Page 3 of Brooks (Dirty Misfits MC 1)
Nope, I was serving all six years of my sentence, whether I liked it or not.
Nevertheless, I turned my thoughts to Raven. I’d thought about her more times than I cared to admit while being locked up in here. I mean a man didn’t have much masturbation material in this place, and Raven was the cream of the crop. Plus, I tried reaching out to her several times with letters and phone calls.
None of them were answered, of course. But it didn’t stop me from trying. It didn’t stop me from hoping that she might one day reach back.
That’s your dead best friend’s girl, man. Back the fuck off.
I drew in a deep breath and let it fill my lungs. I kept telling myself that the reason why I kept reaching out was to comfort her. To let her know that simply because Gage was gone doesn’t mean that she was alone. That man was my pal in everything: we ate together, rocked out together, ate shit together, went down together, and came up for air together. We had been attached at the hip until Hyde got him killed, and that left Raven all alone in the world.
I wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone.
You know it’s more than that.
I gnashed my teeth together. “Shut up.”
Another guard yelled at me. “What the fuck did you say to us?”
I rolled my eyes. “Not everything is about you, gentlemen. I’m just talking to myself.”
Something slammed against my cell door before another guard spoke. “You better just be talking to yourself. Otherwise you’ll find yourself on the—”
I craned my neck to look at them. “The business end of your baton there?”
The guard narrowed his eyes. “I think this one could use a bit of solitary for that mouth of his, you think?”
Yet another guard released my cell door. “My thoughts exactly.”
I stood to accept my fate, rejoicing in the fact that I’d finally get some fucking peace and quiet. Until a familiar voice sounded from around the corner, stopping the guards in their tracks.
“Sorry to interrupt, boys, but my client and I have a parole hearing to get to.”
My lawyer—Mr. James Rothsfield—came around the corner with yet another fucking guard. How many of these assholes did this prison employ? Nevertheless, the hot-headed guards that were ready to throw my ass downstairs backed off and my lawyer held out his arm.
“Ready, Mr. Brooks?”
I locked eyes with the still-growling hot-head. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Then, I walked right out of my cell and headed down the hallway while mentally preparing myself for the shitstorm this parole hearing would be.
Because I already knew the outcome.
I already knew I’d finish out my sentence in this dreary, disgusting place.
Two
Raven
I threw my hair up into a French twist and decided on a nice summer dress for the day. I slipped into some matching floral flats and slid the pearl earrings through the holes in my ears as I drew in a deep breath. Every time I put these pearls on, they reminded me of him.
Of those eyes, those muscles, and that smile I couldn’t stop missing.
I blinked back tears so I wouldn’t ruin my makeup that took me almost an hour to do. Today was a very special day at the daycare, and I wanted to look my best. One of my classroom kiddos had his adoption finalized over the weekend, and we were having a big celebration with cake, ice cream, and fruit. My heart swelled with delight as I reached for an umbrella. Summer storms in Santa Cruz were no joke, and the last thing I wanted was to be caught outside without a way to protect myself.
And after slipping on my pearl necklace, I felt ready for the day ahead.
Since my husband’s death a few years back, the only thing that gave me purpose anymore was my work. I’d only been a part-time teacher at the daycare, but after burying Gage, I couldn’t stand sitting around my townhouse on my days off. It only took me applying for a full-time position once before they bumped me up, and I was more than happy to take it. Not because of the pay raise or because of the benefits, but because it kept me out of my place.
A place where Gage and I had created so many memories together.
“Come on, you can get through today without crying,” I said softly to myself.
I waltzed out of my bedroom and made my way down the stairs. I snatched up my thermos of coffee and reached for my purse, searching around for my keys. And when I finally found them, I headed straight for my car. I knew about Gage’s lifestyle before he and I ever started dating, and I knew I didn’t agree with it. I thought it was dangerous and weird, not to mention illegal. But I fell head over heels for him the first time I laid eyes on that man, and I believed him whenever he told me that the things he did with his club were safe.
