Page 81 of Tempt Me

“Good evening. How can I help you?”

“I am here to see someone.” I forced a small smile.

“Visiting hours are over for the day.”

I took a steadying breath and pulled out my completely bogus ‘badge.’

“I am a reporter, Fallon Summers, and here to interview the establishment’s owner.” I kept my words clear and concise.

The woman looked down at her computer and sighed. She clearly didn’t like reporters.

“Hmm. One moment, ma’am.”

Picking up the phone, she typed in some numbers and waited for an answer. I felt myself holding my breath, trying to catch the conversation.

“There is a ‘reporter’ here, Warden. She claims she’d like to interview you about the facility…Yes, sir. I agree it would help, maybe…But did you?…Okay. I will have her escorted. Thank you.”

The woman hung up the phone and looked me over. I probably looked like hell. I’d barely showered from my trip to the hospital with baby Xavier before setting my mind to completing this futile mission for information. And I still couldn’t believe Hannah was dead…

“King will escort you to the Warden’s office.”

A large black man with an incredibly stifling presence walked forward from the bars behind the ‘Welcome Desk.’

He had bandages on his neck and face, and I couldn’t help but wonder how they got there.

Did a patient attack him?

“Good evening, miss. Follow me, please.”

I swallowed my intimidation down and fixed my blouse as I passed the camera. The receptionist snorted when she saw me, and I made a face at her before walking away with the guard.

“So…uh, how did you get that?” I said, unable to ignore the bandages.

The soldier-like man snorted, giving him a more human look that penetrated through the honor and military persona.

“A not-so-secret admirer.”

He didn’t leave much room to elaborate, and I gave up.

Instead of talking to the man who didn’t speak much, I took photo after photo of the facilities we passed. I snapped shots of the glass panels with patients pacing around, the cafe-looking area with patients eating and chattering, and the lines of endless hallways. Together, they all created such an eerie effect.

I saw a few nurses milling about, administering care to the patients here. One woman in particular looked like she was definitely in charge. She was shorter than I had ever known a woman to be, but her presence was very demanding, and no one looked down on the curly brown-haired woman when she spoke.

I admired her ability to be heard in such a place as this.

The guard led us down another hallway and a few steps. Opening a door, we finally entered a room that looked like an office but was made into a patient waiting center. There was a single patient on a bed with a big tube shoved down his throat and a bunch of monitors. The guard escorting me made an effort to avoid looking at the patient on the bed, and I studied the pain in his eyes he tried to hide.

Before I could ask what that was about, I was being led to another door directly beside this room.

I lost my damn breath. In front of me, behind the desk, was a man who looked so much like my professor. It made me stutter my response to his greeting.

“I-I…You...Who?”

The man smiled and stood up from the desk.

I blinked, slowly moving my eyes up to his face. This man was too tall. I thought my professor was the tallest guy I’d ever met, but this guy was definitely a few inches taller than even Pharaoh.

“Please have a seat, Ms. Summers.”