Page 39 of Birdy

“I mean, there are two other people in the room.” I motion around us. “Not to mention, this is only my second full day here. I don’t have all the names to faces memorized yet.”

“You don’t need to have them memorized. They have IDs, remember?”

It’s not until after he’s said it that I realize how stupid I look right now. Of course, they have IDs. These girls will lie about anything and everything.

“Right, sorry. It’s been a long day.”Long and trying as fuck, to be exact.

“You can say that again,” he agrees, blowing out a breath. “Once you’ve got them all cleared, go ahead and clock out. There’s not much left to get done before third shift comes in.”

Whether it’s true or not, you won’t catch me complaining. Not today, anyway. Never mind the daily toll of the job and the fact that I’m still adjusting to a new setting. I’m drained from the chaotic roller coaster my emotions have cycled through the last twenty-four hours.

The kicker?

I still want one last look before I go home.

“Noted,” I answer him. Rising from my seat, I grab the clipboard off his desk and head out of the box just as the telltale buzzer erupts. In comes Rodriguez, who halts the line just inside the block when he sees me approaching with the clipboard.

“Post-work check?”

“Yup.” I pop the P in time with the echoing slam of the heavy gate.

“Got it?” he asks.

I nod. “Yeah, man, I got it. Go take five. They’re just in there bullshitting.”

Rodriguez tips his head and claps me on the shoulder before taking off. Without him as a buffer, I can feel her. It’s instant, rushing through my veins like wildfire, my heart rate kicking back into overdrive. Turning back to the line of inmates before me—with the coolest and collected expression I can manage—I have to force my eyes from not scanning through each face.

“Ladies, if you’re still unfamiliar with me, I’m CO Bala, aka the new guy. That’s not to be confused for newbie. I’ve been doing this a long time. Not sure how the other CO’s handle check-ins, but I’m going to make it as quick and painless as possible, so we can all get on about our afternoons. To do that, I need your full cooperation. Make sure your IDs are visible and move promptly with the line. Sound easy enough?”

Several rounds of “Yes, sir” ring out along with some flirty smiles and overly-appreciative stares.

None of them affect me like hers does. They never have.

Heart thrashing like a stampede, I start going through the process of checking IDs and checking off the matching name on the clipboard. I’m hoping she’ll be somewhere in the middle, rendering her unable to do much of anything, but the list is alphabetical, and I’m checking every single name in perfect succession.

Shit.

The line starts getting smaller and smaller, the number of names left reducing rapidly...until there’s only her. My stare’s stuck on the clipboard, but her frame slides into my line of sight.

“CO Bala,” she coos, stiffening my spine.

My throat bobs, too, and I have to inhale a deep breath as I steel myself to make eye contact.

A breath I lose right after.

She hits me with that subtle smile, peeking up at me beneath her lashes. Hits me harder than I was expecting, the shock of this electric-like current prickling my skin.

“Villanueva,” I return, checking off the box beside her name.

Two seconds later, there’s a tiny balled up paper rolling down the clipboard. The only reason it doesn’t roll right to the floor is because I quickly dig the edge of the clipboard into my stomach. The alarms in my head blare at the sight of it.

A look becomes a wink, and a wink becomes stolen whispers and kites passed in the hallways.

Fuck.

Lips thinning, I drag my gaze back up, am about to ask her what this is, but she’s already gone, striding into the block toward her cell with that natural sway of her hips. I’m not even on edge at this point, I’ve gone right over it, blood roaring through my ears in time with my erratic pulse.

No one is watching me, yet I feel like she’s left me with a giant neon sign hanging over my head. I have to move, though. I can’t just stand here staring after her. As discreetly as possible, I take the note into my possession and maneuver it into my pocket as I stalk back to the box to return the list to Mack.

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