For a few brief seconds he’d thought Jenna was gone forever.Despite being locked up in here for twelve years of a twenty-five year sentence, he had held out the tiniest spark of hope that the two of them might hook up again...even after the horrible way he’d treated her at the end of their relationship.
He slammed shut those thoughts as he sat down on the cold metal chair.There was no hope of Jenna and himself ever picking up where they had left off.She was on the right side of the law, and he was on the wrong side.
Too many years had passed and the last he’d heard from his mother about Jenna was she’d become a lawyer and that she had married.He’d asked his mom and the rest of his family to please never mention her again and thankfully they hadn’t.Every once in a while he received a letter from Jenna, but he never opened them.Just tucked them away in his cell.It just hurt too much.
Hell, Jenna probably had a bunch of kids by now.So why was this woman here?
He warily watched the young lady as she took a seat opposite him.Yeah, she was pretty and when she smiled, his insides brightened.Not in a perverted kind of way but in a she seemed to be a nice kid kind of way.
“How would you feel if I told you I could get you out of here,” she asked in a really soft voice.
Axel shook his head as realization crashed into him.
She was no lawyer.
“Who put you up to this?It's a really bad joke,” Axel snapped, anger rising inside of him.
The lady's eyes widened with apparent surprise, and she shook her head.
Well, he had to hand it to her, by the serious expression on her face, she was a good actress.
“Oh, this isn’t a joke.I’m the acting program director of Cowboys Online.We design rehabilitation programs for prisoners.Jenna was the acting director until she took a leave of absence leaving me in charge.And if she knew I was here talking to you on the program’s behalf, she’d probably fire me.She still might, that is if you say yes to what I’m about to offer.But if you can help her, then sticking my neck out is worth it.”
Axel stared at her for a long moment, trying to decide if she was crazy, lying, or both.
Cowboys Online?
His gaze flicked to the badge clipped to her suit, which said, Professional Visitor.There was a barcode and a number.It looked real.Too real.But still, it could be fake.No way was this real.No way was he getting out of here.
“Right.Sure.Which one of the guys put you up to this?”
She frowned.
“Put me up to what?”
Yep, a good actress.She did look confused.
He gestured at her suit, her phone.
“This.The whole early-release fairy tale.You expect me to believe someone like you walked in here for me?”
“I didn’t come for you.I came for Jenna,” she said with a shake to her head.
Anger growled inside of him.
“Don’t use her name.”
“Then listen,” she said, leaning in just enough to make him still.
“This isn’t a joke.In my briefcase I have your conditional-release papers.You sign them, you go to Jenna’s ranch.You don’t sign them, you stay here.It’s that simple.”
Her tone was cool and maybe just a touch of irritation.
Axel stared at her, searching her face for the lie.There wasn’t one.
“You’re telling me Jenna doesn’t know you’re here,” he said slowly.“And you want me to believe you’re doing this for her?”
Cyn didn’t flinch.
