"Mom?"

The steady beep of the monitor unnerved her as she sat beside her mother. She was swapped in tubes and wires and bandages. Tears filled Pamela's eyes as her mom reached out for her. With trembling hands, Pamela took her mother's outstretched hand and kissed it, her tears spilling.

"Mom..." Pamela didn't know what else to say than to keep sobbing and kissing her mother's hand.

"Dev," she called for him.

Devlin came forward and sat beside her. "Rest now, Dore. You'll be fine and we'll get you out of here."

Dorothea tried to smile but she winced at the gesture. "Take care of my girl."

"We'll take care of her together."

It was silent a while until Pamela broke it. "Mom, you were pregnant?"

Devlin shot her a glare but Pamela ignored him. She couldn't wait any longer. She had to know. But she regretted it the moment she looked down at her mother's face and saw the anguish in it.

"Is it – did it –" Dorothea stuttered.

Pamela shook her head from side to side. "You lost it." She whispered.

Dorothea's face crumpled and tears filled her eyes. "It's your father's. We used to see each other even after the divorce. I should have attained menopause, but I haven't and... I don't know. I had always wanted another child, a sibling for you but it never happened. I just... I –"

Pamela understood. She squeezed her mom's hand and nodded.

"I found out two days ago and went to see my gynecologist and she advised me not to keep it that – that since it had been so long I had a baby, having another could be dangerous. So I... came yesterday to tell you, and to know what you thought about it, and what step to take."

The air was heavy with silence that it was almost palpable.

"I waited in Dev's office for a long time because your men were claiming they didn't know where you both were... I would have called but your cell was switched off. It – It happened when I was about to leave."

"Oh, God." Pamela's stomach rippled with queasiness. Devlin squeezed her shoulders.

Suddenly Dorothea's face turned pale. "I saw him."

They both looked at her, on alert.

"What?" Devlin asked.

"Saw who?"

Dorothea's eyes widened with fear. "We know him, Pamela. He's a close friend."

"She's delirious." Pamela declared.

Devlin stood carefully, looking at her. "Are you referring to Bull? Who is he, Dore?"

The monitors started blaring. Pamela stood, alarmed and frightened. "You don't know Bull?"

Given the fact that Bull had called Devlin an 'old friend' the last time they'd encountered him, one would think they were old friends who bore a grudge or something. Imagine fighting an enemy whose face you don't even know!

"Dore, please, tell me. Who is he?" Devlin pressed.

"He.. h–h–e." She started to gasp for breath.

Nurses barged in carrying tubes and syringes. "You need to leave, now." One of them said to Pamela and Devlin.

Devlin shook his head adamantly. "Dore, please."

"Mister, you have to leave, now! She's having an anxiety attack. Inject this into the IV tube. Jody, check her pulse..."

They were told to leave just as the curtains were yanked shut. Devlin stood, shocked, looking at the room where Dorothea was being treated.

"Dev. You don't know Bull?"

"No! Dammit." He raked his hand through his hair. "We were so close."

"So close? Is finding out who your enemy is more important than my mother's health?"

He sighed. "No, baby, no." He took her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Bull's been messing with me for years. Intercepting delivery trucks and bombing warehouses, killing some of my men. I've always retaliated but never in a way to endanger my men. The worst was when he attacked us. I don't know why he wants you but it's obvious he does." He raised her chin so she would be looking straight into his eyes. "I will not let that happen."

Pamela nodded, believing him.

"Sir?"

Devlin and Pamela spun to come face to face with Ivan. Cody was behind him.

"What the –"

"Devlin. Please." Pamela cut off his angry outburst.

Devlin clenched his jaw. "You better have a damned good explanation, or I'm going to boil your bones, and feed them to my dogs."

Pamela rolled her eyes. She knew he wouldn't do anything. He was all bark and no bite.

But Cody looked gloomy. "I had to take Bob to the hospital."

That was reason enough and Pamela expected Devlin to apologize to Cody but he didn't. She shot him a knowing look.

Devlin sighed and looked at his boots. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone that far. Now we're over that, let's focus on getting that son of a bitch." All these he said in one breath.

Minutes later, they arrived at Ivan's apartment which was not so far from the hospital. Devlin's boys were allowed to have their places, even if Devlin assured them they could stay at the safe house because there were enough rooms. Ivan wanted his own space.

His apartment was not much, it was a small but cozy room with a kitchen and toilet. They sat on the kitchen stool while Ivan served them coffee. Pamela gladly accepted hers; she needed something to get her through the day since she had hardly slept since the previous day, except for dozing off a few times in the waiting room.

"There is something you need to know, sir." Cody started.

"I'm listening."

"Ivan has his theory, and so do I. Ivan?"

Ivan nodded at Cody. "We inspected the gates and found out that there are no signs of forced entry. It means whoever did it..." He gave a deliberate pause.

"Is someone we know." Devlin completed. "Dore said something like that too; but how the hell did he gain entry?"

"His name should be in the entry logs." Pamela supplied.

"Which could easily be erased, since it's someone we know," Devlin said.

Ivan nodded. "Yes, but I have a feeling the perp came in with lady Pamela's mother; which means she and not us, knows him. Or we could know him too, who can say?"

The fact that her mother had been so close to an evil person was unnerving but they were getting nowhere. Ivan's theory was something that had already been established even if it was confusing. Just who was the person that was helping Bull?

Cody cleared his throat. "My theory is split in two, and I'm going to tell you the one that has more evidence." He paused then continued, looking straight at Pamela. "I think the man I saw miss King with yesterday is one of Bull's men."

Pamela froze. "Marcel? Are you kidding?"

"You were with that shithead?" Devlin asked jealously.

"Miss, try to think if you had said something to him, or if you had somehow slipped, or something –"

"No, Cody," Pamela said, remembered telling Marcel about the location of the safe house, and it dawned on her. How convenient that the same day she told him, chaos happened. Cody was right, but she was in denial. She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to think it. "No...not Marcel, no."

"But, I caught you two kissing. What if he did it to get information from you –"

"What?"

That was Devlin. The shit just hit the fan. Cody grimaced as if just realizing the huge blunder he'd just made.

"I mean, they were not kissing per se –" Cody stuttered and swallowed nervously at the look Devlin shot him.

"Devlin I can explain."

Devlin shot out of his chair with so much force that the kitchen stool he sat on tumbled and fell.

Pamela nervously wet her lips. "He kissed me, not the other way round."

"What else happened?" Devlin bit out.

Pamela's eyes filled. "I – I might have told him the location of the safe h–house." She broke into tears.

"Shit! Shit! What the fuck were you thinking!" He hit the kitchen table with so much force that Pamela jumped.

"How could you?" Devlin said spinning immediately to face her. She could see the hurt in his eyes and that wrenched at her heart. "You did this to your mother. You did this!"

"Devlin I can explain."

"Fuck you."

Pamela bit her lower lip. Tears rolled down her eyes. He was back, the cold and unfeeling Devlin was back. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"We have to locate him before he goes into hiding," Cody said.

"Or before he does any more damage," Devlin said balling his fists. "I doubt he's finished wreaking havoc, especially since Dore saw him. If I were him, I would finish what I started."

Pamela became alarmed. "You mean he could still hurt my mom?"

Her question was met with silence.

"Sir Peter is going to be with her soon," Cody said. "He called, and I didn't want to disturb you when he did."

Pamela nodded. She didn't want to think of anything bad happening to her mom. It was almost too unbearable to think of.

"Sir, what are we to do?"

"I'm thinking." He snapped at Ivan.

He twisted his neck from side to side, his neck making popping sounds. "First of all, you're going to be kept well away from all of our plans."

He wasn't looking at Pamela but it was obvious it was her he was referring to; she was the only Judas in their midst, wasn't she?

"You'll go stay with Dore, say goodbye, then you'll be taken away."

"Devlin, no. I made a mistake. It was only once! It's never going to happen again I –"

"I'm sorry Pamela but that is my decision." He didn't sound the least bit sorry. How could he? He had literarily morphed into granite. "Your bad judgment caused this. If you'd had a lick of sense you would have kept your mouth shut." He went on. "I can't let you cause any more damage."

"How was I supposed to know that someone I met years ago, who was so kind could be capable of doing this? Someone I thought I was in love with?" Pamela shouted.

"I couldn't give a rat's ass if you were in love with him or not." He shouted back.

"You're being inconsiderate." She whispered. All the shouting had sapped her strength. Her eyes filled. "Devlin please, let me help."

He moved close to her, so close that if she just moved an inch closer, their lips would be touching. It seemed a lifetime ago that they had kissed passionately, that they had professed their love to each other.

"Go to hell."

Her daydream was cut off by the angrily bit-out words coming from the 'love of her life.' She looked into his eyes and saw the coldness there. She shook her head in denial; the old Devlin couldn't be back. What was happening? Were they having another breakup?

"Cody, come with me. Ivan, take her to the hospital to say goodbye, then you take her to the Orchid."

Pamela started sobbing. "Devlin please don't take me away, please." She grabbed the lapel of his jacket. "I want to stay with you, please."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as it only served to make him all the angrier. His lips thinned considerably and his eyes shot daggers. She hated the look in his eyes, hated the anger in its depths, hated that they were back to square one. How could this be happening now? His cold treatment reminded her of their first altercation in his van, and it hurt more than it had that time.

Cody and Ivan started to go out and without saying a word, Devlin did too but she held on tighter to his jacket.

"Devlin, I love you." She whispered to him. "I would never put you in danger on purpose, much less my mother."

Without giving her a reply, or even acknowledging that she had said anything, he shrugged off her hand and marched off, slamming the door firmly, as if slamming shut the door to his heart forever.

~

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