Page 110 of Reckless Devotion

PEPPER

I turn the corner and a rush of relief coasts over me when I see a familiar face sitting behind the sheet-pane glass.

“Kathy!” I try to rush forward, but trip on my jail-issue orange sliders, stumbling a step before I regain my balance.

Kathy blows wild ginger curls from her face and offers me a smile, but it falls quickly when she takes in the yellowing bruise around my eye and the fresh split on my lip.

I reach the booth and snatch up the phone receiver from the wall, watching her do the same as I take my seat. “It’s so good to see you.”

“What happened to your face?” Kathy cuts right to chase in the way she always does, several creases of concern in her forehead.

“Oh…” I smile, which makes her green eyes flare wide. “There is a woman in my cell block who is a real bitch, so I told her she needs to worry less about me and more about waxing her top lip.”

“Pepper!” she yelps, then looks over her shoulder at the sleepy corrections officer standing by the door. “You’re not supposed to be getting yourself into trouble right now.” she turns back and hisses quietly.

“Says you! I don’t have visitation privileges and they told me that my attorney was here to see me.” I raise my eyebrow, watching a riot of pink charge across her freckled cheekbones.

“Yes, well…I had to speak to you somehow.”

I imagine if I looked at the New York City Bar today, I would find a neat little entry that touted Kathy Evans as a proud member.

“What’s happening?” I’m suddenly serious, my brain marching down a track that has me picturing Sunny in trouble.

The stubs of my nails are already chewed to fuck from the last couple of days. Anything more and I think I’ll destroy them entirely.

“Rosie is missing. She disappeared after we hack—”

“Wait!” I place one hand on the glass in warning, hearing the faint crackle to the line. I know they aren’t meant to record conversations with my attorney, but what if…what if theyknewthat Kathy wasn’t my attorney when she tried to get in, and decided to let her in anyway to see if they could gather any evidence? “I don’t know if it’s safe.”

Perhaps I’m paranoid from the broken sleep, and the complete upheaval of my entire life, but that prickle is back across my neck and I don’t fuck with that.

Kathy sits back in her plastic orange chair and contemplates me. “I went to Rosie’s apartment and she wasn’t there—hadn’t been in days, according to her building manager. The whole place was cleared out.”

“What?” I hiss, leaning in closer, my knuckles clenched tight around the receiver.

In the absence of being able to talk freely, we stare at each other as we silently acknowledge the obvious. If you don’t leave of your own will, typically your apartment and belongings will remain where they are…but it’s worrying all the same.

“I would say keep me updated, but—” I cast my hand at the dull white room. “Have you heard anything about Sunny? My attorney told me that she was taken back into the system and I…”

I choke on air, tears gathering immediately. I’ve barely eaten, worrying about her.

“You don’t know?” Kathy tilts her head and watches me speculatively.

“Know what?” All Landau told me last time we spoke was to sit tight and trust them to work on getting me out of here. As infuriating as that is, what more can I do? I’m useless inside here.

“Chase Walker applied for emergency guardianship of Sunny, and he was granted it yesterday.”

The air freezes inside my lungs, I blink at her once, then twice, willing my brain to comprehend the enormity of this piece of information.

“He did?” I whisper, my hand rising to my mouth.

The tears spill over, something warm and heartachingly tender piercing my heart. Words spoken weeks ago flood to the surface, the deep timbre of his voice echoing in my mind.

“For whatever it’s worth to you, you have my word that I will help you and Sunny in any way that I can—no matter what happens.”

“He’s a good man, Pepper.” Kathy places her hand on the glass and I lower mine to slot over hers on the opposite side.

I can’t believe he did that. Except I can, because underneath the flippant arrogance, the silly jokes, and the hardbusiness exterior he likes to present, he’s got a huge heart and a steadfast loyalty that you don’t find often. The knowledge that they are together blunts the jagged edges of my heart, offering me vast comfort despite my own dire circumstances.