Dark Destiny by Avelyn Paige

Delilah

There’ssomething off in the air when I arrive back at the jail. I could feel it as soon as I stepped outside. Its inky weirdness spread all over me when I stepped inside the building, only to find the sheriff speaking with Jessica. Both of them turn to me when I make my way toward them.

“Miss Walker.” The sheriff smiles, approaching me with his hand extended. “It’s so nice to make your acquaintance in person.” His heavy southern accent is loaded with fake sincerity and charm.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Sheriff?” I’d been here for months now, and most of that time, I had been trying to get an audience with his highness, but he’d been dodging my calls and never returning my messages.

“Just offering a friendly ‘hello’ to you, that’s all.”

I raise my brow. The weirdness from outside is spreading inside.

“If you have some free time, I’d love to sit down and chat with you. I’ve been trying to get onto your appointment calendar, but your secretary said you were booked solid.”

“Yes, I am,” he drawls.

“Well, you don’t seem to be tied down right now. Do you have time for a quick chat?”

“I wish I did, Miss Walker, but I’m on my way out for the day. Meetings with the mayor and governor, you see.” He offers me a cocky grin. “Try giving Dolores that call again.”

Because, of course, he had big meetings. What do you want to bet these meetings will be taking place on a golf course with a case of beer being lugged around by their own personal caddy?

He dips his hat to the both of us before heading out of the door, without so much as a second glance. I pivot to Jessica, who stands sternly, and uneasily silent.

“Everything okay?” I inquire.

“Fine. Your class will be a bit smaller today.”

“Why’s that?”

“Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“I think I have a right to know where my animals are, Jessica.”

“All the dogs are in their kennels.

“Okay?”

A voice calls out over the radio on her shoulder. Leaning into it, she answers back. “I have to go. You know the way to the kennels.” She takes off in the opposite direction of the kennels with fire, leaving a trail from her black leather boots.

First, the sheriff showing up. Now, Jessica not giving me the time of day. What’s next?

Getting to the kennel areas, I realize I should have never asked that question. When Jessica said small class, I had no idea she meant over half the participants would be missing, including Rhett and Buddy. Penelope and Rocco are where they should be in their kennels, but the two men are missing, along with so many others. Even Chad is nowhere to be seen, though his absence is a welcome one.

What’s happened? Was there an illness going through the cell blocks? So many scenarios explaining his—I mean, their absences, run through my mind. The room seems so empty without him—them! God. I have Rhett on my mind. You did last night too, and the night before that. I have a problem. A big one named Rhett hot-as-sin Darby.

Welp, if today is going to be weird, I best get on with it.

After checking on all the animals in their kennels, and working with those present for today’s session for more than two hours, a few more of the participants trickle into the room, including Chad. Can’t catch a break, can I?

He takes one look at me and beelines himself over, completely ignoring Missy’s cries for his attention. The huge smile on his face would be the twisted mirror version of the grimace on mine.

“Miss me?”

Like a fucking heart attack. The last place I want to be is anywhere he is.

“You don’t have to answer, because I know you did.”

I wasn’t planning on answering that. If I could pretend he didn’t exist at all, I’d be doing that instead of trying to figure out how I’m going to get out of this. Normally, I could rely on Rhett or Buddy to bail me out, but my pseudo-security team is missing in action.

“Been waiting to see you to tell you the good news. My lawyer says I’m going to be a free man as soon as next week.”

“That so?” I reply.

Our legal system never fails to confound me. Chad Elscher is a convicted murderer, serving a life sentence. How is it possible that he’s going to get out? I don’t know the particulars of his exact case, but murderers with life sentences aren’t often released as easily as he’s making the process out to be.

“Yeah,” he continues. I’m not really sure if he’s oblivious to my uncaring attitude or he just doesn’t give a shit. “I was just a kid when all that shit happened, but I’m a grown man now with years of good behavior. They’ll see that I’ve changed. My lawyer said it would be good if I could ask you to write a recommendation for me? About how good I’ve been with Missy?”

“Maybe,” I say, though there’s no way in hell I will ever write that letter. “Speaking of Missy, maybe you should go check on her. She’s been barking since you walked into the room.”

“She’s fine, Delilah.” Tilting his head to the side, he frowns. “It’s not every day that I get you alone like this, you know. You always seem to have a fan club hovering around you.”

I take my chance to try to change the subject. “Where is everyone? Did something happen?”

“Rumor has it some old pedophile got shanked in a yard fight. Happened when I was meeting with my lawyer, so I don’t know all the details.” The way he talks about someone being murdered so nonchalantly throws me off balance. For a reformed murderer—killer of another person—it doesn’t seem to faze him at all.

My stomach drops. Yard fights meant lockdowns. Buddy and Rhett couldn’t have been involved, could they? “Did anyone else get hurt? Do they know who did it? Is that where Buddy is? Rhett?”

Chad’s entire body stiffens. “How the fuck should I know?” His beady eyes narrow and his lip curls. “Why do you even care? They’re inmates. You’ve been spending way too much time with that big fucker. You barely even talk to me anymore.”

I don’t like the way he’s looking at me right now. Possessive. Obsessed, even. “They’re a part of my program, Chad. I’m simply concerned about them.”

“Looks like you’re a little more than concerned, if you ask me. The big motherfucker hovers around you like a lost puppy, Delilah. I don’t like that.”

“He’s new,” I reply. “I’m showing him the ropes.” Feeling infinitely more uncomfortable now, I scan the room for a guard, but just like there are less inmates today, there are also less guards. And there are none to be seen at the moment.

“Whatever,” Chad says, waving his hand and forcing a smile onto his face. “Forget them. What about you, though? What do you say you and me go out once I’m out of here?”

I’d rather him punch me in the face. “Go out? Like, on a date?”

His smile grows wider. “Yeah. Dinner, dancing, maybe a couple of beers. Would be fun.”

My insides twist and turn just thinking of him being free and out of jail. What does that mean for the rest of the world? This man is a monster. How can they just let him out?

“I appreciate the offer, Chad, but I don’t think that’s a very good idea.” I force myself to smile while using a gentle tone, praying he’ll make this easy on me. But something terrifying flashes in the depths of his eyes, and I know then he won’t let that happen.

His jaw sets, hard as stone. “Why not?”

Shit. Why not?

Do I tell him that I have a boyfriend? Or that I’m a lesbian, maybe?

“I really don’t date,” I lie, my heart racing as I scan the room again, desperate for a guard to come along.

Chad’s eyes are narrowed to angry slits now. “You mean, you don’t date men like me—criminals.”

I raise a hand and take a step back, angling myself away from the wall and into the open, near some of the other inmates. “That’s not what I said.”

Like magic, the anger evaporates from his face and is replaced with hope and happiness. “We’d have a lot of fun, Delilah. It’s been forever since I’ve been on a date, but I promise I’ll show you a good time. We could go dancing, or to a movie. Whatever you want, we can do.”

Jesus Christ. Where are the fucking guards?

“Chad, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested,” I say, finally managing to slip past him. “I do appreciate the offer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to start teaching an obedience class.”

Whipping around, I speed walk my way toward the kennel and the tiny closet where I keep some of my supplies. I can feel Chad’s frustrated glare burning holes in my back, but that had ended a lot better than it could have.

Arriving at the closet, I open the door and step inside, my chest heaving as my heart threatens to pump itself right out of it at rocket speed. Chad had never made it a secret that he was interested, but if I’m honest, most of these inmates are interested. Not because I’m attractive or desirable, or a great catch, but because I have tits and a vagina, and they’re locked up with a bunch of other men.

“Everything okay?”

Letting out a yelp of surprise, I press my hand to my chest and gape at the guard standing just a few feet away.

“Jeepers! You scared the bejesus out of me!”

The guard stifles a laugh. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“Where were you? I was looking for a guard a few minutes ago.”

He frowns. “I was just inside the kennel. A couple of the inmates’ argument was getting a little heated. Thought I was gonna have to break up a fight. I’m here now, though. What did you need?”

I look around the corner and watch as Chad pats Missy on top of her head and puts her into another sit, stay pose.

“Nothing,” I say. “Just making sure someone was around.”

I’d hate to report what had just happened with Chad to the guard. Nothing had actually happened, if I really think about it. He made a pass at me. I rejected. He pushed a bit. I walked away. End of story. And hopefully, the end of Chad’s obsession.