The Handsome Devil

Chapter 15 - Whom to trust?

"It is an equal failing to trust everybody, and to trust nobody"
English proverb

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After her first mission which ended rather disastrously, Deya returned to her training routine. Nonetheless, even though she tried to ignore the Bulldogs as much as possible, Dylan seemed to be overly insistent on spending some leisure time with her.

It was obvious he was only doing that because of the fight with Max. She wasn't sure whether he feared she would harm herself because she was apparently twisted, as Max put it, or whether he was feeling genuinely sorry for her. Or was it, perhaps, out of guilt that he left her in there? Deya didn't know, nor did she care.

Truth to be told, she has grown to enjoy his company. They didn't talk much, most of the time was spent in front of TV or playing pool in the game room. Yet, the hours of silence seemed to make them closer, day by day.

What surprised her even more, however, was that Patrick seemed to loosen up a bit too. While all their conversations remained strictly training-related, his voice softened up a bit when he addressed her, making his orders sound like recommendations. At times, it reminded her of a primary school PE teacher, the image making the corners od her mouth twitch in amusement.

Finally, he also re-worked her training plan, adding a considerable amount of self-defense sessions to her schedule. It was another small gesture, but this time, she couldn't find anything humorous about it. It was sweet. And she couldn't help but feel grateful that he's giving her a way to deal with scumbags like the ones Max threw her to.

She was far from mastering the moves, and often ended up with black eye or bruised body, when she failed to dodge Patrick's fist. Suffice to say, he did not go easy on her, but that's what made it perfect. It felt empowering, because she knew once she could take on a guy as big as Patrick, she would never have to feel helpless again.

The trainings also seemed to have other benefits. That is, after particularly tough days, she managed to sleep through the night without any nightmare. Well, not one she would remember in the morning.

The rest of the time, the real-life like experiences shrank into short flashes of faces, which somehow seemed less frightening. Even though, in addition to her family, those flashes now also included the face of the young officer. One more ghost in Deya's life.

As for Max, he was gone more often now, occasionally missing dinner or breakfast, making those Deya's favourite days. At those times, she didn't even mind to engage in small talk with some of the Bulldogs. In Max's presence, no one seemed to be too keen on talking, and, while he didn't talk to Deya directly in five days, he made sure to stare at her hatefully whenever they found themselves in the same room.

Overall, her life with the gang was becoming routine, but she knew better than to get comfortable. In fact, she was starting to get worried about how quiet things seemed to be.

. . .

"Ok, good job today" Patrick nodded approvingly as he handed Deya a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Immediately, she gulped half of it, trying to catch a breath afterwards.

It was a hard session but she managed to hit Patrick for the first time, so there's at least that. However, the more she thought about that, he seemed a bit distracted today. Under normal circumstances he would see the punch coming from a mile away. What's wrong with him?

The more she stared at him now, the more it seemed something's off. His right eyebrow had this nearly invisible twitch, and his lips occasionally parted ever so slightly, as if he was going to say something. But he didn't.