Page 143 of Prey for You

Two days after that awful testimony when she left and everything went to shit was Friday.

After court that day, the lawyers took me aside and told me I’d been offered a plea agreement that reduced the amount of time I’d have to serve and they thought I should take it.

It was the final blow.

I barely spoke as they put a stack of papers in front of me, talked me through all the clauses and charges and what was important, then told me to take it home and read it and think about it over the weekend.

They told me to take the weekend to think about voluntarily going back to prison.

I’d been home for an hour and was waiting for a pizza delivery that I shouldn’t have indulged in, but I was so tired, I couldn’t even find the energy to make a sandwich.

Then the burner phone rang and I leaped off that couch so fast I tweaked my back.

I ran across to my desk and grabbed the phone—only to see an unknown number. But it didn’t matter. No one else had this number.

“Bridget? Thank God, I thought—”

“I heard you smacked the smug Fed.”

I froze, one hand gripping the back of my desk chair, I snapped straight, heart pounding.

Fucking Gordon.

No. No no nono.

“How did you get this number?” I growled. Stupid question. Gordon huffed.

I swallowed hard. “Why are you calling me?”

There was a creak from whatever bed or chair he was in, and a quiet beeping in the background. “I’ve been thinking about what you said when we talked. Decided I want to help her. But I need something from you first.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “What?”

He took a beat. I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle him like I’d done to Jeremy. Do us all a favor. “I’m not playing your games, Gordon. If you didn’t already know, she knows I saw you and she’s convinced I’m working with you. I’m losing her because of you and frankly, you aren’t worth it.”

“I want you to swear on your god or whatever that you’re going to protect her, because she’s going to need it, and I’m not gonna be around much longer,” he said gruffly.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and dropped into the desk chair. “Gordon, I don’t need yourintimidation to be motivated to protect her. But there’s very little I can do from prison—”

“Give me your word you’d do what you need to do.”

I sighed. “You have my word: I’d die before letting her get hurt if I could stop it.”

He gave a deep exhale that fluttered in the mic on the phone. “I’ve been doing some digging about you. All of you. Who you were. Who you worked for. What you claim now—”

“Then you know I’m out. No more ties. I’m not using him to—”

“No one’s everreallyout.”

“I am. If you’re looking for me to bring them in on this, you’re shit out of luck. I don’t do that anymore, Gordon.”

“Not even for her.”

“Especially not for her—men like that would eat her alive.” He didn’t respond and I couldn’t tell if he was agreeing or angry. “You said you want to help her?

“I do. But here’s the thing: She hates me, so I can’t get close. I need someone to be close to her that won’t trigger her.”

I sighed. “If you’ve got this number I’m guessing you also know that she’s currentlyfuriouswith me for talking to you. She thinks I was working with you all along. She thinks I lied to her.”

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