Rah

Chapter 38 Solae

SOLAE

Iwas sitting on my bunk, halfway through writing a letter to the kids, when I heard the jangle of keys and the sound of boots stop in front of my cubicle.

“Carter,” a voice roared.

I looked up to see a CO I’d seen around the facility but wasn’t familiar with. He was tall and broad with a hard face that was unreadable. His name tag read CO Denton.

“Yeah?” I said, standing up slowly.

“Pack up your property,” he said flatly. “Let’s go.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Wait—what? Why?”

Blowing a heavy breath, he quipped, “Just do what I said, inmate.”

That alone was enough to make me move. I’d been locked up long enough to know not to ask too many questions when the CO’s tone was like that.

I grabbed my property bag and started stuffing my things inside. In this short time, I had only accumulated letters, photos, commissary snacks, and the couple books I’d traded for. I could feel the other women in the dorm watching me.

“Yo, Solae,” one of them, Keysha, called from her bunk. “Where you goin’? You good?”

“I don’t know,” I answered.

Another girl, Rina, frowned. “You ain’t in no trouble, right?”

I shook my head. “Nah. Least I don’t think so.”

I zipped my bag and followed Denton out. My heart was pounding harder with every step. We passed through the dayroom, down the corridor, and toward administration. The farther we walked, the fewer inmates I saw.

I was leaving the housing unit entirely.

I got nervous and wondered if I was getting transferred. That had to be it. They were probably moving me to another facility.

I swallowed hard, trying not to panic. Transfers could mean anything.

I could be in an entirely different state with different COs.

And if I ended up somewhere far, my parents and Priest wouldn’t be able to visit as often as they do now.

Worse, what if Priest didn’t know anybody at the new prison?

What if I lost all the protection I had here?

“CO Denton,” I called carefully. “Where are we going?”

He didn’t even look at me. “Just walk and keep quiet.”

That shut me up quick. I kept my eyes on the floor and my footsteps following down the hall.

We reached a set of double doors, and he pushed them open.

My nerves were damn near shot by the time we stepped into a smaller administrative wing.

There were offices, computers, and staff I didn’t recognize, except one.

Standing near the back was CO Ramirez, one of the guards who’d always been nice to me.

He was on Priest’s payroll, too. He gave me a small smile when he saw me, which eased my worry just a little.

Beside him was a man I’d only ever seen from a distance, a staff member named Harold, one of the higher-ups who worked with inmate records and releases.

“Carter’s here,” Denton announced, then nodded to Ramirez and left the room without another word.

I turned to Ramirez, asking nervously. “What’s going on? Why am I here?”

Ramirez smiled. “Go ahead and dress out.”

“Dress out?” I repeated, blinking. “Why? Am I getting transferred?”

Harold stepped forward. “No, Ms. Carter. You’re being released.”

My brain short-circuited. “Released?”

He nodded. “Early release.”

My knees went weak, and before I knew it, Ramirez had reached out to steady me.

“I… I don’t understand,” I stammered. “What do you mean early release? I still have time left.”

Harold smiled faintly, pulling a paper from the file in his hand. “You’ve been granted a reduction. Between your good behavior, your lack of disciplinary tickets, and the work you’ve done in the inmate education program, your time’s been cut. You’re being released immediately.”

I stared at him, mouth open. “Immediately?”

“That’s right. You’ll walk out of here today.”

I covered my mouth as the tears came, shaking my head like I was trying to wake up from a dream. “Seriously?”

“Dead serious,” Ramirez said, handing me a folded stack of clothes. “Congratulations, Solae. Here—these are the clothes you came in with.”

He stepped outside the room to give me privacy. My hands trembled as I changed. I could barely pull the jeans up. My fingers were fumbling through the tears and trembling. Every breath I took felt unreal, like I was learning how to breathe again.

Ramirez came back a few minutes later, grinning from ear to ear. “Come on, Carter.”

I looked up from where I was still trying to zip my jeans. “Where am I going? I didn’t even get to tell anybody I’m getting out. I don’t have a ride or nothing.”

“You’ll be fine.” A smile tugged at his lips like he was keeping a secret.

My heart thudded in my chest as I slung my property bag over my shoulder and followed him. We walked down the long corridor toward the exit.

When we hit the last set of double doors, I hesitated. I’d done this walk a hundred times in my dreams, but actually standing there felt unreal.

Ramirez pushed the door open and held it for me. “Go on.”

I cautiously stepped out onto the walkway that led to the main gate.

And then Ramirez tilted his head toward the curb, smiling wider. “Your ride is waiting on you.”

I followed his gaze, and my breath caught in my throat.

Priest was leaning against his car like a god straight out of a dream, with the sun glinting off the diamonds in his chain and his arms folded across his chest. He looked beautifully dangerous and fine as ever.

I took off running.

He pushed off the car just in time to catch me. I hit his chest hard, and he wrapped me up tight in his arms. I clung to him. The sobs that came out of me were ugly and loud, but I didn’t care.

He held me with one hand at the back of my head and the other rubbing slow circles down my spine, like he’d never let go.

“How?” I cried against his chest. “How did this happen? They said I was required to do half my sentence. It’s only been two months.”

He pulled back just enough to look down at me. “I pulled some strings.”

I blinked up at him, trying to process it. “You… What?”

He chuckled softly, brushing his thumb over my cheek. “You think I was gon’ let you sit in there longer than you had to?”

I just stared at him as my whole body trembled from shock and relief.

He tilted my chin up, lustfully growling, “I’ve been waiting so damn long to taste you again.”

Before I could answer, his lips crashed against mine. It was hot, messy, and desperate.

When we finally pulled apart, he smiled like he was just as overwhelmed as I was.

“C’mon,” he said softly, brushing a tear from my cheek. “Let’s get you home.”

The second I stepped out of the car in front of my home, I could hear music playing inside, kids playing, and voices overlapping laughter.

When I walked through the door, the sight of everyone nearly brought me to my knees.

My parents were there, smiling wider than I’d seen in years.

Essence and Elijah came rushing toward me, screaming for me and wrapping their little arms around my waist. My daddy’s eyes were glassy, and my mama kept fanning her face like she was trying to keep her tears from falling.

Kahlani and Trent were there too. Fabe sat on the couch with Junior in his lap and Aaliyah beside him, both of them looking happy and settled in a way that made me realize how much they truly loved each other. Even though I hadn’t known Aaliyah well, I could tell she was good for him.

Apparently, everyone had known about my early release except me. A banner reading, “Welcome Home, Solae!” hung on the living room wall, along with balloons.

As I hugged each person, one by one, laughter blended with tears. Priest stood back in the corner, watching me proudly. I could see the pride, relief, and love in his eyes.

In that moment, surrounded by everyone I loved most, I felt the kind of peace and calm that just settled deep in my bones and reminded me that I’d made it home.

It felt surreal being surrounded by so much love after everything I’d been through. My heart was so full.

Still, there was a part of me that almost didn’t feel deserving. Like happiness wasn’t supposed to come this easy after so much chaos.

As I was talking to Priest about how he’d kept all of this from me, I noticed Aaliyah walking toward us.

She had a slightly nervous smile on her face, like she didn’t know how she’ll be received. “Can I talk to you for a minute, Solae?”

I had nothing against Aaliyah. If anything, I saw her as another victim of Rah’s, same as I was. She was just a woman who’d fallen for the wrong man and paid the price for it too.

She and I had spoken a few times while I was locked up, mostly when I called Fabe, and I only usually did that because of the kids. Essence and Elijah had built a bond with Junior, and they loved spending the night at Fabe and Aaliyah’s house.

“Yeah, sure.” I led her to my bedroom, away from all the noise. She stayed close behind me, until we got inside.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, and she lingered near the door like she wasn’t sure if she should come closer.

“I just wanted to give you something,” she said finally, slipping a bookbag off her shoulder.

My brows furrowed. “What’s this?”

She stepped forward and handed it to me. “Money.”

I blinked, confused. “Money?”

“Yeah.” She took a shaky breath. “It’s the money from Carlos’ murder.”

My eyes shot toward her. “F-Fabe told me that you’d taken this from Rah.”

“I told Fabe I flushed it,” she quickly explained.

“But I didn’t. I just… couldn’t. I felt like if anybody deserved it, it was you.

But then you got locked up, and I didn’t think it would be smart to give it to you then.

Now… you’re free. And Rah’s dead. So, I figured… you can use it to start over.”

My throat closed up.

I’d already heard Rah took over three hundred thousand from Carlos’ stash before everything went left. And now here it was, sitting in my lap, handed to me by the woman I once thought ruined my life.

Aaliyah’s eyes glistened as she added softly, “That’s all I wanted. And I’m really sorry… for everything.”

I didn’t know what to say. My mind was spinning. I hadn’t worked since I lost my job at Chase. My record was stained. I had three kids to care for. Priest was doing more than enough, but deep down, I’d been scared about how I was supposed to rebuild on my own.

And here she was handing me a second chance.

My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. “Thank you.”

She smiled faintly and turned to leave.

“And, Aaliyah,” I called out. So, she looked over her shoulder. “You don’t have to be sorry. He manipulated you, just like he did me. We’re both victims, so I don’t blame you. Thank you for welcoming my kids into your home.”

“No problem. We’re family now… Right?”

I smiled through tears. “Right.”

Smiling, she left out of the door. Once it closed behind her, I sat there for a long minute, clutching that bag. My heart was beating so hard, I was starting to feel a bit faint.

I stood, wiping at my tears, and tucked the bag in a safe place before letting out a long, shaky breath.

The door slowly opened again, breaking me out of my thoughts. Priest stepped inside wearing this curious expression. “I was just coming to check on you. You’ve been in here a minute.”

I turned toward him, still dazed, still trying to process what had just happened. I sat back down on the edge of the bed, telling him, “Aaliyah gave me the money from Carlos’ murder.”

His eyes widened, and for a moment he just stared at me. “You serious?”

I nodded.

He let out a low whistle, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Damn. That’s some real shit right there.”

“Yeah,” I said, exhaling. “It really is.”

I patted the space beside me. “Come here.”

He hesitated cautiously, like he could feel something coming. Then he sat down, close enough that our knees brushed. “What’s up?”

I took his hand in mine, feeling the roughness of his palm against my fingertips. “You’re not the only one that’s been keeping secrets.”

His brows pulled together. “What you mean?”

I turned his hand over and placed it gently on my stomach. “That prison food isn’t why I was getting thick.”

For a second, he just stared at me. Then his eyes went wide, and his mouth parted in shock.

I smiled through the tears gathering in my eyes. “I found out during intake. I didn’t tell you because… I couldn’t bring myself to say it across a table in visitation. I wanted to—”

Before I could finish, his arms wrapped around me so tight it knocked the air right out of my lungs, and we tumbled back onto the bed. Both of us laughed and cried at the same time. He kissed me hard and messy.

His hands traced the sides of my face, neck, and body like he was experiencing me for the first time all over again.

The kiss deepened, turning soft and slow, then desperate, then slow again. It wasn’t about lust; it was about me finding him after surviving hell, about him promising with every touch that I was home for good.

And as I laid there beneath him, his hand still resting protectively on my stomach, I couldn’t stop the grateful, happy tears from falling.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t haunted by what Rah had done to or taken from me.

So much had been taken from me; my freedom, my faith, pieces of myself I wasn’t sure I’d ever get back. But somehow, I’d found my way to something real.

I wasn’t na?ve enough to call it healing yet. I’d seen and lost too much to pretend I was healed from the trauma Rah had caused. But this—Priest, the life growing inside me, my babies—this felt like the beginning of restoring what Rah tried to take from me.

I was no longer fighting to survive a broken heart. I’d already done that. Now I was claiming the love I should’ve had all along.