Great. First flashbacks, then nightmares. Why not add delusions in the mix?

But as she observed his strength in such a violent display of power, Ellie found herself gravitating to him while an entirely different fantasy flashed in her head. Instead of gentle caresses making her tingle, she imagined his fingers gripping into her hips as he held her from behind, shoving her up against the mirrored wall right behind him.

Ellie rubbed the goose bumps on her skin, already growing sensitive just from her imagination. If she didn’t stop daydreaming, she was going to do something stupid and desperate, like fall and crawl at his feet. She locked her knees to keep from embarrassing herself.

After a cleansing exhale, frustration filtered in. She was being ridiculous, salivating over some boy even though she had no clue why she was there or if there was an emergency. And here Dev was, working out.

Sasha’s laughter barked in Ellie’s thoughts. “‘Some boy’. Shyeah, right. That right there’s a man. One you should let bend you over and—”

The slaps against the punching bag stilled, and Ellie shifted her gaze to find Dev’s steady on her in the mirror.

For the love of God, please don’t be a mind reader.

The corner of his lips twitched, sending her hopes spiraling. Of course he knew what she was thinking. He always did.

She braced herself against being teased, but Dev only shook his head, like he was trying to get her thoughts out of his own mind. Adopting a sour expression, he crossed his arms before yelling over the music. “You’re late.”

“Late? What the—” She scoffed and mirrored his posture. “What’s going on, Dev? Is it Jules? Are she and the baby okay?”

Dev frowned before walking over to his phone and pausing the music. The silence pulsed through her in several staccato beats before she realized it was her heartbeat.

“They’re fine as far as I know. But I’ve been here an hour.” He narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down. “You training in that?”

At the hint of disappointment lacing his question, Ellie looked down even though she knew she wore leggings and a long-sleeved T-shirt with tennis shoes. “Um… yeah? What’s wrong with—Wait, what do you mean ‘training?’ Was that what your text was about? My self-defense training?” She flopped onto a weight-lifting bench and slapped her hand against her chest in relief. “I thought it was about something serious, dang.”

“Self-defense is serious,” Dev grumbled under his breath before drinking from his water bottle.

Ellie tilted her head. “But, wait… Jason’s been teaching me—”

“And with the baby he’s asked me to help. He also said he’d tell you. But he didn’t, I take it?” Ellie shook her head. Dev’s frown deepened before he muttered, “His distractions are getting dangerous.”

Ellie’s mouth fell open. “Are you seriously calling Jules and their baby a distraction? What the heck is wrong with you?”

Dev rolled his eyes. “In our line of work, hell yeah they’re distractions.”

“I ask again, ‘What the heck is wrong with you?’” Ellie scoffed only for Dev to shrug.

“I said it. I meant it. Now step up to the mat. We don’t need to waste any more time.”

“Someone’s feeling sassy. Sheesh. Where is everybody, by the way? I searched everywhere for you and it was a ghost town.”

“Your brother’s with Jules. The rest of them are on assignment or out. We have lives outside of this place, you know. Come on,” he huffed before tugging her by the forearm to the mat.

She shouldn’t have felt anything. He was being a total butthead. So why did his gentle grip around her arm set her nerves on fire?

When they reached the middle of the mat, he let go and Ellie rubbed her arm to get rid of the tingles his fingertips left in their wake. He crossed his arms, making his chest muscles harden under the pose.

“Look alive, El. Eyes up.”

“Hm?” Her stare whipped up to his forest green gaze. Heat flushed over her skin at the smile in his eyes. Yep, she’d totally been caught. “Sorry. Training… yeah. I can do that.”

Dev smirked. “Something on your mind, Ellie?”

She scowled and scrambled for something to say before finally returning his smirk with one of her own. “Careful, Dev. You keep smiling and your face might get stuck like that.”

His cocky grin evaporated before he bent to get something from his bag. “Fine. I’ll be serious.”

The blank look that replaced it made her chest tighten with guilt. “So, uh, what’s on the agend—oof.” Ellie caught the item Dev tossed at her and examined what looked like a roll of some kind of tape. “What’s this?”

One of Dev’s strawberry blond brows raised as he spoke to her like she was an idiot. “It’s wrapping tape.”

“Okay…” Ellie gestured with the roll. “I don’t know why I’m supposed to know that.”

Dev cocked his head to the side as he scrubbed his short beard. “It’s for your hands.” He held up his, covered in the same red material. “Does Jason not make you protect your hands and wrists?” When Ellie shook her head, Dev whistled. “Damn. That’s tougher than I thought he’d be.”

She shrugged, not really sure what that meant. “Guess so.” She flicked the edges of the cloth wrap and pulled it awkwardly around her knuckles.

“Here let me do it.” Taking Ellie’s hand in his, he dressed her knuckles with quick efficiency before moving to the other to do the same. “There’s no reason for you not to wrap it, except to feel the real impact of skin on skin.” Dev paused and dropped her hand like it was on fire before clearing his throat. “Which, I mean, has its merit.” He tossed the roll into his open duffel bag and picked up his phone. “Let’s get started. How long have you been taking lessons from Jason?”

“A couple of months, or so.” Ellie flexed her hands, testing out their mobility.

“Excellent. That’s good to hear.” Heavy metal resumed playing at a lower volume over the speakers before Dev tossed his phone back onto his duffel. He retrieved curved punching pads hanging from the wall and approached her. “Let’s see what you got then.”

Ellie’s heart flipped up into her throat, anxious to show off all her hard work, especially to Dev.

“Let’s do this.” Ellie bit her lip and got into the fighting stance Jason had taught her, with her legs shoulder-width apart and her right foot slightly in front of her left. She brought her right fist to eye level and her left beside her chin, tucking her elbow near her body.

Dev furrowed his brows. “Huh, you’re a southpaw?”

“A what?” Her nose scrunched, but she never got out of stance, worried she was doing it wrong.

“You’re left handed?”

“Oh… yeah.” Ellie stood up a little straighter and analyzed her offending left hand. “Is that bad?”

Dev shook his head. “No that’s great. I don’t know why I didn’t notice it before. Lefties are better at surprising an enemy.” The reference to an enemy made the flutters in her stomach leaden with panic. “We have to make sure you’re ready for jabs coming at you from straight on. Now, fists up. Everything looks great but make sure your wrists are slightly bent and your chin is tucked so I can’t hit you there… Oh, and—” He reached out with his thumb and pulled at her bottom lip from between her teeth. “Don’t do that. You might bite that pretty lip off.”

Ellie’s eyes widened at the caress, but Dev only coughed and continued to speak, moving on as if her insides hadn’t just melted at the touch of his finger.

“You know… for good form.” He pushed his hands into the padding before hitting the long rectangular mitts together. “Okay, yep, that’s better. Now, lay it on me.”

She didn’t want to dwell on the fact he’d adopted yet another perfectly blank expression. His hot and cold routine was giving her whiplash, but at least her irritation made it easier to want to hit him.

She pulled back her left fist and struck the mitt with all her strength and frustration.

Synthetic leather immediately smacked her in the face, making her head fly back. The rest of her body went with it, and even on the padded wrestling mats, she landed on her butt with a resounding thud. But the sound was a whisper compared to the deafening roar from the giant towering over her.

“What the fuckwas that?”