Page 46 of Okay, I Regret a Little
Chapter 31
Faust
I
t was never good to be summoned to Warden Snow’s office as soon as you got to work. What now? I’d already told her everything that happened during the riot. I knew all about the prison bounty on Venus, but I left that part out. That witch came for my mate. It played in my favor everyone wanted her dead, and I didn’t need her being placed in solitary for her safety. I needed her dead.
It shocked me to see Brody sitting in the warden’s office. The last I heard, he was in a coma. He’d shaved his head because his hair got melted in the explosion, and his eyebrows were totally gone. Still, he didn’t look like a man who just had a shock baton blow up on him a few days ago.
If this little shit stain had lied about the events of the riot to make me look bad, it would not go well for him. I knew he lied about fucking an inmate and why the safety was off on his baton, but Iwas nottaking responsibility for this riot.
“You’re awake,” I growled.
Warden Snow just tossed her hair over her shoulder and gave me the stink eye.
“Brody had the best witches healing him to make sure he was back on his feet as soon as possible.”
I just grunted. Of course, Brody got magical healing. They wouldn’t hire witches for the medical clinic here to give the same treatment to the prisoners. I knew it wasn’t because qualified witches weren’t applying either. I might live alone and not let anyone see where I lived, but I had plenty of friends.
I knew of plenty of powerful witches who applied here as healers. I went to Warden Snow on their behalf. She would tell me to my face she’d look at their application as soon as I left her office, but not one of them was ever called for an interview. Gloriana was a pretty famous healer. She was in demand at supernatural hospitals all over the world. She didn’t even get a callback.
It was like Warden Snow and the board of Silverhold wanted inmates to suffer when they endured a gang beating, raping, or a murder gone wrong. A witch could quickly heal the physical scars of those, but there wasn’t a single one on staff offering healing services.
Warden Snow was from a wealthy coven. Of course, Brody had the best healers, even after everything. Why were we both here? Brody looked miserable.
“I’ve investigated that witch’s claim about Brody, and it was only libelous slander. Brody’s thumb slipped and accidentally turned the safety off on his baton. Brody will return to work today. That said, I realize that the inmates in Silverhold believe things to be different. You’re one of my best guards. I want you to watch his back and make sure none of those savages hurts him.”
Idid nothave time to babysit Brody, nor did I want to. Sending him back to the floor was stupid and dangerous. Brody crossed a line. He didn’t need to be anywhere near prisoners. He needed to be serving his own prison sentence for rape.
“No offense, Warden Snow, but that’s a stupid idea, and I can’t do that job. The entire prison heard the witches, and people saw him charge his baton to the point it exploded. They know he would have killed the very inmate the witches have a problem with. Word has probably spread by now. I can’t keep him safe from an entire prison gang, and that’s what’s going to happen if you put him back on the floor.”
“These inmates are here because they committed horrible crimes. They don’t have freedom anymore. I’m not allowing them to dictate anything I do. They aren’t going to force Brody out of his job because they can’t control themselves in the mess hall. I will assign Brody to guard the witches since the rest of the prison is after them too. You will watch Brody and the witches in the mess hall and common areas in case the rest of the prison still believes that drivel about Brody having sex with an inmate.”
This was going to be a disaster, and I wasn’t going down with Brody. Even the guards knew Brody always bragged that he would go there with an inmate one day. Deep down, Warden Snow knew he did it. If she wasn’t careful, Brody was going to make a big enough stink here that she lost her job right along with him. The board of Silverhold wasn’t entirely made up of her coven. If they found out half of the shit Brody had gotten up to here, they would fire both of them. I highly doubted they knew they spent money on an entire new wing for the guards because Brody couldn’t work a hot plate.
“I don’t want any part of this,” I growled. “I’m with those inmates’ day in and day out. I see and listen to what they do and speak. You could task every single guard in here to protect Brody, and it wouldn’t be enough if you send him back out there. I’m not saying any of this to be cruel. If you care one iota for your nephew, you won’t send him out there. Put him on paid medical leave. I don’t give a shit. But you’re risking his life, and you’re risking the lives of every single guard here if you do this.”
“I’ll be bored, and Ineedto protect Karin,” Brody whined.
Oh, goddess. This asshole right here. One witch spread her legs for him intending to use him, and this warlock thought he was in love. I knew he was stupid, but this was too much. He was going to get every guard in here killed, and for what? It was time for a little wake-up call. I didn’t care about his feelings.
“I was in the mess hall, Brody. I heard the witches say they were using you to smuggle in contraband. Don’t risk your life for them.”
Warden Snow just cut me off. I knew she was doing it before Brody outright admitted he fucked an inmate with me as a witness, and she had to do her job.
“All gossip. Besides, we need all available guards on the floor. The witch in medical is being released tomorrow. Whoever put her there will try again. We don’t need another witch's death on our hands. Brody will stay with the witches. I’ll heed your warning and place extra guards in the mess hall when he’s there. That is the only place Brody will be that the rest of the prison could get to him.
“I mean this, both of you. A riot so soon after a death doesn’t look good for me. I don’t want to hear another thing about a death or a riot. You are both dismissed.”
She might not want to hear it, but it was going to happen. Enough guards could eventually put down another riot, but it would be every man for himself.
Venus would definitely die, and I owed Brody for trying to kill my mate.
