Page 5 of White Rabbit

Glancing down at my hands, I stretch them out, watching my ink flex and ripple as I clock more cameras and the positioning of the prison guards. I haven’t seen the pretty teacher anywhere yet this morning, which makes me think she’s kept off the main patrol routes.

“Several reasons,” Beans chuckles as he sits opposite me. If I had to guess, I’d say he was twenty-five—at a push. Whatever he was shooting up had aged him, but there was a youthfulness to him that reminded me of an eager puppy.

“Number one: Officer Bishop is hot. Like hot hot. Number two: it's an easy pass class that looks good on your record…” He shovels a spoonful of the porridge in his mouth, rat eyes glinting.

“And three?” I ask nonchalantly as I take a bite out of my toast and two other inmates pass us by, barely sparing us a second glance, even though Beans eyes them wearily.

He holds up three fingers and waves them in my face. “Number three is a rumor that she’s the daughter of someone important.”

“Hmmmmm.” I take a sip of my juice, the taste acidic and bitter.

Beans taps on his chin, “It’s supposedly Judge Walters but I think it could be Warden Williamson.”

One of the other inmates on our table, an older guy with a graying beard, scoffs, clearly knowing what we’re talking about.

“What?” Beans asks, with a frown. “Well, who do you think it is then Papa T?”

“I think y’all should just mind your business. Do your time. Go home.” The man’s soft-spoken southern voice contrasts heavily to his appearance, and I find myself sharing a look with Beans, who shakes his head.

“Spoilsport,” he murmurs.

Grinding my teeth, I take another mouthful of my drink, emptying the small plastic cup. Judge Joseph Walters was the fucker who put me in here. There was an election coming, and he’d been spouting off in the media about cleaning up the city's streets and getting rid of the gangs in Newtown to bring it back to its ‘former glory’. Big words for a crooked mother fucker who’d had no issue being on our payroll on more than one occasion.

Crossing my arms, my brain ticks over the information I’ve just learned. I needed a plan to get into that class. I needed to know who ratted me out, and that class might just get me one step closer.

It also meant Bishop was going to be mine.

I was going to own her. Body and soul.

And then…I was going to ruin her life.

Chapter Four

AVA

Icrawl out of Chad’s bed and into the shower, ignoring the way he clings to me, begging me to skip my family dinner tonight.

We had a rare day off together today, and so we’d spent it in Port Ellesmere, on the yacht of one of Chad’s finance friends. He worked with Tiffany’s partner, Jeremy, in Newtown at a financial company where he was in ‘Wealth Management’, whatever that meant.

After a day of sunshine, sea and sparkling wine, we’d come back to his apartment in the afternoon and sprawled in bed together, a tangle of naked limbs. It was…nice. I mean, I didn't come. Sure, orgasms every time are nice, but it wasn’t about that. It was about intimacy, and Chad was gentle and considerate. He was a good guy.

As I stand under the water and lather up my hair, a gush of cool air makes my skin pebble and Chad joins me.

He wraps his arms around my waist, placing his chin on my shoulder, making it awkward for me to rinse my hair.

“Do you have to go? We’ve had such a nice day, it would be perfect if we could go to bed together.” He makes puppy dog eyes at me, and a small whining noise which makes me grimace.

Occasionally, Chad would get a little clingy and I knew it meant he would bring up the M word again soon. He seems to sucker himself to me like an octopus, as he rocks us both gently under the water.

Turning my head to place a small kiss on his nose, I say, “I could always come over afterwards, but it won’t be until late and you have that meeting tomorrow with your new important client.”

He’s been going on about how big and important this client was all week, but he still wouldn’t tell me exactly who it was. Client confidentiality, apparently. He’d even had to sign some waivers to say that he wouldn’t name the person. It was all very cloak and dagger.

“Hmmmm, that’s true.” He huffs before nibbling my neck, hands wandering over my slick skin, and I squirm out of his grip. “How about a quickie before you go then?”

I chuckle and playfully push him away. “I don’t have time. You know my father hates it when I’m late.”

“Just tell him we were busy making his future grandbabies, he’ll be happy then.” Chad laughs, slapping my ass before ducking back out of the cubicle. “He’d be cheering us on. Offering me words of encouragement.”

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