So, yeah, being a model prisoner was my new mission. No fights. No incidents. No giving the parole board a reason to deny me again.
Again.
I’d been denied twice before. Twice, I’d let myself believe I was getting out. Let myself imagine holding my daughter, hearing her voice, being her father again.
Twice, they’d gutted me.
Ryker thought I’d stopped caring. I let him believe that. Let everyone believe it. But the truth was, I wanted out so desperately, it burned through me every single day. I justcouldn’t afford to hope out loud anymore. Couldn’t survive another rejection.
So, I buried it. Kept my head down. Played the long game.
As I walked to breakfast, Ryker’s voice echoed in my head from our last visit.“Don’t do anything stupid …”
The cafeteria smelled like industrial disinfectant and powdered eggs.
I grabbed a tray and fell into line beside Ronan, my cellmate. He was a muscular guy with quick eyes and a mouth that never stopped running. Annoying as hell, but loyal. In here, that counted for something.
“You feel that?” Ronan muttered, scanning the room.
I didn’t answer. Didn’t need to.
After fourteen years, I’d honed my survival instincts into something that couldn’t be explained to people on the outside. It was more than a sixth sense. You couldtastewhen something was about to happen. Like electricity buzzing through oxygen particles before a lightning strike.
This morning, the air tasted like violence.
“Everyone’s practically vibrating,” Ronan said, loading his tray with something gray that was allegedly oatmeal.
I tracked the room with a flick of my eyes. Clusters of inmates huddled together, voices low, energy high. Too much movement. Too much attention directed at one corner of the cafeteria.
“What’s going on?”
“Been down here ten minutes, man. That’s all anyone’s talking about.” He jerked his chin toward the buzzing corner. “New nurse starts today.”
I grunted. “That’s what everyone’s worked up about? It’s not the first nurse we’ve had.”
“Yeah, well, Erkhart was doing janitorial when she came in to get her badge,” Ronan continued. “Said she’s young and gorgeous. Now the rumor mill’s losing its mind.”
A gorgeous woman working here.
Fantastic.
Men in this place had nothing but time and depravity. While the hope of getting out kept guys like me (mostly) in line, the same couldn’t be said for everyone.
Poor woman probably wouldn’t last a week.
“Based on that cluster, looks like Doyle’s running his mouth.” Ronan jerked his chin toward the far corner. “Bet my left nut, it’s about her.”
My jaw tightened.
Doyle.
If the devil had a face, it would look like that man. Convicted of multiple rapes and the attempted homicide of two women. How the hell he’d ended up in a medium-security facility instead of maximum was beyond me. But then again, our prison system wasn’t exactly known for being perfect.
We rounded the bend toward our usual table, and that’s when I heard his vile voice infecting the air.
“Tell you what I’m gonna do to her.” Doyle’s voice cut through the noise like a saw. He was holding court at his table, goons flanking him. “Gonna wait till she’s alone in the supply closet. Lock the door behind me.” He leaned back, spreading his arms wide like he was describing a vacation. “Bet she squeals real pretty.”
My fingers curled into fists.
