Prison Chic #1st book of the Chics series (EDITING)

Chapter 12

The finishing buzz sound came and she jumped up to leave. Hank grabbed her arm to stop her and she jerked it right away from his hold. “Are you alright?” he asked sounding anxious. “I’m fine Hank. I have to get to my anger management thing.” She said, feeling guilty for making him so worried over her. She wasn’t worth it, she thought.

“Thanks.” She blurted out before stuffing her hands in her pockets and hurrying away.

The guard took her to her anger management class. She got inside the large room, and sat at the chair at the end of the right side of the circle. She didn’t bother looking up at the other people in the room.

Jack, the instructor, was already on his seat at the head of the circle. “Hello everyone. How are you today?” he began. “Oh, I see that you decided to join us today, Ms. Bonanno.” He said to one of the men who were setting on the chairs of the opposite side of the circle. “Yeah. I thought it’d be interesting today.” A deep, hoarse voice came from Ms. Bonanno and Joanna felt the urge to look up at the man. She felt frozen and melted at the same time when she realized that Mr. Bonanno was Big Aldo. Damn it, when did he come here, and he was looking at her with wary eyes too. Her eyes widened in contrast until it was too painful to stretch them more.

She looked away and pulled one knee up to her chin, hugging it tightly.

The session went on and on until Jack suddenly asked her, “So do you have anything to share with us today Mr. Cage?” Joanna remembered Kevin’s remark about her claustrophobia issue. She shook her head. “No. Nothing.” She told Jack. The last thing she wanted was to share her most intimate secret while her could-be-enemy was at the same room as her. No way.

When they finished, she went to the guard who was supposed to take her back, and Aldo and another skinny man walked behind. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but every nerve ending was on alert.

They walked back, the four of them, in silence until Big Aldo and the man with him stopped to a halt. The guard looked back at them, grabbing his stick that was strapped to his waist belt in alert.

“Relax!” Aldo said, mockingly. “Leave us.” He gestured to the guard with his hand. Joanna heart was accelerating by the second. The guard didn’t move, but looked questionably at Aldo, his eyes wandering between the two men. “We’ll come back by our selves.” The other skinny man said to the guard. He looked in his med-forties. The guard’s eyes moved to Joanna, almost in concern. “Don’t worry, he’ll be safe.” Big Aldo said, looking to the other guy and smiling. To Joanna’s surprise, the big guard actually turned back and left them in the hallway alone.

“Look Fernando,” Big Aldo said just as the guard disappeared. He grabbed Joanna’s chin, tilting her head back and examining her face. Joanna froze in his hands. “Looks just like her, right?” He asked his friend.

“A spitting image.” Fernando replied with a wide smile.

“Yeah.” Big Aldo said, his eyes proud. What was it? Was he happy he recognized her? Did he know she was a girl? Will he kill her now?

Just as realization struck and Joanna recovered from her shock, she jerked her head away from his hand. “Don’t touch me!” she roared, taking a few steps back.

“Oh, fierce too.” Big Aldo said, impressed. The two men giggled. It was a disturbing sound. They started walking towards her. She tensed, ready for action, but they only moved passed her. Big Aldo rubbed her hair before he continued walking. “Don’t worry kid.” He said, “We won’t kill ya.” The two men laughed at that and continued their way back to the out yard.