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“I wish you fucking would,” he answered, his gaze drifting down my body before turning back to the road. “Bite, lick, swallow. All in that order.”
Heat rose to my cheeks, forcing my gaze away.
“I fucking love it when you blush like that, Ryth. It does things to me…dangerous things. Things that make me want to take a goddamn detour and find us another secluded park.”
His words only made me blush harder. “Not funny,” I muttered, and tried to keep my breathing under control.
“Not a damn thing funny about the bulge in my fucking jeans.”
I tried not to look…I really did. But he turned his head, glancing over his shoulder, and I did. My gaze fixed on that thick round ridge, wondering just howbighe really was…until he caught me looking.
His low chuckle echoed through the car, then quieted as he signaled and turned onto the road marked by signs for Mitchelton Prison. The sun was shining, bouncing off the rooftops of cars in the parking lot.
The Mustang carved through the spaces, finding a spot up close to the entrance before Nick killed the engine. “You want me to come in with you?”
I stared at the towering fences and the cold, ugly brick building and shook my head. “Thanks, but I got this.”
I didn’t wait, just shoved open the door.
“I’ll be right here,” Nick said as I started to close the door.
Those words stayed with me as I headed for the entrance. It was as though he knew I needed something to hold onto as I stepped through the automatic door and was stopped by the guards. I gave my name and details, then a brisk search and a check of the visitor records, and I was allowed into the room to see dad.
I waited, my knee bouncing with nervous tension that stopped dead when the door opened. But it wasn’t dad who came through. I waited…and the longer I waited, the more upset I became. What was taking so long?Didn’t he want to see me?
The words hit me like a stab to the chest, until the doors finally opened and an old man shuffled out. It took me a second to realize it was dad. He was hunched, walking with a slow, limping gait and it wasn’t until he was close to the plexiglass barrier that he lifted his head and looked at me.
He was bad…real bad. One eyeball was black and bulging, the side of his face was grazed and bloody, his lips were swollen, and he was missing a tooth.
“Dad?”
There was no smile this time, no,I’m fine, Ry. I’m fine.
There was just a wince and an achingly slow descent to the chair in front of him. Tears filled my eyes at the sight of him.
“Ryth, honey…don’t. Don’t cry.”
“W-who did this to you?”
There was a tiny shake of his head. Those swollen lips parted.
Slick warmth spilled down my cheeks. I made no move to brush the tears away. “And don’t tell me you have it under control.”
“It’s just a misunderstanding, that’s all.”
“TheRossis?
He flinched and jerked his gaze around, panic flaring for a second. “Ryth,no.”
I clenched my fist and leaned close to the barrier. “Then tell me? Who?”
“I don’t know,” he murmured, holding my gaze. “And that’s the God’s honest truth. Someone out there has set me up. I don’t know who or why. But I’ve got people working to find out.”
“You mean Creed Banks?”
Dad gave a nod. “He’s a good guy, Ry. He’ll treat your mom well, better than I ever did.”
“Don’t say that,” I whispered. But I saw the truth in his eyes. He believed it and that was dangerous.
