by C. R. Jane
“I’ll make this right,” he responded sadly, something that looked a lot like love in his eyes.
I didn’t say anything in response.
After a long moment, where I could feel the weight of his gaze caressing my skin, he walked away.
The cell door clanged softly behind him.
Someday, everyone was going to pay.
I was going to get my power back. And when I did, I’d figure out a way for no one to ever take it again.
Chapter 6
Selena
I curled in on myself in bed, the tears falling for so many reasons—for always being controlled, for being used by everyone, for feeling so helpless. I sobbed into the pillow, wanting everyone to hurt for doing that to me.
The warden was a cruel, cruel monster. Returning my power for such a short time was worse than not having it. To be teased with what should be mine, to finally feel like a complete person, only to have it ripped away broke me.
The memories of the warden’s gloating words were sharp like razors, sinking into me like fangs.
All my life, I had been a survivor. A lost siren. Afraid.
In here, I’d changed and come so far, except that brutal experience with Julian and the warden at my expense took me full circle and back to that weak girl who’d first been tossed into Nightmare Penitentiary. I kept wiping the tears from my cheeks, but it made no difference, as more kept falling.
Somewhere in the distance, someone shouted, then laughed. There came heavy footfalls. Voices. More shouting. Just another day in this place, while I lay in my prison cell, my nerves gnawing until they were raw. On the inside, my soul was dying.
“Are you just going to stand there and daydream?” Boris shouted from across the kitchen, eliciting laughter from the sink girls washing the trays. I’d come in early today for my first day back at delivering meals. My eyes felt puffy from crying most of yesterday, still feeling like fragments not yet put together.
Raising my head to meet his glare, an urgency ran through me to do my job and return things to as normal as possible. Last thing I wanted was to lose my job, no matter how mundane it was. It kept my body and mind busy.
Without wasting a beat, I hurried to collect the trays filled with food and stacked them onto the two shelves of my cart, and more on top.
Trevor waited at the door, opening it as I pushed the cart through and into the mess hall. Head down, I moved on with my job, a task that day in and day out, started to blend into one another. With no natural light in here, not being able to tell what time of the day it was made the whole day one large blur. I craved sunlight on my skin, and I kept remembering the fenced in courtyard where Alaric fought that snake shifter. It had been overcast, but anything was better than being in here.
That would be perfect, if I wasn’t trying to avoid bumping into three men. Let alone any other freak in the place who got their backs up if I walked past their prison cell. The whole place was like a gang war zone, sections run by different factions. The more I delivered meals, the more I observed and started to understand the mechanics of the penitentiary.
There were multiple levels of hierarchy, each with their own leader or alpha. Hell, there were so many alpha males in this place, I was surprised they hadn’t killed each other yet. Somehow, the whole lot of them had worked out some kind of truce. Each staying in their own sector seemed to do the trick. And that meant I stayed out of those jurisdictions.
“You’re quiet,” Trevor said out of the blue as we headed down the long, dimly lit corridor that led us toward the underground bridge to maximum security.
I glanced over to him, the guy had short dark hair and a crooked nose. “I rarely talk on our deliveries.”
He nodded, not appearing to really be listening to me by the way he stared right through me. “So I heard you died. Rumors are spreading like wildfire.”
I blinked at him several times, my mind racing to understand his real purpose for asking this question, and after dealing with the warden, I had no intention of feeding the beast. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I kept pushing my cart. The wheels squeaked each time they hit a bumpy surface on the stone floor, echoing against the walls.
The notion still sat heavily on my thoughts. To come back from the dead wasn’t a picnic in the park. What if I didn’t come back completely right? And why the hell did I still hear that ringing in my ear? I felt so out of sorts still, so I knew in my bones that something was wrong. I just wasn’t sure how to find out. Not like I could walk up to the penitentiary doctor and explain that something felt broken inside me. And especially not with the way Trevor was sniffing around for information. That told me the warden was curious, and that was dangerous.
“My grandpa died,” Trevor said, strolling alongside me.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I answered, looking up at him as he studied the path in front of us.
“He’s not dead anymore. The doctors brought him back on the operating table, but they say he was gone for a whole seven minutes. And you know what he said?”
“What’s that?” He had me curious, especially since I didn’t seem to remember anything from my afterlife experience.
“In the afterlife, he met a woman in a waiting room, and she told him it wasn’t his time and that he had fourteen years.”
My mouth dropped open. “Years left to live?”
He shrugged. “We all think so. That’s four years away now, and I’ve been trying to research everything in the afterlife to find a way to make sure he doesn’t die in four years. So I’ve been speaking to people who’ve had near death experiences to see what they saw.”
The way he looked at me, with a pleading expression, might have melted my resolve if I had something to tell him. “Wish I could help.”
His jaw tightened, and we traveled the rest of the way in silence, while I chewed on what Trevor had said. I had no plans on asking him more questions, but it did remind me to head into the library for research later. With the kitchen keeping me busy most of the day, either preparing trays or delivering them, I ran out of time to do much else. Well, at least during library hours.
The shift went quicker than I expected. I’d done several trips back and forth with additional meals into the maximum-security sector. Head down, ignoring the inmates’ comments, I just delivered food and kept going. My mind raced with everything of late and what exactly I’d do about it.
Dying.
Betrayal.
Alaric’s insistence I was his. And I had no doubt Keon would be the same, and not to mention Seth. Laz came to mind too. Had I just made things a hundred times more complicated by sleeping with him?
Our footfalls echoed in the quiet corridor, my ears still buzzing with the humming sound that refused to abide.
As we merged back into the main part of the prison, having passed security gates and checkpoints, the rousing noise of voices climbed. We turned into the main thoroughfare that connected the main hall with prison cells that seemed to stretch out endlessly. The mess hall lay in this direction too.
Unease curled in my stomach at being here, knowing that people talked about me, that I had guys watching my every move. I wanted nothing more than to vanish.
The growing list of events in my life wore on me, but I refused to let it get me down.
An explosive scream shattered the normal prison sounds from somewhere behind us. I flinched around as a silence fell over the place, most people turning in the same direction.
The scream came again, and a sudden flurry of guards rushed right past us. Everyone parted for them, and I peered down the same direction, curious about what just happened.
Murmured words came from behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder to Trevor pressing his ear piece, nodding. Next thing, his face blanched and looked at me. “Return the cart to the kitchen quickly on your own. I have to go.”
“What happened?” I asked, but he rushed right past me, completely ignoring me.
My skin crawled at what could have scar
ed him and drawn the other guards. Hastily, I grabbed the cart and wove my way back to the kitchen. Once I returned it and washed the trays, I made my way to the library, noting it should be open another hour or so.
A strange eeriness had fallen over the prison, and the hairs on my arms rose in response. I moved faster down the hallways, people too distracted to pay me any attention, and soon enough, I stood outside the grand doors leading into the library, and they were spread open.
I stepped inside, the smell of musty books filling me, and I breathed easy. There was a calmness in here that helped with the buzzing in my head, with still not feeling like myself in my own body. I couldn’t shake off the sensation that I was a stranger in my head.
Just as I’d done while I was growing up, I threw myself into books to escape reality. The smell alone calmed me. Rows of shelves filled the space in the second half of the room, while the first part had long tables and benches, not too dissimilar to the ones in the mess hall. There were only five other people in there from what I could see, and maybe this was a place I’d visit more frequently. I didn’t see anyone following me in here.
Using the small computer for searching books, I typed in “afterlife.”
Numerous searches popped up, many titles about dying and religious texts, but it was a good place to start. I took note of the row and number of one book, and made my way down a row. Then I went to town and started searching.
It didn’t take long before I ended up with a high pile of books in front of me as I sat at one of the tables and began scanning each one for anything that talked about coming back from the dead.
Nothing.
That’s what I found, and I sighed, leaning back in my chair.
“Wouldn’t you love to use Google right now?” A deep voice came from behind me. Someone I recognized, and I straightened in my seat as he slid in across the table from me.
“Do you have a way for me to access Google, or are you just teasing?”
Laz grabbed the top book, titled Coming Back, and flipped through the book. “Sweet cakes, there’s only one way I’m going to tease you, and that involves stripping you down.” He glanced up, a wicked grin pulling at his mouth. Then he shut the book with a clapping sound and dumped it on the table. “Trying to find out about death after your encounter?”
In all honesty, I didn’t know if he was aware that I had died or had just listened to the rumors. I shrugged. “I’m curious, but these books are crap. Either religious or scientific explanations and not what I want.”
He shifted forward, his arms leaning on the table. “Hate to break it to you, but no one really knows what happens after death until they’re too far gone from this plane of existence. Now, how about we head back to my room? I can think of other ways to make you float on clouds.” The way he so easily slipped that into his sentence about death told me he had no problems with picking up women.
For a moment, I visualized myself under him, his strong body caging me in as he rammed into me. A delicious shiver raced down to the pit of my stomach at the memory of us together. Except, he was a distraction, and I refused to let him affect me beyond that.
I stood up, my seat pushed backward, sliding over the wooden floorboards. “Well, it’s been nice chatting with you.” I grabbed the bundle of books to return them.
“But—”
“No, Laz. I meant what I said before. If we’re going to chat, then it’s just that. Nothing else. It was a one-off thing.”
I expected him to protest or pout, but instead, he got to his feet and came over to me. “I can respect that.” He collected the books from my arms. “But I’m also a man who never gives up on what I want. And you are in my sights.” He turned away before I could respond and strolled to the rows of shelves to return my books. My gaze slipped down to the way he wore his orange jumpsuit rolled down to his waist, the black tee pulled tight across his muscles that shifted across his back.
Who the heck was this guy?
I let out a long breath and rushed out of the library before I did exactly what I promised myself I wouldn’t.
Ten seconds later, I marched down the corridor away from the library and made my way to my prison cell. I felt stares on me, so I tried to make myself as small as possible and get out of the main thoroughfare. Something drew my attention to the next level up, and leaning against the railing was Keon.
Watching me.
Eyes locked on me.
I pressed my lips together, hating how tense he made me, how when I looked at him, I couldn’t forget the possessiveness of his kisses. Or that the monster living inside him had killed me.
My stomach knotted, and I half expected him to come down after me, but he never made a move. There was no way I could escape him, was there? Still, the torturous tug-of-war of emotions inside me continued. How did I balance the remorse I knew he felt at what he’d done with the danger he put me in?
I marched forward, putting distance between us before I backed down, making the decision that running away from him or Alaric or Seth wasn’t going to work. They would make sure of that, and with how much I craved them…well, I had to change my approach.
A solution slipped into my mind. One of retribution. The thing about these men wasn’t that they hated me. Quite the opposite. It all came down to me being their possession, their object to use as it favored them, not always me.
I’d keep emotions out of this, and make it a pure lesson for them to understand what it felt like to be used. I’d uncover their strengths and weaknesses, what each truly wanted, then I’d rip it away. Couldn’t be that hard to find out. They loved bragging about themselves.
I glanced over my shoulder to Keon, still up on the next floor up, staring my way. My lips quirked into a tight grin, and I walked away, murmuring under my breath, “You won’t even see me coming.”
Chapter 7
Keon
It has been two days since I’d last spoken with Selena. I’d given her space, exactly what she wanted. But I’d kept myself busy with the recent outbreak of fights between two of the clans in here. The felines had declared war against the snake shifters, so most days had ended up in bloody warfare. Now, the lot of them were locked up in solitary confinement to cool the fuck down. Who the hell knew what sparked that off, but it didn’t take much, seeing as everyone was bored as shit.
I sighed and walked the halls for my shift, strolling right past a fight. Selena was getting to me, dammit. Not even watching others brutally beat each other up brought me joy any longer. I obsessed about her day and night, and I doubted I’d be staying away from her for much longer. I had to make her understand, and that meant sharing what lived inside me. Something I’d never told a soul about.
Someone from the fight screamed.
“For fuck’s sake.”
I swung toward them and shoved others aside, instantly recognizing the guy on the floor getting beaten. A smart-mouthed prick who I was surprised wasn’t dead yet. I snatched one asshole on top of him by the scruff of his neck and hurled him backward. He crashed into the bystanders, causing a larger racket. Hope they beat him up.
Then I turned to the skinnier guy, snatched his shirt, and heaved him to his feet. In his face, I spat, “Don’t start fights you can’t finish. Now get the fuck out of my face.”
He took off hastily, and I turned to the crowd. “Nothing to see. Get back to whatever you were doing.” Slowly, they disbanded, including the guy I tossed aside. There was definitely a benefit to extra strength when working in a place like this.
I kept moving on my rounds, when a cheering sound came from the direction of the mess hall. What was in the water today? I rounded the corner to reach the end of this corridor. Doors stood wide open, and inside, the masses congregated around the tables. And up on them, stood two people facing each other.
My stomach dropped the second I recognized one of them as Selena.
The fuck!
Her brow furrowed, and she turned toward the brunette twice her size, her lips
moving, but I couldn’t make out the words beyond the explosion of hoots.
Had she been forced into a fight? I darted forward, just as she lunged at her opponent. Ducking low, she rammed her shoulder into the brunette with such strength, the girl bent over from the pain. But not before she drove a fist into Selena’s back.
I cringed, pushing people out of my way who were rushing to the mess hall. Legs pumping, my boots smacked the floor, and I wove myself closer.
Another guard stood just inside the room, leaning against the door, arms crossed, watching the spectacle, grinning. That would be me, except my girl was up there.
Suddenly, she unleashed a war cry and threw herself at the brunette, fists swinging. She was feral, and received her own fair share of hits. A thrill raced through me at seeing my little warrior, and damn, I was proud of her, but after what she just went through, she shouldn’t be fighting. And most importantly, since when did she behave this way?
My heart spun with confusion. The feisty girl up on the table wasn’t behaving like Selena.
“Out of my way,” I growled, carving a path through the crowd. Reaching the table, I snatched Selena’s pants and tugged her in my direction, just as she ducked a swinging punch.
Losing her balance, her arms jutted out, cartwheeling as she fell.
I caught her in my arms and held her cradled as she shoved her fists against my chest.
“Put me down,” she cried as the crowd booed me, and her opponent stood over us.
Fury bled through my veins. I jerked my head up to meet her gaze. “Get the fuck down before I get up there and you’ll end up in the infirmary for a month straight.” I didn’t hurt women or children. Even I held onto a code I followed, but if she hurt my Selena, I was going in blazing.
“I will finish her,” Selena roared, wriggling in my arms, and I grasped her tighter.
The brunette’s lips pinched, defeat flaring over her face. She turned and hopped off the table before blending in with the masses. Their whispers flooded the room. I lowered Selena to her feet and grasped her wrist as she flung herself after the girl.
