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He tensed up.“Where?”
“Prison.”She glanced behind hershoulder, and nodded.“You don’t have to tell me about it.I justwant you to know that I’m here if you need it.”
Gash stayed quiet.
“The ward where I was hadover twenty patients who were on suicide watch.I wasn’t allowed toleave my room for about two months, unless I was in a wheelchair.They would take me to the dining room to eat, and someone wouldfeed me.I had my own personal nurse who dideverything.”
He tightened his hold aroundher.
“Not being able to do anythingmade it worse.I told Doctor Williams that him keeping me locked upwith nothing to do just made me dwell on everything.”She smirked.“It was the first time that I fooled him.He released me fortwenty-four hours.”She lifted her hand, showing the second faintline across her wrist.The first one she had done in the mainhospital after attacking Jeff.The second was after manipulatingthe doctor.Each line, each scar, each mark, it told a story of herfight to leave this world.
Now, she was in Gash’s arms, revealingparts of her life she had vowed to keep hidden.
“You don’t have to talk to meabout prison.I know what it’s like to have everything taken awayfrom you, and I just thought that you should know, I’m here.”Shelicked her dry lips.“You know, in case you ever wanted to talk.I’m not saying that you should, but I’m here.I’m going to be quietnow.”
Silence fell in the room, and sheclosed her eyes, wondering why the fuck she even opened hermouth.
“For the most part, there wasn’ta problem while I was there.The club, Tiny, he made sure I hadprotection in there.There were times when protection wasn’t enough.”
“What happened?”
“Beatings and attacks.”Hegripped her hip, and moved her over, flipping her around.With himholding her hand, he placed it against his abdomen.“This is whereI was pierced in the shower.It was quick, but Isurvived.”
“How?I thought weaponsweren’t allowed.”
“It doesn’t mean thatguards aren’t paid to look the other way, and for the most part,they are.Other clubs, men, they can get paid to take men out, andbeing with The Skulls, I made a lot of enemies.”
“Is that why you buffedup?”She touched his arms, and her cheeks started to heat as sherealized what she had said.“I mean, you’re bigger than last time.I’m not really making this any better, am I?”
“You’re sounding all right tome.”He chuckled.“There’s not a lot to do other than work out,read, and play.We all had jobs to do, but for the most part Ifigured the only way to survive is to keep strong.Tiny, he wasthere for me, and made sure when certain men got out, the club tookcare of them.”
“They killedthem?”
“To send a message.Fuckwith a Skull on the inside, doesn’t guarantee you’re safe on theoutside.”
“What about theguards?”
“Another message.It took time,but my last year before it was found out that I wasn’t themurderer, was the most peaceful of my life.”
“Do you wish you could goback?”
“Fuck no.It was the worst placeof my life.It was the worst, yet peaceful years there.That’s all.I love being on my bike, being free to defend the club, and nothaving to worry about shit.I wouldn’t trade that for theworld.”
There was a knock on thedoor.
“What is it?”
“I’ve got information foryou,” Whizz said.
In the next second the door opened,and Charlotte squealed, sinking more under the covers.She wasnaked.
“What the fuck,man?”
“If you weren’t covered, you’dhave told me to fucking hold on and come to the door.You’re not,so tada.”He sat down on the edge of the bed.“This is all theinformation you need.He has an apartment within the city.JeffWright was a dirty cop who also happened to be in league withGonzalez and someone else.He’s got his fingers in a lot of dirtypies, and because he’s never been afraid to get dirty, a lot ofpeople pay him a shit ton of cash to do it.There’s even proof thathe visited some of those men that attacked you in prison.Whoeverit was, they were gunning for you, Gash.”
Charlotte looked toward him to seethat Gash didn’t seem in the least bothered by that.She didn’tunderstand it.Jeff wanted to hurt him, and someone was paying himto do it.
“What are you going todo?”