Page 15 of Faith Among Monsters

And yet, I’d give anything to take her on a ride.

“How did you end up here?” she presses, her tone still calm.

“Plea deal,” I answer honestly, leaning back slightly. “My state had the death penalty. I was fucked otherwise.”

She nods, her pen poised above the notepad she’s barely touched. “You got life, then.”

“Life, plus a couple hundred years,” I say, my lips twisting into something that’s not quite a smile. “Figured I wouldn’t outlast it.”

She leans back now, her eyes still on me, and I can’t tell if she’s studying me or just waiting for me to say more.

“So,” I say, turning it back on her. “What will I find inyourfile?”

She laughs, soft and clear, and it hits me like a sucker punch.

That sound shouldn’t belong here. It shouldn’t belong tome.

But as it rings out, echoing off the cold walls of this godforsaken place, I know she’s mine. No way around it. Doesn’t matter how wrong it is, or how much I tell myself I’ll be bad for her. She’s already claimed a spot in my head I don’t let anyone near.

“Well, there won’t be any murder convictions,” she says, her lips quirking up into a small smile.

Christ almighty, she’sjokingwith me. She doesn’t flinch, doesn’t back away. She’s teasing me like I’m just some guy sitting across from her. Like I’m not exactly what her parents probably warned her to stay the hell away from.

I watch her lips move as she talks, and all I can think about is bending her over this table. The sweet sound of her laughter replaced by gasps, her nails digging into my arms as I show her exactly what I’d do to her.

“You’ll see someone who wants to make sure you’re not taken advantage of just because you have a past,” she continues, her voice growing steadier. “You’ll see I’ve worked hard with other facilities to make real change. I’m an advocate for…” She pauses, sighing softly, and that little sound unravels me further.“There’s no reason to ever treat anyone…” She pauses again, like she’s trying to find the words.

I sit back, tearing my eyes away from her mouth, though it doesn’t help much.

“I see that,” I say finally. “But don’t go thinking any of us are worth saving. We’re not worth you being here.”

“But you are,” she says, like it’s the simplest thing in the world.

That shouldn’t hit me the way it does. She says it without hesitation, no trace of doubt, and it burrows under my skin, wedging itself in a place I’ve locked down for years.

Me?I’m not worth the shit on her shoes.

“You should’ve left when I said,” I mutter, my voice coming out sharper than I mean.

“Why?” she demands, her gaze locking on mine.

“It’s not safe here. In case you haven’t noticed, the inmates are running the joint,” I say. “The guards should be locked up, and you… you’re—”a tragic headline in the making.I don’t finish the thought, but I know she hears it anyway.

“Not getting on the next ferry if I haven’t finished my work here,” she says, cutting me off.

She’s so mine.

I grip the edge of the table, grounding myself before I do something stupid. “I’m going to lose a lot of sleep making sure you survive to the next ferry.”

She laughs again, and damn it, that sound does something to me.

“What’s the program?” she asks, her tone softening.

That’s a splash of cold water if I’ve ever felt one.

I exhale slowly, leaning back. “That’s something you only talk to me about,” I say, my voice low, even. “Until you get off this rock. Even then, sweetheart, people kill to keep those kinds of secrets.”

Her smile falters slightly, and I can see the question forming in her eyes. She doesn’t ask it. Smart woman.

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