Page 14 of Vile Emotion
Alaric scratches the tip of his nose as if his nose is irritated and sniffs. “Lying about what exactly?”
“Everything she told you. I did nothing to her.” He looks at the warden. “I told you she came to me wanting me to talk to you so she could get you to talk to Mr. Crowne about lessening her sentence. She wanted contact with him, remember?”
The warden opens his mouth to speak but Cassius moves over to where he is and sits back on his desk. The warden blanches and does not utter a word.
“I didn’t do that, Ala–.” He puts up that damned finger again, shutting me up.
“I must be a fool then, huh?” Alaric asks.
“A fool?” The CO repeats. “No, you’re not. Not at all, Mr. Crowne.”
“No, no, you can be honest. I’m a fool for marrying someone who was looking to hook up with a guard to get some word to the warden. A guard that didn’t want her so he taught her a lesson. Right? You did that? For me, I’m assuming.”
“I did.” He nods.
“You did it because you understand my pain of losing a wife and children. For not being able to take care of them enough before they were taken from me. Despite all the money in the world and the facilities to go to, they didn’t survive and died the same night. That’s why you did it for me.” Alaric nods.
There was a certain anger radiating from Alaric. I could just tell. The tension in the room was thicker than any that I’ve ever felt. I didn’t understand what was about to go down, which was my problem. Alaric reaches out for the CO’s neck at lighting speed and brings their foreheads together.
“Thank you for fucking up my wife’s body because she killed my other wife. Thank you for scarring my son’s mother because you felt you were doing me a service. That you were loyal to me although you’ve never met me. Thank you for bringing my godly status so much higher than it needs to be. I’m so overwhelmingly thankful and I’d like to show you my appreciation.”
There was no time to process as Alaric leaned his head back and brought it back head-butting the CO. He didn’t get a chance to recover as Alaric stands with his hand still at the nape of his neck. He brings him to his knees in front of me.
“Apologize.”
“Alaric…” I say not out of enjoyment but fear. I’m afraid of this man and what he can do.
My eyes profusely blink as the CO apologizes.
“Kick him in the face, Juliana.”
“What?” My eyes widen.
“No?” He asks. “Guess he’s going to learn my way then.”
Before I could even begin to understand that, Alaric pulls him back and drops him to the ground. He climbs over him and he rains his right fist in his face over and over again. There are no words exchanged. No way to stop him. The CO is coughing up blood at this point and I feel bad. I shouldn’t but I do.
“Okay! Okay! I’ll do it!” I yell out.
Alaric doesn’t acknowledge me until Cassius taps him on the shoulder twice. Alaric stands and lifts him up by his neck again placing him on his knees in front of me.
“You think they’re red for no reason? We came for blood, now collect.” Alaric says with a cock of his brow.
There’s no mistaking the misting look in his eyes and I lift my leg up and kick the CO in the face, more blood gets on my heel and suit.
He drops him and I stand because Alaric begins walking away but then he walks back over to the body. He pulls out acigarette pack from his pockets and lights up taking a puff. I didn’t know he smoked. I watch as Alaric crouches down and puts the cigarette out on the CO’s cheek, right under his right eye. The CO cries out and the plush carpet is ruined with urine.
“Don’t ever put your hands on my wife again or call her out of her name. Let this be a lesson for this city, matter fact, the entire world. I terrorize her myself and I don’t need anyone’s help. Fix yourself up, you look beat. My advice, stop smoking. It’s a bad habit.”
Alaric gives him a couple light slap and walks out leaving Cassius to walk me out.
11
My pacing back and forth outside of the prison walls is catching up to me. I blanked out when I started to hit that loser of a CO, the anger I hold in me is always ready to snap or bite someone’s head off.
Being mad didn’t start after my wife died… no way, it started a long time ago. My brother Dane would tell me to let that shit go but then I’d remind him if he wanted to spar like we used to, that could be arranged. He’d lose because we didn’t fight fair, not even when we spar.
It isn’t that I am fighting for her honor, no I’m letting both her and everyone around her know that no one is going to do a single thing without my approval or permission.
