Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
I stared at the girl for a moment. She was older and looked like she worked way too fucking hard, but that innate compassion in her still shone through. Fuck, this girl needed protection more than any person I’d ever met. “I’m going to give you some advice, Ms. Brentner,” I started. “It’s going to sound gruff and I’m going to look mean when I say this, but I want my words to really sink in because you are a singular individual, and the world needs people like you in it. So I’m apologizing in advance, but you need to hear this so you keep yourself safe. Do you understand?” I waited until she nodded her head again. She was back to the small movements, a reflex when she knew she’d disappointed someone. And I knew in my fucking bones she was afraid she’d made me angry for not following the rules. “Just because someone looks harmless or you think you know what they are capable of doesn’t mean they are, or you do.” I hardened my expression. I didn’t want to terrify the girl, but I wanted this to sink in. “Doing something like that in this place will get you fuckin’ killed,” I snarled my warning at her, knowing it would terrify her but needing her to understand.
She didn’t say anything, and her face paled. Sweat broke out over her brow, and I could see the pulse fluttering in fear at her neck. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I let out my breath and relaxed my features. The need to stay in character, to be Dr. Raven again, overrode my need to frighten little Nadine into submission, but it hurt something inside me to think she was afraid of me. Of all the people in this God forsaken place -- including the staff -- I was the one person who’d never hurt her. “I’m sorry, Nadine. Just don’t let your guard down in this place like you did that day in the waiting room.” I gave her a small smile, unable to help myself.
She motioned for the guards, and I sat back in my chair. “Thank you, Ms. Brentner.” I didn’t smile but spoke softly and gave her a courteous nod.
Nadine’s gray gaze met mine in surprise. Yeah. I know the warning was a dick move, but I wasn’t going to apologize. Then she nodded once before speaking softly. “You’re welcome, Mr. Raven.”
As I was escorted from the infirmary, the guard I’d been watching earlier moved to Nadine and sat in front of her at the table where I’d been sitting. He spoke to her, but she ignored him. At least, she didn’t look up or acknowledge him. Then I was moved down the hall back into my cellblock.
One of the guards locked my cell door before opening the small window for me to put my hands through so he could unlock the cuffs. When I turned around, he pulled a phone from his back pocket.
“From Knuckles. Said to check in with him.”
I took the phone with a grunt. After any guards in the hall were safely out of the way and I was on my own, I opened the single text.
Knuckles: Keep phone on you. I’ll call at 1am.
Great. No sleep tonight. Because I always slept so peacefully my first night in a new cell. Right. I guess Knuckles knew exactly what he was doing.
I tucked the phone beneath my thin mattress, mentally calculating the hours until one in the morning. Knuckles wasn’t the type to make social calls, especially not at that hour. As I waited for Knuckles’s call, I thought about the guard at the infirmary. Something about him bothered me more than it should. The way her demeanor changed when he cleared his throat, the subtle shift in her posture. I’d seen enough predatory behavior in my time -- both in the hospital hierarchy and in prison -- to recognize the signs.
Dinner came and went. The usual slop I was willing to bet they tried to pass off as food in every prison in America. I ate mechanically, my body needing fuel even if my taste buds objected. The new cellblock was quieter than my last one, which was both a blessing and a curse. Quiet meant less immediate danger, but it also left room for thinking.
I was about to roll out of my bunk and do some pushups to focus my mind on something other than Nadine and the guard when the phone buzzed. One o’clock sharp.
“Yeah.” Knuckles didn’t care about niceties any more than I did.
“You’ve got six months unless you tell me you need out now.” Knuckles’ statement puzzled me.
“Why the fuck would I not want out now?”
“I hear you and I’m not a complete asshole. If you’ve reached your limit, I’ll pull you out tonight. But if you can make it the last six months, I’d prefer not to have to do an urgent extraction.”