Inside (22 page)

“I just…I wanted to check on…them.”

“Give the doctor a chance to do his job. Anyway, this won’t take long. Do you mind?” She
did
mind, but she knew she had no choice. Curving her fingernails into her palms, she followed him to his office. “Yes, sir?” she said as soon as he closed the door.

“Rick Wallace called me today.”

“He did?”

“He did. He mentioned that he and his wife are splitting up.”

She didn’t care about Rick’s marriage. It was all she could do not to tap her foot. “He told me that, too. Unfortunate, isn’t it?”

“That depends on how you look at it.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t know that he’s interested in you?”

Oh, hell. Rick had already spoken to the warden? She’d said she wanted to wait until they were finished with Operation Inside to address any personal issues! “I had some idea, of course, but I told him it’ll never work, that the department would never allow it.”

“Actually, I’m not so sure about that. I’m in full support of it. You work too much. You’ve let your job become everything when there’s so much more. I think the two of you would make a perfect couple.”

She wondered if he’d give her his blessing to see Virgil instead, but she wasn’t about to ask. She wasn’t about to discuss Rick with him, either. “I doubt it’ll come to anything,” she said. “But thank you, anyway.”

“Don’t be too hasty to turn him down. That boy’s going places.”

And had probably asked Fischer to reassure her, which only irritated her more. As she’d told Rick, now was not the time to deal with this. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She glanced at her watch as a way to remind him that she was in a hurry. “Are we done?”

“For now.”

“I’d better get to the infirmary.” She started out, then quickly turned back. “Warden?”

“Yes?”

“If Simeon Bennett lives through this, can I have your permission to transfer him out of here?”

“That’s the CDC’s call, not mine.”

But Wallace would never agree. “
We
should take a stand.”

Fischer didn’t like the tone of her voice, and he let her know it by the tone of his. “I told you, that’s the CDC’s call,” he said. Then, strained though it was, he produced a smile. “Have a nice evening.”

Virgil didn’t look good. Eyes closed, he lay perfectly still while a nurse, who’d already removed his shirt, cleaned away the blood that covered so much of his torso. She was working too fast to be gentle, which bothered Peyton. But Virgil didn’t react to her pushing and probing.

Peyton hoped he wasn’t as badly hurt as it appeared from out in the hall. He’d been stabbed at least once—in the stomach. That was obvious from the blood that poured out. And he cradled his left hand close to his body as if it hurt.

At the sound of the door opening, the nurse turned toward her.

Cute, petite, dark-haired Belinda, a young mother of two, must’ve been expecting the doctor or someone else. When she saw Peyton she straightened in surprise. “Chief Deputy Warden. I, um… Is there something I can help you with?”

Virgil’s eyes opened and riveted on hers. Hardly able to keep from rushing over to him, she stood against the wall.

“Don’t stop,” she said. “I won’t get in the way.”

“We’re a bit short-staffed tonight,” the nurse explained as if she thought Peyton had come to observe how well she was handling the emergency. “But the doctor will be here as soon as he’s available.”

As soon as he’s available?
Virgil had been stabbed. Why wasn’t the doctor here
now?
“Where is he?”

Belinda jerked her head toward the examination room next door. “With another inmate.”

“Who?”

“Weston Jager. And there are two more across the hall. They were all in the fight that caused this.”

“Are Weston’s injuries more life-threatening than what you have here?”

At the anger in her voice, the nurse blinked several times. “No…”

“Then why is the doctor with him?”

“He, um, he demanded to be first. And it was easier than putting up with his abuse,” she admitted sheepishly.

Peyton wasn’t willing to reward Weston’s sense of entitlement. “He can wait,” she snapped. “And so can his buddies. Get the doctor in here.”

The nurse hesitated. “You want this guy seen first?”

“His name’s Simeon Bennett, and that’s exactly what
I want.” Peyton groped for an excuse to explain why she cared so much. “He’s the brother of a friend of mine.”

“Oh! You
know
him?” She seemed relieved to finally understand.

“Not personally,” Peyton hedged. “But I’ve promised my friend he’ll be okay while he’s in here. I feel responsible for keeping that promise. You understand.”

“Of course. I’ll tell Dr. Pendergast.”

After giving Virgil a piece of gauze to hold against the knife wound near his navel, the nurse left and Peyton allowed herself to move closer.

“Good line,” Virgil mumbled.

“Line?” She wasn’t sure what he meant. Her thoughts were too busy vacillating between self-recrimination for letting this happen and prayers that Virgil would be all right.

“About me being…related to a friend…of yours. Good…cover for our association.”

Association? The panic she felt went way beyond that. “Yeah, well, hopefully she bought it.” She had no reason to believe otherwise; she was just wound up.

He managed a smile. “Quit worrying, okay? Everything’s fine.”

“This is
fine?
” She motioned to his injuries. “You look like hell.”

“I’ve seen better days. But I’ve seen worse, too.” His smile turned into a grimace as he repositioned himself on the table. “What about the other guys? I hope they’re in worse shape than I am.”

“I haven’t checked. It’s you I’m concerned about.”

His bandage was already soaked with blood. She got him a new one and tried to help stanch the flow, but he knocked her hand away before she could touch it. “You’re not wearing gloves.”

“You think you might give me a disease?”

“Why take the chance?”

“It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it?”

Another wince told her he was in significant pain. “It’s not
my
blood I’m worried about.”

“What happened?” she asked.

He let his head fall back. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“You’ve been in a fight.
That’s
obvious. But you were only inside for a few hours!”

“I had to clear the first hurdle.” His chest rose as he drew a breath. “Once I settle in, we’ll have a better chance of not meeting up in here.”

The new gauze was as saturated as the old one. Since he had to struggle to do even simple things, she jerked the bandage away from him and held it in place herself.

“I told you not to touch—”

She blocked him so he couldn’t stop her. “I’ve got it. Just relax.”

When his eyes closed, she was afraid he was in worse shape than he wanted her to know. Talking cost him a great deal of energy, but as long as he was alert, she felt reassured—and that prompted her to keep the conversation going. “You jumped them?” she asked.

“Four men?” He tried to laugh, but couldn’t. “They…jumped me. I just…issued the invitation.”

“Big of you to get things started.”

“Calm down. I’m fine.”

“You’re fine, huh? For how long?”

“For now.”

Had he done enough to impress the Hells Fury? Or would the job require more? “Please tell me you did what you were hoping to do.”

“Too early to tell.”

“So this could happen again. And again.”

“Maybe. Depends.”

She examined his wound and frowned at the blood that continued to pour from the jagged opening. What had they knifed him with? A sharpened toothbrush? A piece of metal they’d brought from the industry yard and sharpened for days on end? She twisted around to stare into the hall. Where was the damn doctor? “God, tell me this isn’t deep.”

“I have no idea. I didn’t…expect anyone to have a…weapon. No one did…at first. Buzz must’ve…slipped one to his friends.”

“
Buzz
was involved in this?” The man she’d carefully vetted as his cell mate?

“He backed off once the fighting got serious. He’s dead set…on getting out of here…didn’t want to screw that…up. But, yeah…he was the instigator…and the only one who…didn’t get hurt.”

“Then we’ll move you to a different cell.”

Virgil shook his head.

“It’s the only way to keep you safe.”

“No.”

“If you won’t move, then I want you out.”

“Absolutely not.”

“But—”

“Peyton, stop.”

She glanced behind her to make sure they were still alone. “I
can’t
stop.”

His hand covered hers. “Yes, you can. This…is my only shot.”

Tears stung her eyes. “We’ll figure out something else.”

“It’s too late. Wallace won’t let me off the hook. He’ll
leave Laurel unprotected if I do anything except what I agreed to. He’s looking for any excuse.”

She sniffed. “I shouldn’t have told him. I don’t want you to be here.”

His fingers slid between hers as he tried to comfort her. “But I can’t leave.”

She wiped her tears with her free hand. “You think Wallace would let Laurel get hurt? He’s that vengeful?”

“I know he is. Any man is vengeful, given enough motivation.”

“I’m not enough motivation for Wallace. I don’t even understand why he’s suddenly so interested.”

“Because he knows I want you, too. It’s the competition, the fact that he feels he should have first dibs.”

“So get out of here and protect Laurel yourself!”

The pain seemed to be getting to him. “How can I do that if they…charge me with another crime? If they…put me away for good?”

“Could they really do that?”

“They could try.”

She knew a little about it but had to ask, had to hear his version. “What happened when you killed those men, Virgil?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Pretty much…what happened here.”

“They jumped you when you were in USP Tucson?”

He nodded. “That’s why they moved me…to Florence, because of…what happened. But…they weren’t just looking for a fight. It all happened so fast. I…did what I could to survive.”

She believed him. “That’s self-defense.”

His mouth twisted in a wry grin. “It’s only self-defense if you can prove it.”

“Why can’t you prove it?”

“The two other men involved…tell a different story.”

“So? It’s your word against theirs. They’ll never get the charges to stick.”

“If I could be sure I’d get a fair trial, maybe I’d risk it. But…I don’t have much faith in the system. Besides, they have my reputation for fighting and my gang affiliation. I don’t even want…to go that route. We’ve come this far. I have…to finish. Let me finish.”

“You’re not giving me any choice.”

His fingers tightened on hers. “I need you, your support.”

“What if this kills you?” she whispered.

“Then it kills me. I have to…do it.”

“You’re kidding, right? That’s reckless! I was afraid of this.”

“And you…made your reservations plain to…everyone. Your conscience…is clear.”

“It’s not my conscience that’s bothering me!”

He raised his eyelids and those blue eyes drilled into hers. “Careful…”

More tears welled up. She’d known she was rattled, but she hadn’t realized just
how
rattled until this moment. Frustrated by her own reaction, she snapped, “Careful of what?”

He grinned at her. “You’re acting like you care.”

“I do!”

“About
me,
” he clarified, sobering.

Those two words were more of a question than anything else. He was asking her about her concern, wanting to know if it went any deeper than what she might
feel for anyone else in this situation. Did it? She was fairly sure it did. But how much deeper? And how should she respond?

“All I know is that I can’t stop thinking about you,” she said. “Every time I close my eyes you’re there.”

She hadn’t expected to make this admission. But now that she had, she thought he’d be pleased. Instead, he frowned as if he’d just changed his mind. “We can’t do this. It’ll only make everything harder on both of us.” The nurse must’ve given him some painkiller because speaking suddenly seemed less difficult, but he was beginning to slur his words. “I have to do what I have to do, Peyton. I can’t change that. And even if I could, even if I already had a fresh start, I don’t have anything to offer a woman like you.”

She checked for the nurse again. The hall was still empty. “Like
me?
What do you think you need to offer? I’m not looking for a meal ticket.”

“Then what are you looking for? A guy who’s been in prison for fourteen years?”

“You have no control over what your mother and uncle—”

He refused to let her interrupt. “Or is it my gang connections you find appealing? What if I can’t break free of The Crew, Peyton? What if, because of your association with me, they come after
you?
Caring about me puts you in danger. Don’t you understand?” He lowered his voice, as if he spoke the next words grudgingly. “And it gives me so much more to lose.”

“You’re not afraid of losing me. Not like that. You’re afraid to care in the first place.”

“I
can’t
care. Not right now.”

She remembered the tenderness with which he’d touched her on Saturday night. Maybe he didn’t
want
to feel anything, but he did. He was as susceptible to love and fear and pain as any other man.

“Nice try.” Even if his statement was true, she didn’t know what to do about it. She felt drawn to him, and that desire wasn’t going away. No matter how sudden, inexplicable or ill-timed it was, she wanted to be with him. His past didn’t change what she felt. Because logic had no place in this.

Footsteps behind her indicated that the nurse had returned with the doctor. Crossing to the sink to wash her hands, she motioned for them to take over as if she’d merely been helping out in the nurse’s absence.

The doctor worked on Virgil for several minutes while she watched, but when he began to suture the hole in Virgil’s stomach, she had to turn away. It made her feel faint, even though she wasn’t usually queasy around blood. “Will he be okay?” she asked, finally asking the question that burned in her mind.