It silences the small group he was, I’m sure, bragging to.
“Oh look, it’s mywife.” He stresses the word wife as he glowers at me. “I heard about what happened to your little boyfriend. It’s a shame, really, but I don’t know why you’re here. It’s not like you’re allowed to visit inmates in the hospital.”
I want to tell him to ‘go get fucked, I already did’, but I know that he’ll find out who let me in.
He grips my arm, pushing me backwards as Zeke clears his throat. “That’s not a good idea. I’d keep your hands off of her if I were you.”
I watch as Darren does a double take for a second before it registers who it is.
“You should watch yourself.” He shouts back at Zeke as I turn and look at him. He’s looking at another one of the men standing in the group, curiously. “Or you’re going to end up right next to your fucking brother.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Yes, it fucking is, and you should heed it, unlike what he did.” Darren laughs again. “You know what Tate? I really hope you’re fucking happy because of you. I’m going to make sure that your boyfriend up there doesn’t walk away from this… in the end. But at least when he’s gone, you’ll have a backup.”
“What?” Zeke and I both say before I realize what it is he’s saying.
“You’re fucking sick.” Zeke snaps at him.
“Don’t even bother.” I hold my hand up, stopping Zeke from moving forward. “He just wants to get a rise out of you. The more you give him, the happier he is. If he even has feelings.” I roll my eyes.
I don’t hear what he says next as I look around, I can hear Zeke shouting something else, but I’m not exactly sure what it is, my eyes land on each one of the men who he was talking to, my mind recognizing them, but not entirely sure where from.
“…we’ll deal with it.” I hear Zeke say from behind me, and an image lands. The man to my right flashes in my head as he was standing in the visitation room with us. He was the one who had walked Zane over to the table at least once. Another one I know I’ve seen in the waiting room.
But the one who grabs most of my attention is the man with the two black eyes, and his splinted nose.
Zane’s knuckles are all that come to mind.
I see Elias come over, but I can’t make out what he’s saying either, yet I know whatever it is pissing Darren off and he’s sticking up for Zane, Zeke, or myself, and painting a target on his own back.
I’m running across the parking lot and hopping into the SUV, flying backwards in reverse, and I hear the tires squealing as I peal out of the parking lot. I find myself as I’m swerving into a parking space and whipping the door open.
“You can’t—”
I don’t listen to the secretary as she tries to stop me. I just continue on through the large doors.
Sherri looks up at me and nods. I’m sure she can see it written all over my face.
“Let me call you back.” She says into the receiver and I walk across the room.
As I watch her lean over, pressing the button, ending the call, her eyes don’t leave me.
“I know. I’m working on getting him protection.”
“It won’t matter.” I shrug as I sit down in the chair. “He’s already gotten to everyone inside the prison. We’ve got to get him out of there.”
“I can do my best.”
“You’re best isn’t fucking good enough.” I accidentally shout before I sigh. “I’m sorry. I know it can’t be easy.”
She nods her head. “I know, it’s stressful.”
“I don’t care what he says, put me up there.”
“Tate, you know I can’t.” She shakes her head. “He’s already said if I do, he’ll fire me and hire someone else.”
“He’ll get over it.”
