by Carly Fall
Gabe sighed, exasperated. “I’ll just call McAllister and get it from him.”
She chewed on her lip. If McAllister hadn’t included the information in the report, she doubted he would tell Gabe. Besides, she knew the cop had been hiding something.
“I think you should do that,” she said softly, hoping her bet would pay off. If McAllister sang, she’d have nothing but an angry guard looking after her. But if not… she’d continue to have a bargaining chip.
He shook his head and stood, then took long strides toward his desk. Once again, she heard his voice, but couldn’t make out the conversation. He returned in minutes and sat down again.
“What did he say?’ she asked, her hopes high.
He cracked his knuckles, and his nostrils flared as if he wanted to hit something.
“He said it was none of my business.”
She bit her lip to hide the smile. Gabe thought she had important input, and he couldn’t get the information anywhere else. If he wanted it bad enough, she was going to make him deal to get it. But, what could she ask for that he could deliver? He already brought her food from the outside. Maybe a bottle of wine? Maybe he could at least find a way for her to get out of solitary confinement without being killed by Danica and her followers?
He stood and crossed his arms before clearing his throat.
“I have an idea,” he ventured.
“What’s that?”
“It’s obvious you don’t belong in here, Avery. You’re a damned Fae who made some stupid choices fueled by grief, anger, and who knows what else. You’ll either kill yourself, or someone will do it for you before you ever see the light of day again.”
She furrowed her brow, more confused than ever. “And?”
“What if we did this? You give me that information, and I get you out of here.”
19
Was she in a dream? Had Gabe just offered to break her out of prison?
Her heart hammered as the hopelessness disappeared and elation took over like a balloon soaring among the clouds, flirting with birds in flight.
Out.
She was going to escape this hellhole, and Gabe was going to help her do it!
As she fully processed his words, reality set in and the balloon spiraled downward for an imminent crash landing.
A prison guard wanted to break her out of jail in exchange for information, which basically amounted to nothing but white noise? Who was he kidding? He wouldn’t have that kind of power.
Of course, he didn’t know about her lack of solid information, but he’d be breaking the law worse than she had if they went through with his plan.
What is the catch?
He must think she’d found a huge secret piece of evidence to bargain for her release.
“You want to help me get out of here?” she asked just to make sure she’d understood his side of the negotiating chip.
He nodded.
She wanted to say yes, to jump at the chance to leave the bowels of hell. Yet, the distrust between Fae and shifters had gone on for so long, it had almost become bred within them at conception.
And frankly, not one of them had ever given her a reason to think the group hatred was overrated.
However, she couldn’t think of a time in her life when a shifter hadn’t been a scum-sucking piece of crap to her. The ones at work, Jake, Cat—the bobcat shifter, Danica… Nope, she’d never met one she could even remotely trust.
Gabe had been kind to her, but that didn’t mean his endgame wouldn’t make her life even more difficult. For all she knew, he had brought her donuts and croissants and spent hours talking to her to soften her up for answers. Then, when the time was right, he would snap her in a trap, and she’d find out he and McAllister had been working together all along. McAllister obviously wanted to make sure she didn’t see the light of day for a very long time. What better way than getting a life sentence for breaking out?
No. She wanted to trust Gabe and agree to his terms, but she needed to consider this plan from every angle and figure out his motive no matter what decision she made.
“I need to think about this,” she said, realizing the phrase had sort of become her mantra. Too much was happening too fast right now.
He shrugged. “Okay, but I’m out of here in a few minutes. I’ve got two days off. I need an answer when I get back.”
She nodded. The urge to beg him to take her along was overwhelming. Yet, she could end up in more trouble if she acted on impulse—which was exactly how she’d gotten herself into this mess. From here on out, she’d consider her decisions rationally.
“What happens to me after I give you the information?” she asked. “Do you haul me back in here?”
He shook his head. “No. You just… vanish. Go do your own thing. Live another life. Preferably not in Seattle, but that’s your choice.”
He disappeared from sight and returned a few minutes later. She wanted to give him an answer but couldn’t.
“Doing anything fun on your days off?” she asked, hoping to live vicariously through him if only for a couple of minutes.
“Yeah. I’m heading deep into the forest… spending two days with my pack. I’m going to roll and dig in the dirt, hunt, and drink some beers.”
She flinched as she considered the bunnies and other prey that would lose their lives.
“See you later, Avery. We can help each other. It’s all gonna come down to trust.”
He walked away but came back into her view a moment later.
“And, if you say anything about my little proposal, I’ll deny it and make sure your time here will be even more miserable.”
Had that been a threat, or a simple glimpse of her future if she blew the whistle? Typical shifter. He suggests breaking the law, and if I decide to be a good citizen and report him, I’m the one to suffer. What the hell is wrong with everybody these days? The world has turned upside down. She had no intention of mentioning his plan to anyone, and her cheeks flamed with anger.
Avery studied the floor as his footsteps echoed down the hall toward the elevator. If she met his gaze, she knew he’d see the fury there. Probably best to not let on that he’d upset her.
Male voices spoke in low tones, and she assumed the other to be the night guard; however, she didn’t recognize his voice. She hoped he’d be more talkative than the regular night guy.
Trust. That was the issue, the part she needed to figure out. Could she trust Gabe?
Hours later, no matter how hard she thought about it, the answer still eluded her.
“You’re going to have some company down here,” the guard said as he handed her the dinner tray through the slat in the bars. With his rounded gut, balding head, and salt and pepper beard, she pegged him somewhere in his late forties, but she couldn’t figure out what paranormal type he belonged to. At least she was certain he wasn’t a shifter.
She stared at the grey meat and green beans while her mouth watered for one of Gabe’s croissants, or a simple salad. She hadn’t bothered to tell anyone she was a vegetarian, so the meat kept coming. Thankfully, she didn’t have a need to identify it. The kitchen always destroyed the protein of the meal.
However, she’d just been allowed to shower and wouldn’t let a gross slab of meat ruin her uplifted mood. It never failed to amaze her how some soap and hot water could change attitude for the better.
Setting the tray on her bed, she turned back toward the guard, her curiosity now overriding the hunger pangs.
“Really? Who is it?”
She hadn’t spent enough time upstairs to get to know anyone, but she also wanted to keep the guard chatting since she liked the company.
“Wasn’t given a name. She’ll be down later, I’m told. Enjoy your dinner.”
He spun on his heel and left the cell area. She stared at the plate. With a sigh, she picked up a fork and ate a green bean. Curiosity was getting the best of her. It seemed silly for her to even think about it, but she allowed her mind to wander, a fanta
sy about her new neighbor being someone who liked to talk… someone who wasn’t dangerous. Preferably, she’d be a Fae, but chances of that were slim. Her brief introduction to the prison society involved meeting just about every paranormal entity but Fae. Besides that, Madge had confirmed that she rarely saw her own kind in prison. Surely her new roomie being a Fae wasn’t even possible.
Avery ate the rest of her vegetables, drank some milk, and pushed the meat aside. It made her sick just looking at it.
A short time later, the guard came and took the tray. Avery got comfortable on the bed, waiting for sleep to come. She wished she had a book or something to do to escape her thoughts, even for a short time. Yes, she should consider Gabe’s offer, but she often found that answers to complications in her life often came when she was distracted by something else, or after a good night’s sleep.
If Gabe was working with McAllister to get her sentence extended, she had to admit, it was a very intricate plan. Gabe had gained some of her trust, despite the wariness of their two species about each other. He’d brought her food, opened up to her, and kept her company for hours. He’d even allowed Madge to stay and chat a while. He seemed honest, but that could very well be the way he was supposed to come across, especially if he was McAllister’s ally.
When it came right down to it, Avery had never met a shifter she could trust. It had been proven over and over again.
Other issues needed to be considered as well. What happened once she was out? She’d been so shocked by his idea, she hadn’t given any thought to the aftermath. If she provided him the information he wanted, then what? Did they go after the vampire together, or did Gabe call McAllister and have her hauled back into jail? The guard claimed she could simply walk away, but what if he’d lied?
Honestly, there wasn’t much to go back to, except her friendship with Victoria. She assumed all of her belongings would have been thrown away or sold when the landlord didn’t get his rent. Of course, he’d have to wait the proper amount of time to legally get rid of everything. Same with her mom’s place. If Avery were out of prison, she’d be starting fresh with nothing, as well as be a fugitive. Not the same as being exonerated. Never actually free again.
In a way, it sounded like a relief. Maybe Gabe could even get her a new identity, and she could move away from Seattle, forget all her bills, and become a new person.
She grinned as she thought of names for her new persona. She’d always liked the name Gwen. Anna was nice, too. Both had a ring of royalty to them, which she liked. She could be the Queen of Transience.
Groaning at her own joke, she listened as the elevator door opened. Avery craned her neck to catch a glimpse. She heard two distinct sets of footsteps.
Was she going to meet the other person who had earned a spot in solitary confinement?
Avery got to her feet and gripped the bars as they approached, still unable to see anyone.
If someone else was sent to solitary, and Avery agreed to join Gabe in his escape, how would they do it? It would seem that breaking out of a prison would be difficult enough, but to add another person who could report them seemed to only complicate the plan further. Another thought came to mind—what if her new neighbor was sent there as a spy?
She gasped as a guard came into view with the new prisoner. Danica stood at his side, her once pretty face now lined with an angry welt of stitches down her right cheek, the rest of it black and blue, her left eye almost swollen shut. Danica’s hair was matted around her shoulders, giving her a crazed, feral stare, as if she’d just arrived from the forest after spending months in wolf form.
Avery took one long stride away from the bars, and Danica grinned at her, a smile that would send a chill down anyone’s spine. The shifter didn’t seem to be in any pain and stared at Avery as if she’d just won the lottery.
New abrasions and stitches only added to her unbalanced, demented appearance, and Avery’s stomach rolled, the need to flee stronger than ever. She could probably scratch through the concrete walls.
“Hi, Avery,” Danica said. “I told you I’d see you again.”
20
Hours had passed since they’d deposited Danica in the cell right next to Avery. Thankfully, with solid walls between them, she couldn’t see the psycho. Regardless, Danica wanted Avery to know she was there and wasn’t going anywhere.
The small, grey space that she’d once considered hellish was now her only protection against the shifter who wanted her dead.
“Just you and me down here together,” Danica whispered for what seemed like the millionth time. “I can’t wait until we get to spend some time alone because I’m going to kill you for ruining my life.”
Avery closed her eyes as she lay on the bed and wished the guard would tell Danica to shut up. She longed for the silence she had once found oppressive and depressing.
Realistically, she knew Danica couldn’t get to her. It was physically impossible for her to leave her own cell, let alone come into Avery’s, but death threats were still death threats.
She rolled over and shut her eyes, determined to get a few hours of sleep.
“I’m going to kill you with my bare hands,” Danica whispered. “I won’t even have to shift into my wolf form. I’m going to take your scrawny ass and rip it to pieces. I’m going to avenge Jake.”
Avery snorted. Jake had tried to sexually assault her and got kicked out of the pack. Danica had killed the pack leader in revenge. How in the world was Avery responsible for her issues?
She knew the more she interacted with the crazed and belligerent woman, the more likely the shifter would keep taunting her, yet, she couldn’t let that one pass.
“Jake is a rapist and not worth avenging,” she replied. “You’re better off without him.”
For a brief few moments, silence filled the air, and Avery thought she would finally be able to get some sleep.
“You filthy, lying bitch!” Danica screamed, causing Avery to shoot to her feet and huddle against the back wall of her cell.
“You two need to shut up!” the guard yelled. “I mean it! Danica, put your shit aside and go to sleep!”
He hadn’t even bothered to walk over, obviously not wanting to miss a moment of his late-night radio programming on Chupacabra.
Avery climbed back into bed and shut her eyes. The silence stretched on, finally allowing her to sleep.
Avery was fully conscious but thought her mind was playing tricks. She could have sworn she heard soft moans as if someone was having sex.
She listened for a moment and heard a man’s grunt, as well as the squeak of bedsprings.
What the hell?
Slowly, she rose to her feet and pressed against the bars, focusing intently. From Danica’s cell, she definitely heard the noises of someone having sex. Based on the tenor of the two voices, it was consensual.
Danica and … who? The guard seemed the likely answer.
Her stomach clenched as she flushed, embarrassed to be witness to the whole thing, if even only hearing the interaction. Why was Danica proclaiming her love for Jake and promising retribution for the wrongs Avery had supposedly committed, then turning around and screwing a guard?
It didn’t make any sense.
What could Danica gain? Better food? Maybe some time with Jake?
Avery returned to bed and gently lowered herself to the mattress, trying to be quiet so she wouldn’t disturb the lovebirds. As she lay fully horizontal, one of the springs poked her in the back, causing her to grimace. If she moved over and dislodged it, her bed would definitely make noise and alert the lovers, something she didn’t want. She was already at the top of Danica’s shit list and chose to avoid that situation with the guard, too. Interrupted sex was never a good thing.
Instead, Avery stared at the ceiling and tried not to think about how it would feel to have a man’s hands on her body bringing her pleasure. Hell, right now, she was so lonely, she imagined a hug from Victoria would bring her to tears. She never realized having t
hose she loved touching her was so important. Thinking about her mother, and the way the woman would always brush her hair behind her ear, then pat her cheek, made her heart ache. It had always annoyed Avery, especially when she was having a good hair day, but now she’d give anything to have Melia frustrate her one last time.
A louder groan came from next door, indicating the grand finale. After a moment, Danica’s cell bars opened, then shut. Afraid to move, Avery tilted her head just enough to see if her initial assessment of the situation had been correct. The guard hurried past her cell as he buttoned his pants without a second glance and headed toward the desk.
Danica’s cell was quiet, and a few moments later, the radio at the guard desk flipped on. Avery rolled over to face the wall, a story of a Chupacabra eating someone’s sheep lulling her back into a restless sleep.
Heavy. The weight on her chest was crushing her. Talons wrapped around her throat, causing her to gasp for breath. She tried to fight for consciousness; yet, the constriction only intensified, making it impossible.
Avery moved her head from side to side and reached up to try and fight off whatever had pinned her down. Her hand became entangled in hair, and she pulled. For a second, she was able to force air into her lungs, and she gasped, finally able to open her eyes.
Danica stared down at her.
How had the shifter gotten in her cell?
The question didn’t matter because Avery realized she was now fighting for her life.
She gasped for breath again, this time wrapping her fist in her attacker’s tangled, black locks and pulling with all her might.
Danica screamed, her head wrenching to her left as Avery’s hand scraped down the cement wall to her right. She gave the hair one last tug, and Danica’s head slammed into the wall, stunning her for just a second.
She rolled to her left to try to push Danica off the bed. As the woman fell to the ground, Avery got to her feet. A quick glance at the bars told her what she’d feared: they were locked in. The guard smiled at her from the other side.
