Chapter 26

It’s two days after Cain’s breakdown when Tessa arrives at my cell. Well, not my cell. Not technically. It’s Kai’s, but he has given me free rein to do whatever I want in it. Already, the stark gray walls have a splatter of coloring from the paint I found inside Abel’s drawer. Kai has also taken it upon himself to get me more clothes. Bras, dresses, skirts, and beautiful blouses are neatly folded in the dresser, alongside his own clothes. A jewelry stand sits regally on the wooden surface, though why I would need jewelry in prison remains a mystery.

“Knock! Knock!” Tessa’s chipper voice immediately brings a smile to my face.

“It’s open.”

I quickly slide into her head to see that she isn’t alone. Two unfamiliar females stand beside her, one holding a small bag and the other a silver dress. Maybe not completely unfamiliar. I’m pretty sure I have seen them both before, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out where.

“Are you alone?” I ask Tessa, despite already knowing the answer.

“No. No. Some of my girls are with me. Nina, this is Haley and Rebecca. Rebecca and Haley, this is Nina,” Tessa introduces, and I notice Haley’s lips thin into a solemn line. Rebecca, on the other hand, smiles cheerfully. She’s an older, robust woman with brown hair, teal eyes, and a larger than normal body. Still, her smile is contagious, and her eyes glimmer with an inner mirth.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, and let me just say…you’re even more gorgeous in person,” Rebecca praises.

Fire enters my cheeks, and I duck my head. “Thanks.”

“Bronson sent us to get you ready for tonight,” Tessa proclaims, turning her head to stare at the hulking shadow wolf.

He’s asleep in the cell opposite mine, chest rumbling with his snores. He looks tranquil, almost peaceful, with his thick lashes resting delicately against his strong cheekbones. His blond hair is tousled, and he’s wearing only a thin white shirt that leaves very little to the imagination.

Earlier, I had been in the cell with him as he told me stories about his mother and siblings. He told me how he used to be a “little shit” and steal his sisters’ diaries. As revenge, they stole his clothes after a shift, and he had been forced to walk the six-mile trek back to his house, naked. In the middle of his story, his eyelids had drooped, and his breathing had evened. Pressing a chaste kiss to his forehead, I pulled the blanket up to his shoulders and tiptoed into the cell opposite.

Kai has a collection of Braille books from the prison librarian. I’m not an expert at reading them yet, but I’m proficient. Kai had started teaching me back in the Compound, before he left me.

Setting down the book I’m currently reading—a riveting tale about a female vampire and her harem of lovers—I turn in the direction of the females.

Tessa saunters ahead first, immediately capturing me in a tight embrace. I tense instinctively before willing my body to relax and returning her hug.

“What’s going on tonight?” I query, tilting my head to the side.

Haley drops the dress onto Kai’s bed, and Rebecca moves to stand in front of me.

“Why, you have a date!” Tessa squeals, and when I throw her a warning look, she works to lower her volume. “Bronson asked us to come by and help get you ready.”

“A date?” I parrot dumbly. I’ve never been on one before. Heck, I haven’t even been asked to go on one, least of all by Bronson.

“We’re here to make you look beautiful,” Tessa continues.

“We’re not doing it out of the goodness of our hearts,” Haley snaps, flashing a bit of fang. “The guys are offering us…other things. Well, we’re offering them, though it’s not a difficult feat.” She smooths a hand down her platinum blond locks before daintily sitting on the edge of Kai’s bed. Her hand hovers above his pillow, and I have the irresistible urge to snap at her. To remove her scent from his belongings.

But the last thing I need is for these females to know the truth about my abilities.

Taking a deep breath, I focus on Tessa and Rebecca, ignoring Haley and her blatant lies. I know what she’s trying to imply, but I also know the guys. They wouldn’t touch her.

“Ignore her. She’s just a jealous bitch,” Tessa says with a wave of her hand.

“That’s not what Damien said last night,” Haley counters with a smug smirk.

I know her words are only that—words—but it feels as if I’ve been punched in the gut. I allow anger, rage, and hurt to seep into my bone marrow.

No. No. No. She’s lying.

But the most important question: why do I care so much?

“Do you want to get killed, Haley?” Rebecca chides, unzipping the small bag and holding up a battered black pencil. It’s unnaturally thick, the size of her thumb, and when she takes off the lid, I see a brilliant red color. “Let me put the lipstick on first, yeah?”

“No, the dress and hair first,” Tessa protests. “Makeup after.”

Haley grumbles and moves to stand behind me, her hands expertly pulling and twisting my hair.

“You don’t have to do this…if…if you’re not comfortable,” I stutter out, placing a hand on her wrist to still her. Through Tessa’s eyes, I watch Haley’s face slacken with shock, but she quickly schools her expression.

With an impassive shrug, she resumes forking her fingers through my hair. “They’re not paying me to just sit around,” she huffs, and though she can’t see it, I offer her a tentative, wobbly smile. Her hands pause once again. “And they’re paying me in cash, by the way,” she finishes at last, and my heart swells in my chest, almost to the point of bursting.

“Thank you,” I whisper hoarsely, and she rolls her eyes.

“Whatever. Let me just make you look somewhat presentable.”

The next hour consists of me being poked and prodded to within an inch of my life. At one point, Bronson wakes up and glances over at me before curling his lips into a predatory smile. He hooks a sheet in front of his cell door, effectively obscuring him from view.

“Stay still!” Haley scolds, whacking my shoulder good-naturedly. I feel like an errant child caught with my hand in the cookie jar. She pins back another section of hair with a dramatic flourish. “And…there! Perfect!”

Tessa helps me into the gorgeous dress, zipping it up and smoothing down the skirt. At least it’s better than the outfits Tessa bombarded me with only a few days ago. That had been a sea of colorful, tight-fitting, revealing clothes.

This one cascades down my body like silver starlight, the sequins catching in the artificial prison lighting. It’s tight—tighter than anything I have ever worn—and accentuates my lithe but curvy frame. I’m not busty, like some of the other women, but I consider myself well-endowed (at least, that’s what Tessa assured me when I began to fidget). A slit up the side showcases my pale, toned leg and thigh.

My makeup, thanks to Rebecca, is light and natural. I haven’t actually worn makeup before, though I have heard some of the female guards at the Compound complain about theirs. The older woman puts something on both my eyelashes—mascara, she calls it—before lining my eyes with coal. The cherry red lipstick is applied to my lips, and blush dusts each cheek. I want to tell her that the blush isn’t needed, that my cheeks color more often than the average person, but I let her have her fun. Rebecca is an artist with an empty canvas, and her face practically glows as she painstakingly applies each layer.

And my hair…

Even Haley can’t hide her smirk of satisfaction. My wavy black hair now hangs in perfect ringlets down to the middle of my back. She braided it away from my face, and placed half the curls in an elaborate updo on the top of my head.

I feel wanton and beautiful. Powerful.

It takes considerable effort, but I manage to hide my reaction when Tessa finally turns to stare at me. She whistles beneath her breath. “Damn, you look hot.”

“You look beautiful, honey,” Rebecca agrees warmly. Haley, of course, just rolls her eyes and places her fisted hands on her hips.

“We shouldn’t keep your date waiting…” Tessa titters, grabbing first Haley’s hand and then Rebecca’s to pull them out of the cell. Tessa pauses once to turn back to me. “I’m sorry about what I said before. In the cafeteria. Just…be careful, okay?”

Bemused by her warning, I nod once to show her I understand.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Rebecca calls as she’s dragged around a corner.

Haley snorts. “You’ll do just about anything, ho.”

I giggle at their antics, stopping to brush my hands down the waist of my dress. This entire situation feels almost surreal. I’m about to go on my first date…while I’m in prison for a crime I didn’t commit. It reminds me of one of the romance books I’ve just started reading.

Only, instead of dashing princes, my men are dangerous, psychotic criminals.

A sharp intake of breath alerts me to Bronson’s dominating presence. I smile widely, spinning to show him the entire gown.

“What do you think?” I ask, suddenly shy.

“I think…” He takes a deep breath. “I think you’re the most enchanting woman I have ever laid eyes on, and I might kill anyone who looks at you twice.”

Ignoring his threat, I lean forward to place my hand on his bicep.

“Don’t you usually have to ask the girl out on a date?” I jest with another smile. I feel…giddy. Girly, almost, which is entirely unlike me. I’ve never had material things and never wanted them. Until now. Standing in a musty prison cell, I have never felt more like a princess.

“I did,” Bronson says. “Don’t you remember?” I honestly don’t, but before I can tell him that, he curses again. “Shit, Nina, you look like a goddess. My goddess.”

My heart gains wings and soars at his admission.

“What do you look like?” I timidly ask, trailing a finger down his arm and to his hand.

“I’m…uh…wearing a suit, I guess, and I combed my hair.” There’s a distinct note of embarrassment to his voice that has my grin widening.

“What color is the suit?” I whisper, moving my hand across the lapels of his jacket and to the fabric underneath. His breath hitches, his heart tempo increasing beneath my hand.

“Is this some sort of foreplay?” he asks gruffly, and my confusion ratchets up a notch. I think through my recent collection of books, trying to remember if that word was mentioned at all. I can guess what it means well enough.

Having fun before a date, obviously. Teasing each other.

“What do you mean?” I settle on at last.

“Never mind, my goddess.” He places my hand in the crook of his arm and leads me forward. “I have a lot planned for tonight.”