I’ve got nothing left to lose.
“The lawyer says if he lives the sentence will be five years max with your record but with Lacey’s testimony he can probably get you three. So, I sent Riggs down to the hospital to check on the status of the prick,” he stared, rolling his neck from side to side.
“Lacey’s testimony? Get the fuck out of here, leave her alone,” I clipped.
He narrowed his eyes as he cupped the back of his neck and peered at me.
“I need to get you the fuck out of here. I got my hands full and don’t need you sitting here on a fucking vacation. Wu is going to make a move any day now. She’s got no fucking problem testifying and if it helps your case then what the fuck is the problem?” he sneered.
“I don’t know, Jack, she’s your daughter. You want her reliving that night? I don’t,” I growled.
Careful, man, you look like you give a fuck.
“Look, I don’t want her involved in this shit or anyone else for that matter. Let it be, man,’ I ordered. “Whatever I get, I get, whatever happens…I’m good,” I added.
“Sounds like you’re giving up,” he said, his jaw clenching with every word he spoke.
“Maybe I am,” I said. “Maybe it’s fucking time. How long am I going to do this shit for? I can’t keep cheating my fate,” I admitted. The truth was I didn’t care about doing the time. It put space between me and Lace, gave her a chance to go on and live her life the way she was meant to. By the time I was finished with my sentence she’d move on, maybe get married, or even start a family. If I’m out that’s not going to happen.
I won’t let it.
“Your fate?” He slammed his palm against the table, earning the attention and wary eyes of the correction officers. Jack raised his hand to the C.O., an attempt at an apology as well as a silent vow that he would control himself.
Control and Jack didn’t go hand in hand.
He was uncontrollable.
He leaned over the table, glaring at me as he spoke through clenched teeth.
“I’ll tell you what your motherfucking fate is…it’s riding alongside me. It’s sitting at the left side of my table and being the fucking soldier you signed up to be. That is your fucking fate, Blackie. Your fate is your place in your club, it’s the patch sewn into your cut, not this shit,” he growled as he glanced around the visitor’s room.
“The club needs you on the outside,” he seethed as he leaned back in his chair and stared back at me.
“And you?” I challenged. “Where do you need me?”
“That depends on how you answer the next question,” he replied, propping his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Riggs spotted the father of the kid arguing with someone you know pretty fucking well,” he said pointedly, pausing to chew on his lip before slapping his palms against the table. “Boots.”
“Boots was with the father of the kid that tried to rape Lace?”
Everything inside me went numb as I stared at Jack waiting for him to answer.
“Apparently, they had a plan. The Corrupt Bastards have an online gaming site and the father owed the club a nice chunk of change. Boots was going to squash the debt if his kid got close to Lacey— “
“Listen to me, you got to shut Boots down,” I cut him off, leaning over the table. “You hear me? You need to put that motherfucker down before he gets to her,” I demanded, pushing back my hair and zeroing my eyes onto his.
“Tell me why,” he ordered. “Tell me why Boots is going after my daughter, Black,” he whisper shouted, leaning his body further over the table. “Say it!” he growled, through clenched teeth.
Game over.
I leaned forward, met his gaze head on and gave him the truth that’s been suffocating me.
“Because she’s mine,” I seethed, waiting for his reaction but he kept his face like stone as he stared at me. “Boots knows, he’s been watching us for months.”
“Months.”
“He’s been watching me since I was in the hospital,” I confessed. “I was going to tell you but then I went up to meet with him and he knew. So, I broke things off with her. I made it ugly so she’d hate me and stay away from me, hoping that Boots got the message she didn’t matter,” I paused. “He saw me love her, and I needed to reverse that shit.”
“Love her,” he hissed.
“Love her,” I confirmed. “Now you got what you wanted from me, time for you to get out of here and take care of him. You do what you got to do to keep her safe,” I demanded. “Or you get me the fuck out of here so I can do it… your choice.”
Jack lifted his head, his dark eyes pierced mine and watched him morph into the Bulldog as he lunged for me, pulling me by my prison garb over the table.
“You motherfucker!” He roared as the C.O.’s moved quickly through the visitor’s room and pulled the alarm. “You put a claim on my daughter behind my back and then you fucking toyed with her head!”