All the Way In

by Betsy Locke

  I stood up and paced around my bedroom in the dark. “Why can't one of your biker friends bail you out?”

  “Because they're all in jail too and they're not getting the option for bail.”

  “How much?” I asked.

  “Five thousand.”

  I took a seat on the edge of my bed. “Are you fucking serious? Five thousand dollars. I don't have that kind of money.”

  “I know you have the money, Layla. You've always been the responsible one. You have to help me.”

  Declan wasn't wrong. I did have the money but five thousand was a lot to me. And did I want to waste it on my stepbrother?

  “What's going to be different this time? If I bail you out, you could wind up in jail the next day for something else.”

  “This is never going to happen again. I've cut ties with the Death Reavers.”

  Declan had joined the Death Reavers motorcycle club straight out of high school and never went to college. My family had pretty much disowned him after the first time he went to jail. I still wanted to be in his life but it was very difficult.

  Something inside me was telling me to help. Maybe it was the connection we had the very first time I met him. Maybe I was just a sucker?

  “Okay, I'll help you. Where are you?”

  “You're not going to like this. I'm in a jail in Arizona.”

  “Arizona? You want me to drive eight hours and across state lines to get you?”

  “It will be morning when you get here and the banks should be open. You can get a cashier's check for five thousand from there.”

  This was getting to be too much. But how could I say no now? Besides he was my stepbrother. I had to help him even though I knew he was just going to hurt me in the end.

  I hung up on him and started getting ready. Driving for eight hours straight wasn't my idea of a fun time. Especially after not having slept for very long.

  I put on a t-shirt and jeans and hopped into my black Mazda. I didn't even bother with a shower or makeup. I could put on my face later.

  I drove through the night, remembering all the times with Declan.

  I used to have such a crush on him even though I knew it was wrong. I couldn't help it though. Declan was so strong and badass.

  There was one time when we almost kissed.

  I had blocked it from my brain for so long but now it came rushing back. We were all alone on the couch and I had spilled juice all over my shirt. Declan had run to the kitchen to grab paper towels and he pressed them against my wet chest.

  My erect nipples poked through the shirt and my breasts could easily be seen. I could tell how much he wanted to kiss me at that moment but he pulled away.

  Sometimes I wished he had gone through with it. Maybe things would be different now.

  I tried to imagine what he looked like now. When I saw him last, his head was shaved down to the skin and he had a couple of tattoos of his MC on his arms. Definitely looked like he belonged in jail.

  I pictured him in my mind with tattoos covering every inch of his face and body because that was the only natural evolution. He probably was wearing those orange jumpsuits that they gave to you in prison.

  I wasn't really into that whole ex-convict look so there shouldn't be any old feelings bubbling back to the surface.

  Chapter Two

  The drive was long and tiring.

  I had almost fallen asleep many times but was able to keep myself awake by turning the radio up.

  I arrived in Arizona around 11:30 AM and I stopped at the nearest bank. My account was drained to zero when I received the cashier's check for five thousand.

  I tried not think about how long it would take to save that amount of money again. I was always very frugal with spending and tried to save as much as I could. My retirement accounts were growing but I always felt like I was living paycheck to paycheck.

  And now having to pay Declan's bail, I wasn't going to have that safety cushion anymore in case something went wrong in my own life.

  The Arizona State Prison stood before me with tall gray walls and watchtowers. Guards looked down menacingly, holding long rifles.

  I walked up to a teller window that reminded me of a movie theater. “I'm here for Declan Kirk,” I said.

  The woman with short brown hair and in a beige uniform looked at her computer. “Your name?” she asked.

  “Layla Kirk,” I replied. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to call ahead and make an appointment or if Declan had already done the work.

  “Driver's license please.”

  I fumbled through my purse until I found it and slid it through the small slot in the window.

  The female guard printed out an ID and handed me a lanyard. “Go to the guard at the gate and he will let you in.”

  I put on my best fake smile. “Thank you.”

  I walked over to the front gate and an imposing guard stood there. He wore aviators and was a little overweight. He pulled down his sunglasses to check out my figure. I was used to being looked at by men but not when I barely had any makeup on and no sleep.

  I showed him my temporary ID and he nodded, opening the gate. “Walk all the way to the end and don't talk to any of the prisoners.”

  Two large fields of grass stood on either side of a tunnel made of wire fences. Prisoners in orange jumpsuits stood at the fences with their fingers clenching the grating. I kept my eyes straight ahead as I walked.

  “Ooo, baby. Look at the titties on her. I'd like to come all over those,” a man said with a scar over his right eye.

  Another snapped his fingers at me. I couldn't help but look over at a short guy with a bald head. He put his hand over his crotch. “I can give you what you need, honey.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to block out their hollering as I made it to the set of double doors at the end. I walked in and was greeted with a metal detector. I put my purse through the machine and walked through the gateway.

  I was pointed to another teller window by a guard and walked up to it. I showed the man my ID. “I'm here for Declan Kirk,” I said.

  He typed on his computer. “The bail is set for five thousand dollars. We accept cashier's checks only.”

  I nodded and pulled the slip of paper out my purse. I slid it under the window and watched my small amount of savings wash away.

  “You may go to the waiting room until the prisoner is brought out.”

  I was shown the way to a set of chairs with a television that was about twenty years old. I didn't even bother turning it on to see if it worked.

  After an hour of waiting, I walked back to the teller window. “I'm still here by the way,” I reminded him. “Will Declan be coming out soon?”

  My question was answered from behind me. “How's it going, Layla?”

  That could only be the voice of my stepbrother. I slowly turned around and saw his handsome face. All those old feelings came rushing back immediately. I found myself jumping into his arms and giving him a hug.

  “I'm sorry but I can't hug you back,” he said, holding up his wrists that were handcuffed together.

  He didn't look like anything I imagined. His brown hair had grown out and was almost shoulder length. His face was tattoo free but his arms were pretty much covered now with ink.

  The shocking part was how stacked he looked. I remembered him being half the size. The orange jumpsuit looked stretched out over his hard chest and big arms. I could only imagine what his body looked like underneath.

  “Are you okay?” I asked him.

  He nodded while a guard took a key and unlocked the handcuffs around his wrists and ankles. “Much better now.” Declan rubbed his red wrists.

  Another guard came out with a clipboard. “Declan Kirk. The judge has ordered you on parole. Will you be living with this woman?”

  “Yes,” Declan replied.

  The guard turned to me. “Do you accept responsibility for him? Can you provide a safe home for him?”

  What the fuck was going on? Declan di
dn't tell me anything about this!

  Chapter Three

  I shot daggers at Declan. He had neglected to tell me that I was to become his roommate and overseer.

  Declan just shrugged while the guard waited for an answer from me.

  “Let's pause for a moment. What does all this entail?”

  “We cannot release the prisoner unless it's in the custody of a responsible adult who is living with him.”

  “And how long is this supposed to last?”

  The guard looked down at his notes. “His parole is three years.”

  I started to choke on oxygen. “He has to live with me for three years!”

  Declan put his hand on my arm and pulled me to the side. I felt a shock of electricity shoot through me. He looked me in the eyes, his blue globes almost on the verge of tears.

  I'd never seen him so vulnerable before. Maybe he had really changed?

  “I really need your help, Layla. I can't stay in prison again. I just can't. I'll do whatever you ask. Follow whatever rules you want.”

  Declan was desperate and I didn't have much choice. I couldn't just leave him behind in prison. But the thought of getting that five thousand back was very tempting.

  “Okay fine. I'll do it.”

  The guard nodded and handed Declan a clear plastic bag of his clothes and belongings. “You may change in the bathroom.”

  I sat back down in the waiting room while Declan got dressed. My blood pressure was still high from the surprise that Declan would have to live with me now. I only had a one-bedroom apartment. Where was he supposed to sleep? He wouldn't even fit on my tiny two-cushion couch.

  Declan walked out of the bathroom wearing ripped blue jeans, a white baggy shirt, and a Death Reavers black cut.

  I had to admit that he looked damn good as a biker. That throbbing need between my thighs was hard to ignore.

  “I thought you were done with the motorcycle club?”

  Declan looked down at his outfit. “This is all I have to wear. I could go back to the guard and get the orange jumpsuit if you want?”

  I stood up. “It's fine. So are we good to go? Do we need to sign any more documents?”

  “I'm a free man,” Declan replied with a smile.

  “Then let's get the hell out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

  “Just imagine living here for an extended stay.”

  I shivered and led Declan outside and into the fence tunnel. The prisoners in the fields were cleared out and I didn't have to worry about any men catcalling me. I wasn't sure what Declan would do if that happened.

  He had always been so protective me. Going so far as punching my date in face when he was twenty minutes late to pick me up for prom.

  We both hopped into my car and I started the engine. My eyelids were heavy and I could barely keep them open. Missing those precious hours of sleep was finally catching up with me.

  “There's no way I can drive us back today. We're going to have to get a hotel for the night and drive back tomorrow.”

  “I can drive us back,” Declan replied.

  “Do you even have a valid driver's license?”

  Declan's eyes darted away for a moment. “Of course I do. How else do you think I ride my motorcycle?” It was easy to tell that he was about to lie to me. It was exactly like that time when I asked him if he had skipped school and his eyes did the same thing.

  He would have to be truthful with me from now on.

  “I always know when you're lying to me. You probably do have a driver's license but it's expired. Now that I'm responsible for you, we can't make stupid mistakes while you're on parole.” I stuck my index finger at him. “You have to be clean from now on.”

  The grin on Declan's face stretched from ear to ear. “I like it when you order me around.”

  I sighed and started driving. We passed through the hot desert and there wasn't much around except for tumbleweeds and cacti.

  A sign announcing a motel coming up shot by. “Looks like we can stop here so I can get some rest.”

  “Whatever you need, Layla.”

  The motel was a single level with about seven rooms. “Reminds me of the Bates Motel,” I told Declan.

  “We can always keep driving and find another one.”

  I stopped the car in the parking lot. “The next one could be hours away. Let's just stay at this one.”

  Declan stood outside while I went into the small lobby. I pushed the button on the bell to make it ring. A tall skinny man with sunken eyes appeared behind the counter. “How can I help you?” he asked.

  “Can I get a room for the night? Two beds.”

  “We only have rooms with one bed.”

  Declan and I were going to have to share. It would be good practice for living together.

  Chapter Four

  Declan and I entered the room and stopped in our tracks. “I think you were right about it being Bates Motel,” he said.

  The wallpaper was peeling off the walls and water stains covered the ceiling. The one bed in the room was pretty small and the comforter looked full of dust.

  “I don't even want to look at the bathroom,” I said.

  Declan walked into the bathroom and walked right back out. “You do not want to go in there. I think there's a dead body in the tub.”

  For a second I almost believed him. I walked right by him and peeked inside the bathroom. It was the opposite of the room. Completely redone and modern. White tile floors and white counter-tops. A glass standing shower and a small window that let in a lot of sunlight.

  “This definitely doesn't go with the rest of the place. A happy surprise.”

  Declan looked at the bed. “I guess one of us will have to sleep on the floor later tonight.”

  “That's going to be you, Declan, because I'm going to crash right now.”

  My eyelids felt heavy, the bed looking more and more appetizing. I fell over and right onto the hard mattress. A cloud of dust was kicked up. Normally I wouldn't be able to fall asleep on such disgusting conditions but I was absolutely exhausted.

  I fell asleep face down.

  –

  When my eyes opened again, it was dark outside and Declan had turned the TV on in the room. The bathroom door was closed and the light on inside.

  I sat up and yawned. That was surprisingly the best sleep I'd had in awhile. Maybe I had to rethink soft mattresses.

  The bathroom door opened and Declan walked out, rubbing his wet hands on his jeans. “You're finally awake, Layla.”

  I looked at the clock as saw that it was almost midnight. I'd almost slept for nine hours which would've been great but now I wouldn't be able to fall asleep during the night and the terrible cycle would start all over tomorrow.