Chapter 4 Crypt
THREE YEARS EARLIER—
My sister wasn’t coming. I sat back in my seat, noticing the time as I glanced at the monstrous black clock on the wall. She never came late. If Michelle could make it, she always arrived on time.
Well, shit. No visit for me today.
I nearly gestured to the guard to take me back to gen pop when I spotted someone new entering the room—a woman in a pretty floral dress, a dainty sweater, and boots. The boots were what snagged my attention because they stood out, not quite matching the outfit, but proving she was a lot less fragile than she looked. Something about them felt rebellious.
My gaze slowly slid up her body, over her bare tan legs, to the hem of the dress, rising higher over her slender waist and full breasts before lingering on the column of her throat, taking a few seconds longer to finally survey her delicate features. She wasfucking gorgeous. Pretty brown eyes, high cheekbones, full lips, and a killer smile that she directed at the man who stood to greet her.
Fuck.Hannibal stood to greet her. Judging by his smile, he was thrilled she came to visit. That made me curious. A minute later, I realized this beautiful young woman was his daughter.
I listened to their conversation, not intending to eavesdrop, but there wasn’t much privacy in the visiting room. It was intentionally created so that every word nearly echoed, especially when it was quiet. Like today. It was odd to notice so few visitors, but some days were like this. It was the middle of the week, too—a boring Wednesday.
Thank you, Michelle, for getting me out of my cell today.
I wouldn’t have seen the blonde beauty otherwise. And she was a fucking wet dream with her soft curves and long hair. She pulled some of it away from her face, letting the strands flutter around her in a white-blonde cascade. I had never seen a woman so captivating or fuckable, especially as she laughed over something Hannibal said.
That smile. Those lips.
Fuck me. I needed to meet her.
No, not just meet her. I wanted to know her name because I planned to talk to her before she left. Her daddy might object, but he could deal with it. I respected the old guy, but he wasn’t gonna be in here long. He had too many connections, and guards as well as inmates watched his back. As a member of the Graven Bastards MC, he was off-limits. I had a feeling he could hold his own even if the club wasn’t providing protection. Though I suspected no man in Ely State was stupid enough to try their luck with Hannibal.
Most of us had heard about the GBMC, and the rumors held enough sway to add a healthy dose of respect, if not outright fear.
I couldn’t help but observe the interaction between father and daughter, and how she brought him a homemade birthday cake, sharing it with him as if they weren’t in the middle of a medium-security prison visitation area. Guards stood around us, and more than one openly stared at the girl.
It was Phil who caught my attention. I heard stories about that cocksucker. The guy was a fucking pig. He forced himself on women and tried to extort sexual acts as favors to take care of loved ones inside the prison. He was a piece of shit. If I ever saw him on the outside, I’d teach him a lesson.
Guaranteed. Men like that didn’t deserve the cushy life they led. One day, I’d make sure justice was served.
That was two assholes on my revenge list. Trey Burrows. Ely guard Phil.
“Something is going down in gen pop,” one of the guards whispered to Phil. “I’m gonna check it out.”
He wasn’t as quiet as he should have been.
I heard the scuffle on the other side of the door at the same time as Hannibal. He never acknowledged or looked my way before now, but I knew he was aware of my presence, the same as everyone else in the room.
We never had much interaction. I kept my head down, worked hard, and kept my mouth shut. It earned me some respect inside as well as my loyalty to those I friended. I didn’t squeal on shit. It wasn’t my place. I suspected Hannibal knew about me and didn’t consider me a threat or anyone to handle. That was good.
When I heard shouting, I popped to my feet, instantly on alert. It wasn’t safe here. The girl needed to leave.
“Get out of here, Rachel. Go! Now!”
Her name is Rachel.
She rose to her feet and looked a bit unsteady. It wasn’t the time to debate her father’s words. The yelling and chaos had grown louder. . . and closer. The situation had escalated fast. I heard the crowd pushing through one of the doors and then gunfire.
Fuck!
“Rachel, run!”
The words had barely left Hannibal’s mouth when I saw a bullet slam into his right shoulder and knock him backward. He hit the wall with a thud, knocked out by the force of the hit.
Rachel wasn’t moving. She stood, shaking, petrified with shock. Bullets whizzed by her, and I knew she was going to be injured if I didn’t do something. I made the choice so fast it didn’t register in my brain until I had already knocked her to the ground.
