Page 66 of Married to My Master

Dane stuffed the items in the various pockets of the suit Benton and his lawyer had gotten him for his last court date, the one where he'd plead guilty on all charges related to that night.

“Finally, one cell phone,” the old corrections officer said.

“Thanks,” Dane replied, as he took it, checked the phone to see if, on an off change in hell, the mobile device had any power or service after this long. No luck, though. The phone didn't power up.

“Hey,” the corrections officer asked, as Dane turned to leave this life finally behind.

Dane stopped in his tracks. “What?” he growled, a little more abrasively than he probably needed to. He'd spent a year locked up in here, dealing with criminals who and other shady folk. He'd learned quickly that you had to assert your dominance and prove you were more trouble than you worth.

The CO held up his hands, a defensive look in his eyes. “Hey, buddy, just wanted to see if you was the guy who busted that big drug company, that's all.”

The vet nodded. “Yeah, that's me, I guess.”

“Well, just wanted to say thanks, you know? I used to be a full-on guard, and them papers you released kept me and my wife from splitting up when the medication made things worse. Won my lawsuit cause of you.”

The gratitude from this man should have helped things, should have lessened the hurt he was feeling for having a year of his life taken away from him, or the ache he felt from Emily finding another man. It should have helped, but it didn't. Dane didn't smile, just nodded instead. “Welcome,” he simply said, then headed out to finish the rest of his outtake.

Only a week had passed since he had seen the interview with Benton and Emily on Charlene Padilla's talk show. Seven days, seven nights.

The guards marched him out down the walk, through the chain-linked corridor, and to the road, where a cab was waiting, idle. “Good luck,” the guards said, as he stepped out beyond the fences, a free man for the first time in over a year. He took a deep breath, inhaling as much freedom as he could hold.

He looked up and down the empty, desolate road, ignoring the fact that he hadn’t called for a car. He hadn't wanted to tell Benton about his release date because he didn't want him standing out here. He had wanted to figure it out on his own. Now, honestly, he regretted that decision a little bit.

This was the second time he'd been free like this. The first time was after the military. That freedom had been cut short by the problems with Benton, and Dane had never really experienced a fresh start. Just a false one.

“You Dane Bishop?” the cabby asked, as Dane looked up and down the road.

“Who's asking?”

The cabby, an older black woman, who looked like she could handle herself if she had to, just grinned. “Me. Husband said you were the one who busted up that drug company and saved our marriage. Wanted you to have a ride outta here.”

Dane looked back over his shoulder at the prison gate, like he could see the property officer beyond. “Yeah, I'm Dane,” he replied as he walked up to the cab.

“Where you headed, then?”

He told her the address as he walked around to the passenger side. “Mind if I sit up front? Metal grating is the last thing I want right now.”

The older woman didn't think twice. She just grinned again. “Hop in, sugar. I trust you.”

They drove away from the prison with no more words exchanged between them. This was the first woman he'd seen, besides a prison guard, in almost a year, and he had forgotten how much he missed the entire gender.

They pulled up in front of the house almost an hour later and Dane took out his wallet. “How much I owe you?” he asked, as he thumbed through the money that amounted to pretty much all his worldly possessions.

“You, sugar? Free of charge. Told you, my husband called. We owe you one. Hell, I should be the one paying you.”

Dane allowed himself a little smile as he climbed out of the cab. “Thanks,” he said.

“This your place?” the cabby asked, as he went to shut the door.

“Nope,” Dane said, pausing to look around the affluent neighborhood. “Old friend's.” He shut the door and turned around to survey it. There was new grass in the front yard, and a new mailbox had been built. But, other than that, the enormous house was exactly as he remembered it.

He straightened out the front of his dress shirt and tried to lay down its wrinkles as he headed up the walkway to the door.

Behind him, the cabby seemed to wait a moment before deciding her debt to Dane was fully paid and driving off.

He stepped up to the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

Just one last goodbye to say and then he'd truly be free.

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