by Nana Prah
“You’re right. I like my women a little less mean, a lot more feminine, and unable to land me on the floor without notice.”
“I’m feminine. Sometimes. Tell me what’s happening on the outside.”
“Not much. I’d rather hear about what’s going on in here.”
Her stomach dropped. “I’m keeping watch.”
“Not with her. With a certain guard.”
She’d kill Corinth when she saw her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The heat creeping up her neck belied her words.
“If you want to play it that way, then I’ll let it drop. By the way, you’re cute when you blush. You should do it more often.”
“I’ll show you cute when we train,” she mumbled.
“Promises, promises, Sarita.” He filled her in on the news from the office. The time flew.
“Wrap it up,” the guard demanded.
Hana started crying. Sarita couldn’t hear what Yong said to her, but it made her smile.
Love is wonderful.
Lombardo chucked her under the chin. “Stay sharp, Sarita.”
She slapped his hand away. “Are you concerned?”
“Not for you, but for any of the poor fools who try to mess with you.”
“For that, I’ll give you a hug goodbye.”
She stood on her toes, wrapping her arms around the beautiful mountain. When they’d met six years ago, it had been war at first sight. She’d found him to be egotistical and arrogant. Later, she had learned he’d described her as too hard-hitting and masculine to be an actual woman.
Nobody knew how they’d eventually put down their battle-axes and became co-workers who complemented each other, as well as friends.
She’d come to value the qualities in him she’d once detested.
He’d experienced just how feminine she could be during one of their assignments at a black tie event.
She admitted to finding him attractive, though wasn’t attracted to him, seeing him more like a little brother than anything else.
She pushed away. “Are you smelling my hair?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Habit. What kind of shampoo do they have you using in here?”
“The kind that keeps guys away.”
“It’s not working in your case, is it?”
“The guard said it was time for you to go home.”
“I’ll get the story out of you somehow, some way.” He leaned in and whispered, “Tell this Carter guy that if he hurts you, he’ll have me to deal with.”
She’d die before letting Lombardo know how much his words touched her.
“If you don’t go right now, I’ll call the guard to come and kick your ass before throwing you out. He already doesn’t look pleased with us. I’ll see you on the outside.”
“If you’re still in here next week, I’ll pay you a conjugal visit.”
“Only in your dreams.”
He winked. “Always in my dreams.”
She shook her head and laughed. He’d never change. That’s not true. One day a woman would come and sweep him off his flirtatious feet. Sarita had done it a number of times literally, when they trained, but he needed someone who would do it in the arena of love.
Everyone else lingered with their guest, squeezing every second from their only contact with the outside world. The excitement and expectation which permeated the air less than an hour ago shifted to sorrow and disappointment.
Sarita sensed, rather than saw, the guard glaring at her. She observed him.
His gaze never wavered. His irritation reached her from across the room.
“Do you see what I see, Lombardo?”
“You mean the one staring you down as if he means to do you harm?”
“I don’t sense he wants to hurt me, only that he’s angry.”
The tall, blue-eyed, blond with the most sculpted features she’d ever seen outside of a magazine, now scanned the room instead of throwing daggers at her with his eyes.
“Visitation time is over. Inmates line up against the wall,” one of the other guards instructed.
He only had to tell them once. The consequences for disobeying an order would be no visits for two weeks.
“Watch your back,” Lombardo warned.
She punched his arm. “I always do.”
Once all the inmates stood in line, they were escorted out, waving to their friends, family, and significant others. Sarita gave Lombardo the middle finger salute. She could hear him laughing as she walked through the door.
Each inmate was escorted to a separate room. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.” Sarita did as the female guard ordered when she entered the room. “Strip off your clothes, including your bra, and shake them out.”
Sarita handed the uniform to the guard who checked the pockets.
“Lift your breasts. Turn around, pull down your panties, and spread your butt cheeks.”
These orders caused her to wince, but she followed them. She’d been told about the strip search but hadn’t ventured to guess how embarrassing it would be. The guard appeared to be having the same amount of fun. She tossed Sarita her clothes. “Get dressed.”
Sarita couldn’t put them on fast enough. Why hadn’t she asked Corinth to arrange for her to skip this aspect of getting a visitor?
Hana waited for her on the other side of the door. Annoyance had replaced the girl’s sadness. Sarita tamped down her laughter.
The last two inmates exited and the group trooped up four flights of stairs to their unit. Rec time had been over for the past ten minutes so they were let into their rooms without ceremony.
Sarita’s brows furrowed when she thought of the angry guard. She’d seen him at the gym a couple of times transporting inmates from another unit. Other than those few encounters, she didn’t know him. She’d ask Matt about the gorgeous blond and his unwarranted anger if he came into work tomorrow.
She wouldn’t be able to last forty eight hours without seeing or hearing from him. Today had been hard enough. How had he gotten so deep into her being?
Chapter 15
Washington traffic should be outlawed. The clear path to and from work were the only things Matt liked about working the night shift. He glanced at Ryan pouting in the passenger’s seat “Ryan, why are you still upset? I’m sure it’s no big deal.”
“What do you mean? They were on each other like... like...like varnish on wood.”
“You’ve been talking about it since last night.” Matt had never before experienced the flux of jealousy which had possessed him when Ryan told him about Sarita’s male visitor. He’d gone for a jog to get rid of it.
Not the safest coping mechanism to utilize at ten in the evening.
By the time he arrived back at the apartment, he’d reached a more rational state.
Ryan raked a hand through his short blond hair. “She told you she didn’t have a boyfriend, right?”
Matt regretted telling his friend what happened between them that night. “Yes, she did and I believe her. That guy could be anyone to her.”
Matt had no claim on her. They weren’t dating or committed. They hardly even spoke. She existed as a prisoner and he, her guard. Of course, they’d shared a kiss that made his eyes cross, but that had been a mistake which could never be repeated.
Any day now, she’d be flying to Columbia. It would be best to forget about her effective immediately.
His mind screamed the truth, but his heart was a stubborn son of a bitch.
Ryan shook his head. “I don’t understand you.”
“Is there something you aren’t telling me, Ry? Are you in love with her?” Matt teased, but prayed it wasn’t true. “If I’m okay with it, then you should be, too.”
“I’ve never seen you trip over a woman before. You smile like an idiot when you talk about her.”
Matt inched the car forward in the crawling traffic. “So? What’s that got to do with you?”
“Nothing,” he grumbled. “No. I take it ba
ck. Everything. You’re closer to me than my own brothers. This chick makes you happy. I don’t want her to play you.”
Matt glanced at his friend. “Stop being a sentimental wuss. I may not know her as well as I’d like to, but I don’t think she’s a liar.”
Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever.”
“Do I have to send you a bouquet of flowers now?”
“I prefer orchids over roses.”
They chuckled.
Matt would never admit this aloud, not even to Ryan, because it sounded weird, but he knew deep down, when he dug away the layers of doubt and impossibilities of their situation, he and Sarita were meant to be together.
He reminded himself once again about her one-way ticket.
***
Sarita took a peek out the door during the guard’s shift change. Her breath hitched at the sight of Matt. When the two night guards left, he lifted his head and winked at her. She rolled her fingers into a wave. Lombardo would tease her until the apocalypse hit if he could see her now.
“He is out there?”
Sarita ignored Hana’s question without the least bit of guilt for being rude. “What are you going to do about Yong?”
The young woman’s shoulders slumped. Sarita wished she could take some of her burdens away. “I do not know,” Hana said. “My father is very angry with me. I do not think he will let me out of the country again.”
“I don’t blame him. You probably gave him a minor stroke.” At the stricken look on the girl’s face, Sarita lightened up. “What if Yong came to you? Would your dad allow you to see him?”
“He is very stubborn. Once he has made up his mind, it is almost impossible to change it.”
Sarita smiled as she grasped a very important word. “You said almost. There must be a way for him to see that you love Yong and want to be with him.” She squinted at Hana. “You do love him don’t you?”
“I do.”
“Well then, there’s a way to change your father’s mind.” Sarita relaxed against the wall of the window seat. “What situations in the past have you seen him reverse a decision?” Perhaps a stay of execution?
Hana lay down on the bed propping herself on an elbow so she faced Sarita. “It was about my brother’s college education. He wanted to study mathematics while my father ordered him to study law.”
Sarita longed to ask why law, but she stayed on the topic at hand. “What happened?”
Hana’s grin brightened her eyes. “My mother spoke to my father and then my brother was allowed to study mathematics.”
“How did that work out?
“Very well.” Hana tucked a strand of straight black hair behind her ear. “He is a professor at the big university. He enjoys teaching and doing his research. He brings pride to the family.”
“Your mother got your father to change his mind. Is their relationship strong?” Sarita winced, realizing she may have crossed the line. After all, Hana’s father was the president of a country, but she wanted to help the girl. If Carter couldn’t be hers, then at least Hana could have Yong.
“Yes.”
“How does your mother feel about Yong?”
“She was fond of him when we were friends, but she does not know about our adult relationship.”
“I’m sure she’s aware. Have you spoken to your parents since you’ve been in here?”
Hana’s eyes would pop out and fly across the room if she shook her head any harder.
“Don’t you think they’d want to hear from you after months of not knowing if you were alive?”
Hana lowered her head. “I am sure they know I am well.”
“How?”
“They have their ways,” Hana mumbled but didn’t expound.
The president had his daughter thrown into jail. The man seemed unyielding, but even the strongest trees bent when the wind blew strong enough. When had she started with the proverbs? “It might be better for your case if you called and at least spoke to your mother. Tell her why you ran off with Yong. Explain that you love him and want the kind of relationship she and your father have.”
Sarita got up and collected the things she’d need for a shower, giving Hana time to think. “Are you coming out for morning rec?”
Hana gracefully slid from the bed.
When the door clicked open, everyone rushed to get in line for the three shower stalls. Unlike what Sarita had watched in the movies, prison, at least this unit, was a civilized, orderly place. Everyone put their shower slippers or another personal item down to hold her place, knowing no one would move them, and then went to take care of other business, like making phone calls.
Sarita intentionally joined the line next to Hana’s so that she’d go in before her charge. They had one pair of flip flops to share between them. The list of sacrifices she made for the job kept mounting.
The warm water in the stall she chose only lasted for a few seconds before turning cold. A shiver ran through her in anticipation of the discomfort she’d soon experience. She ignored Matt’s gaze on her as she walked to the phones.
It seemed the staring thing worked both ways. She sighed as she waited for the phone to be free while diverting her attention from him. Not an easy task.
Hana got a phone first. Her chipper tone indicated she was speaking to Yong. Sarita smiled and her vision drifted to Matt involuntarily. When their gazes met, the atmosphere became charged.
She could envision herself gliding in slow motion as he moved toward her. The song “I Only Have Eyes for You” playing as they met. His hands gently holding both sides of her face as his lips descended onto hers.
Not expecting the initial shock of their touch, she inhaled a sharp breath. His succulent lips grazed back and forth until he stopped teasing and sucked her bottom lip. Her legs became so jellified she had no other choice than to coil her arms around his neck or she’d fall. When her lips opened, his tongue slipped into her mouth. The vibration of his moan met hers.
“Sarita, it’s your turn.”
Oh yeah. It’s my turn to take my time kissing this amazing man. The thought made her smile as her tongue made its way around the inside of his mouth.
Someone shoved her, pulling her out of the daydream. “If you don’t go, I will.”
Sarita hadn’t moved. She looked at the clock. Only a minute had passed.
Picking up the phone, she glanced at Matt. His smooth skin appeared flushed.
Had he experienced the same intense fantasy?
“When?” Sarita didn’t have to clarify the question as Corinth answered.
“How was your visit with Vince?”
“I had to ward off his flirting as usual, but it was great to see him.”
“If he’s not flirting, he’s not Vince.”
“He doesn’t do it with you.”
“Not as heavily.” Did her big bad boss enjoy Lombardo’s playful interactions? “He doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“I wish he’d tone it down.”
“He does it to get your goat, knowing how much it annoys you.”
“When?” Sarita persisted. Her gaze wandered to Hana who still spoke excitedly on the phone.
“Tomorrow.”
Sarita’s heart plummeted. The thought of leaving Matt caused her more pain than the joy of leaving.
“You and the hunky guard can always get together outside. I heard about the agent training.”
Corinth’s wealth of information no longer surprised her.
“He won’t forgive me for deceiving him.”
“Maybe not at first, but he’ll get over it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in our tough world, it’s that love is forgiving.”
Sarita wouldn’t deceive herself with the illusion that Matt had fallen in love with her or that he’d forgive her for not sharing the truth.
Perhaps after his training at the academy he’d be better able to understand.
The man possessed more than his fair share of intelligence. Maybe he’d be abl
e to grasp the reason for her deception. A blip of hope sparked.
“You’re heading over with the bulb.”
Sarita must have been too distracted to have heard correctly. “Pardon me?”
“You are heading over with the bulb. Your things are being sent to you today.”
Sarita had no desire to traipse over to South Korea while she could be seeking forgiveness from Matt once released. “What about ICE?”
“She reverts back to us once she’s out.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Why not someone else?”
“You’ve had contact. She’s comfortable with you.”
Sarita kicked the wall. Of course Corinth was right, but she didn’t have to like it.
“It’s just for a few days. And then you’ll be back to beg his forgiveness.”
“I do not beg,” she huffed. “Okay, maybe a little begging might be in order.”
“Anything specific you need in your luggage?”
Visions of dusty pink lipstick and lash elongating mascara made her giddy. “Yeah, every piece of makeup I own and nothing yellow. Hell, leave orange out of the mix too.”
“Sure thing. Good work so far.”
Sarita couldn’t fathom what she’d done to merit the praise. The guards were the ones who’d done the protecting. She’d eaten, read, and conversed the few days away. “Thanks.”
“Report back tomorrow after release.”
“Will do.” Sarita hung up.
Hana’s second call held no traces of mirth. The poor girl held the phone with a white knuckled grip as she listened to the voice on the other end. She would interject a few Korean words every once in a while.
Sarita noticed she was up for the shower. She tapped Hana on the shoulder and pointed to the stalls, indicating where she’d be.
Was it her imagination or did she hear the song “I Only Have Eyes for You” playing? Bypassing the stalls, she headed for the television. Yup, the movie A Bronx Tale would explain it.
Ignoring the temptation to sit and watch one of her favorite movies, she strode back to the shower stall before someone took her place.
Matt’s unreadable expression as he watched her made her hesitate for a step.