“What’re you saying to me?”
“You’re Ryan Cashin James, aren’t you? My mother followed the court trials and then the parole because I was a victim too. The guys were convicted on my behalf as well as yours. At first, I didn’t put it together but then on the way home…” Dev’s hands moved between them. “Well, is it you?”
Shit. He couldn’t tell how far down the rabbit hole Dev had gone. Clearly by his casual stance, he hadn’t gotten as far as “undercover agent” but Dev was smart and crafty. It wouldn’t take long.
It didn’t matter. Job first. Silence deadened everything inside his head. His undercover alias was now compromised, leaving him with no choice but to take Dev down. He stared at Dev as he fought his heart’s urge to wrap the biker in his arms and keep him all to himself.
Sadly, that wasn’t an option. He had to diffuse the onslaught he knew was coming once Dev put all the pieces together.
Dev took a sudden step backward, triggering Cash into instinctive action. He grabbed Dev’s wrist and arm with one hand, bending Dev’s hand into an unnatural position. He wrenched Dev’s arm around, twisting his body as the biker’s chest pitched forward. Thankfully, the element of surprise was on his side.
He wrapped his free hand around Dev’s bicep and spiraled the stunned biker to the ground. Dev sprawled across the faux wood floor. Cash’s knee followed, landing between Dev’s shoulder blades, pressing into his back. The whole maneuver took less than three seconds to execute. He reached for Dev’s free hand, wrenching his wrists together.
“I would’ve just let you tie me up,” Dev teased, looking back over his shoulder. Whatever he saw made Dev’s body tense.
“Joe!” Cash boomed. “Bring the handcuffs.”
Joe popped out from around the hall’s corner, weapon drawn. Cash shook his head. Joe wasn’t proficient enough for this kind of involvement. His hands shook as he aimed the pistol directly at Dev, which meant it was also too damn close to him.
“What the fuck?” Instantly, Dev bucked his body, fighting against Cash, trying his best to dislodge and break free.
“Turn the weapon away and give me the handcuffs,” Cash yelled, adding a second knee to Dev’s back to get him under better control. Cash’s thumb added more pressure against Dev’s bent hand. The action only sent Dev into a further rage.
“Goddammit. You sorry motherfucker. When I get free…” Dev tried to twist and turn. Luckily, Joe listened to Cash. The pounding up the stairs had to be David and the rest of the attorney general’s surveillance team from across the street. It was all coming to a head. “I’m gonna kill every single one of you bitches when I get free.”
Dev was a force to hold on to. The biker hadn’t earned his reputation or his nickname by being accommodating. With the way Joe extended his shaking hand, his security detail needed to double time it up the staircase. Cash required their assistance. He couldn’t remove his hands from the death grip he had on Dev’s wrist. The biker knew what he was doing. They’d get into a wrestling match if Cash gave one wrong move.
“Open the door,” Cash yelled to Joe who hesitated, the pistol in his hand now aimed at the entry. Joe had no idea of the other security team’s presence. “Listen to me. Stand down, Joe. Those are my people coming through the door.”
Seconds later, the door crashed in and David plus two other federal agents in semi-tactical gear with assault weapons raised poured into the small room with a practiced precision. Joe recovered from his confusion and holstered his weapon, finally able to help Cash apply the handcuffs to Dev.
Dev was like a bucking bronco. The cuffs were barely enough restraint.
The biker was strong. The way Dev wrenched his arms and kicked out at the agents had to cause the guy unnecessary pain. Every one of Dev’s actions dared the agents to take a shot.
Clearly he didn’t care if he lived or died.
“Goddammit, Devilman,” Cash roared, keeping a distance as he leaned into Dev’s line of vision. “You’re making this so much harder than it has to be.”
“Fuck you,” Dev replied, kicking at Cash.
The countermove wasn’t unexpected. He dodged out of the way.
“Flex-tie his legs,” Cash commanded. He didn’t like having to do this to Dev, but his rage was out of control. Dev was going to seriously hurt himself if they didn’t restrain him.
David continued to stand with his weapon aimed at Dev, his finger close to the trigger. He watched the others forcibly work to contain Dev’s legs and tie them together. It took several minutes.
Dev’s rap sheet was chocked full of resisting arrest charges. It had seemed excessive. Not anymore.
Cash stood, crossing his arms over his chest, not liking any of this one single bit. All his protective juices flowed, needing an outlet. They manhandled the ties around Dev’s ankles. The verbal threats never stopped pouring from Dev’s lips. The agents added a second set of Flex-ties right below Dev’s knees, making it impossible for Dev to move his legs.
“Sit him up,” Cash demanded, his tone hard and unyielding. He had to hide all of the hurting he was doing on the inside.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Cash now understood this was never going to turn out any differently. No amount of effort at forging a bond with Dev was going to change this outcome. Those were Cash’s fairy tales at play.
His heart hurt as he watched Dev fight his team to force him to sit upright. Every move they made, Dev countered. The biker had to be in great physical pain with the way he contorted his body to keep from doing anything they wanted.
Eventually, they got Dev to a sitting position. His chest heaved under the exertion. Hate radiated from every pore on his body. His hair hung in his eyes. Cash had to fist his fingers to keep from reaching out to sweep it off Dev’s forehead, allowing him to see better.
