Page 38 of In Death, Love Survives
Toby scratches the back of his neck anxiously.
“Nah, man. I’m not getting into that here. Enough problems back home.”
I notice that Toby is acting stranger than usual. Glancing around the open yard, I spot a few people staring in our direction.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Toby’s eyes snap to mine.
“You know how it is. People in here, they know you have a reputation on the outside.”
“Oh yeah? What do these fuckers have to say about me?”
Standing, my broad frame towers over Toby’s thin one. His gangly features look even smaller when standing next to mine. If only he didn’t have a connection to the MC, I wouldn’t tolerate him at all.
The man is doing me some type of favor, so I have to give him a break.
“Nothing like that. Nothing at all,” he stresses.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I demand.
“Look, my boys thought that with you here, maybe you could be of assistance.”
“Assistance?”
I cock an eyebrow impatiently.
“Usually, the new guys, they need to be taught lessons. We were thinking since you’re you, you could help us.”
“Toby, I don’t usually get in the habit of repeating myself, so you listen good here. Got it?”
Toby swallows thickly at my tone.
“I’m not in the business of assisting anyone outside of my brothers. If my reputation precedes me, then you also know who the fuck I am. Do you think I take orders or requests from anyone who’snot me?”
Toby gulps as he violently shakes his head no.
“Good. Then you understand me.”
“I-I do,” he stutters.
“I like you enough, Toby, but don’t go thinking you and I are anything but what this situation is. If you help me, then we’ll see about you when we get back.”
Toby straightens and gives me a curt nod. I toss my cigarette to the ground and put it out.
I go to speak but am suddenly distracted by whistling and hollers from the other side of the yard, where Toby’s companions are all waiting in the distance.
That’s when I spot her—my angel.
Long legs that go on for miles and a swinging ponytail I’d like to grip onto right about now and let off some steam.
Fuck.
I’m no better than the rest of these fuckers, but at least I’m starting to see my girl for who she is and not just for how she looks.
As I watch her walk down the sidewalk to get to the other side of the prison, I notice how tense her shoulders are and how stiff her back looks.
She’s uncomfortable.
