Page 13

Kenna

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Kenna lined up behind Kingsley. There were ten people, including two kids that looked as if they were around ten years old waiting to go into the visitor room at the prison.

Goosebumps broke out along her arms. She wished they'd let her keep the coat she'd worn on the trip to the prison. She hadn't expected it to be so cold and stark inside the building. If the normal prison holding cells were this depressing, she couldn't imagine what kind of life her dad had on death row.

Kingsley whispered, "They're opening the door. Just stay with me. Don't look at anyone but me, okay?"

It was hard not to gawk. She'd never been around hardened criminals before. When living in the group home, they were threatened with juvie every day. She had spent time in a detention center when a home wasn't available for her. But that place was nothing like an adult prison owned by the state.

She walked through the door. The odor hit her first. It smelled like unwashed bodies, mildew and...and Top Ramen. She swallowed hard but that only made her stomach turn.

Glued to Kingsley's side, she stared at the white and gray blocked linoleum. When he stopped, she lifted her gaze to him. He pulled out a chair. She sat down, afraid to look across the table. Afraid of seeing what prison does to a man.

She had no clue what Ridge Stafford looked like. All she could go by was the importance Kingsley put on his dad. He ran Gem Haven for his dad. He'd kept a secret from her for years for his dad.

That level of importance in his life meant she hated Ridge Stafford without even meeting him. But if he was the link to seeing her dad, she'd do whatever she needed to do to gain access to him.

"What the fuck are you thinking?" muttered a man.

She lifted her gaze. A big man with a shaved head and a bushy, long gray beard almost completely white aimed his dark eyes at her. Struck with fear, she froze.

She couldn't breathe or move. She also couldn't look away.

"This is Kenna, my ol' lady." Kingsley sat beside her and across from his dad.

"What did you bring her here for?" Mr. Stafford fisted his hands.

He wasn't handcuffed. She swallowed hard. There was nothing to stop him from tossing the table out of his way to put his hands around her throat.

Kingsley had prepared her for the visit. There were others in the room. Nobody was handcuffed. There were several guards walking through the room, keeping an eye on everyone.

"Give her the respect she deserves or I walk." Kingsley never let go of her hand. "She wanted to come here and see you. I think you owe her that after the shit she's lived through."

"I'm not responsible for—"

"No, I was. Thanks to you," said Kingsley.

She stared at Kingsley, never expecting him to stand up for her. But her respect for him rose as he defended his reasons for bringing her here. He'd always supported her when they were alone. She'd never seen him support her out in the open, in front of anyone, because he was always her secret. Her foster parents weren't allowed to know about him. The state would've had him arrested. She never expected him to stand up to his father—not for her. But the fact that he had filled her with courage.

She moistened her lips, wishing she had a sip of water to wet her mouth. "I came to ask you if you'd tell my dad—"

"I never see your dad," said Ridge.

Kingsley had told her that his father would tell her that. He also believed his dad would refuse to pass on any message. She was prepared for him not to help her.

She squeezed Kingsley's hand, knowing that she was foolish for trying. But she'd spent her whole life trying to put her family back together and she wasn't going to stop.

"It's okay if you never see my dad." She cleared her throat, barely able to speak over a whisper. "Even if you never have a chance to tell him anything again, I want you to look in my eyes, take in my face, and know that I never once believed he was dead. Let him know—"

"Stop." Ridge Stafford leaned forward and steepled his hands.

Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. She clenched her teeth, refusing to let them fall. The man in front of her was responsible for putting Kingsley in her life, and that's something she wouldn't forget—even if it were for selfish reasons.

She hadn't rehearsed what she would say—and maybe she should have. But she wanted to show Mr. Stafford that there were real people involved. Her dad had a daughter, and if there was a chance in hell that they spoke again, she wanted her dad to know that she always believed he was alive.

That personal fact would mean nothing to anyone else. Not even her dad. But it meant everything to her.

It was Kingsley's turn to squeeze her hand. "I'll trade you favors."

His dad leaned back in the chair, narrowing his eyes. "There's nothing I want."

Her chance at getting any message to her father was over. She'd done all she could do. Now she and River would wait and hope that someday, her dad would give her and River permission to see him before the state killed him.

"I think there is." Kingsley let go of her hand and braced his elbows on the table. "How much do you want Zora protected?"

His dad's chin lifted. "I gave you an order. I expect you to follow through."

"Give a little." Kingsley lowered his voice. "Get Kenna's dad to okay a visit with his daughters, and Zane and I will continue to protect Zora."

"You're digging a hole, son," muttered Ridge Stafford.

Kenna barely breathed. The tension at the table scared her. She'd never seen Kingsley go up against someone like his father.

"You're the one who pushed us into that hole." Kingsley paused. "Was it your idea or Zora's to strip us of a mother?"

His dad never moved. He never breathed. He never blinked.

Caught up in the drama playing out in front of her, Kenna no longer concerned herself with the others in the room. Kingsley never talked about his mom or if he'd struggled growing up with only a father raising him. She was interested in learning more about him.

"Did she tell you?" asked Ridge Stafford.

He shook his head. "We figured it out."

Ridge grunted. "I thought you were too young."

"Well, we weren't."

Kingsley's dad sighed heavily. "I'm not dealing with this while I'm locked up."

"Then, get a message to Burt Shay," said Kingsley.

His dad never changed his expression over the use of her father's real name. She had to wonder how well the two men knew each other.

"I'll do what I can."

The breakfast she'd eaten earlier sat heavily in her stomach. Kingsley said no more. After ten minutes, people around them started moving. She stood and met Ridge Stafford's gaze.

The older man lifted his brow. She almost would've taken that small movement for respect, but she had no time to analyze what had passed between them because Kingsley led her to the door.

It seemed to take forever to gather their personal belongings from the guard and walk out of the gate into the parking lot. By that time, she had a burst of energy.

"Do you think he'll try to contact my dad?" she asked.

"I think Ridge Stafford will do what he wants to do." He looped his arm around her shoulders. "I wouldn't get my hopes up."

"He said he'd try."

Kingsley grunted, exactly like his dad had grunted inside the prison when he refused to answer. At the Harley, she threw her arms around him.

"I'm sorry you never got any answers about your mom." She kissed his lips. "Are you upset?"

"Not really looking for answers." He inhaled deeply, keeping her close. "Just trying to protect Gem Haven and you."