Page 24 of Hart of Vengeance
“I’m in prison. Everyone wants someone dead.”
I often wondered how our lives would’ve turned out if Mom and Dad were alive. Probably the same way, although the fire had messed up both of us. We’d been lucky that Dad had gotten us out of the house. But then he’d gone back in to save Mom and never made it out.
“Dad!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as flames engulfed our rundown shack. “Mom!” I ran through the rain and mud, stones poking at my bare feet. But I didn’t get far.
A fireman lifted me up. “No. No. No. You can’t go in there.”
Tears poured down my cheeks as the hard rain fell from the sky.
Savannah tapped on the table. “Jay. Why are you crying?”
I wiped a tear away and sniffled. “How far does two grand get you?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Four months.” A lone tear cascaded down her cheek. “Will you help me?” Her plea was heartbreaking.
She’d begged before, and the end result was that she came back for more.You’re in a no-win situation if you give in to her. You’ll throw your hard-earned money at your sister, leaving you with nothing once again.
I should go to see Duke. I should make her his problem. After all, the day of my interview, Savannah had told me Duke owed her money.
Despite the cuts on her face, I wasn’t about to fall under her spell quite so easily. Fights happened in prison. Denim was evidence of that. I had to be certain she really needed the money for protection. But I didn’t know how to be sure of that.
Yet if I didn’t give her money and something happened to her, I would feel like shit. I would blame myself.
A scream blared in my head.
She sighed. “Will you help me?”
“I can give you five hundred dollars when I get paid in two weeks.” I’d already used my first check to pay bills.
“That’s too long. I need it sooner rather than later.” She blinked, and more tears fell.
“Savannah, I can’t just jump when you bark. I don’t have a sugar daddy either. Life on the outside isn’t a bed of roses for me.” Not that I wanted to trade places with her. “Don’t you dare fire back with ‘prison is worse.’ I can only imagine. You’re going to have to protect yourself until I can figure something out. After all, you’re a fighter.”
She laughed maniacally. “I’m a bottom-feeder in this godforsaken hellhole.”
You should’ve thought about that before you robbed a store.The comment was on the tip of my tongue. But saying that would only get us into a screaming match, and I was tired. I also needed to get my butt to work.
“I can’t promise you anything, but give me a week. That’s the best I can do.”Maybe I should call Duke once and for all.
I said my goodbyes to Savannah then hurried out of the prison and into my beat-up car. I’d just popped my head back against the headrest when my phone rang.
“Are you on your way back?” Mallory asked.
“Yeah. Is everything okay?”
“Denim got parole. It’s so unusual for the parole board to make a decision on the day of the hearing. He walked in, sat down, answered some questions, and boom. No deliberation or anything.”
Shit.
I’d thought I had months to prepare my psyche and my heart. “Please tell me he’s not sitting in our office.”
I couldn’t deal with Savannah’s problems and Denim.
“He’ll be out by early next week.”
I growled. “I’m screwed.” I had shared with Mallory how I’d felt after seeing Denim—confused, elated, angry, frustrated, horny, and pretty much every emotion possible.
The only good that could come from Denim inserting himself back into my life was a hot night of sex. But even that would end in heartache. Because I knew one kiss, one ride on the Denim train, and one night of unbridled passion would bring me to my knees and have me begging for more.
