Page 1 of Bed of Thorns

CHAPTER1

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

—Ali MacGraw, Love Story

Edmond

“Ten minutes, Montego. That’s all you have left to get your shit together.”

The guard’s ugly, rasping voice echoed against the dense cell blocks. I turned my head slowly, glaring at the man as he walked by, catching the sneer on his face. I was angry, enraged even though I was finally a free man.

Free.

As free as the tight confines of a felony on my record could be. As I jerked the small box from the shelf, I fingered the last letter I’d received from Mercedes, my muscles tensing as I read it for the tenth time.

Port Christy, Maine

Edmond,

I’ve returned home. It’s funny how nothing ever changes here. I know you didn’t want me to return, but I had no choice. Maybe someday I’ll have the opportunity to explain my decisions. Just know I’m okay. I found a little house I’m fixing up. It’s tiny but I have a lovely backyard. Your father has been very nice since I agreed to work with him, the salary enough I can afford to purchase some nice pieces of furniture eventually. I keep thinking about you, longing to hear your voice. I’ll try to visit in the next two weeks. This time, no one can stop me.

Take care, sweet Edmond. One day we’ll meet again.

Your loving friend,

Mercedes

My father, the great Fernando Montego. I found it difficult to believe her mother continued to date the son of a bitch after all these years. Now this.

I resisted the urge to crumple the letter, but the rage inside of me almost pushed me into ripping apart every letter she’d sent me over the years. The date she’d written it had been over a month before. A month. Had she held it, keeping it from me on purpose? Or had the prison system disregarded the single privilege I’d been allowed? Either way, it didn’t change the outcome or the anger around the decision she’d made.

“Hey. You’re getting out of here. You need to concentrate on that and not allow the darkness still eating at your soul to take over. You’re a young man. You have your entire life ahead of you,” Adam said from behind me.

My entire life. I’d turned eighteen the day I’d entered prison, and before that I’d spent four months in a jail cell awaiting a trial that had lasted three whole days. Three days to destroy my life based on lies.

What was my life supposed to consist of at this point? I was a convicted felon. There was nothing that would change that fact, or the way people would treat me for the rest of my life.

Unless I was exonerated.

There were two people who’d managed to keep me sane during my years of incarceration, one being my cellmate. Adam Ferrar was an odd man, spouting poetry when he wasn’t preaching the ministry of God to me. He’d never figured out I hadn’t been—nor would I ever be—a religious person. Maybe he was determined to make me a good guy. God had forsaken me a long time ago. However, Adam had pushed me over the years, forcing me to shove aside my anger in order to receive an education that maybe I could use one day.

I would honor his wishes.

After I exacted my revenge on the man responsible for putting me behind bars.

I glared at the letter again, everything inside of me aching. She’d been the second reason. Her light against my darkness. Her good versus my evil. Now this. I was incensed.

This was… unacceptable. It was as if everything I’d achieved was unraveling, spiraling out of control. Spots of red flashed in front of my eyes. The devil was taunting me again.

“Yeah, I’ll try.” I yanked the single picture Mercedes had sent years before off the wall, rubbing my finger across the worn photographic paper. I’d memorized her smile and the almost giddy expression she wore. She looked all grown up, waiting for her date to arrive.

And the bastard never had.

The worthless man had stood her up, pretending as if the time she’d taken to shower him with her grace had been worth nothing. Hissing, ugly thoughts drifted into my mind. I could teach that stupid young man a lesson he’d never forget.

I’d stared at the picture hundreds of times, living my life through hers. Now I was angry, furious with her. She’d betrayed me just like everyone else had in my life.

“What are you going to do?” Adam asked as he leaned against the wall, staring down at me. He was a large man, so much so no one had dared fuck with him over the years. Little did anyone know that he was nothing but a big teddy bear.

---