BURN THE TRUTH

Episode Forty-two

Sleeping peacefully in Devyn’s master bed, Velda was cradling a pillow to her chest. The morning sun was beaming through the blinds causing the woman to stir. It was the first time she would ever pass the night in this precise apartment of the grey-eyed man. Usually, waking up was a simple task for Velda; she was a morning person after all. She groaned when the first beam of sunlight hit her face.

The modern setting of the very spacious bedroom and its shades were a perfect portrayal of Devyn. If this were any other day, she would have woken earlier, but at the moment the comfort of the bed was the most thing she needed right now. For some reason, this day didn't really feel like every other day. Not as if it could since not even the sunray piercing her eyelids seems to be the same, or to talk of the sheets.

The peace was soon shattered by Asteria, running, screaming with delight. She whoops into the frigid air, her fluffy hair garish against the brilliant morning ray.

“Good morning, mom! Mommy! Wake up, sleepyhead!” she calls. Her eyes are alight, and every muscle was moving, thrilled. At first, Velda could only take in her blurry figure before it gradually became clear. “Sleepyhead!”

“Oh...” Velda chuckles, clearing her throat as she began to properly take in the little one's image that was hovering over her face. Asteria chatters and giggles. Everything tickles her as funny and if there is one idea coming from her mouth there are seven more queuing up in her mind.

Velda sat up as the energetic child climbed to her side, a brilliant warm smile, much radiant, showing off her clear teeth as she turned to the child. “Oh, sweetheart. Lucky me. My own personal wake-up call” Velda remarks cheerfully.

Asteria giggles as Velda tickles her. “Mom!” her little high-pitched scream pierced the wintry air.

Velda gave her a what's-wrong look notwithstanding the child’s continuous giggles “What? What? Huh? Tell me, you don't like it?” she asked playfully as she continued to tickle her.

Devyn soon enters the room in a silky plain set of house wear. There in his hand was a hug of breakfast on a platter, soft pancakes and berries, as warm as they would be in the sun, maple syrup threaded upon the top. She could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

“You're awake,” Devyn states as he walks into the room. There was a joy in how he carried it as if for the moment he was happily absorbed by a feeling of love that played in his subtle smile and soft gaze. And for the first time ever she could see every day of her future with him, and she wanted it, she wanted to stay and be a part of it more than anything she has ever wanted.

“I woke her!” Asteria mentions getting off the bed.

“Oh. That's wonderful of you” He said before putting the tray down on the bed near Velda. “I figure you may be hungry since you didn't really have a meal last night if I may recall correctly” he singled out with a quick hand motion.

“I wasn't acquainted you could make any,”

“Oh. You're might be correct after all. I only managed this with the help of the little one. You should eat, it would be a shame if our efforts were disregarded”

“I waited to have dinner with you last night, mommy. Devyn said he would return with you, but I didn't really believe him” Asteria announced, moving like an octopus, limbs moving according to chaos theory rather than anything a behavioural scientist could explain, seemingly overly delighted.

She leaned in “He has been losing the deals!” She whispered harshly into Velda’s ear with her little hand laying over her mouth before stepping away and beginning to explain how he had once again lost their last deal. Her words were running into one another and if Velda wasn't her mother, she wouldn't have had a clue what the little one was saying.

Her voice and Devyn's obvious acceptance of the things she was saying brought a serene sense of comfort. The moment. Everything. It is said that one can't bottle love or a moment but they were wrong. This moment is the proof. The way his smile grew wide as he paid attention to the child or how Asteria was keen in her justification. This moment. Everything is love in a bottle; just witnessing it makes Velda glad to be alive.

With all these thoughts rushing through her head, she finally realizes that she has been daydreaming so long that Devyn’s arched brow came off as demanding. She awkwardly blink and then returned a look of I'm fine before grabbing the cup of coffee to sip from it.

“Hey, little one” Devyn suddenly calls softly “You should probably go have that shower now. Your till got some jam on your cloth”

“But,” she pouted. Giving him a pleading look.

“I will give you some cash” he bargain and just as he thought, it lightened her mood.

“Alright,”

“Wow. You seem to have your way with her,” Velda remarked once they were alone. In that simple moment, a distinct smile lingered on Devyn’s face.

She placed the coffee down and got off the bed. “I'm paying much for it,” He told her quietly. More like a tease as his eyes ran over her.

She drew him toward her with her alluring stares. The smile slipped off his lips as she pulled him by the silky shirt he wore, inclining his face toward hers and then his mouth lays over hers, which was like a freshly split-open cherry. He was filled with deep astonishment by the way she took control of the moment, how she ruled him, put him off, lured him back… each one different from the other.

“The morning is getting more interesting,” Devyn rumoured over her lips.

Before she could find a line to give him, his arms were around her, sure and hard and she felt the rush of helplessness, the sinking yielding, the surging tide of warmth that left her limp. And the gorgeous face of the grey-eyed man blurred and drowned to nothingness.

He tilts back her head across his arm and kissed her, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world. His insistent mouth was parting her luscious lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling – and before a swimming giddiness spun her round and round, the supposed assassin’s phone on the shelve began to vibrate.

In unison, their heads turned in the direction of the phone and Devyn soon shifted to grab it. With his left index finger touched vertically over his lips as he quietly motion for her to remain still.

The phone beeps as Devyn picked the call. Silently they waited for the caller’s words but nothing came and in a few seconds the line clicked, and a beep as the call ended.

“Someone’s checking in” Devyn whispered.

She rose her eyes to his “To see if the job was done. Why will someone want me dead now?”

“To blow the case off. If you're eliminated, the case would close. You're the only one who seems to care much about this case” He responded softly and then turned properly to face her. “Velda, we're gonna find out who targeted you, and when we do, I promise you, there’ll be hell to pay,” He said and she looked into his eyes.

“How long will it take to crack it?” She genuinely asked and Devyn seems to think for a flitting second.

“Come with me,”

Velda cautiously watched him for a while before following his word. He moved to an intersection of the room and then pressed his palm against a specific section of the wall. A red line scanned his palm before it turned green and the wall before them pushed in, creating a passage.

“Hello, Devyn” Adira greeted as they entered the space.

Velda’s eyes run through the place “What is this place?”

“My private home office” He returned, walking to the section that has some computer settings. It was much different from the usual surveillance room he uses with Casey and Milo. It looked more of a relaxing place “My home away from home”

“This looks way more than a home office. Mine looks nothing like this” She said and he shrugs. “You win man genius of the universe award”

“My pleasure,” He answers as he leaned and plugged a cable into the phone and soon began going through the computer.

Velda reached his side “What are we looking at?” she asked, hands crossed over her chest.

Devyn continued to click on the keyboard “Adira unlocked your would-be assassin’s phone,” he says, the word DECRYPTING bold on the centre of the screen “...but it had another layer of encryption to conceal all incoming and outgoing messages”

“It's my address” Velda mention seeing the message that came onto the screen “and that's a photo of me” she sighs and took a few steps away. She might be tough but this was the first case she's been openly attacked for. To the extent, they need her dead.

Devyn rose from his position to meet her. Holding her from behind. “Hey, I'm here,” he said softly. “I will keep you alive” he promised before the computer beeped again.

“Adira, can you extract the sender’s phone number?” Devyn requested as they both turned to face the screen.

“It's a 701 area code,” Adira identified.

Velda frowns “Wait, 701... is a NANP code. Someone’s using it for cover” she states.

“Because it's untraceable” Devyn finished off. He thought for a while and then shifted as if he had found what he needed “We may be able to find where the texts came from” He informed her “Adira, try and geotag those incoming messages” He requested and then turned to Velda, his voice coming quiet and deep “In the meantime, I'm getting you a bodyguard”

Her face grimaced on hearing his words “Come on, don't be ridiculous” She let out, but he moved closer to her.

“Velda, I'm not gonna allow anything to happen to you,” He said softly close to her face.

Velda sighs, everything was gradually becoming something she doesn't want. If there was a way to make Devyn fall out of this, she would. He was a civilian and not some type of FBI or military-trained personnel. Bringing him into this case wasn't in any way good. She may say, it scares her the more he dived into the case. “Bruce, this is what the CSI will...”

“Will handle. I know” He finished off, looking her in the eyes. He wasn't letting go, doesn't seem like one who will.

Her lips barely open “Things are just too...” she sighs.

“Complicated”

She held his gaze “No. Insane” she breathed out exhaustingly “I don't want you in the middle of all these... I can't...”

“Damn, just when I thought we were finishing each other’s sentences,” He said with an amused smirk and she almost rolled her eyes at his words. She relaxed. “The bodyguard-- you won't know he's even there unless you need him”