Page 65 of Devil's Dilemma

The call is answered immediately. “Yo, you got Pyro.”

“Pyro? I need you. C-c-can you come get me from work?”

“Darlin', are you sick? Something up with the baby?”

“Please, just come.” I do not want to discuss this over the phone.

“On my way, sweetheart.”

I place my own phone back where it came from, then reach out my hand. “Let me see again.” Heaven help me, but I’m hoping I made a mistake. What does it say about me that I’d rather Skull was dead?

“I’ll send them to you, hold on a sec.”

She does, my purse vibrates, telling me her messages have arrived.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Mel. I know you’re upset. I wasn’t sure whether to tell you or not.”

“I told her to, Mel. I thought you’d want to know.” I manage a small nod toward Carter. He’s right.

My phone’s in my hand, I’m viewing the pictures again. Carter disappears, then a few minutes later returns, escorting a man into the office. It’s Pyro. He got here fast.

Wordlessly I pass my phone over, looking up to see the expression on his face, wanting the identity to be confirmed, or denied as is my preference. As his jaw goes tight, I know there’s no doubt. Skull’s alive and well, and was enjoying life in Vegas this last weekend.

“Fuckin’ hell,” Pyro growls. “Get your shit, Mel. You’re coming with me.” His eyes find Beth’s. “You’ll cover for her?”

“She’s sick and gone home,” Beth confirms.

Pyro helps me to my feet, takes the purse from my hands, and without worrying it could be damaging his masculinity, drapes it over his shoulder instead of my own. He places his arm around me.

I need it. I’m wobbling as I walk, the effort to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other proving almost too much.

“We’re going back to the club, Mel,” he informs me as he opens the door to the car he’s brought.

“I…”

He looks over as I sit in the passenger seat, but I can get no more words out. “It will be alright, Mel,” he tries to assure me.

But how? How can this possibly be made right?

All sorts of stupid things cross my mind, the notion somehow floating to the top that my baby really does have a dad now. A man who could have equal parenting rights. A man I want nothing to do with now I know he left me and allowed me to think he was dead.

The implications of Skull being alive is much harder to deal with than grieving about him being out of the land of the living.

When we arrive at the club, I feel numb. Pyro parks, slips on his cut, then helps me out of the car. Again, his supporting arm encourages me to put right foot after left until we’re walking inside.

“Prez around?”

“In his office,” Beaver responds.

Pyro leads me on through. He knocks on the door, then, once we enter, helps me to sit without waiting for Demon’s permission, or caring what we might have interrupted. He takes the chair next to me, after pulling it closer to mine, so he can place his arm around my shoulders.

When he hands me my phone, I put the security code in, then he passes it over the desk.

Demon’s face tightens as he repeats the actions I’d first done, swiping from one photo to the next, then going back through the series again.

“When were these taken?” he asks, as if holding out hope they are old ones.

Pyro leaves no room for misunderstanding. “This past weekend.”

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