Bellamy didn’t respond, didn’t even bother to turn around. He kept picking up the mess the warden had left in his cell. Things were bad now, they could only get worse if he responded to the warden’s taunts.
“Aren’t you the slightest bit curious about who Magnolia Anne’s new love is?”
“Not one bit,” Bellamy bit out between clenched teeth. There was no way Benedict was telling the truth. He’d just gotten a letter from his love two days ago. Benedict was lying.
The warden snickered. “Oh, I think you’re going to be very interested in hearing that my son, Don Jr. is going to marry your sweet little southern belle. As a matter of fact. He called yesterday to let me know he’d had himself a taste of the bitch. Turned out she wasn’t a virgin, so Don is going to do his best to turn your whore into his housewife. He’s a fan of corporal punishment just like I am.”
As the warden spoke, Bellamy’s hands stopped shaking. Taking a deep breath he got up from the floor and leaned across the bed, sliding his right hand under the pillow. His fingers curled around what he was looking for. Turning, Bellamy walked back toward his cell door. “You really should have searched my entirecell for contraband, warden.” Bellamy strode forward and thrust his homemade shiv into Benedict’s chest six times before the guards could react.
Max grabbed the biggest guard from behind and began stabbing him as well. In a matter of seconds, all hell had broken loose. More guards stormed the cellblock. The prison’s siren began to wail. He could hear fists connecting with flesh. Cries for help came from the guards, but there was no way reinforcements would get to them in time. Bellamy knew full well that every man on the cellblock had a knife similar to his own. Max had shown them how to make shivs from a metal bar on the underside of their bunk.
A gunshot sounded. Then another. Footsteps pounded through the cellblock stopping in front of Bellamy who stood holding the knife. Benedict’s blood dripping from the blade had formed a puddle beside his left shoe. Without a warning to drop the knife, one guard raised his gun to Bellamy’s chest and pulled the trigger.
Before he knew what was happening, Bellamy was on the dirty floor next to the warden, who, somehow was still alive. “You’re never leaving this place. I promise I’ll be waiting for you in hell.” The warden coughed, blood shot from his lips. His fisted hands slackened. Seconds later, he was dead.
Bellamy knew his time was short. He pictured Magnolia Anne’s sweet face in his mind. Her green eyes were the last thing Bellamy saw as he took his final breath.
1
Ronan
May, present day…
Ronan O’Mara was packed and ready to hit the open road. Unfortunately, the rest of his family was not. Everly was desperately trying to fit several more outfits into her already stuffed suitcase, while Ten and Ezzie tore up his room looking for Mr. Moo, his beloved cow stuffie, who’d gone AWOL minutes before they’d been scheduled to leave.
If Ronan couldn’t figure out a way to get his family out the door, they were going to miss their New Hampshire beach weekend altogether. Climbing the stairs two at a time, Ronan stopped in front of Everly’s door. His daughter was sitting on her suitcase while trying to zip it closed. “Hey, why don’t you give me three outfits to pack in my suitcase?”
“Really, Daddy?” Everly asked, looking up from the suitcase. She was breathing heavy and strawberry blonde strands of her hair were plastered to her face with sweat. Not that Ronan was going to tell his little fashionista, otherwise, it would be another hour until they left the house.
“Really, but I need you to help Dad and Ezzie find Mr. Moo. Deal?” Ronan grinned at his daughter. Knowing Everly, her gift had already told her where to find the stuffie.
“Deal, Daddy.” Everly yanked open her suitcase and started pulling out clothes which she piled into Ronan’s arms. Sitting on top of the pile was none other than Mr. Moo.
“You little pirate!” Ronan half-shouted, knowing Everly had tricked him.
Everly burst out laughing and grabbed Ezra’s toy. “Ezzie, I found Mr. Moo!”
“Do I even want to know what happened?” Ten asked, poking his head into Everly’s room.
“She packed Ezzie’s cow in her suitcase along with clothes she had no room for so that I’d offer to pack them in my bag.”
Ten snorted. “That’s pretty damn clever.”
It wasverydamn clever. “That trick is only gonna work once!” Ronan shouted. “No ice cream for you until you’re twenty-one.”
Everly stood in the hallway outside her bedroom door. “I’m sorry, Daddy, but you don’t understand what it’s like to be a girl. I need to look my best all the time.”
“You always look perfect.” Ronan sighed. His daughter was the most beautiful girl in the world. Why Everly didn’t see that in herself was a mystery that might never be solved. “However, that being said, I don’t need to be a girl to know that twenty outfits for a four-day weekend is too many!”
Everly looked as if she was going to argue with Ronan, who still held the pile of clothes in his arms. “You’re right, Daddy. I’llleave all these clothes here.” She reached to take them back from Ronan, who yanked his arms away.
“Since I’m a boy and only packedtenoutfits, there’s plenty of room in my suitcase.” Rolling his eyes, Ronan walked out of the room and headed downstairs. “We’re leaving in five minutes. If you’re not in the van, we leave without you.”
Quickly folding Everly’s clothes, Ronan packed them away and grabbed his and Ten’s suitcases and dragged them out the door. If he were being honest, the fact that each of them had a full-sized suitcase for a four day weekend was a bit off the deep end. It wasn’t hard to figure out where Everly had learned to pack.
“We were ready to leave without you!” Fitz shouted from the front seat of the rental van.
“What the hell was taking so long?” Jude asked, hopping out of the van. He helped Ronan heft the suitcases into the cargo area.
