Page 6 of Her Outlaw Prisoner
She leans against the counter, crossing her arms. “Who was your first patient?”
I hesitate. “A man named Ronan. Ronan Callahan.”
Her expression changes instantly, her posture stiffening as she exhales sharply. “Jesus. That’s a hell of an introduction to Oakdale.”
I glance at her, my curiosity flaring despite myself. “Do you know him?”
“Everyone knows Ronan,” Gina says, giving me a strange look. “He’s practically royalty around here. Feared, respected, untouchable. If there’s a king of Oakdale, it’s Ronan Callahan.”
A shiver travels down my spine at her words, though I’m not sure if it’s from fear or something else.
I shouldn’t ask. I shouldn’t…
But I do. “What’s he here for?”
Gina huffs out a laugh. “You don’t want to know.”
“I—I think I do…”
She studies me for a moment, then leans in slightly, lowering her voice. “Five years ago, his sister was murdered. Brutally. The guy responsible got off easy for lack of evidence or some bullshit technicality. So Ronan took justice into his own hands. Hunted him down and ended him.”
My stomach twists. “What?”
She nods. “The news called him the vigilante killer.”
I swallow hard, a strange mix of emotions swirling inside me. Horror. Sympathy.Understanding?
Gina sighs. “Look, he’s been a model prisoner, but don’t let that fool you. He’s dangerous, Ellie.”
Dangerous.
I should remember that.
I should be scared.
But all I can think about is the way he looked at me. Like he saw me. Like hereallysaw me. No one has ever looked at me like that. In my twenty-two years, no one has ever made me feel the things he did in just minutes of meeting him.
I try to shake off the conversation as I finish cleaning up, but Gina’s words echo in my mind.
He’s dangerous, Ellie.
It’s not just what Ronan did…it’s how she said it, the weight behind her words. The warning in her tone. Like she knows something I don’t…
Whatever the case, I’m here now. I don’t have the luxury of second-guessing myself. I took this job to escape, to disappear into something new. Oakdale isn’t ideal, but it’s far from home. Far fromhim.
The last thing I need is to get tangled up with a man like Ronan Callahan. It doesn’t matter that my body still feels wired from our brief encounter, or that I still want to see him again even after Gina’s warning…
I need to steer clear of him.
Gina pats my shoulder, startling me from my thoughts. “If Callahan’s taken an interest in you, be careful.”
I nod, even though I’m not entirely sure I’ll heed her warning. When it comes to Ronan, I have no control over how my body reacts to him.
By the time my shift ends, I’m exhausted, but my mind refuses to quiet down. I had several other patients throughout the day, but I keep thinking about Ronan, replaying our interaction in my head, dissecting every second. The way his voice curled around my name, the way he watched me like he was memorizing me.
I hate that I liked it.
I step outside into the cold evening air and pull my jacket tighter around me. The bus stop is just a short walk from the prison gates, but even as I move quickly, I can’t shake the feeling of being watched. It’s a familiar unease, one that makes my stomach twist.
