Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
His eyes are closed now, but he’s paying attention. “Pull what off?”
I have my tattoo gun in hand and am ready to get started, but I’m stalling so I can ask. “Did you have anything to do with me getting out nineteen years early, Miller?”
As soon as I say it, I realize how absurd it sounds, but I can’t figure out what happened or why I’m out now. Miller is quiet, and I’m about to start my tattoo gun when he finally starts talking. “You did the right thing, Felon.”
I set the tattoo gun down. “What?”
He groans like he doesn’t even want to have this conversation. “I said you did the right thing… saving that kid like you did. You shouldn’t have been in there in the first place.”
Stunned, my mouth falls open. “So you did get me out early?”
He shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “What? Did you think I was going to wait nineteen more years to get my tattoo finished? No way.”
All I can do is sit here, shaking my head. “So what… how?” I stutter.
I’m not sure how he did it, but instantly he’s shaking his head.
“It’s not for you to worry about. You’re out, and I’m working to get it expunged from your record.”
“Miller…” I start, overwhelmed. There’s no way I can repay him for this. He’s acting like it’s not a big deal what he did. But he made it to where I only had to serve one year of a twenty year sentence. And now he’s talking like it’s possible to get this off my record. It’s too much, but it’s also everything I’d dreamed of.
Miller groans and finally looks at me, face on. “Look, let’s not make a big deal out of this. I needed to get my tattoo finished, so I pulled some strings…”
I choke on the words. “Pulled some strings… it’s more than—”
He cuts me off. “Look, seriously, you didn’t deserve to be in there, so I took care of it.”
I nod. “Fuck, okay, thank you… I mean, I know that doesn’t even begin to cover it, but—”
He blows out a breath like he’s frustrated. “Shit, man. Forget it. You’re welcome. You sure you want to do this now?”
At that moment, Boss knocks on my open door. “Sorry to interrupt. I took care of that issue. They have eyes on her, and they’ve been instructed to stick with her until you get there.”
I let out a breath. “Thanks.”
He nods and turns on his heel as Miller chuckles. “Oh. Woman troubles. I get that.”
“Miller, you don’t even know the half of it.”
He laughs, leans back, and closes his eyes.
I pick up the tattoo gun again and get to work. The quicker I work, the faster I get to Emily.
CHAPTER 6
EMILY
I blow out a breath as I walk out of the bookstore. Work today was… off. That’s the only way I know how to describe it. I knew it would be different without Jack there. A part of me was waiting for him to walk into my office because he’d done something foolish and gotten himself put back in. Another part of me walked around with my head on a swivel. I didn’t realize how much comfort it brought me knowing that Jack was at the prison.
My individual sessions were okay, and nothing happened out of the ordinary. But the group session went off the rails. I tried to convince myself it was all in my head, but at the end of the session, one of the newer inmates walked over to talk to me and tried to intimidate me. His name is Richard, and he’s in for armed robbery and a list of other things. He wanted private sessions with me, and then he made comments about what he’d like to do with me in those sessions. Bradley, the guard, was about to intervene when another inmate, someone I know that is friendly with Jack, came in and practically dragged Richard out of the room. “Sorry, Ms. Riles. It won’t happen again.”
I was holding folders to my chest and trying to catch my breath when Bradley walked up to me. “Emily, are you okay? I’m so sorry. I should have realized everyone didn’t walk out. I wasn’t quick enough, I—”
I held my hand up to calm him even though I was feeling rattled. “Bradley, I’m fine. It’s okay.”
Bradley was shaking his head, and it was obvious he was not happy with the turn of events. “I shouldn’t have left the room. I thought—”
He stopped talking abruptly, and I looked at him curiously. “You thought what?”
He gritted his teeth. “I thought that Jack had this under control. I thought they’d leave you alone.”
I refused to have a conversation about Jack with Bradley. Not that I don’t trust him, but I don’t want to get him into the middle of anything.