Conviction: Devine (11 page)

The door opened but she turned back to me. Her expression was hard and full of determination. “I won’t let you do this.” She spoke with an edge that made my heart tremble. “You plead guilty tomorrow and I will bring everyone down in your circle.”

I frowned, cocking my head as my eyes narrowed. “What?”

She laughed bitterly, a cold smile crossing her face. “You forget I had access to all your paperwork. And I swear, you lie for whoever killed my family, I will make sure every single one of your friends and all the men and women in your disgusting little ring go down with you.”

I shot upright, grabbing at her arms. “You can’t do that. You wouldn’t!”

She smirked cruelly and pulled free. “My brother and my mum deserve justice. If you won’t give it to them then I will.” She swallowed, her eyes glistening for a brief second before she pushed her sorrow back. “You want a fight then I’ll give you the hardest, toughest fight of your life, Jake Devine.” Leaning forward, she spat in my face, “I’m bringing you down. Prepare to go to war with the monster you created.”

I watched, stunned when she turned and walked away without looking back. Graham winced when I picked up the plate of toast and threw it at the wall, the sound of its shatter matching the splinter in my soul as the woman I loved destroyed me.

I
LITERALLY FELL INTO
Adam’s arms as the cell door slammed shut behind me. Carrie gave me a sympathetic smile. “Did he take the bait?”

I nodded, hating myself for what I had just said to someone I would never betray. It had all been a lie, but I figured Jake had told me enough to warrant my own.

Covering my mouth with the back of my hand, I balked. Carrie’s eyes widened before she quickly directed me to the nearest female bathroom, her knowledge of Scotland Yard coming in handy as I just made it to the toilet before my breakfast came back up.

“Don’t worry,” she soothed while she rubbed her hand up and down my back, her other hand pulling my long hair back into a bunch. “The presiding judge is Ivan. He’s one of Jake’s. It’s all covered.”

I nodded, unable to speak as I heaved again.

“Isla, you shouldn’t upset yourself like this.”

I shook my head, blowing out a calming breath. “It’s my headaches, that’s all.”

Carrie looked at me sternly. “You should look after yourself more. You’re very pale.”

I waved her off, splashing my face with cool water from the sink. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You won’t be much use to Jake if you’re ill.”

“To be honest, I don’t see how I can help him if he won’t let me. He won’t tell me, Carrie. I thought I was more important to him.”

She stared at me and chuckled before ushering me out. “Bloody hell, Isla, have you no experience of men?”

I blinked at her and shook my head as my cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “Not really.”

She gawped at me as though I’d just told her I was a virgin. “Well, how many men have you had?”

I cringed, shrugging as if to not make a big deal of her questioning. “Apart from . . . Dwaine, just Jake.”

Her footing faltered. Her curious eyes roamed over me, her intense gaze studying my body.

I straightened my shoulders. “I was never interested.”

“Oh.” She covered her shock with a smile. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just surprised, that’s all.” She carried on walking then stopped dead and grabbed my arm. “Shit. What are you going to do while Jake’s inside awaiting trial?”

I squinted at her, bewildered. “I don’t understand. Do about what?”

“Sex. Sex, Isla!”

Staring at her, I shook my head, wincing at the pain from another impending migraine and shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll manage.”

Again, she gawped at me. “You, me and a couple of your friends, Ann Summers, then lunch and a bottle of wine.”

Cringing inwardly, I smiled the best I could and nodded. Carrie laughed, patting my arm. “Don’t worry. This is as much for me as you.” Lowering her voice she leaned towards me. “I haven’t been in London long and as yet I haven’t managed to find a circle of friends.”

Realising she was lonely, I immediately felt guilty. I liked Carrie; she was honest and straightforward but her love for Adam guaranteed our alliance. Anyone who could make my friend smile like he now did every minute of every day deserved my friendship.

Nodding firmly, I gave her a genuine smile. “You’re on.”

She clapped excitedly. “Yay!”

Although I was partly dreading where a trip to a sex shop was heading, I was grateful for her attempt to take my mind off Jake. I knew she had done it on purpose and that made me like her even more. Hooking her arm through mine she reached up on her toes and kissed Adam softly on the lips. “Me and Isla are off out for the day. Ring me if you need me,” she shouted over her shoulder as she pulled me outside.

“Let’s go have some fun.” She grinned. “God knows you need some.”

I braced myself, blowing out a breath and wondering if my headache could withstand an adventurous afternoon.

Turned out it couldn’t.

Leah giggle-snorted, her eyes streaming with tears as we all laughed so hard my stomach started to cramp. My head was raging, the alcohol doing nothing to tame the agony tearing through my skull.

“Seriously?” Leah snorted again.

Carrie nodded, her own laugh loud and becoming distorted in my drunken stupor. “I’m telling you, his cock can dance.” As if her finger was Adam’s dick, she demonstrated how Adam’s cock danced by pirouetting it across the table towards Leah.

I grinned at Leah when Eve smiled softly at her and reached in for a kiss, her hand tenderly holding her face. “I’m off to find the little girls’ room.”

Leah smiled back just as affectionately, nodding as she covered Eve’s hand with her own.

“She’s lovely,” I remarked as we watched Eve walk gracefully to the toilets in the corner of the small pub we’d found on the outskirts of town. Leah had asked if it would be okay to bring Eve when I’d called her four hours earlier to arrange our girly day. Eve was quiet and shy, her pretty face framed by a short crop of bright pink hair; a complete contrast to her refined but kind character.

Leah beamed at me and took my hand in hers. “You think so? Really?”

I nodded encouragingly, wincing at the pain in my head. “I do. She’s completely opposite to you though. A bit of a posh bird.”

Her mouth popped open and she mock glared at me. “Are you saying I’m a common slut?”

I shook my head. “No! As if! A common skank but never a slut.”

Laughing, she reached across the table and playfully slapped me round the head.

That’s when everything went dark. My friend’s screams echoed around my head when I slid off my chair and collapsed under the table.

T
HE LIGHT PERFORATED MY
eyelids. Someone squeezed my hand and I opened my eyes to find my dad’s pale face looking at me with concern. “Isla?”

“Hey,” I croaked.

“How are you feeling?”

I stretched my eyes and did a mental examination of my body. “Okay,” I answered as I pushed myself up and leaned back against the head of the metal bed. “What happened?”

Leah rushed over from the chair in the corner of the room where not four seconds ago she’d been snoring.

“You passed out,” Dad explained.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “It’s these damn headaches. How long have I been out?”

Looking at his watch he tipped his head. “About four hours.”

Both he and Leah stared at me with creased brows when I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. “I have to get to work, I’m going to be late.”

“Like fuck!” Adam piped up. I hadn’t seen him standing in the shadowed corner of the room. He looked worried as he walked over to me.

“Adam,” I warned when he snatched my clothes when I reached for them.

Shaking his head he scowled at me. “Not a chance, sweet thing. At least not until the doc’s given you the results.”

Trying to swipe my clothes back I huffed when he shook his head and held them out of reach. “I don’t have time for this. I’m fine for God’s sake!”

He leaned forward and pushed me back onto the bed, my arse plopping heavily onto the mattress. “Jake will make my life hell if I allow you to walk out of here.”

I scoffed, practically growling at him. “Then you shouldn’t have told him I was here. What I do doesn’t concern Jake anymore.”

We all looked towards the door when it opened and a tall woman in a white doctor’s coat walked through. She smiled pleasantly, her eyes holding each person’s warmly before she settled on me. “Nice to see you back with us, Isla. I’m Jane Ryland, the consultant on duty this afternoon. How are you feeling?”

Nodding, I smiled back. “I’m fine. Just another headache.”

She smiled but I didn’t miss the way her eyes didn’t reflect it. “I just need a moment to discuss the results of your blood test before we let you go.”

I held my hands up to Adam and poked out my tongue childishly, indicating that I had been right about going home. The doctor looked from one person to another. “If you could just give Isla and me a private moment.”

My dad frowned, narrowing his eyes. “Is there something wrong?”

“Not at all,” she placated with a firm shake of her head.

“Then you can discuss it with us present.”

The doc looked to me and I rolled my eyes, nodding and giving her permission to talk about my headaches in front of everyone.

“Okay.” Jane came to sit on the edge of the bed. “We did a blood test when you arrived. We also did some basic tests. We found that you’re slightly anaemic and a little undernourished.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “So what, eat better? More tablets?”

“I’m afraid in your condition, there isn’t much choice of medication we can give you. But drinking plenty of water and eating small portions of food regularly will help.”

I stared at her, my heart beating hard. “My condition?”

She nodded slowly. “You’re results show that you’re in the early stages of pregnancy.”

A chorus of gasps echoed around the storm in my head as the room swam before me. Every inch of my skin chilled with an outbreak of goosebumps. My mouth wouldn’t work, my lips as numb as the rest of my body.

“She’s what?” Leah screeched, her eyes wide on me.