AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Heya, Bren.” His eyes twinkled at me, and he grinned. “How are you? You look good.”
A small nod. A small smile. Some polite conversation.
That was fine and dandy.
Now to business. “I know what you did.”
His small grin vanished, and he leaned forward, dropping his tone. “I know. Tabatha gave me the heads-up.”
I kept lingering on that tattoo on his neck. “Is that why?” I nodded at it.
He reached up, covering the tat, and an awkward sounding chuckle slipped from him. “Why’d you make the drive if you already knew?” He frowned, his hand fell away and he cocked his head to the side. “You didn’t know, did you? You just found out.”
“I couldn’t think of why you did it because you don’t do anything unless you’re getting something out of the deal. Tabatha getting in touch with you, giving you a problem to help with? That’s not you to do it out of the goodness of your heart. So I thought about it, and I just figured—just come and ask. Maybe he’ll be honest for once.”
The corner of his mouth tugged up. “Ah. Bren. When you talk to me like that, you don’t make me want to be forthcoming at all.” He started soft, sweet, and then ended with an edge, and his eyes flat. “Jesus. At least be kind with your request?”
I mashed my lips together because what I wanted to do and what I wanted to say, I couldn’t without getting arrested myself. So I sat put and waited because a mean glint showed in Drake’s eyes and he jerked even more forward over the table. “You’re going to come here and judge me for what I did? Fuck you, Bren. Fuck. You. You know why I did it. I have a kid. I came in here with a target on my back already. Excuse you if I got an opportunity to help myself out, to get me some protection because that’s what I did. That was my deal with them. They got a whole group in here. You should know. You joined ’em.”
“You used me—”
“That’s your pissing point? That I told you bullshit, knowing you’d never take me on the offer? Sending someone to overhear and do the dirty work for you? I set you up to say some words. That’s it. I needed someone that made sense of why I’d be calling them. You’re my ex, that shit makes sense. And it worked. It all worked. She got a mom that’s not going to die. I’m not going to die. My kid gets a father in a few years. You got to decide not to get dirty and help your pops out, and what? That’s it.”
“Two men—”
“You don’t know anything. You got no clue if they’re dead or not. They’re just gone. That’s it, and I heard the chatter. I know it happened in front of a bunch of college kids. The other Demons filled me in. They all know you know, so you’re in this box with me. Get off your high horse and stop judging me for trying to survive because that’s all I’m doing.”
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Maybe Drake would have a soft spot with me because I loved him for a moment in my life.
Or maybe he wouldn’t, and when I walked out of here, I truly hoped to never see him.
All that said, all those conflicting thoughts and emotions, I knew what else he was saying. We were stuck where we were. I was going to keep quiet for my life, Channing’s life, Cross’, Jordan’s, Zellman’s, and anyone else affected by loving me. And for Drake, I’d focus on Drayana because he was right. He got a kid and that little girl would love and worship her dad, and I didn’t want to take the dream away from her.
“Okay.”
That was all I had.
I started to stand up.
Drake reached over, tugging me back down.
“Drake!”
He let go, holding his hand up over his head.
The guard settled back, but still frowned at us.
Drake grinned. “No touching. You can only hug kids in here. Listen, I’m going to get out of here. I cut a deal when I came in, but when I get out, I’m a Red. Forever. They have different rules for prison guys joining up, so it’s not official official. It will be. I’m telling you this so you know that you got another guy on the inside, and I’ll do what I can to look out for you. You know something on us, but I’ll vouch for you and Pops will, too. That will hold weight. I’m not saying this for any other reason except so that you know. That’s it. Contrary to your low opinion of me, I do do things sometimes for other people. I’ve loved two girls in my life and …” He motioned to me, not meeting my gaze anymore. He was looking at the floor, half-turned away from me. Then he finished, “And the other one has my eyes so there you go. Have a good life, Bren.”
