Page 79 of Prey for You

“No, Gerald wasn’t… I mean, it was about the Christmas thing and—”

“Have you thought about maybe… maybe itwouldhelp to see him? Even for a few minutes?”

My blood ran cold. “No.” I said, biting off the word, then trying to pull my wrists out of his grip, but the fucker was still holding on.

“Bridget, he’s really sick.”

I went still and even though I inhaled, I didn’t get any oxygen. “How… how do you know that?”

“Because I asked. I still know people inside. I sent some messages to find out what was going on with him and whether they thought he was trying to get his claws into you again, or if he’d shown some change—”

“You didwhat?!”

I yanked both hands out of his grip and took a step back. Then another. “Sam, I gave you that letter so you’d see what a manipulativeassholehe is. I told you I havezerointerest in seeing him.”

“I know, and I’m not going to push you, babe. I promise. But I thought I could get more info for you—”

“I didn’t ask you to do that.”

He frowned. “Bridget… I didn’t think you had to. I’ll do stuff for you because I think it’s good for you—”

“Not this. This isn’t good for me. I can’t believe you did that!” I was trembling, but not in the good way. I wanted to cry. I’d been so excited to see him! I couldn’t believe he’d gone behind my back like that—

“Babe,listen.I’m not going to do anything except give you information. I asked people who know him. Who work with him. They said it’s not a lie. He reallyissick. He’s getting cancer treatment. He sleeps a lot. He’s getting thin. He’s not faking that. And… he wants to see you.”

“How the fuck do you know that?!”

“Because he talks about it. You have to understand, when you’re in prison, people visiting is like… it’s your lifeline. We all used to talk about it. Who got to go out on family day. Who got visitors during the week. How much it sucked when someone had to cancel—everyone knows everyone’s business that way. There’s not a lot else that—”

“You asked though. You must have asked aboutme?”

“Yes—just whether he was talking about it. Sometimes the assholes brag, you know? Pretend good things are happening and show off to everyone else. But he’s not doing that. He’s talked about wishing he could see you—”

“I can’t believe you did that!”

“I didn’t do anything. I asked some questions so you’d know. I understand why this is so hard. I’m trying to help—”

“No! That’s bullshit. That’s not helping. That’s… that’s a breach of my privacy and… and my trust!”

“Bridget…no.You gave me the letter—”

“So you’dknow what he said.So you’dseewhy I can’t trust him.He wanted me to visit for Christmas? Are you fucking kidding me? You have to see that that’s some kind of… of power trip—”

“Maybe,” he said, nodding. “But also… maybe it’s a guy who hasn’t seen or talked to a real person in twenty years and he doesn’t know how to do this shit. It happens to men in there, Bridget. They forget how to… well, not even be normal. They forget what’srealistic.”

“I don’t give a shit what he forgot, or what he’s thinking. I don’t want to have anything to do with him!”

“Okay, okay…” Sam stepped forward, his expression pleading. “I didn’t mean to upset you babe, I promise.” He stepped closer, opening his arms. “Please, Bridget. I only want to help. You’ve been so tense and… you soundedoffon the phone today. I wanted to help.”

I licked my lips and swallowed. I wanted nothing more than to sink into his chest, but suddenly it felt like there were steel bars between us. Like falling into that chest, those arms, would be like falling onto a sword.

“How long?” I asked him hoarsely.

“How long, what?”

“How long since you… talked to people about me? And him? Does he know?”

Sam shook his head. “I was careful babe, I promise. I talked to a guy who was in the ministry with me and still works with the prisoners—he was one of thegod guysyour dad talked to last year. And I asked a woman who works in the infirmary. Sheshares my faith and she knows how to be discreet. No one’s telling him I was asking. I promise.”

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