Page 28 of Twisted Devotion

He glances at the designer Rolex around his wrist. “Thirty minutes.”

My pulse spikes, like I’ve already committed to observing.

Jackson’s soft smile tells me he heard it. “It’s nothing to fret over,” he assures me. “If you get in there and decide you don’t want to hang around, cool. We’ll leave. I just figured it would kill some time. I know this job isn’t always the most exciting.”

I purse my lips. He’s not wrong. “Yeah,” I finally say, curiosity winning out over my nerves. “Okay, I’ll watch.”

“Great. Then we can grab lunch. I’m thinking sushi.”

My stomach grumbles at the very mention.Damn.The guy knows how to win over his audience. At least in this regard. “Fine, but you’re buying.”

“If I’m buying, then it’s a date,” he challenges.

I narrow my gaze on him. “Not a chance.” A date would definitely be in breach of our bet. I’m not losing on a technicality.

He groans. “You are so difficult, Red.”

“Yes, I am.” I close my laptop. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”

We walk to the door, and Jackson holds it open for me. I murmur a quickthanksand step into the hallway. My shoes are soft on the hardwood, but my heart beats loudly. My pulse races faster the closer we get to the procedure room, and I stop a few feet away.

Why am I so nervous?

When my head starts spinning, I lean against the wall and take a deep breath.Maybe I shouldn’t do this.Every other time Jackson’s observed a procedure, I’ve discreetly asked one of the other guards to accompany him.

Jackson reaches for me, cupping my elbow to steady me. “You’re okay,” he encourages.

“I don’t . . .” My voice trails off when my mouth goes dry.I don’t want to see anyone die.Anyoneelsedie.That’s it. I’m so scared the fae won’t make it through the procedure and I’ll be forced to witness yet another death. Between the massacre that shredded my human life to nothing, and the battle with The Experiment, I’ve seen enough death to last an eternity.

“It’ll be fine, Red.”

“You can’t promise that,” I whisper, panic crackling through me like a live wire.

He frowns at me. “No, I can’t. But the odds are decent.” He sighs. “You don’t have to watch, but I think it would be beneficial to see the work we’re doing here.”

I exhale slowly, finally saying, “Okay.”

Jackson smiles and points to another door down the hall a bit farther. “There’s a staircase behind that door that will take you to the observation room. I have to go meet with the client before we start, but I’ll meet you up there in a few minutes.”

The client appointments aren’t something I sit in on. I stand just outside the room and listen closely in case I’m needed. But Jackson’s clients deserve privacy and confidentiality, so I stay out of sight.

I shove my hands in the pants of my jumpsuit and nod.

His eyes study my face before he turns and walks in the other direction, stopping at the door that leads to the reception area.

I swipe my badge and open the door, walking up the stairs into the small room. It’s empty save for three chairs and a coffee table. I flip the light on, and my eyes immediately go to the giant window a few feet away. It takes up almost the entire wall and looks down on the procedure room. There are a few people in black scrubs moving around the room, prepping it for the procedure.

I take a seat in the middle chair, and a few minutes later, the twins—Shannon and Emma—wheel in a bed with a young-looking female. She’s in normal clothes, as opposed to the hospital gown I assumed she’d be wearing, and her aura is bright orange with nervous excitement.

The fae in the room chat with her, explaining the process again even though Jackson would’ve just gone over it with her. They show her the vials of serum they’re going to use, then check to make sure she doesn’t have any questions before they start. Despite the thick glass separating the rooms, I can hear the conversation clearly.

I’m so focused on the scene below, I don’t hear Jackson slip into the room. I jump a little when he sits beside me.

“Easy there, Red. It’s just me.”

I let out my breath, clenching and unclenching my hands in my lap.

“Damn, Kels. Your energy is way too dark and twisty right now. You wanna hold my hand?”

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