“Nene.” His hands cupped my cheeks, tender and sweet. It was the kindest gesture I’d received from anyone since my parents’ death. I could smell myself on him, the tang cutting into bittersweet memories. I turned my face and kissed his palm, licking the one that had rubbed me to completion a moment earlier. His eyes narrowed, darker if possible, and I pried myself away from his hold
.
“Thank you. I’m not sure anyone can help me.” His hands tangled in my hair and he kissed my forehead sweetly not letting me go.
“I will, if you let me.” Our eyes locked and I wanted to believe him.
“About the library?” I wondered why he used that to get me to his office in the first place. Had that even been legitimate?
“Would you like to work there? It’s quiet and away from the rec room where the Tribe hangs out.” Cohen’s hands rest on my shoulders kneading them as if I needed any convincing to get away from those crazy bitches in here.
“Yes. Thank you.” I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek suddenly feeling shy.
The knock on the door sounded again. It was Garcia. I hated him.
Cohen pulled me in close and kissed my lips letting his tongue push through tasting, taking, claiming.
“I’ll deal with him.” Cohen stepped outside the room leaving me inside. I heard stern voices and Cohen quickly opened the door walking in. Garcia winked at me from the hallway and my stomach felt gutted watching him saunter away.
“What did he want?” I asked.
“He wanted to talk about room shakeups for contraband.” Cohen husked frustrated.
“Should you be telling me that?”
He shrugged. “Probably not. I probably also shouldn’t tell you to tell your cellmate to hide her chocolate. You definitely didn’t hear that from me.”
“Uh huh.” I nodded wondering how the hell Sharee got her chocolate when the answer was staring me right in the face. Funny that he should look like the guilty party for a change.
“Stay away from Garcia.” He warned me and I nodded. As if I needed that warning. I would happily avoid that guy like the plague.
“Was the library really what you wanted to talk to me about?” I confront Cohen who backed me up against the wall again feeling me up over the offending orange cotton.
“I shouldn’t be telling you this either, but the Tribe is connected to some shady shit inside and out of here.”
Of course they were, the Tribe was always being talked about.
“So if I heard something it would be helpful for you to know?” I wondered if that was why he wanted to know so much about my case and how I ended up here. Was it another ploy to use me? Did I really care? As long as Cohen Sheppard was the warden I might be relatively safe as deceiving as that might be.
“Look forget it. I never said anything. I want someone to look your case over anyway. I do not want you messing around with those girls.”
“But.” I hesitate. What if I did hear or see something.
“Forget it Nene, let me call one of the female guards to take you back.”
Just like that our conversation ended and Cohen reverted to being bossy and moody. I waited for a female guard I hadn’t met before to escort me. She was quiet and I was thankful to have my thoughts to myself. If I was lucky I wouldn’t run into anyone, especially anyone from the Red Tribe. I had to remember that, no matter what, I’m in this alone. I got here alone, and I would get through this that way.
Eight
Cohen
“Any news yet?” James called regularly in the two months I’d been here, checking in asking for reports every 2-3 days. Besides the inner workings of the prison, there wasn’t much to tell. As the warden, I found myself a bit removed from all of the action and depended on Maris to report back discreetly, but the only way she could do that was by stirring up trouble and getting herself sent up to my office. At this point, Garcia was bound to think I was having inappropriate relations with female prisoners if I kept seeing Maris every few days and sneaking ways to see Nene. The last thing I wanted was the Tribe to see Maris as a snitch or Nene as a troublemaker when things went down. I would never forgive myself if either got caught in the crossfire when shit went down.
The Red Tribe was quiet at the moment, and minimal contraband had been confiscated in the last few room inspections. I traded Nene’s cellmate Sharee chocolate for information when she heard things but it didn’t get me much except who was hooking up in the showers or stealing from the kitchen. I needed more. More time. More information.
My time overall reviewed a slew of shoddy paperwork. Plenty of bureaucratic red tape filled with board meetings and inspections for compliance issues dragged the days out. To say I was busy was an understatement, and I understood how this profession could cause burnout with the wrong person behind the desk.
I listened to James yammer on before responding. “No, but we’re working on it. Maris has gotten into the gang, but hasn’t gotten any real information to link the girls directly back to Hector. In fact she hasn’t even sat down with their leader who is real cagey with anyone new.”