Page 83 of Condemned Soul

“It’s the reason for everything, Jimmer. It's why I became a cop, it's why I worked my ass off to climb up the ranks and become an agent. I wanted to bring men, like him, down. But you're not like him and I never intended on you being here. For years I’ve seen your club's name popping up, but this time when I saw how close they were getting, I knew it was different. I’ve always felt like I owed you something and this time it was my turn to save you.” She smiles through her sadness and I hold her tight, just like I did all those years ago on the night we found out what Shaun Brock was doing to the young girls in our town and we raided his house.

“You're doin’ somethin’ far greater than savin’ me.” I wipe away her tears with my fingers. “You're savin’ every single person I care about.” I kiss her in a different way to the times before. Like we stand a chance because we both deserve to know how that feels, even if it’s just for a second.

“Can you do somethin’ for me?” I ask when I pull away.

“Anything.” She nods.

“I need ya to bring me my daughter.” I press my forehead against hers and prepare to have the heart ripped outta my chest.

“You look nervous.” Ella smiles at me as we pull up outside the facility where they’re holding her dad.

She was so excited when she heard that he was ready to see her, and yet I can sense that all her hope is about to be crushed. I’ve watched him call in his brothers one by one and it doesn’t take a genius to know it’s to say goodbye. Much like his daughter, Jimmer is stubborn, once he’s got his mind made up on something he won’t back down, and his mind’s made up about this.

He’s going down for the club. Jessie or Ella ain’t prepared to accept that and are hell-bent on finding a solution.

“He’ll change his mind. I know he will.” Ella squeezes my hand as she gets out the car and I walk her toward the guard who’s standing by the door. He tips his chin at me as he lets us inside, and while we go through the security search I feel my stomach tie up in knots.

“He wants to see you first.” The agent that’s behind all this looks kinda guilty when she opens the door for me, and I turn my head to look at Ella.

“Go. I’ll be fine here.” She gives me an encouraging smile and I kiss her before following the agent through the door to a big, empty room, waiting while she types in a code on another security door.

It buzzes loudly and when I step inside and see Jimmer already waiting for me, I’m surprised at how different he looks.

He’s wearing a gray tracksuit instead of his cut and he looks so much older than he did when I last saw him.

“Nyx.” He nods at me, giving nothing away as I take the chair opposite him.

“You’ve broken her heart makin’ her wait this long,” I tell him, thinking of all the nights I’ve had to hold my wife while she’s cried. I’ve hated that I got no answers for her and I’ve stopped trying to understand why he’s blocked her out, the way he has since he’s been in here.

“That ain’t what I wanted, Nyx. But there’s somethin’ I have to tell her, and I needed to be ready for it. She ain’t gonna like it, it’s gonna hurt her, and I’m really gonna need you to be there for her.”

“I’m always there for her, till the day I fuckin’ die. You know that.” I start to panic when I realize how serious he looks.

“I do know that,” he agrees, faking a smile.

“She thinks she can change your mind, Prez,” I warn him, it doesn’t matter what he’s got to tell her, he needs to be prepared for what's coming. Right now, Ella’s brimming with hope and he looks like he’s all out of it.

“I wish this was somethin’ I could change for her.” His voice comes out croaky and the way he clenches his fist tells me how frustrated he is.

“It is, I believe in what Jessie says. I believe that agent out there wants to help us. She wants to help you.”

“I’m dyin’.” His words come out aggressive and angry, and he closes his eyes to spare me seeing the devastation in them.

“What ya talkin’ bout?” I shake my head as my brain goes over and over what I think he just said. We already know him going to jail is a fuckin’ death sentence.

“I mean, that I’m dyin’, whether I go to jail or I don’t.” He opens his eyes and lets me see the fear in ‘em. “And now, I have to call my little girl through those doors, and tell her that.” He loses himself a little, but quickly puts himself back together. “I need you to be strong for her when I’ve done it.” Seeing his eyes wet with tears puts a wedge in my throat.

“Prez, look at you. You're not dyin’.” I shake my head in denial.

“Believe me, I am, son. I may be showin’ ya different on the outside but I’m weakenin’. I can feel it happenin’ more and more as each day passes, and I’m far past the deadline those docs gave me. I guess I should be grateful.”

“Hold up… How long have ya known about this?” I stare back at him as all my shock suddenly turns into rage.

“A while, and it was never in my plans to let my daughter and my grandkids watch me deteriorate. This, what's happenin’ here, was meant to be.” He rests back in his chair.

“Prez, Ella’s not gonna let you?—”

“That’s somethin’ I’ll have out with her.” He cuts me off. “But, before that, I got some things that I need to say to you.” He clears his throat and scrubs his hand over his face as he sits himself back up straight.

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