Gwen drove her normal pace, which was speeding, she was singing Joss Stone’s “Super Duper Love” as she pulled into her normal parking spot, but she felt renewed as she did. She didn’t know how to act, she knew that Torrian and her relationship could not be revealed to the masses, they had to remain professional at work and if by any chance they were seen in public together it might spell trouble for them. She sat in her car for a moment just thinking about the date, a smile crossed her lips when she heard the familiar roar of the mustang that Torrian drove. She exhaled, hopped out of her car, and waved to her… boyfriend? Casual date? Friend? Friend with benefits? She was slightly confused but she decided to just go with the flow she would let him define it if there was something to define. Torrian was more experienced than she was with the technicalities of dates and dating.
She locked her Lexus and started walking towards the dock, she felt almost giddy when she heard Torrian’s footfalls coming closer to her. He was running to catch up to her. She had to smirk, she reminded herself that she couldn’t let the prison know just yet so she turned slowly and her lips twisted up into a genuine smile as she regarded Torrian from boot clad foot, to buzz cut hair. She circled back down to look at his beautiful gray-blue eyes. They were light today, as was his smile. His dimpled grin could make any woman go weak at the knees and Gwen was not immune to that charming weapon of his. Her step faltered in her step, she tripped over her own feet and started free falling towards the ground, she closed her eyes bracing herself for the ground to connect with her hands and face, but instead of feeling the ground she was gripped by strong arms.
Torrian saw this coming, her high heels were a death sentence, but they were so sexy on her so he didn’t complain, he had launched himself forward and grabbed Gwen without thinking. His protective streak was showing. He brought Gwen to his chest before she could get hurt or ruin her outfit; he knew she would sulk if she did Gwen was a perfectionist. Torrian surprised himself with what he knew about her at times. She was such a perfectionist it was funny almost, she would most likely have gone home to get a change of clothes if the ones she had on got dirty. He steadied her on her feet but still held onto her, to make sure she didn’t go for round two with the ground.
“Why Doc it looks like you’re falling for me.” He chuckled and smiled down at her.
Gwen’s blush was worth a million bucks, she wanted him and he knew it. “Looks like it Officer Ford.”
Torrian flinched when she used his title, it sounded a bit clipped like she was annoyed with his use of her title. He sighed and released her from his arms; he missed her curves immediately and waited a moment before he spoke.
“So how was your weekend?” He asked broaching the subject he wanted to know what she thought about the date.
“Well it started great, I had a date with this very handsome gentleman, it even ended with the best kiss I ever had. Spent a lot of time thinking about the kiss.” Gwen smiled and her blush spread to more of her cheeks, Torrian knew his body appreciated the look of the female before him.
“Sounds like a good guy, maybe I should meet him and tell him if he hurts you he has to deal with my whole crew.” He joked right back.
“Oh that sounds like a plan.” Gwen stared at him for a minute and bit her lip. Torrian was suddenly envious of those teeth, but he kept his hands and mouth in check.
“Come on, we’re going to be late, Doc.” Torrian chuckled at her when she visibly bristled and started to walk after him.
Torrian opened the door and followed Gwen to the boat unable to contain his smile. He was quite happy and knowing that the female he wanted, wanted him in return was just icing on the cake. They walked onto the boat that takes them across to the island, Torrian sat down next to Gwen, and she looked like she was sleeping while sitting up. He bumped her with his shoulder.
“Hey, you okay Gwen?” He used her name to make her feel more comfortable.
“Yes, just… pensive today.”
Torrian’s throat constricted, “Pensive? What about, spill the beans doc.”
“Just thinking about Friday, you know we can’t go public with this at least until we know what it is. Hell they might even make one of us change shifts if it comes out, or fire one of us.”
“It’d be me.” Torrian said with great conviction, Gwen was too big of an asset to lose.
“I don’t want that to happen.” Gwen choked out.
Well wasn’t this a conundrum Torrian kept that thought to himself, he relaxed into his usual pose. “We’ll keep dating and keep it quiet, how about that?”
Gwen looked at him and smiled. She was worried, his ever-cool doc was worried about what they were, and she wanted reassurance. Silly woman.
Torrian checked, no one was paying attention to them, he took Gwen’s hand and brushed a kiss against her knuckles, the tug signaled that it was time for their departure, he grinned and stood up to prepare to head into yet another day at work.
Gwen was grinning like a fool. She felt her mood lift. She didn’t offend him, Torrian still wanted to date her. There was going to be a second date! She felt like she was a college girl all over again. Her mind floated to what she should wear when they go out again. Her day was moderately relaxed; she was able to think for about half an hour when she heard a knock on the window of her door.
She was glad no one could read her mind. It was only when Scott Wickam stuck his head into her office did she stop with her reverie.
“Hello Warden.” She smiled at him, hoping he was in a good mood.
“Hello Ms. Bjorkman how was your weekend?” He asked the standard weekend question.
“It was fine, how was yours? Did your girls have a soccer match?”
“Yes they did, spanked the other team, four to one.” He sounded so happy and filled with fatherly pride, Gwen had to smile at her boss, he could be such a bear sometimes but others he was just the teddy bear.
“I had a favor to ask, also a question.” She pushed when she knew he was in a good mood.
Scott stiffened. “What do you need Ms Bjorkman?”
“My file for Kody McQueen seems to have some holes, I need the full one.” She said.
“You sure?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, there are parts of his childhood that need to be spoken about in his therapy if you expect him not to kill some of the inmates.” She cited her concern for others.
“So you don’t want population control?” He joked.
“No sir, I don’t believe you do either.” Gwen leveled her gaze at him, she knew the men here respected her and would do what they could to make her job easier, “Please warden, I really want to help him.”
“Fine, I’ll have Alison bring it to your office before your next appointment with him. Speaking of, when is that?” He wanted to ensure she was prepared enough.
“I need to go read the medical report, he is in the hospital wing for now, he either threatened suicide or attempted it, I am unsure it is still just gossip until I see for myself.”
“Ahh, I see.” Gwen saw the warden wanted to bolt after his statement.
“I am going to go see him now, can you just have her leave it on my desk?”
“Yes Ms. Bjorkman.” With that last remark the warden turned on his heels and walked away; Gwen wondered why the warden was so awkward about this inmate, he seemed almost reluctant.
Gwen stood up; her mind flitted to Torrian’s grasp on her hips earlier. She had to shove that thought back for the rest of the day. She needed to be on her toes if she was going to go see Kody, and she did not want to taint thoughts of Torrian with those of Kody. She set off out of the building and towards the hospital wing. She should have taken a guard with her, but this was a quick visit and there was no need for all the extra fluff as she called it. She just needed to check on him and get the true story.
Gwen knocked at the door where the inmate was being held. She entered after a beat.
“Hello Kody, do you mind if I join you for a mome
nt.” Gwen’s voice was placating, she used it when she wanted to calm people.
Kody watched her as she watched him sit up, his handcuff pulled at the bed he was on. His threat had worked, bright and early he was moved to the hospital wing, he was to be on suicide watch for the next few days. The beds were a lot comfier, there was no Russel, and he was here with his Gwen. He almost smiled.
“Please come in beautiful.” He said, trying to sound smooth for his woman.
“Thank you for the compliment Kody, but I am worried about you. I heard a few things about this weekend while I was away. Are you okay?”
“I am now.” He drank in her appearance her cheeks were flushed lightly.
Gwen frowned but pulled out her pen and pad of paper; damn she was sexy, her lips were full. Kody concentrated on them while she spoke. He didn’t care what she said as long as she kept speaking in that angelic voice of hers.
“I am glad you are better Kody, but we need to talk. One of the guards said you attempted suicide?”
“No, I fucked up my piece of shit cell mate for talking shit. They put me in solitary, and I said I wanted to kill myself, they brought me here and tried to put me on medicine.”
“Did you refuse medication?” She asked, concerned.
“Yeah, shit is just toxic.” He was disgusted with medicines; chemicals weren’t needed in his body unless they were for fun.
“Kody I believe you would benefit from medication, it is not toxic, it is here to help you.” Gwen wanted him on medication just so he wouldn’t be quite so dangerous to everyone around him.
“You believe in it Gwen?” Kody used her short name; she froze for just a second.
“Yes I do when the case is right.” She nodded as she spoke.
“So they aren’t for everyone just to make your job easier?” He chided.
“No it is highly dependent upon the case.” She was almost offended.
“I see.”
Kody watched Gwen write in her book for a minute before he chose to speak again.
“Fine I’ll take them, but I think I need more therapy time.” He was using this as a gateway to more.
“I will give you the medication, it is going to start at a low dose. You will take it in the morning; I will also bump you up to twice weekly sessions to monitor your progress. Is that a fair deal?”
“All I wanted.” He sounded relaxed now even to his own ears.
“Okay then, if you will excuse me Kody, I have to tend to some more matters, I will see you soon.” Gwen rose from her chair; she could feel Kody’s eyes on her.
She walked out of the room; he could swear she moved her ass just for him. It was quite a sexy sight to behold. He wanted her, and he wanted her bad. His cock agreed by jumping up for an appearance.
Gwen arrived back at her office and she just fell into her chair. The file was marked confidential, all of her files were marked in the same fashion but this one felt so much more ominous than any others. It was so thick with arrests, warrants, bail revocations, and early childhood reports about his parents.
“Bingo” Gwen breathed out uttering the word low.
She started reading the in depth reports about Kody’s parents. His sister. His little sister died suspiciously. She read about the marks on Kody’s body. He really never stood a chance with the system. She was still caught up in her reading when there was a knock at her door.
“Come in.” She said without even looking up.
“Hey.” It was Torrian’s voice, she snapped the file shut, and he did not need to know what was going on with this prisoner.
“Hey!” She sounded flustered; she worked on controlling her voice. “What can I do for you Torrian?”
Torrian’s impish grin was too much to handle, she cracked a smile of her own. “I wanted to have lunch with you and ask you out for Friday.”
“Friday? I have to go to my parents; I have Friday dinner every week. I missed last week.”
“Oh” Torrian’s face fell a bit.
“I can ask if I can bring you, as long as you don’t mind my mom trying to have her version of the Spanish Inquisition during dinner? She makes a good spaghetti.”
“That sounds good, I don’t mind meeting the parents.” He winks at her, and her heart skips a beat.
“You don’t mind?”
“Gwen, I like you. I like you a lot. I have wanted to ask you for a date for a while. Now that we’ve gone out, I want to keep going and if meeting your parents is one way I get to spend more time with you then so be it. I should meet them anyways if you want me to be your boyfriend.” He concluded simply.
“You’re my boyfriend?” She was dense about things sometimes.
“No, but I want to be. It’s up to you.” He was still smiling wide.
“After you meet my parents let’s see if you still say that.” She warned.
“Deal, but I think I’m still going to want you.” His gray eyes darken with lust
“We’ll see.” She winked.
The couple sat in her office, exchanging banter while they ate. Gwen felt her nerves ebb slightly, after they both were finished eating she lobbed her trash into the bin. If felt different but the same with Torrian. He was genuine and kind. She was attracted to him.
“Do you want to come over to my place tonight?” Gwen was suddenly alarmed with her own question, why did she ask that? It sounded like a proposition.
Torrian swallowed hard. “Yes.”
Gwen answered with a smile. “I mean so we can talk, I like talking to you.”
“Yeah me too Gwen, me too.” Torrian checked his watch and cursed, “damn it’s time to go back to the grind, and I’ll see you later baby.” Torrian bit his lip as if he didn’t mean for that to come out but he goes with it. He kisses Gwen’s cheek and heads out of the office.
Gwen goes back to reading the case notes about Kody. She was pained to read about his childhood, his adolescence; she could not stand to read about his college years. That is where they met. She knew how those years went. By the time she stopped and took a look at the clock it was time to clock out and have Torrian over to her house.
CHAPTER NINE
Hours later Kody felt a presence at the end of his bed, he opened his eyes up long enough to see Torrian Ford at the end of it. The guy was full of smiles this time.
“What happen? You get your dick wet in the supply closet?” Kody shot at him.
“Yeah your mom came by for a visit so we put her to work.” Torrian sneered.
“Fuck you piece of shit.” Kody was pissed, he hated what his mother was but still the guard had no right to talk about her.
“Get out of that bed, you’re going back to general pop today.” The guard announced.
“I don’t feel like it.” Kody laid his head back down.
“Get up, or I will get you up and you will lose any respect when they see you getting your ass carried down.” Torrian warned.
“Whatever” Kody was exasperated, he kicked the blankets off of himself and started to get out of the bed, he was standing by the edge when Ford grabbed his wrist and unhinged it from the steel of the bed frame.
Torrian quickly took the handcuffs off of Kody McQueen and quickly grabbed the guys’ wrists. He had seen a few of the arrest records. The man was lethal if given the chance. This thought irked him more and more. This dangerous man was in Gwen’s office often. He was alone with her. Torrian suppressed his shudder he could not let the scumbag see the effect he had, he needed to exercise complete control over the situation and his emotions.
He wanted to hurry this process along; he started marching the prisoner out of the hospital wing towards general population. Torrian had read what else happened on Friday night. He was disgusted, his cell mate was still in the hospital wing, his nose was broken, stitches in his forehead, and he was on a heavy pain killer to keep him sedated and out of the pain his body would undoubtedly be in. Kody was sick, even for McNeil standards this guy was out of it. He quickened the pace just so he coul
d continue with his day. He smiled, after all this was his last thing to do till he turned over command to the next shift officers.
Torrian opened the cell after they arrived the sounds from the other prisoners almost hushed as if they knew what Kody was; “inmate step in.”
Kody obliged without much fight, he wanted to get to work on what he had planned for his beloved Gwen. He followed the ritual and stuck his hands through the bars to be freed by the guard. He doesn’t say a word as the guard turns and walks away from him. He was finally free to start working on his drawing, and maybe something else for his woman.
He hid the drawing between the pages of the book he checked out of the prison library. He opened the book, the spine creaked with protest and overuse but Kody ignored it, he didn’t really care, he just cared it was big enough to offer protection for his art. He opened to page sixty-nine and gave a wry smile for his crude joke. The smile did not flatter his features; his lips pulled up and looked as if it was a partial snarl, his eyes dark and soulless, his cheeks were hollowed which caused his cheek bones to protrude and make his face to appear more angular. His look was becoming as evil as his heart, not that he cared, he preferred it this way, so no one would dare come near him or what was his.
Kody looked upon his picture of Gwen, the drawing was near complete the lips were still off but he would rectify that today. He spent what felt like hours gazing at her lips, he knew every line, every contour, and every curve of her sensual lips. He thought back to earlier today, she was biting her lip and somewhat distracted. Was she thinking of him too? Did she think of him as much as he thought of her? His questions kept going as he slowly drew the outline first. He left a slight gap between her lips as if she were opening them for him to come to her, her mouth inviting his to hers to taste her, to claim her. She used to love it when he did that, he would claim her roughly and her moans would force him to continue, the passion between them was undeniable in the past, she had to come around, his strokes on the paper became more and more urgent as his mind continued to work. He added lines, then creases, and soon the drawing came to life, her lips looked as if they were coming off the page, they were full and perfect. The next part of his plan to win Gwen back was the poem he dedicated to her in college, he remembered every line and every dramatic pause and he began writing the poem out, wanting the poem to be as perfect as the picture he soon became obsessed again. His Gwen was rapidly becoming his entire world again.
The Deadliest Secret (The Deadliest Series) Page 7