by C. R. Jane
Dragging her to my side, I hissed, “What the fuck is going on? Did she hurt you?”
She sucked in a long breath, her nostrils flaring as she looked up at me. Something swam behind her eyes, and for those few moments, she stared at me like she didn’t recognize me.
“Are you all right?” I asked. A chill seeped into my gut and spread outward.
“Yeah of course. But you shouldn’t have stopped me. I was winning.”
I licked my dried lips, pulling back the anger rising through me. “You’re coming with me.” Not waiting for her to respond, I hauled her out of the mess hall to the amusement of the other inmates, who cheered. Fucking asses.
“Keon, stop.” She wrenched against my grip as I dragged her down the corridor. She punched my hand, and I swung back around and came face to face with her. Inches away, she didn’t back down, and there was something fucking sexy about a woman who stood toe to toe against me.
“What’s gotten into you? Since when do you fight other inmates? If you want to give the warden any reason to dismiss you from your delivery work, you’re doing a great job.” I couldn’t believe I, of all people, was trying to talk sense into her.
Her nose wrinkled. “What do you care? You tried to kill me, remember?” Her eyes shone, lips stretching wide.
Who the hell was she today? “Selena,” I warned, the word hissing through my clenched teeth.
“I want out of here.” Raising her chin to me, she hurled her fist, whacking me right in the jaw. I saw it coming but didn’t react, purely out of shock, and her small bony hand carried a sharp bite. Grinding my teeth, I squeezed my grip on her wrist until she grimaced.
“Nothing good can come out of this for you,” I reprimanded her.
“Is that right, lover boy? How about you let your demon out again and let’s fight.”
What the fuck?
She didn’t back down, but I wasn’t having this conversation in front of everyone.
“Move,” I yelled in an inmate’s face for standing close to us, watching us, then I marched, still gripping her wrist. We made our way back down the hallway and along another passage until we reached her prison cell. She stumbled inside and glanced around, then back at me. The flash of darkness in her eyes unnerved me. I’d never seen her this way, and it worried me that the shock of what I’d done to her had pushed her over the edge of sanity.
“What do you want?” she asked, fierceness behind her voice. “To fuck me to make yourself feel better for what you did?”
My throat tightened. “I get you’re pissed at me, and I want to explain everything.”
She turned away and flopped onto the bed, disinterested.
“But this isn’t the right time,” I conceded, studying her as she lay down, her head nestled on the pillow. Seconds later, her deep breaths told me she slept.
“Selena?” I stepped closer and stared down at her lost to dream world. Crouching in front of her, I pushed loose strands off her brow. “What is going on with you? One minute, you’re jumping off the walls, then you’re asleep?”
Her response came in the form of rolling over and curling in on herself as her breathing deepened.
I clenched my hands. How badly had I goddamn broken her? My beast gave a small growl from the pit of my gut that whatever she was going through was my fault. Of course it was. Pieces of me slipped apart at what I did to her.
My heart shattered at seeing her teetering on the edge of falling apart. I’d have to arrange for her to meet with the doc and find out what was going on.
I got up and walked out to let her sleep in peace. I checked my watch. Only a few more hours until my shift ended, and I just wasn’t sure if I was ready to leave, knowing Selena struggled.
Selena
My eyes fluttered open to the ringing sound of the morning bell that announced breakfast was being served. It took me seconds to ground myself as I searched my mind for the last thing I remembered and how it could be morning already.
I’d delivered food into max security with Trevor then returned to my cell. Then my thoughts were a blur. I must have been so exhausted that I crashed and slept half a day and all night.
Rubbing my eyes, I pushed my legs out of bed when a shocking shot of pain raced up my back.
“Ouch.” I stretched to ease the ache when I spotted a huge purple bruise on my arm, like someone had punched me. “What in the world?” I ran a thumb over the sore spot, wondering if I’d bumped myself into something during delivery.
Then I remembered breakfast time meant I was on shift. “Oh, fuck! Boris is going to freak.” I threw myself up, rushed to the toilet in my room, swiped on deodorant, and ripped off yesterday’s jumpsuit. In record time, I was dressed in orange pants and a black short sleeved tee. Stepping into my boots, I then ran out of my prison cell and toward the mess hall.
The crowds heading in for a meal were relentless and blocking up my way, while my heart hammered in my chest that I’d be fired. It wasn’t the best job, but it sure beat sitting around doing nothing, plus I enjoyed getting to see more of the penitentiary and understanding how it worked.
It felt like forever until I finally burst into the mess hall. Tables were crammed with inmates, and the line for food was halfway along the wall. Guards were posted at every end, but none were Keon. I wasn’t ready to talk to him yet since the whole being killed and all.
The smell of scrambled eggs and toast filled the air, and I frantically wove past people to reach the back door. I knocked on it loudly when one of the girls serving at the counter over to my right glanced over. Mary was the nicest worker, and she quickly ducked into the back. Seconds later, the door unlocked and opened.
“Thanks.”
“He’s pissed,” she said, and my stomach dropped instantly.
I hurried inside and locked the door as Mary returned to her station with impatient inmates demanding food.
The kitchen was abuzz with four cooks, another two washing the trays of finished food coming in.
Boris sat in the corner at his small table, scribbling something in a folder. My nerves were on edge, but I made quick haste over to him.
His head lifted, eyes meeting mine, and his brow furrowed into a dozen lines. “If you can’t meet the time of your shift, I don’t need you,” he barked so everyone in the kitchen heard. And I had no doubt they all listened.
I cringed but stood tall, refusing to let him get to me. I freaking died, and all they gave me was one day leeway. “I promise, it won’t happen again,” I said, biting the real words I wanted to say about him being a selfish asshole who didn’t care about anyone but looking good in front of the warden.
He stared at me, not saying a word. “Get out of my face. Tomorrow, you’re on lunch duty. Be on time or don’t bother returning.”
I nodded and started to retreat. “Thank you.”
Without wasting a moment, I headed out just as Mary approached me with a tray of food. “Here you go,” she whispered. “He’s really foul today, so count yourself lucky to not be working.” She grinned, and I could have hugged her for her kindness. Sometimes, a few words and a sweet gesture was all it took to make things better.
“You’re the best. Thank you.”
She hurried back to work, and I headed out into the mess hall with my tray. Just then, four people left their table at one end, and I hurried to claim one seat for myself. If I wasn’t working this morning, then I might spend it doing more research in the library.
I started eating the baked beans and scrambled egg, then buttered my toast. The flavors still sparked on my tongue, but not as flavorsome as they had a few days ago. I frowned, but it didn’t deter me from eating.
Someone sat in front of me. In fact, it was two women, both looking older, with silvering hair, but the age lines on their faces spoke of hardship. A spark of yellow flared in their eyes. Witches. I had no idea the prison had any in here, though not that it mattered, seeing as so many of the inmates’ abilities were muted. And I assumed the warden
would not allow magic wielding inmates to walk around freely in his prison.
I smiled, then when they frowned, I regretted it.
“Bitch, you stole my dreamcatcher,” the woman with short cropped hair accused. “I let it go when you took my bag of herbs. Almost felt sorry for you, but I was wrong, wasn’t I, thief?”
I glanced behind me at first, convinced she must be referring to someone else. “Are you talking to me?” I asked, completely perplexed.
She shoved my tray of food off the table, and it hit the floor, the last bit of toast I hadn’t eaten now butter face down, and I sighed.
“I was going to eat that,” I snapped.
“No one cares about your stupid toast,” she snapped. “I want my dreamcatcher back,” she sneered, while her friend watched me like she might leap over the table any second to strangle me.
“Look, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Why would I take your stuff? I don’t even know where your cell is.”
Her friend slammed a hand to the table, her upper lip curling upward. “Stop lying. Why the fuck did you take her stuff?”
A small crowd clustered near us now, and the whole mess hall had fallen silent, staring our way.
A shiver raced up my spine.
“We saw you, bitch!” the short-haired woman snarled. “Now you can come clean and return my stuff, or I’m painting this table with your blood.”
A hooting cheer roused around us from everyone else wanting a fight.
I flinched at how quickly this was getting out of hand, and I had no clue what I was being accused of. “We can go check in my cell, and you’ll see I don’t have anything of yours. Maybe you saw someone who looked like me? I don’t know what to tell you.”
The women exchanged looks, the main one stating, “Looks like she’s not going to come clean.” They glanced my way, and my blood turned to ice. I wasn’t a fighter, but I wouldn’t sit back either. Except, I stood no chance against two of them.
I got up slowly, figuring my only chance to avoid a full out brawl meant heading back into the kitchen. And this was why I had to stop eating my meals in the mess hall. No one ever left me the hell alone. “Let’s talk about this. Whatever you are missing, I’m sure I can help you find it.”
“Fight, fight, fight,” some guy bellowed.
I cringed on the inside.
The witches were up on their feet, the short haired one pushing her sleeves up to her elbows.
I curled my hands into fists, ready to give as much as it took if I couldn’t get away quick enough. Heat rushed to my face and spread across my chest.
A sudden boom of laughter rocked me on the spot and had the two crazy women turning toward the crowd.
Alaric shoved past the masses and emerged, clapping, his eyes on the women. “Wonderful. Exactly what we needed over our boring lunch. Witch drama. Now, why don’t you two broomstick worshippers get the fuck out of here before I show you exactly where to stick your magic.”
I wouldn’t deny that he couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Sure, I should hate that he came to my rescue in front of everyone, but fuck them. I didn’t owe them anything, and most loathed me anyway, so who gave a shit. In fact, it was better they all thought Alaric was my guard as they might leave me the hell alone.
The witches stood their ground, glaring at him, and the crowd pressed in, anticipating and most likely hoping for a fight.
A softness stroked down my arms, something invisible and so faint, it had me glancing down to see if someone touched me. With it came a burning warmth that swept over my chest, sliding deeper to the pit of my stomach. Heat coiled between my legs, and I shot my head up toward Alaric, the desire for him rising in me like a metal spring wound so tight, I might burst if I didn’t unleash it.
The witches blinked at him, suddenly doe-eyed and gushing over him, touching his arms, flirting.
I rolled my eyes, while a spike of jealousy awoke within me. Except I knew this was his doing—he was using his incubus power to get the women to back off. And well, it worked too well, because they looked ready to undress.
Not to mention the other women in the room pushing forward to get a piece of him.
The sexy demon leaned toward the witches. “How does it feel?” His voice was pure lust, and a shudder shot through me at hearing him. I stepped forward instinctively.
The short haired witch gasped, her hand reaching to her breast, and she squeezed.
Then just as quick, the heated sensation vanished as though someone had tossed a bucket of icy water over me.
That time, I gasped out loud, and the rest of the women around us stumbled on their feet, taken aback by how their intense desires had just been ripped away.
Breathing heavily, the witches looked at each other and then back at Alaric, hatred spewing from their gazes. “You fucking bastard.”
“You so much as look at my girl again, and I can tease you until it drives you to madness. How does that sound?”
He could do that? The shock on their faces was palpable, and I didn’t blame them. The sensation that just rocked through me was the most intense build up to an orgasm I’d experienced without even being touched. I shouldn’t be excited that he told them I was his girl or that I’d experienced him firsthand and it was better than any of these women could ever imagine.
He wasn’t someone I could trust, I reminded myself, though I also found it sweet that he came to my rescue the way he had. I was a walking contradiction, my emotions all over the place.
When Alaric turned toward me, it took me several tries to find my voice. Currently, it was stuck in the realm of arousal, still unable to believe the ferociousness of his power.
“Let’s get out of here,” he told me, then took hold of my hand and guided me out of the mess hall.
Protesting was out of the question, considering he saved my ass and I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“What was that all about?” he asked me, still grasping my arm and dragging me down a quiet corridor, then another. I forgot how many we turned down, and I didn’t remember this part of the penitentiary. Except that meant nothing in a place that was alive and moved, revealing new passages all the time.
I shrugged. “They were both delusional, that’s what. I don’t know what they were talking about. As if I’d steal their stuff. What would I want with a dreamcatcher?”
“Sounds to me like they were just looking for a reason to hurt you.”
“Why?” I asked, cutting him a long stare. “You heard something?”
He laughed, and while he sounded like the most delicious thing when he made that sound, a flare of anger also rolled over me. “Hey, don’t patronize me.” I ripped my arm from his grip.
“Sorry, gorgeous, it’s just that in here, no one needs an excuse to start up a fight. It could be that they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, they were bored, someone beat them up. Who the fuck knows? But they were just preying on you.”
“Maybe,” I answered, unsure. The witches seemed so specific in what they accused me of. And I’d never laid eyes on them before, so how would they know me? And what in the world would I want with their witchy things?
Movement caught my attention to the couple walking right past us, staring our way, then vanished around a corner.
“I know where we can go and be alone,” he suggested.
My knee-jerk reaction was to reject him and walk away, but then I remembered my plan was to make them think I had forgiven them, to gather information about them I could use later. Of course it sucked that he’d just saved me, but that didn’t change anything. He’d lied and used me, so I looked up at him and smiled. “I’d like that.”
He didn’t respond at first, clearly surprised by how easily I gave in. I cursed myself for being so obvious, because in truth, it was so much easier to give in to him than push him away. Maybe this was going to be harder than I anticipated.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “Are we going to just stand here and
stare at each other?”
He nodded, and his curious expression cracked with a hint of a smirk. “This way.”
Before long, we were going down stairs, then back up another set, the scenery the same—stone walls and dimly lit corridors.
“Do you know where you’re going?” I asked, gaining myself a mischievous grin. “Or is your plan to make sure I don’t remember my way back? Fooled you, because I’ve been keeping an eye on all the turns we took,” I lied but wanted to see his reaction, which came in the form of him chuckling to himself.
I wasn’t sure how to take that, but I didn’t overthink it. If I let myself go there, I’d have found thousands of reasons to turn around and head back to the main prison sector.
“Do I scare you?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Really? That’s what you think?” I fake laughed.
He shrugged nonchalantly.
“Of course not, but it does feel like you are taking me somewhere far away.”
“You lack trust,” he told me bluntly. Then he paused in front of a wall and set his palm flat against it. He mumbled something under his breath. Next thing, the wall shifted right before my eyes, and the stone evaporated as a black door came forward.
“Whoa, how did you do that?” I stepped forward as he pushed the door open.
He waved me inside, and I entered a large room with no windows, but it had lights overhead. There was a leather couch sitting in front of a large screen television on the wall. In the other corner sat a small counter with drawers and a small fridge.
“What is this room?” I wasn’t sure where to look first but naturally drifted over and flopped down on the couch.
“It’s a secret I created with a lot of magic I borrowed from others in the prison for favors.”
“What sort of favors?” I glanced over the back of the couch at him as he shut the door and wandered over to the make-shift kitchen.
“Mostly stuff from outside these walls. You’d be surprised how much some people will pay for chocolate. Anyway, it’s my small room away from everything when I need to escape.”
