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“Because they’re getting tired of following her,” says Lace, and Sabine and Camilla nod.
“Most of the women in here know having Ronnie’s protection still isn’t worth the punishment if you cross her,” says Camilla. “I think you’d be surprised at how many of the women will back you on this.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then we will,” says Lace, and I know she’s not bullshitting me.
“I won’t do it. I can’t.”
“At least do us a favor and think about it,” Camilla says gently, forcing a smile for my benefit. “We believe you could be powerful here. More so than anyone else.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Two days later,Lace and I are eating dinner in the cafeteria when Jaxon comes in to find me, waving me over. I squeeze Lace’s hand and tell her to stay there, in the crowded lunchroom, where it’s moderately safe from Ronnie and her thugs. She nods and returns my kiss, but she looks worried. I don’t blame her …
Our life is nothing but a big basket of worry, to be honest.
“What's wrong?” I ask, because the look on Jaxon’s face is nothing short of obvious distress.
“You have a visitor,” he says, and I follow him out of the cafeteria and to the front of the prison, where the visitor’s area is. But instead of taking me to the open room with tables and chairs, he takes me to a private cubicle, one behind thick plexiglass. There’s a phone on either side of the wall.
“Who is it?” I sit down in the lone chair, looking through the glass, wondering who is about to come through that door. My lawyer? A stranger? A friend? “Why are we behind glass, Mr. Jaxon? I never see visitors like this.”
“Safety,” Jaxon responds, but he doesn’t explain. Safety for who? Me?
Before I can push him further, the door buzzes and someone walks in, taking the empty seat directly across from me on the other side of the glass. I tilt my head to the side, pursing my lips in surprise, then reach for the phone on the wall. My visitor does the same.
“It’s been a long time, sis.”
Julie stays silent, her eyes cast to the desk-like table in front of her, the phone pressed, hard, against her left ear. I don’t say anything else, just wait for her to speak. Rage simmers below the surface, bubbling and hot and ready to explode, but I keep my cool. I have to.
“Yes,” she says finally. “It’s been a long time. For me, anyway, not for you.” She meets my eyes. They’re clear. There’s not a single hint of tears or fear or even apprehension. They hold nothing but a cold, dark iciness.
“What can I say?” I shrug and lean back in my chair, shaking my head. “I’ve been upset with the situation, as you can well imagine.”
Julie scoffs and shakes her head, rubbing her temples with her free hand. “There is no situation, Josephine.”
“No? Not even the fact that I’m innocent and serving your sentence while you’re off frolicking in Europe with your dead husband’s insurance money?”
Even though it’s true, Julie winces at this, and it satisfies me. I want to come through the glass and throttle her. I want to hurt her the same way she’s hurt me, especially recently. She threw me under the bus and watched me suffer.
She is still watching me suffer.
“I just came to say one thing, Josephine,” Julie says quietly, her eyes landing briefly on Jaxon, who is standing a few feet behind me, monitoring the situation.
“Oh yeah? And what’s that, sissy?”
“If you ever come after me again, I will kill you myself,” Julie whispers, and a shock of surprise mixed with apprehension travels up my spine. I shouldn’t be surprised; after all. I did try to kill her. But seeing my sister in front of me, angry, ready to retaliate, is enough to send me into a dangerous spiral.
I no longer have anything left to lose. Not if Julie won’t help me. She doesn’t care.
She’s done with me.
I lean forward, ignoring Jaxon’s automatic movement toward me, like he thinks I’m about to reach through the glass and smash my sister’s face in.
I wish.
“Hey,” I murmur into the phone, until Julie is unconsciously leaning closer to the glass; closer to me. I place my hand on the glass in front of us, and smile. “Who says you’ll see me coming?”
