I mean, other than I really fucking wanted her close.
Not that I would ever tell her that.
I didn’t need to encourage her.
I didn’t need to encourage myself.
But knowing that after I got out, she’d be only a hop and a skip away from me, was damn terrifying.
These bars were the only thing keeping me in check.
When they weren’t there anymore…
“I’m pregnant.”
I hadn’t heard her correctly.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, thinking I’d misheard but knowing in my gut that I hadn’t.
“I’m pregnant,” she repeated. “About six weeks. I… I thought you might want to know.”
With that, she stood up and left, not looking back.
By the time that I’d processed her words, she was already past the security gate and wouldn’t be able to hear me call out.
I tried anyway.
I was right.
She didn’t hear me.
CHAPTER 6
My brother started unloading the dishwasher before I asked, and I’ve never been more confused in my life.
-Sin’s secret thoughts
SIN
Four days later
“Where are you going to go on your first day on the outside?” Cora, my big brother’s wife, asked.
She’d been the one to pick me up from the prison.
I hadn’t told anyone that I was getting out, and she was the first person I could remember the phone number of.
The first stop I needed was to go get my truck and motorcycle from Coke’s garage. The second I needed to go get my driver’s license renewed. My third would be trying to find Blaise.
But I knew that Cora could help me with that, too.
“My motorcycle. My driver’s license. Then I need to find a girl,” I said, turning my head. “I need help finding Johnny’s sister, Blaise.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you need help finding her for?”
Cora knew the whole story.
She knew why I’d gone down for what I’d gone down for.
She knew that Blaise was the reason why, just like she knew that I should probably stay away from her seeing as the last time I was around her—at least to her knowledge—I’d gotten sent to prison for a lot of years.
“Well…” I paused. “So she was a prison guard. You know that, right?”
“Yes.” She paused. “Oh, fuck. You’re going to tell me that I’ve just helped you break out of prison, aren’t you? That’s why I had to meet you in the back. It’s also why you’re wanting to get to your fast motorcycle and explains why you didn’t call Coke. Because you knew that I would help you without question.”
I patted her on the arm.
“I didn’t break out of prison,” I explained through a chuckle. “I got out early because there’s a guy that needs my particular set of skills, and he knows people in high places. People that are presidents and shit. I was pardoned officially. I need to get to Blaise because… I’m not ready to tell anyone yet. But just know that we have some things to discuss, and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief.
“I mean, I would’ve totally taken you wherever you needed to go. I would’ve had to leave my husband and kids behind, though, when I went to jail. You know I never supported you taking that plea deal.” She narrowed her eyes at me in a scowl.
I rolled my eyes at her. “I know. But… it was the better end of the bargain for me. I was going down for it. I might as well go down for it for fewer years.”
Which was exactly what I’d done.
I knew the rules.
I knew what I was getting myself into.
I just hadn’t expected them to do what they did quite so spectacularly or forget the nearly twenty years of service I had under my belt.
“It’s all bygones now.” I tried for nonchalance when all I was feeling was anger. “Did you get a chance to look at places for rent?”
She blinked at me owlishly. “It just so happens that I got you a house right next to a certain renter.”
I tilted my head slightly sideways. “What?”
“Johnny told me about a place that was up for rent next to his rental house.” She paused. “And I signed the lease on it yesterday for you. I know you said you wanted to look around, but this place is awesome. No joke. And it’s close to where you said you wanted to be.”
I’d told her that I’d like to be near Souls Chapel, and she’d run with it.
That meant that a certain woman would be there, too.