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I called Bass and informed him of my release. He requested I stop by his office in the afternoon for a check in. For the first time, I felt excited to see him, knowing I was done with drinking and parties for good. I had my Essa. I didn’t need anything else other than the lives we could create together.
Before going to his office, I stopped by to see my brother at the garage. Adon greeted me with an actual hug as Tate gripped my shoulder. Of course, the emotional antics were short-lived when Adon informed me I had my old job back as office manager, but if I showed up intoxicated even one day, he’d fire me on the spot.
“I’m done with all that. No more. I’ve had enough sabotaging my life. I have goals now.”
Adon lifted his eyebrows and sat down at his desk. “Oh? And what are those?”
“I’m going to marry Essa. Start a family with her. I may have already…” I smirked at him, raising one eyebrow.
“Don’t need to know. Good on you, but what are you doing foryou?”
“I’m going to do those business classes in the fall. I want to support her so she can finish her degree and we can raise our children together without having to worry about finances.” He nodded and looked down. Walking over to the desk, I put my hands on it and leaned over to get his attention. “Adon, look, I know you probably don’t believe I’ve turned a corner, and you’re right to doubt me. I’m going to buy a breathalyzer. You can test me before work. I’m not going to drink again. I can’t.”
Adon’s serious brown eyes stared me down. “You don’t need to do all that, but just don’t show up here like you had been. And I’m happy for you and Essa. She saved your life, you know.”
I nodded. “Yes, I know. I love her.”
After lunch at home, I brought Essa with me to sign papers at the courthouse about my prison release. I begged Essa to just get hitched while there, but she wanted to have a small ceremony in the summer. That was fine with me. Besides, I hadn’t gotten her a ring. My girl deserved that.
After the courthouse, I visited Bass’s office with her. I wanted him to meet the woman who had changed me. Waiting for my drug test results, we sat across from him at his desk while I held her hand in my lap.
“It’s clean. You’ve had enough excitement to last a lifetime.” Bass stroked his chin as he spoke. “And you’re the woman who saved him. He better do everything he can to keep you.”
Essa smiled and rubbed my thigh. “He does. He will. I believe in him.” Her gaze scanned my face as she said, “He’s going to do great things.”
A corner of my lips lifted at her hope in me. She was my inspiration to do good in the world. “Yeah, I hope to never have to deal with this again. Want to put it all behind me.”
“How will you do that?” Bass asked.
“I think I need some answers to what exactly happened the night—the night I was accused of murdering that man… And I think I know where to get them.”
* * *
A few weeks passed, and I went to visit Davis in federal prison. This time, I was on the other side of the bars. Even though they had decreased, my dreams were still coming weekly or sometimes more often if I was stressed out. Maybe knowing exactly what happened would end my nightmares.
When he came shuffling out to the glass booths separating prisoners from visitors, Johnny Davis looked gaunt, like I was when I first went in all those years ago. Just as pity started to take me over, he smirked and white-hot anger flushed my face.
“Griff, didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” His voice was distorted as he spoke into the phone, his bright smile beaming across the clear divide between us.
“Davis. I’m only here for answers. Then you won’t ever see me again. You’re going to tell me what happened that night.” Fire shot from my eyes at the sight of him. It was a good thing there was glass between us or else I’d continue my job of rearranging his smug face.
“Well, hello to you, too. And go fuck yourself. Why would I tell you shit?”
Raising my eyebrows, I grit my teeth to reply, “Because I still know people. And I know Bruno. And if you don’t, he or I will make your life non-existent in that hellhole.”
Davis seemed amused as he smirked. “I worked for Bruno a lot longer than you. Why would he want you alive and not me?”
“I made his studio a shit ton of money and he wants to keep me around in case I agree to do more.”
Crinkling his brow with confusion, he said, “Made him money?” He paused, then smiled. “Oh, you finally agreed to a video, huh? How’s your girlfriend feel about that? Oh, wait, wait. Wait! Was sheinthe video? Oh! This is rich. She did seem experienced…”
My fist pounded on the divider, and a cop gave me a warning look. Schooling my face, I took a deep breath before continuing. “Let’s just say, he needs my cock alive. I’m not doing more videos, but as long as he thinks I will, he’ll back me up if I say to chop off your dick while you’re in there.”
Davis looked left and right. As if he understood, he nodded. “Fine. That night, you got wasted. I got the order to take out Pete from Bruno. When I took out my knife, he pulled on me, shot, and we struggled. I got hit in the arm, but got my stabs in with the knife.”
Shaking my head, I knew he wasn’t telling the entire truth. “You’re giving me an overview. I wasn’tjustwasted. That was different. My memories… it’s not like using dust. I was always hyper-alert with that.”
Davis sighed. “I put a roofie in your drink. You were supposed to take the fall the entire time.” Red-hot pokers flamed along my skin as rage seeped through every pore.
