Page 3 of Last Chance Love

Mr. Isaiah chuckled, leaning back in his seat and finally taking his glass. “Oh, I know you don’t like it much, but he’s got you there.”

“I’m aware,” Mona said, the slightest hint of a smile on her face. “Alright, Leon, you seem to be finding your big boy pants, and you’ve stopped me cold for the moment. Get to your point.”

“My point is, he’s never done anything like this before. And I know his temper is what landed him in prison,” I said, catching Mona’s eyes. Even mentors weren’t told why their mentees were behind bars. But they were given more leeway. Which sometimes included accidental glances at files on Mona’s desk or screen when she was assigning new mentees. “I obviously don’t know the details of why exactly he beat those two men so savagely, but…you do.”

“I do,” Mona said, the hint of a smile disappearing. “And I hope you’re not?—”

“No, I’m not,” I told her quickly. Even between mentors and mentees, it was a rule that you didn’t ask why someone was in prison. The whole point of the program was to move beyond your past, and if people wanted their past to remain quiet, then that was their right. It was also precisely the kind of privacy and dignity we’d never expect behind bars, another thing the program gave us. “But if I had to guess,whyhe did what he did probably influenced your decision.”

“I think you’re veering into the realm of assumption,” she said, but I didn’t miss the way her fingers flexed against the glass. It was the smallest gesture, but with Mona, you had to read the slightest thing to understand what was going on underneath.

“Yeah, I know,” I said but marked it as a point in my favor. I wasn’t going to rub her nose in it, especially when I was sure we both knew I’d hit the nail on the head. “But my real point is…he’s had plenty of time to show that temper. And for someone who’s seen him every day, I’ve not seen any changes in him. Until today.”

“That was quite a change,” Mona said dryly.

“That’s what I’m saying. He’s been here for what…eight weeks? And you said he’d never had an outburst in prison.”

“There were a couple of incidences.”

“Right, but you told me those were understandable.”

“Justifiable is the word I used.”

“Right,” I said, knowing she wouldn’t tell me what happened. But I wasn’t blind or stupid. Prison culture was as brutal as it was ugly, and someone like Reno would draw attention. His red hair alone would make him stand out, and while guys who did partake in the sex ‘exchange’ didn’t necessarily pay attention to looks, they weren’t ignorant of them either. Reno was a good-looking guy with a foul attitude, didn’t talk much, and, again, hair so red it was obvious. Those things would make him a target, especially for those who didn’t want to take no for an answer.

So again, I could hazard a guess as to what those ‘incidents’ had been.

“So, he spent weeks behind bars, and other than ‘justified’ moments of violence, he’s done nothing. He keeps to himself, doesn’t look for trouble, and hasn’t lashed out at anyone,” I said, glancing between them, hoping I was making my point effectively. “And I know the pattern isn’t a big deal in your mind because it’s so short, but it stands out to me. He got a callminutesbefore he showed up to that little tournament the guys were putting on. And then what did he do?”

“He joined in?” Mr. Isaiah guessed, sounding curious.

“Right. He’sneverwillingly participated in anything around here. He does his assigned work, eats in the dining hall, takes care of himself, and that’s it.”

“No hobbies?”

“He reads, actually. Quite a bit. Let it slip that he did that a lot in prison. Used to work out because he didn’t want to get weak, but told me the work here does that for him so he has more time to read.”

“Huh, a thinkin’ man.”

“Actually, I think he’s much smarter than he’s given credit for. And he’s got a better sense for other people than even he knows,” I said. “And before you ask, that’s based on a hunch. I don’t have anything to back it up.”

“Alright, then finish what you were trying to back up,” Mona said, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she sounded amused.

“So first thing, he gets that call. And I know you keep logs of the calls,” I said, staring at Mona. “And I’d bet my position as a mentor that something in that call proves me right. Then he joined in with the rest of the guys, something he’s never done. And I witnessed what happened and got a few more details afterward.”

I had been sittingright thereand saw the entire thing. But I’d told myself I needed to let Reno do his own thing and hoped that maybe he was allowing himself to participate in a group activity. I had seen the anger building in his tightening jaw. In the growing aggression while attempting to wrestle Riley off. I had seen the dangerous flash in his eyes when the match ended. Yet I’d ignored it, calling it paranoia, hoping for the best instead of acknowledging reality. I had let it happen through neglect, and damn it, there might still be a chance to salvage it.

“He and Riley wrestled, and honestly, Riley won fair and square. There was no cheating, no underhanded moves. He just…won. The guy is clever. He realized Reno’s weak point and went after it, wearing him down,” I said with a shrug. “I guess you could say Reno is just a sore loser, but I don’t think that’s it. He was already riled up and primed to take it out on someone. And then he lost, and whatever’s going on with him…well, it burst to the surface.”

Which was underselling it considerably, but I was staring down the barrel of a whole lot of trouble. I didn’t think it was me personally that was going to end up in trouble, or at least I hoped not. At worst, I might have my mentorship reduced or even taken from me, but I didn’t think it would get me into serious trouble.

But Reno? Reno was the one who was going to pay for the whole thing. Yes, it had been his behavior, hischoice,which had led to this, but it was my goddamn job to be aware of what was going on with him, of the warning signs of impending danger. I had failed in both, and now a perfectly decent person was in the medical building with a dislocated jaw, and my mentee was facing expulsion from the program.

Ihadto fix it.

Mona took a moment, draining her glass before setting it down carefully. “You say you’d be willing to bet your mentor status that you’re right about that call?”

“I…yes,” I said, confused and wondering if she would make me put that on the line.

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