Page 8 of Jackson

This is the only chance I get to see them, and it’s the only thing that keeps me sane.

“I started it,” I answer Addison, even though I’m still looking at Jackson.

Our eyes are locked in an intense battle, one that nobody else can hear.

“Why would you start a fuckin’ fight?” he finally seethes.

I want to reach for him, to place my hand on his, to run my fingers over his face and breathe him in. I’ve missed him more than I ever thought possible, and knowing that I can’t see my daughter is equally as crippling. Sitting across from someone and not being able to put your hands on them is a form of torture.

I’m sure of it.

“It’s that or I get killed in here,” I say, my voice strong.

Last time he saw me, I was on the verge of breaking. This time, I’m doing my best to stay alive. To do that, I need to be strong.

“Startin’ fights is a way to get killed.”

Spike glances at Jackson, then interrupts before we can go any further. “Listen, we don’t have time. They’re goin’ to cut this visit short because there are two bikers in here. Let’s get to the point, yeah?”

I swallow and stare at Jackson, my heart aching on a level I didn’t think possible.

I want to tell him I love him, that he has to trust me, but none of it will make any difference to him. He hates me being in here, and it’s tormenting him in a way I’ll never understand. Not being able to protect me is his biggest fear. I wish I could take that away, but I can’t.

I can only survive.

“We’re goin’ to get you out,” Spike says, his voice so low I can barely hear him. “But to do that, we need inside help, as you no doubt already know.”

I knew they were coming up with a plan to get me out, and, of course, I knew it wouldn’t be legal. I’m not certain of the exact plan, but I have a feeling I’m about to find out.

“Can you tell me what the plan is?” I ask, my eyes moving over to the guard who is staring at another table, watching two women talking.

“We are goin’ to get someone on the inside to help. We’ll create a distraction outside the walls of the prison, something that will call every guard away. While that’s happening, someone on the inside is going to get you to the maintenance tunnels where you will come out. Once out, we have a plan to keep you safe until we can fix this.”

I blink at Spike, who just told me a rather elaborate plan.

“You’re kidding, right? I thought you meant you’d get me out by bringing Gerard down ...”

“Don’t have time for that,” Jackson murmurs. “We leave you in here much longer, you’ll die.”

I take a deep breath, knowing he’s probably right.

I will admit, it’s a plan that could work. It’s risky, sure, but it might actually be something we can pull off.

That is, if we can find someone willing to help.

“How are we going to find a guard who is willing to help?” I question.

“That’s on you,” Jackson tells me. “You give us names; we find out who has a past we can use against them.”

Xander comes to mind, but I feel bad for throwing his name out there. He helped me in my time of need, and I like him, but he also would be the only guard I could think of that might help. A jagged past isn’t something I can guarantee he has, though.

“There is one guard you could try and look into. His name is Xander. I don’t know his last name, but he’s young and he’s really friendly.”

Spike nods. “We’ll see what we can find out. Until then, you need to lay low. Keep out of trouble. We don’t need any extra attention being brought to you.”

If only it were that easy.

Jackson’s jaw is tight as he continues to stare at me. He’s angry that I’ve been in a fight, and I feel horrible about it, but I also know what I need to do to get through.

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