Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
RORY
Marco was still in bed when we got up for school on Wednesday, and we left him sleeping there when we all left. Jensen figured he could just break back in anyway, so kicking him out was pointless.
He was gone when we got home though, and he didn’t break back in that night. He was actually oddly quiet.
“I kept him busy,” Hunter grunted when I mentioned it on Thursday morning when he picked me up to head to Fairview, no Marco in sight. “I’ve told him to leave you alone.”
“Thanks. He’s getting clingy,” I joked, checking my phone to scroll on social media.
It was mostly the same shit. The investigation about Mandy’s death, which was looking like the Soldiers getting the blame were going to be thrown in prison, an article about our break-in and how I was let off for killing the intruders, and then I almost dropped the phone when I found a picture of Slash and an article talking about gang wars and the worry of retaliation.
“Aurora,” Hunter said sharply, making me look up to see we’d pulled over and he’d probably repeated my name a few times already.
He reached out and took my phone, scanning it before shutting out of it and locking the screen.
“Don’t bother with it. You already know there’s retaliation, and it won’t give you answers. ”
I blew out a breath, getting my shit together. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting to see a photo of him.”
“Clearly. Have you gone to visit him yet?” he asked carefully, and I shook my head. “I think you should for some closure.”
“I’m not ready to deal with it. Can we get back on the road? I don’t want to miss seeing Lexi,” I said, needing to steer the conversation away from Slash.
“As long as you know I’m happy to go with you to see Slash if you need me to,” he answered, pulling back onto the road to continue our journey.
We stopped once for gas, but we didn’t stop for anything else. He gave me his phone to pick some music, and we spent the whole trip making small talk. He’d been pretty busy with the crew the past few days, so he caught me up on all the Devils’ drama too.
Apparently, Preston pissed off Hammer and got his face punched in, so now he matched Dom’s black and blue face for touching Violet.
We left everything except our wallets in the car, heading into the main office to sign in, and neither of us were surprised by our strip searches.
“Donovan,” Miss Jarvis said dryly when she saw me walking towards the door to the visitors room with Hunter. “It hasn’t even been two weeks yet. Missing us?”
“Just my little love bug,” I deadpanned, making her snort.
“She’ll be back with you before you know it. Stay out of trouble.”
“Always,” I said sweetly, and Hunter scoffed but didn’t say anything.
It felt strange walking in through this door, moving to a table to wait for Lexi. I recognized some of the other families visiting, one of them eyeing me like they were trying to figure out why I was familiar.
The door opened after a few minutes and inmates started walking in, a grin spreading across my face as Lexi appeared. I could tell she wanted to run over but kept her cool, throwing her arms around me tightly when she reached us.
“Hey,” she murmured, her arms tightening a little more before stepping back to give Hunter one too. “Easy trip down?”
“No trouble,” he confirmed, all of us sitting before we got yelled at.
“So, what’s new?” she beamed, looking at me. “Fill me in on all the spicy times. My pussy’s gone dusty since you left.”
“It’s not spicy. Things are tense,” I sighed, not really knowing how to explain it without looking like an asshole. “I sort of crossed a line with Marco, and the guys got all paranoid about STDs. I’m surprised they didn’t all leave me.”
Lexi’s eyes widened, and she slid her gaze to Hunter. “You’re cool with him banging her?”
“No,” he muttered, but I scowled.
“We’re not banging. Things just got rubbed in places they shouldn’t have when I was drunk,” I argued, making Hunter roll his eyes.
“You let him come on your pussy. It might as well have been sex.”
“Keep your voice down,” I grumbled, giving him a look. “It’s not like you wouldn’t do it.”
“You have no idea the things I want to do to you,” he smirked, leaning across the table a little to Lexi. “I hear that you two have secrets that you don’t share with me. I’m a little offended.”
“What secrets?” Lexi asked carefully.
“I don’t know, but she has dirt on your husband and used it against him,” Hunter said unhelpfully, Lexi’s eyes narrowing on me.
“What did you say?”
“I just threatened him a little, no biggie. We had a home invasion the other night and I was trying to get to the bottom of it,” I answered, her head slowly nodding.
“I did see on the news that you killed two people that broke in. You thought Archer had something to do with it?”
“Covering all bases. Archer isn’t a fan of our prison bonding,” I said dryly, making her frown.
“So?”
“So I told him what I know and to treat you better or I’d bring the crew down around him,” I shrugged, making her groan.
“Dammit, Donovan. He’s going to kill me for telling you.”
“If he kills you then I’ll kill him.”
“I want to know the secret,” Hunter sighed, resting his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand.
Lexi leaned in, not wanting anyone else to hear her. “The wedding was fake. It meant his crew had to protect me, and it was supposed to be bait to bring Lopez out to handle him.”
“Well, I guess that fucking worked,” he deadpanned.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like it did. I couldn’t exactly not wear the ring around the crew though or they’d know it was bullshit.”
“They already think it’s bullshit. You and Hendricks fuck a million other people. Why do it separately? You fuck the strippers, and so does he. Do it together,” Hunter said like it made perfect sense.
“Arch doesn’t like sharing or we’d already be living that harem life,” she joked, motioning to me. “The guys are working through the shit with you and Marco?”
I filled her in on it all, Hunter adding his unhelpful opinions, and by the time I was done, she was chuckling.
“Babe, I hate you. Convince them to ravish you as a group. Just get naked.”
“Don’t do that,” Hunter bit out, giving her a dirty look. “The guys aren’t okay with it.”
“I meant she should get naked in front of all of you. You included.”
“I retract my statement,” he replied, throwing me a grin. “I think it’s a good idea.”
“Whore,” I muttered, kicking him under the table. “We need to find out if anyone in here sent someone after me, so let’s talk about that.”
“Grovers is the only one that hates you that much, but she’s a junkie with zero connections.
Definitely couldn’t hire hitmen,” Lexi mused, looking thoughtful.
“Maxwell’s girls are still loyal to you, so is our whole crew.
Roberts got put back in gen pop but was placed into protective custody within days.
Whoever put her in here has abandoned her.
Anderson’s been transferred, but she doesn’t have the funds for a hitman either. ”
“Why did Anderson transfer? And did someone go after Roberts?” I asked with surprise, Lexi grinning.
“Half the block was out for her blood when she returned. You made quite an impact, babe. If Anderson didn’t transfer, it was going to get uncomfortable in here too. The warden thought it was best.”
“So there’s no one else in here that wants Rory dead? No offense, but I don’t believe you,” Hunter said seriously, glancing around. “Half the people in this room don’t seem to like her. What about the people involved in shivving her and putting her in the hospital?”
“Unfortunate overdose for one, the other is currently eating through a tube in the hospital. Kat really lost her temper with that one,” she tsked, motioning to the room around us.
“Everyone in here’s just nervous, that’s all.
They know Donovan’s a bigger player on the outside, and the fact she got away with murder twice now is kind of scaring people. ”
“One, I didn’t murder anyone. My case was dropped. Two, the home invasion was self-defense. They were literally kicking doors in and had guns,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
“Sure,” she said dryly, tilting her head at me. “I’m glad you got out, but I miss you in here.”
“When do you get out? Got a date yet?” I asked, making her grin.
“They’re letting me out on the twelfth. You’re coming to get me, right?”
“I can probably do that, it’s the start of spring break. We’ll stop for ice cream.”
“Like a date?” she teased, giving me a wink.
“You wish.”
Our five minute warning felt like it was only two before we had to leave, and Lexi hugged me so hard I thought she’d cracked my ribs.
“I’ll try to get down next week to see you again. Call me too. Hold it together, you’re almost out,” I murmured, making her nod as she pulled back to hug Hunter next. He said something in her ear, but I couldn’t hear it, and it really fucking sucked watching her walk away while we got to go home.
She only had to keep it together for another week and a half and she’d be free too.
We stopped for ice cream by the lake in Rosevale on the way home, and I told Hunter a few things about Mom as we ate. There had been no more leads, and I hated not knowing where she was.
Had she seen the reports on the news about me killing Max? She knew it was safe to return, so why hadn’t she?
What if she’d ended up sold after all? Was she being beaten? Raped?
Maybe I’d been delusional to think she was happy somewhere? Was that why she hadn’t come for me? Her new life was dangerous for me too?
I was ready to start knocking on every door in Rosevale, but Hunter promised he’d do a deep dive when we got back, calming me slightly. He hadn’t let me down yet, so I knew he meant it.
Had Skeeter even bothered to look? I was starting to think not.
Hunter agreed to come find me the second he found anything, even if it was small, so I let him drop me off at home to enjoy the peace and quiet.