The Omega Team: Death Sentence (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 2

  Not bothering to look, she leaned closer. “You need anything, holler.”

  “I’m good.”

  “I bet you are.” Smiling, she left.

  “Tell me about Kim’s time inside.” He put his bottle on the table. “First though, I’m curious about you.”

  Male interest burned in his eyes.

  Hallie s face warmed. Not being the best judge of men, she wasn’t certain whether to be receptive or cautious. “Curious in what way?”

  “Who you are.”

  “Didn’t Athena tell you everything I told her?”

  “She did. Gave me your photo, too.” He regarded Hallie. “You’re a dead ringer for it, except your hair has more reddish highlights in person and is past your shoulders now. Couldn’t determine your eye color from the shot though or the times you zipped past me at Zephron.” He leaned closer and smiled approvingly. “Light brown. You look way younger than thirty-two. You sure that’s your age?”

  She held back a smile. “Positive.”

  “I’ll make a note in your files. By the way, we have them, too.”

  Right. They’d vetted her. “Then you know my entire history.”

  He ran his thumb down the sweaty bottle. “Not your motives. Why are you at Zephron? What compelled you to work for Gatekeeper? You graduated with honors from a top university. You’re a nurse practitioner with an RN and a Master’s behind your name, not an LPN who got her degree at a for-profit institution that will graduate anyone who’s willing to go into major debt. You were never in trouble, not even a parking ticket.”

  She laughed softly. “I’ve been a good girl.”

  His grin crinkled his eyes and carved a dimple in his cheek. “We’ll see.”

  “What?”

  “Why are you at Zephron? The pay stinks. You could make far more at an area hospital or babysitting wealthy retirees in Palm Beach.”

  She’d rather die. “Clearly, you learned nothing from my file.”

  “Which is why I’m asking you. Mind helping me out?”

  She liked his laid-back style. Letting her lead the way, at least in this. “Rich people don’t need my help like the inmates do. Most of the prisoners began with nothing and have less than that now thanks to their incarceration. To keep costs down, Gatekeeper cuts corners anyway they can, even rationing toiletries. You have no idea how demeaning it is to beg for sanitary napkins or toilet paper. Buying that stuff from the canteen is the impossible dream for those young women. Who’s there to help them? See that they make it out alive? I can’t change the world either, but I sure as hell can give them the healthcare they deserve.”

  “Good answer.”

  In another minute, he’d have her giggling like a silly teen. “Are you saying you approve?”

  “I’d be crazy not to. However, you don’t talk about Gatekeeper or the inmates that way when you’re at Zephron, right?”

  “I’m not crazy. I know how the system works.”

  He relaxed in his seat. “What happened with Kim?”

  “Officially or my opinion?”

  “Your take on it.”

  Hallie squeezed her bottle. “Someone murdered her. No damn way did she kill herself.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s not freaking possible.” She threw up her hand then lowered it before the other patrons noticed her agitation. “Kim was five-four. In order to have gotten up to that window to tie her underwear around the bars, she would have had to be taller than you.”

  “From what I’ve seen, she could have stood on the bed and managed.”

  “Sure. If she was Spiderwoman or a contortionist with one leg on the bed to the right while reaching for the window to the left. Look, I’m not disputing that it’s possible, but it’s also improbable. The last time I spoke to Kim, five days before she died, she wasn’t suicidal. She talked about using her gain time for early release. She loved working in the infirmary. She planned to get her GED when she got out and wanted to take nursing courses. I told her I’d help her get into a good program. She was bright. More importantly, she was eager. People like that don’t off themselves.”

  “How’d she end up in confinement?”

  Angry tears burned Hallie’s eyes. “How else? On a trumped-up charge. The sooner a prisoner’s released, the more bucks Gatekeeper loses. I’ve read their shareholder reports. They promise 90 percent capacity and make sure they hit their goals so the state funnels money to them. Less bodies equals less profit. It’s like a freaking stay in Hotel California. You can check in, but you’ll never check out. I’m sure prosecutors and judges are in on the game, too. Everyone wants their piece. I want those bastards to pay. I want this to stop.”

  He nodded. “What was the bogus charge for Kim?”

  “Dick Templar found snacks in her bunk that she presumably stole from the canteen. That wasn’t the first time this has happened to an inmate. Whenever one refuses his or another guard’s advances or gets close to release, trouble rains down. Kim swore she didn’t steal anything. Huge mistake. Because she tried to defend herself, the warden not only took away her gain time, she slapped another six months on Kim’s sentence.”

  Something passed over his face.

  Hallie tensed. “What?”

  “Losing her gain time must have depressed her.”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “I’m not saying that.”

  “Sure you are.” She crossed her arms. “Kim might have been down, but she was damn mad, too. She wasn’t a fool. The closer she got to release, the more worried she became that something would happen. She begged me to help her if anything did. I promised I’d fight until she got out of there. She wasn’t alone. She had me. No way would she have hung herself.”

  “Would she have talked with the others there about you helping her?”

  “It took her nearly a year to open up to me. Kim wasn’t a trusting soul. She didn’t blab about stuff.”

  “Hope you’re hungry.” The waitress delivered the food, propped her hands on the table, and leaned toward Chase. “Anything else, hon?”

  He lifted his spoon. “Nope. We’ll let you know if we need you.”

  She giggled. “You better.”

  He watched her jog away then turned back. “Kim must have threatened to expose what goes on there. Otherwise, why would anyone kill her?”

  Hallie pushed her plate aside. “I’m thinking Dick went into her cell to rape her, she fought back, he struck her too hard, or she hit her head, and to cover up her death, he and Edward Zabala hung her from the bars to make it look like a suicide.”

  “Do you have any proof?”

  She laughed helplessly. “If I did, I would have called the police, not the agency.”

  “Have you seen the autopsy report?”

  “No. Have you?”

  “Not yet. I’ll have Jacqui get it.” He crumbled crackers in his chili. “She’s already poked around in the other prison files. Unfortunately, there weren’t any surprise emails that’d blow the lid off what they’re doing. Everyone covers their tracks very well. My guess is Gatekeeper’s CEO read the Miami Herald exposé on Florida prisons and is keeping a low profile so he doesn’t see their name in print.”

  “They’re probably scrubbing everything before staff sends it.”

  “Sounds about right.” He grabbed two napkins from the dispenser and handed her one. “We have to date.”

  Surprise and anticipation bubbled in her. “Huh?”

  He finished his chew and swallowed. “For this to succeed, we have to share info. The only way to do so is to make things look natural. That we’re together at Zephron for a reason, other than to spy. Same holds true when we’re away from work, like here.” He gestured to their booth. “If we don’t, the others may wonder why we’re hanging around each other.”

  He had a point. “Okay.”

  “Since we are dating and want to look like a happy couple, you should eat.” He pushed her plate to her. “Your smile, however, is ri
ght on.”

  She was smiling?

  Rattled, she nibbled a fry. “Is your girlfriend going to mind our pretend dating?”

  “Are you asking if I’m in a serious relationship?”

  Talk about direct. “Yeah. Are you? Do you have a wife?”

  He chuckled. “Not the last time I looked. No one I’m serious about either. You?”

  She’d sworn off lasting relationships before she reached puberty. “I’m free. Have the guards mentioned messing around with inmates? Have they pointed out where they like to take the women when they want to assault them?”

  He swiped a napkin over his lips.

  A sculptor couldn’t have chiseled his mouth more perfectly to complement his rugged features.

  “I’ve overheard several jokes about their so-called dates, but no one’s offered to bring me in on the fun. I’m too new to trust.” He crumpled the napkin and put it aside. “I did tell them my fiancée died a few months back after a long illness.”

  “To keep them from wondering why you won’t force an inmate to have sex?”

  “Yep.”

  “Did you have a fiancée?”

  His dimple returned. “Nope. You?”

  “Uh-uh.”

  “Good.”

  The air grew charged, something happening between them Hallie wasn’t certain she wanted. He seemed like a good guy and was sexy as sin but she wasn’t looking for romance, ever. Once the carnal haze wore off, things could go south fast, leading to what her mother had lived through with Hallie’s father. History she didn’t want to repeat. Living alone, being alone proved safer and saner.

  “This is good.” She took another bite of her burger. Its taste still didn’t register. Too many emotions bombarded her. Desire. Confusion. Caution. Annoyance. Not with him, with herself.

  He ate easily, so self-assured she should have resented him rather than wishing she could sit nearer, their shoulders and thighs touching.

  His fresh scent held a hint of leather and musk. Her belly fluttered.

  He caught her watching him.

  She couldn’t glance away, liking the man he was.

  Conversation, laughter, and TV sounds faded.

  He lowered his spoon. “After we leave here, we should strategize what we need to do to get answers.”

  “You mean work together tonight?”

  “Yeah.”

  Her heart hammered. She warned herself to run but preferred to remain. “Okay.”

  “We can go to my place. Unless you’d rather brainstorm at yours.”

  Either might prove dangerous to her good sense and resolve. However, getting justice for Kim and helping the other inmates mattered more than Hallie’s reservations. “Where do you live?”

  “Three miles from here.”

  Closer than her apartment. Unsettled, she looked past him. “Your place is—”

  Dick and Edward strode into the tavern, beer bellies hanging over their belts. Their shaved heads made them look like gang bangers. Given Gatekeeper’s hiring practices, both men could have been white supremacists.

  “What’s wrong?” Chase looked over.

  “No. Don’t.” She grabbed his hand. “Dick and Edward just came in.” She lowered her voice another notch. “What are they doing here? This place isn’t anywhere near Zephron. Did they follow you?”

  “Anything’s possible, but Edward doesn’t live too far away. My guess is he hangs out here on occasion.”

  She should have chosen a safer spot. “Don’t turn around. Could be they’ll go to the bar and won’t notice us.”

  “We have nothing to hide, remember? We’re dating. Let’s give them a show.” He left his seat and sat next to her.

  Hallie couldn’t breathe. “What are you doing?”

  “This.” He slanted his mouth over hers.

  Chapter Two

  Having Hallie in his arms pleased Chase beyond anything he’d imagined. Her lips couldn’t have been more heated and soft. He liked her delicate fragrance. Something powdery and sweet.

  At his unexpected kiss, she stilled but didn’t break free.

  He hung in there, too, unable to do anything else.

  Her work photo didn’t do her justice. Up close and personal, her pretty features were less wholesome, closer to sultry, her caramel-colored skin a gift from her Latin heritage. Puerto Rican, according to her file.

  Pure woman in his opinion, her curves luscious, begging for a man’s touch.

  He didn’t dare go that far, but he did cradle her neck and eased his tongue inside her mouth.

  She melted into him and suckled.

  The world shifted. Lost in the moment, he angled his head and sought deeper penetration, a more profound connection.

  The moment he’d spotted her at Zephron, he’d been interested and had to curb his reaction around the other correctional officers. The agency had embedded him there on a mission, not a personal quest to pursue his carnal needs.

  His fellow guards had claimed she was a cold bitch, probably a dyke.

  How wrong they’d been.

  Hallie came alive within Chase’s embrace. She pulled off his leather cord, releasing his hair. Her tongue dueled with his, wanting inside his mouth.

  He let her win and sucked her deep.

  A faint moan spilled from her. She snuggled closer.

  If life had been perfect, he would have torn off her tee, jeans, and underwear then taken her on the table, unmindful of the others.

  A riotous cheer erupted. Possibly for a point scored in the game.

  Needing a breath, he pulled his mouth free and gulped air.

  She blinked slowly, looking drugged, the same as he felt.

  “Well, well, well, if I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it.” Dick made a mocking noise.

  He and Edward stood at the table.

  Chase warned himself to act as though he liked the SOBs. “Hey guys. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “No shit.” Dick rocked on his heels.

  Edward scratched his protruding belly and bumped Dick’s arm. “Didn’t you say Reyes was a lesbian?”

  “That’s what she led me to believe, always so unfriendly. So, Reyes, when are you gonna give me some sugar?”

  “Me, too.” Edward shot her a toothy grin.

  She stiffened against Chase.

  If those ghouls touched her, he’d have to kill them. “If you want to lose your balls, keep talking.” He spoke through his teeth. “I don’t share. Ever. Got it?”

  Their smug smiles faltered.

  Dick caved first. “Yeah sure, buddy. We were joking.” He rubbed his thick neck. “I thought you were still grieving over Monica. That was her name, right?”

  The one Chase had made up for his fake fiancée. “I was in mourning then. Now, I’m not.”

  Edward lifted his hands. “Good for you.”

  “Yeah.” Dick stepped back. “Enjoy.”

  They pivoted and trooped to the bar.

  Chase stroked Hallie’s arm. “You okay?”

  “I want to leave.”

  Bye-bye magic, the wondrous moment lost. Work must have been pure awful for Hallie. Too many Neanderthals giving her a hard time or trying to get into her panties. No wonder she’d avoided them.

  He settled the bill and escorted her outside, arm around her shoulder to keep up their dating pretense.

  To his surprise, she leaned into him, fitting perfectly.

  The humid breeze did nothing to cool his inner heat. His pulse sprinted from arousal and concern over what would or wouldn’t happen next. He stopped in the lot and cupped her chin.

  Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. She parted her lips.

  God help him, he wanted to kiss her clear into tomorrow and crawl between her legs for months on end. Reining in his lust, he stroked her cheek. “You want to go home? Forget our plans?”

  “No. We should talk.” She cupped his face and brought his mouth down to hers.

  *****

  Hallie’s
need proved too great to deny. She slipped her tongue into Chase’s mouth.

  He growled and hauled her close, imprisoning her within his arms.

  Precisely where she needed to be. She couldn’t fight her attraction to him, didn’t want to, at least for tonight. Tomorrow was another matter.

  She pushed aside worry, along with coming regret, and went for the gold. Nearly a year had passed since she’d known a man’s passion. Those moments had never been like this. Chase kissed her with barely controlled hunger but tenderness, too. Completely unexpected for such a large, powerful man.

  His inherent gentleness undid her. He made her feel safe. He wouldn’t hurt her.

  She couldn’t allow it.

  Until things tanked, she wanted pleasure only he could provide. She held him to her and explored his bruising biceps, firm pecs, the bulge between his legs.

  He groaned around her tongue.

  Firmly, but with great care, she cradled his balls and stroked his thickened cock through the worn denim. The fabric proved much softer than he’d ever be.

  He pulled her into him and rubbed her nipple.

  Delight thrummed through her.

  He made another savage noise, tore his mouth from hers, and pressed his face in her hair. “We need to get to my place.”

  “Let’s take your wheels.” She didn’t want a moment’s separation. “We can come back later for mine, okay?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Necking and fondling, they staggered across the lot, presumably to his vehicle. He stopped at a muscled black pickup. Matched him perfectly. Inside the cab, they leaned across the center console and went at each other harder than sex-crazed teens. She struggled to unzip his fly. He tugged on her bra but couldn’t free her breasts.

  “Wait.” He slumped against his door and breathed hard. “We need to get to my place before we go nuts.”

  “Agreed.”

  He drove like a maniac, running stop signs and breezing through red lights on the deserted streets. The working class area pulled in the sidewalks at nine. It was well past that now, the morning and their eventual separation approaching quickly. He had to hurry, the few moments they’d share too precious to miss. “You said you were only three miles from the tavern. We’ve gone more than that, haven’t we?”