PROLOGUE
The prison doors slammed shut with a loud bang after she passed through them. The sound reverberated down the corridor, making her shudder at the idea of being locked up in such an awful place. She cringed inwardly as inmates whistled and tried to grab at her as she walked by. She forced herself to stay in the center of the aisle out of their reach.
She was led into a small, dank room that consisted of a metal table with two chairs facing one another. It was bare otherwise. There was another door opposite the one she entered and a double thick window was positioned on the wall behind one of the chairs. She supposed it was so they could keep an eye on the prisoners.
As she sat down in one of the chairs, she could almost imagine the feeling of despair one would have after being in this hell-hole for a while. It was not where she intended on spending her life. She never wanted to see the inside of a prison before, but here she was. It was a glorious summer day outside and she was stuck inside these cold, brick walls. I should be out working on my tan, she thought. What was I thinking?
She drummed her fingers on the table until she realized it was sticky. Afraid to imagine what it could be, she quickly stopped and looked around for a napkin or something. Nothing.
“Ugh!” she said aloud, wiping her hands on her slacks. “There goes a two-hundred dollar pair of pants.”
It didn’t matter because after being in here, sitting on what she was sure was a filthy chair, she knew she would never wear them again. Even though for the time being she was a little low on shopping money, she could never see herself wearing anything that had been in contact with something as repulsive as whatever it was she had to wipe from her skin.
She waited for half an hour. Impatient, she stood up and rapped on the window.
“Hello?” she sang out. “Did you forget me in here?”
A guard opened the door and popped his head through the opening.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, lady. He’ll be right here.”
He shut the door abruptly and she was left alone again.
“Fine!” she screamed in response. “Just leave me here alone in this disgusting place.”
She looked once again at her surroundings, hoping to find something good about the room. She didn’t. There was nothing about the place that could even give her one shred of hope. It was grey and dismal and reeked of depression. No wonder the prisoners couldn’t wait for parole.
She paced back and forth in the room before finally sitting back down. She tried to concentrate on the reason she even came here to begin with. What would happen now? Why did she give in? She should have left well enough alone and stayed away. She was nervous. She knew it was a big mistake, but at this point it was too late.
The bastard probably didn’t want to see her or he was making her purposely wait, which was more than likely the reason it was taking so long. She didn’t want to see him either, but knew she had to face him. There was no way she was going to allow him to do this to her. After all the years of devotion and loyalty, she didn’t deserve to be treated as a mark. She should be basking in the easy life; one without financial worries or fear of being killed.
Finally, the door opened and he shuffled in with his wrists handcuffed in front of him. Without a word, he sat in the chair opposite her. She heard that he was shot, so she was surprised to see him walking; not that she cared either way.
She was warned not to touch him, nor pass anything to him. Not that she could, they took her purse and frisked her before they allowed her inside. Besides, she had no desire to aid in anything more than she already unknowingly did throughout the years.
