Savage Craving - Cecilia Lane Page 0,4
her eyes. On the other side of the wired safety glass, a guard quickly averted his gaze.
Well, shit. So much for keeping her anxiety to herself.
“Step this way,” their escort ordered gruffly.
A second buzz echoed in the tight, windowless hallway and the barred door in front of them slid open. Her heels clicked against the floor with every step, sounding loud over the harder thunks of the guard’s boots and the softer whispers of Cedric’s loafers.
They passed the door leading into the security room, then a storage closet and other offices. A set of double doors at the end of the hall swung open before their escort led them into another claustrophobic hallway. Tables and chairs sat waiting for the brief reunions between prisoners and their loved ones, but the only people inside were of the same armed variety as the guard marching in front of her and Cedric.
“Did something happen?” Lilah asked, tilting her head toward the empty visiting room. Unease slithered down her spine even after the doors swung shut again.
“What?” The guard shot her a look, then glanced toward the doors. “There was an incident earlier. We canceled visitations for the rest of the day,” he added impatiently.
Lilah opened her mouth to pepper the guard with more questions, but the whats and hows and whens died when he yanked open a door as unclearly marked as the others and ushered them inside.
Windowless, like the hallways, the only furniture inside was a long table and uncomfortable chairs tucked underneath. The ring protruding from the center killed any pretense of a simple chat between friends in a glum little room. The client’s restraints would be secured there as a safety precaution.
“He’s been notified of your arrival. Should be here soon,” the guard said, then shut them inside.
Lilah hurried forward and set her tote bag next to a chair. Her hands still shook as she pulled out a pad of paper and pen to take notes and record any actions she’d need to take once she was back in the office.
“First time?” Cedric asked.
Lilah jumped, the sudden break in the silence shocking her nerves. She swallowed hard and aligned her pen over the pad of paper, then pressed her hands firmly over top. "It's a little more intense than the facilities I'm used to visiting," she admitted.
“You have nothing to worry about. We’re perfectly safe.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. She’d learned long before they went public that shifters were capable of terrible, horrible things. Against all the power of claws and fangs, what chance did a human stand? She didn’t have much faith in bars and silver collars and weapons pointed in their direction.
Still, she offered Cedric a small smile. He was just trying to make her feel better, which would help her focus on the task at hand. That he did it with kind words and soft eyes was appreciated, too.
Of all the partners at Grimly, Glib, and Boring—as she’d overheard the mailroom clerks call Greeley, Glynn, and Bering—she liked Cedric the most. He was new to the team and brought the expertise needed to expand the firm’s services.
Which was how she found herself fighting the urge to fidget in a small room reserved for attorney visits. A perfect storm of illness, family emergency, and vacation days took her off her usual responsibilities as a paralegal for the juvenile division and reassigned her to the adult defense team. The move wasn’t one she’d particularly wanted or enjoyed. Helping kids get their lives back on track felt good. Assisting in the defense of shifters—
Her breath caught in her throat as the door swung open once again to let Jasper Crowley saunter inside.
Jasper swept impassive green eyes over the little room. Tall and lean, his baggy orange jumpsuit did little to hide a domineering presence. Scars running down the side of his face and jaw added an extra dose of menace he didn’t need.
He was a striking man. He was also the mastermind behind the attempted attacks on Supernatural Enforcement Agency offices, and Greeley, Glynn, and Bering’s highest profile client.
The guard at his back prodded him forward, then waited while he settled in across the table. Metal jangled as the shackles around his wrist were secured to the ring, all while the shifter stared straight ahead. Only then did the guard retreat, taking up a position with his back to the door.
“I’d like to speak with my client alone,” Cedric said in a cool tone.
The guard exchanged a brief look