“Good,” I shrug. “Food’s amazing. My squad is fierce. I have a successful shank business, and I’m about to launch something new that I think is going to be a huge hit,” I tell her. “There’s also a superhot prison guard.”
Dinah giggles and shakes her head at me. “Only you, Sinclair Denali, would thrive in a place like this.”
“I’m totally taking that as a compliment.”
“You should, Sin. You most definitely should.”
“Okay, go on. Get out of this place, go take your kid and your mate somewhere safe,” I tell her. “Wyve, Pya, Tracy, Hank and Forrest are who I would go to before you leave. They all know how to keep their mouths shut while looking out for others. They can spread the news quietly while you head out to see your parents.”
She puts her hand up against the plexiglass, and my throat gets tight as I do the same.
“Miss you, Sin,” Dinah tells me, her voice cracking with emotion.
I smile at her, but it feels sad. Forced. “Miss you too, Di. Only nine more months to go,” I tell her, and she nods and wipes a tear off her cheek. “You tell Verity that I have a year of tickles and tummy raspberries to make up for.”
Dinah laughs and pulls her hand away. I feel the loss of it immensely, even though the thick barrier keeps me from truly connecting or feeling the physical comfort I’m suddenly missing. I need to figure out a way to keep Dinah and her family safe. I need to figure out a way to save all of them.
We throw out tear-filledI love yous and then crack up when I accuse Dinah of fucking with my rep and making me look all soft. My heart lurches as we hang up our phones. I watch her leave, calling out blessings of protection to the heavens and promising any listening deity my eternal devotion if they’ll watch her back.
I release a heavy, stress-filled exhale and wipe my eyes before standing up. I walk to the door and bang on it to let the guard know I’m ready to go. I silently hope it will be Rook that steps forward on the other side. He’s annoying, but I’m in the mood to be annoyed. I need the same kind of distraction he gave me last time.
Disappointment wafts through me when the sliding peephole on the door opens and I see that it’s Sandbag still standing there. I bite down my groan. Anxiousness crawls up from my stomach to roost in my chest. Let’s hope he can get me back to my cell without “accidentally” tasing me.
His dead eyes look behind me, checking to see that my visitor has left, and then they snap back to me with a glare. You’re not done yet,” he grumps, and the peephole on the door slams shut.
“What the hell?” I call out. “I spoke to my visitor. She left!” I shout at him, turning around to motion to the empty visitor table.
Except I freeze when I realize that there’s someone sitting in the chair that Dinah just vacated. I stare at him with confusion, no recognition sparking in my brain. I stand at the door for a moment, unsure of what to do. Is this dude lost?
He picks up the receiver of the phone and motions with his head for me to do the same. The silver-feathered tail wagging behind the man is enough to get my hackles up. The expensive suit and briefcase he’s toting leads me to suspect that he’s here on official business. The question is, whose?
I sit down and pick up the receiver again, holding it up to my ear as I study him. He looks to be in his thirties, with a short silver beard and hair and darkly tanned skin. His eyes are so dark they’re nearly black, and despite how intense he looks, he flashes me a friendly smile. My heart pounds in my chest, but I try to remain impassive-looking.
“Sinclair Denali?”
“Who are you?” I ask.
“I’m Trex. Beta of the Bowen Lounge.”
Fuck.Alpha Bowen’s second-in-command?This can’t be good.
“What do you want?” I ask warily.
“I hope you’re being treated well, Miss Denali,” he says, instead of answering me.
A stupid blush creeps up my cheeks. Oh, if he only knew exactly howwellone of the guards is treating me…
“It’s fine,” I say after clearing my throat awkwardly.
“Glad to hear that,” he says with another warm smile. I notice for the first time that his left incisor is capped silver. Either he lost it in some kind of fight or it’s a fashion statement. With this male, it could be either option, really.
“Miss Sinclair, I’m here today on official business from Alpha Bowen. He sent me to make sure you’re...taken care of.”
I snort. “I’ll just bet he did.”
“I can assure you, Alpha Bowen wants nothing but your wellbeing,” he tells me. “Which is why he was so confused as to why you would evade his attempts at freeing you from unjust persecution.”
Fuck, this guy either has balls the size of Mars or he knows that this room isn’t tapped.
