Page 70 of Law Maker

But it clawed through his skin. The sound of clanging doors drilling on his last nerve, more years of this still to come. He knew one day he’d have to dig into his reasons.

But that wasn’t today.

It wasn’t tomorrow either.

The next day he pushed an unopened letter into that small box.

It joined the other letters he hadn’t read.

It would take four more long months before Angela gave up writing to Lawless altogether.

He told himself he was glad.

Psychos loved lying.

But as he settled, his past came back to stir the pot…bad fucking fish.

And that was just the beginning.

NINETEEN

“Look at the trouble you get into without me, darling boy.” – Jay

With three visits this week from Snake, Preacher and Arson. The last person Lawless ever expected to see waiting for him in the visiting room was a face he hadn’t forgotten.

Approaching with his long legs eating up the space, he didn’t stall, but he felt unnaturally surprised. Hooking his leg over the bench seat, he stared into the other man’s eyes.

In the medium security prison anyone could visit without notification. As long as a person turned up at a certain time, Lawless got called to the visiting room. But he could give names to the duty officer to turn people away. It was why Angela was never allowed through.

Usually though his boys let him know when one or more of them were coming through.

“Should I ask what you’re doing here?”

Jay Benz smiled his enigmatic grin and crossed both his hands on the table. “Still rocking the shaved look, darling. It’s good to see you, Penn. I’d ask how you are, but it seems you’re not doing so well.”

Questions bit the back of his skull like gnats, but he took offense at the sympathetic look in Jay’s eyes.

So he stared until the other guy smiled once more.

“Do you want a drink or something to eat? The big clown showing me in said we’re allowed to get you something or leave money in your account.”

“I have enough. I’ll take a coffee. black, no sugar.”

“I remember, darling boy.” Jay rose and walked the distance to the cafeteria station. Lawless watched as he bought two drinks.

Jay Benz didn’t do anything by chance or accident and now Lawless was left wondering what the fuck he was doing here.

“How did you know where I was?”

He mentally answered his own question. Having been around Jay long enough to know he paid to have certain people watched. Lawless was the one Jay paid to do his spying.

“Let’s say I got nostalgic on your birthday and looked you up. You’ve had quite the time since you left me, Penn. A motorcycle gang suits you.”

Jay didn’t look very different from the last time he saw him. Still dressing like a model mobster in tailored clothes. His hair was a little longer on the top, clipped short on the sides, few days’ worth of stubble. He didn’t look bad in his black on black, what was he now … forty-three?

There was a good chunk of Lawless’ history in this man but it didn’t stop the tickle of irritation staring across at him.

“Prison, huh? I know you weren’t stupid enough to get caught up in drugs.”

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