Page 11 of Defy

“I believe you are my new favorite person. You’re a serious badass.”

“No one has ever said that to me before.” Her blue eyes lit up. “I’m Charlotte.”

“I’m Sophia.” I offered her my hand.

“We all know who you are. People are taking dibs on who can make you cry first. Stick by me. I know most of the chicks in here. I’ll make sure no one fucks with you.”

She was smaller than me, so I wasn’t sure what she could do. But then again, after the story she told me, and considering her line of work, she had to be tough as hell.

“Thanks, I appreciate that more than you know,” I said, leaning down to remove my boots. “I better get changed before someone yells at me.”

“Good idea. They're looking in our direction.”

“Shit.” I jerked off my socks and shoved them in my bag.

Just as I unbuttoned my shirt, I heard, “Stop. Morelli, put your shoes back on. They are moving you again.”

“Oh fuck,” Charlotte said. “That’s not good. Did you do something besides off that designer for them to put you in solitary?”

Solitary? I could only stare at Charlotte. Was she for real? Why would they put me there?

I couldn’t hide the panic from my voice. “I’ve been in my cell the whole time. All I’ve done is call my brother and come here.”

“Then the only other thing is interrogation. Remember, the investigators have a habit of acting like they have witnesses. Don’t fall for it. They don’t know shit. From what I hear, they want your dad, and you are the consolation prize.”

“How do you know so much about my case?”

“The whole station is talking about your case. Make sure you follow what I said. Don’t let the assholes intimidate you.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the acid churning in my gut, slipped on my shoes, and readied to move, but I turned to Charlotte before I shifted. “Thanks for being nice to me. Also, if you get out and you want to leave the trade, I can help you. You can find me through a woman named Suzette Owusu. She’s another badass like you. She’ll get the message to me. Every other channel wouldn’t tell me.”

“You may hear from me.”

I turned and walked toward the waiting corrections officer.

A few minutes later, we entered a holding area where no one looked in my direction.

“Is this where I wait?” I asked the guard at the door.

“Obviously.”

My heartbeat accelerated, unsure of what would happen next.

“Am I going into interrogation? Shouldn’t I have my attorney present for this?”

He ignored me, turning his attention to the monitor before him.

A loud beep sounded thirty seconds later, and the white steel door popped open.

“Go through. Head straight to the desk. Don’t go anywhere else before you sign the paperwork, or you’ll come right back in here.”

I wasn’t signing jack shit without my attorney present so he could fuck himself with his orders.

“Get moving.”

Instead of giving him a piece of my mind, I opened the door and abruptly stopped.

Right on the other side of the guard’s desk was the one man I wanted to see above anyone else. Damon’s deep, haunting green eyes bore into mine, calling me, stirring all the emotions I’d tried so hard to push down back to life.

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