The Prison (Book 1)

Unexpected Visit

Unexpected Visit

I bolted to the other side of the room. When I turned around, I saw that Schneizel was standing where I'd left him. "What's the matter? Scared I might win?" I called.

He blinked at me for a few moments, and then came at me with the speed of racing car. I squealed pathetically and jumped over the bed. I crawled over it to the other side, but before I could make it, Schneizel seized my legs by the ankles and dragged me back. I both screamed and laughed at the same time as he did. I thrashed, trying but failing to throw him off me. He grabbed my wrists and pinned my hands high above my head.

Finally, I gave up and I looked up at his face, and for the first time since meeting him, I saw genuine happiness reflected in his eyes. It was unmistakable. My heart swelled until I thought it would burst. Here was person who was happy to have me in their lives, regardless of all my flaws. Well, said person had technically committed more crimes than I could ever commit in my lifetime, but still.

He swooped down and captured my mouth. He broke the kiss and whispered into my ear, "Stay by me forever."

"I will." I said without a moment of hesitation, then added with a grin, "I kinda have nowhere better to go, anyway. You know, seeing as I'm locked up in prison and all."

He bit my earlobe playfully and I shrieked. He rolled us over so that I was now straddling him.

For the next two days, we didn't leave the room. For two days, we ate and consummated like bunnies. Whenever we weren't fucking, we were getting to know everything about each other.

It wasn't to last.

On the evening of the second day, a knock came at the door. Not caring that he was in the nude, Schneizel opened the door enough that he could see who it was and whoever it was couldn't see in.

"What is it?" Schneizel barked at whoever it was. He clearly didn't sound happy to be interrupted. I wouldn't blame him; he had been in the middle of licking my ass out.

"A lawyer is here to see Aiden."

****

The door buzzed open. I walked into the room to see a man sitting at a steel table in the middle of the all-grey room. He stood up once he saw me enter. He was clad in an expensive-looking black suit that accentuated a powerfully-built body. It was strange to see such a man here, and he was here for me no less!

The last time I had seen a lawyer was during my trial.

"Hello, Aiden," he greeted me with a quick, pleasant smile. "Please have a seat." He motioned to the chair opposite him.

He looked to be in his late twenties and rather handsome. Strong nose, high cheekbones, bronze skin, blonde hair. Oh yes, he was handsome alright. So young yet already successful, if the suit he wore and the way he carried himself was any indication.

I pulled up the chair, scraping the floor rather noisily as I did, and settled uncomfortably in it. I looked into the lawyer's eyes and found them to be almost as piercing as Schneizel's. I started to fidget in my chair.

It had to be something related to my case, but what exactly?

A thought occurred to me and I felt my stomach plummet immediately. Was he here to pin another charge on me?

I took a deep breath to calm my erratic thoughts. No, that couldn't be it.

Or were the Stevens still not done with their vengeance?

The thought chilled me to the bone.

"Who are you?" I demanded, askance. "And what do you want?"

"I'm Julian Evers, a criminal lawyer, and I'm here on behalf of Ms. Williams." he said.

"Ms. Williams?" I frowned. The name didn't ring any bells.

"She once went by the name of Mrs. Stevens."

I blinked several times. To say that I was shocked would be the understatement of the century. I just sat there, tongue-tied, blinking at him. Mrs. Stevens? As in, Andrew Stevens' widow, the guy I quarreled with and accidentally killed? The lunatic, murderous SOB whose death I was in here for?

"What? How? Why?" Words spilled out of my mouth, but I couldn't muster a single sentence.

From a briefcase that had been sitting under the table, he pulled out a stack of papers. He put them of the table and slid them toward me. "Have a look." he said.

Slowly, I leafed through the papers with shaking hands. My eyes widened even further with every paper I read until they were bulging out of their sockets. Once I had gone through each and every one, I went through them again, disbelieving.

I laid the stack of papers back on the table and fell against my chair.

"Does this mean," I slowly began, my voice barely above a whisper, "that I've been exonerated?"

"Yes." Mr. Julian nodded, then said, "Ms. Williams felt that she had done you wrong by not standing up to her deceased husband's family, and allowing them to imprison you falsely. She wishes to make amends. She doesn't dare ask for your forgiveness, but she wants to make things right before it's too late. She's been living with the guilt for weeks, you see, and its driven her half mad." The lawyer then pulled out another stack of papers, this one even heavier. "Naturally, Ms. Williams wishes to reimburse you for all the financial loss that you have suffered, among other things."

I took the papers from him and read them, this time thrice.

"Oh, my God," I gasped. "She wants to give me a million dollars?!" I all but shrieked, mouth agape.

"And a three-bedroom flat for you to live in, rent free." Mr. Julian said, smiling warmly at me. "You can choose between her many flats across Chicago, New York or Miami. All you need to do is sign these papers."

I wanted to throw myself in his arms and give him a fierce hug. I wanted to shower him with kisses for bringing me this phenomenal news.

I was exonerated!

I was going to be a free man again!

"I have to tell Schneizel that I'm—" I started to get up, overwhelmed by the knowledge that I was going to be free, when a devastating thought occurred to me. It knocked the breath right out of my lungs and I fell into the metal seat again, breathless.

Being free would mean having to leave the love of my life. It would mean having to leave Schneizel behind in this godforsaken prison.

My heart squeezed painfully at the very thought. Every cell and fiber in my being rebelled against it.

No!

"Sign here, sign here, and here, and over here..." Julian trailed off, his pointer finger hovering above a signature line at the bottom of one of the pages. "What's the matter? You've suddenly gone... pale."

I took a very deep breath to steel my nerves for what I was about to do. Schneizel would owe me for this, big time.

"No, thanks."

*~~~~~~~~~~*

I'M BACK, BITCHES!Took a break to relax from posting, because it's an actual chore posting on multiple platforms and posting multiple stories in the week, filling every box, worrying about posting around a certain time, posting the actual correct chapter. Ugh. Show this chapter some love. I want 1000 likes to honor my return, or I'm gone -lol no joking, but it's good to see SOME engagement to encourage me. We authors are a sensitive bunch lol. AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT MY PATREON YOU GET UPDATES HERE TOO GODDAMN DO YOU WANT EVERYTHIGN?! DO YOU WANT MY HEART FOR FREE TOO??!

Rant over :)