Smith shuffles into the waiting room, wringing his fingers.
“I had to pass it on. It’s not like I’m the one writing the notes. I just do as I’m told.” He’s trembling, his eyes flashing between me and the other guards.
“You do as you’re told? By a murderer? Where is your fucking decency? You’ve been terrorizing her for months.”
“It’s not me—”
I grab him by his collar, shoving him against the wall, and every available prison guard is on me. The alarm sounds, the ringing burning my eardrums with its high-pitched siren. Then the clanging starts. Inmates chanting and whacking metal on metal as they assume it’s other inmatesfighting. But no, I’m assisting the police and attacking a guard.
I press my forearm against his neck as Katie tries to pull the other guards off me.
“I’m going to have your job for this, you weasel.”
“He threatened me, threatened my family!” he rasps out.
“You’re a coward. Thomas Vale has no one. He’s a loner here, no friends, no family. You did it for the thrill, don’t lie to me.”
“Jonesy, get off him, NOW.” Katie brings me back to the room, and the rest of the prison guards have all let me continue my attack. I loosen my grip, and the siren turns off. They’re going to do worse to him than I ever could.
I spit on the floor, right by his shoes, grab Katie by the hand, and stalk out of the prison.
My heart is pounding against my ribcage as I yank open the door, hustling Katie into the car. I try steadying my breathing; I try thinking of my happy place, but it’s nothing but scorching rage that’s spitting through my veins. Once I’m in the car, I reverse out of the space, the tires screeching against the tarmac.
“Jonesy...” she whispers, reaching out and placing her hand on my forearm. My knuckles are white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. How dare someone intimidate her? How dare they make her feel unsafe when she’s just trying to do her job? I don’t even know where I’mdriving; I’m just gunning it down the highway. I feel like I’m on a chase. The urge to find that guy after he leaves prison and take cheap shot after cheap shot overwhelms me.
“Take off your panties,” I spit out.
“Wh . . . what?”
“Take off your panties, Katie. Right now.”
She lifts her hips, her fingers moving beneath her skirt until I hear the fabric scrape along her thighs. She bends low, and I see the white lace as she pulls it past her heels. I hold out my palm, and she drops the fabric into it. Drawing it to my nose, I inhale deeply as a small whimper comes from her. She’s squeezing her thighs together, gripping the edge of the seat.
Just the scent of her calms me down. Calm probably isn’t the right word, but I want to fight less and fuck more. Protect her, keep her safe. Some base instinct is screaming at me to fight, protect, hide her away, and make sure she has everything she needs.
I pull off the highway toward the forest. The prison is already far from the city, but I headed north in the opposite direction to home, and now I’m driving down a gravel track, pulling off to the side. To run, to scream, to do anything except think about that sociopath behind bars. To not think about the fact that she’ll have to face him again in just a few days at his appeal.
I turn off the engine and sit for a few seconds. There’s no noise. Nothing except for the crunchof leaves and the chirps of birds flying through the trees. Nothing except Katie’s heavy pants as she waits for me to pounce.
“I would have you run so I can chase you, but I don’t think you’ll get very far in those shoes.”
She chuckles. “You weren’t much of a Boy Scout, were you? You’re supposed to come prepared.”
“I’m buying you a pair of sneakers that we'll keep in the car.”
Her breathing hitches as her eyes darken, her lids half-closed. “I’m a size eight.”
“Noted.”
I pull the panties to my face again, her scent filling me up until I feel my cock pressing against my zipper.
“What do you need, Jonesy?”
I bend down, resting my head on the wheel. “I don’t know.”
Katie
“Push your seat back,” I murmur.
