25. June

Chapter twenty-five

June

T he stench of piss and despair hits me like a freight train as I'm shoved into my cell. Metal clangs against metal, the sound reverberating through my bones as the door slams shut behind me. I stumble, my legs weak from days of interrogation, and collapse onto the thin mattress that passes for a bed in this hellhole.

Fuck. How did it come to this?

I close my eyes, but all I see is Cara's face, contorted in anguish as they dragged me away. The memory of her scream, raw and primal, echoes in my ears. I can still feel the phantom weight of her in my arms, the swell of her belly pressed against me, our child nestled safe between us.

Now, I'm here. Alone. Caged like a fucking animal.

"Welcome home, Deveaux," a gravelly voice sneers from outside the bars. I crack an eye open to see a guard leering at me, his piggy eyes gleaming with malicious glee. "Hope you like your accommodations. Your dear old mom made sure you got the VIP treatment."

I say nothing, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. But inside, rage bubbles up like magma, hot and corrosive. Elaine. Of course she's behind this. The bitch couldn't stand to see me happy, to see me free of her poisonous influence.

The guard chuckles, a wet, phlegmy sound that makes my skin crawl. "Got a message for you," he says, sliding a folded piece of paper through the bars. "Straight from Mommy Dearest herself."

My heart rate kicks up a notch, sweat beading on my forehead. With trembling hands, I reach for the note, dreading what I might find inside. The paper feels oddly warm, as if infused with Elaine's malevolence.

I unfold it slowly, each crease revealing more of her elegant, venomous script:

"My darling boy,

Did you really think you could escape me? That I would let you play house with that little whore and her bastard? You belong to me, Juniper. You always have, and you always will.

But I'm not without mercy. Cooperate, be the good son I know you can be, and perhaps I'll let your precious Cara keep the child. Who knows? With the right guidance, it might even turn out to be a worthy heir.

Resist, and... well. Accidents happen, don't they? Especially to delicate, pregnant women.

The choice is yours, my love.

Mother"

The words swim before my eyes, blurring as red-hot fury surges through me. My fists clench, crumpling the paper, the urge to destroy something – anything – nearly overwhelming.

"You fucking bitch," I snarl, hurling the wadded-up note against the wall. It bounces off harmlessly, a pitiful outlet for the inferno raging inside me. "I'll kill you. I swear to God, I'll rip your fucking heart out with my bare hands."

The guard's laughter echoes down the corridor. "Sounds like Mommy's not too happy with you," he taunts. "Better watch that temper, Deveaux. Might land you in even hotter water."

I ignore him, pacing the confines of my cell like a caged tiger. Six steps. Turn. Six steps back. It's not enough. Nothing is enough to quell the storm of emotion threatening to tear me apart.

Cara. My Cara. The thought of her out there, alone and vulnerable, sends a fresh wave of anguish coursing through me. Is she safe? Has Elaine already made good on her threats?

No. I can't think like that. Cara's strong, stronger than anyone gives her credit for. And she's not alone. Judith's with her, and Dante. They'll keep her safe. They have to.

But even as I try to reassure myself, doubt gnaws at the edges of my mind. What if it's not enough? What if Elaine's reach is longer, her influence deeper than we ever imagined?

The what-ifs spiral, dragging me down into a pit of despair. I sink onto the thin mattress, my head in my hands, fighting against the tide of hopelessness threatening to drown me.

And then, unbidden, a memory surfaces. Cara, bathed in golden morning light, her skin glowing, her eyes bright with love and mischief. We'd just found out about the baby, and she was radiant with joy.

"We're going to be parents, June," she'd whispered, her hand guiding mine to the barely-there swell of her belly. "Can you believe it? We made this. You and me."

The memory is so vivid, so real, that for a moment I can almost feel the warmth of her skin beneath my palm. I cling to it, letting it anchor me, a lifeline in the stormy sea of my thoughts.

No. I won't let Elaine win. I won't let her take this from us, not our love, not our family, not the future we've fought so hard to build.

A new resolve hardens within me, steely and unyielding. I may be caged, but I'm far from beaten. I'll find a way out of this. I'll get back to Cara, to our child. And when I do, I'll make sure Elaine never threatens us again.

The sound of footsteps pulls me from my thoughts. A different guard this time, younger, less openly hostile. He slides a tray of what passes for food in this place through the slot in the door.

"Dinner time, Deveaux," he says, his tone almost bored. "Better eat up. You've got a big day tomorrow."

I eye him warily. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugs, already turning to leave. "Heard you've got some fancy lawyer coming to see you. Must be nice, having friends in high places."

My heart leaps. A lawyer? Could it be Dante, making his move already? Or is this another of Elaine's tricks, another way to twist the knife?

I force myself to eat, choking down the tasteless slop. If there's even a chance of seeing someone from the outside, I need to keep up my strength. I need to be ready.

As night falls, bringing with it a chorus of muffled sobs and angry mutters from the other cells, I lie on my bunk, staring at the cracked ceiling. Sleep eludes me, my mind too wired, too full of plans and possibilities.

I think of Cara, wondering if she's lying awake too, her hand on her belly, whispering to our child. The image brings a lump to my throat, a physical ache in my chest.

"I'm coming home to you," I whisper into the darkness. "Both of you. I swear it."

Morning comes too soon and not soon enough. I'm a bundle of nervous energy, pacing my cell, every muscle coiled tight with anticipation. When they finally come for me, leading me to a small, windowless room, I'm practically vibrating.

The door opens, and for a moment, hope flares bright in my chest. But it's not Dante who walks in, not any lawyer I recognize. It's a woman, tall and sleek, with sharp features and even sharper eyes.

"Mr. Deveaux," she says, her voice cool and professional. "I'm Alexandra Kincaid. I've been retained to represent you in this... unfortunate matter."

I eye her suspiciously, searching for any sign of Elaine's influence. "Retained by who?"

She smiles, a predatory flash of teeth. "I'm afraid that's confidential. But I can assure you, I have your best interests at heart."

I snort, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. "Yeah, I've heard that before. Usually right before someone tries to fuck me over."

Alexandra doesn't flinch, doesn't even blink. "I understand your skepticism, Mr. Deveaux. But I think you'll find I'm very good at what I do. And what I do is win cases."

She opens her briefcase, pulling out a thick folder. "Now, let's discuss your options. The prosecution's case is strong, but not unassailable. With the right strategy, we might be able to get the charges reduced, maybe even dismissed entirely."

As she talks, laying out potential defenses and plea deals, I find myself torn. Part of me wants to trust her, to believe that this might be my ticket out of here. But another part, the part that's been burned too many times, screams that this is just another trap.

"What about Cara?" I interrupt, cutting through her legal jargon. "My wife. Is she safe? Has anyone tried to-"

Alexandra holds up a hand, silencing me. "Mr. Deveaux, I advise you not to discuss any details about your personal life or relationships at this time. Anything you say could potentially be used against you."

Frustration bubbles up, threatening to boil over. "I don't give a fuck about that," I snarl, leaning forward. "I need to know if she's okay. If our baby-"

"Your wife is fine," Alexandra says, her tone softening slightly. "As far as I know, she's safe and the pregnancy is progressing normally. But June – may I call you June? – you need to focus on your own situation right now. You can't help them if you're locked up in here."

I slump back in my chair, the fight draining out of me. She's right, of course. But the thought of Cara out there, facing God knows what while I'm stuck in here, powerless... it's almost more than I can bear.

Alexandra leans in, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Listen to me carefully, June. I know you have no reason to trust me. But I promise you, I am here to help. There are... forces at work that you don't fully understand. People who want to see you free, who want to see justice done."

My pulse quickens. Could she be working with Dante? With Judith? Or is this just another of Elaine's elaborate games?

"What do you mean?" I ask, matching her hushed tone. "What forces?"

She shakes her head, a flicker of something – fear? excitement? – crossing her face. "I can't say more. Not here. But if you trust me, if you follow my lead, I think we can get you out of here. Back to your wife. Back to your child."

I study her face, searching for any sign of deception. But all I see is a steely determination, a fierce intelligence that reminds me, oddly, of Cara.

"Okay," I say finally, making my decision. "I'm in. Whatever it takes."

Alexandra nods, a ghost of a smile playing at her lips. "Good. Then let's get to work."

The next few hours are a whirlwind of legal strategy and careful maneuvering. Alexandra is brilliant, picking apart the prosecution's case with surgical precision, finding loopholes and weaknesses I never would have spotted.

But even as we work, even as hope begins to kindle in my chest, I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched. That somewhere, somehow, Elaine is pulling strings, orchestrating events from the shadows.

As Alexandra packs up to leave, promising to return tomorrow with more information, I catch her arm. "Wait," I say, my voice low and urgent. "I need you to get a message to Cara. Please. Just... tell her I love her. Tell her to stay strong."

Alexandra hesitates, then nods. "I'll do what I can," she says softly. "But June... be careful. The walls have ears here. And some secrets are better left unspoken."

With that cryptic warning, she's gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the growing certainty that this is far from over.

Back in my cell, I lie on my bunk, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. Could Alexandra be trusted? Was she really here to help, or was this all part of some larger, more insidious plan?

And Cara... God, Cara. The ache of missing her is a physical thing, a hollowness in my chest that threatens to consume me. I close my eyes, conjuring her image, trying to remember every detail of her face, her smile, the way her body fits so perfectly against mine.

In the darkness behind my eyelids, I see her. But it's not the Cara of my memories, soft and warm and full of love. This Cara is different – harder, fiercer, her eyes blazing with a determination that takes my breath away.

"Hold on, June," she whispers, her voice echoing in my mind. "I'm coming for you. We're coming for you."

My eyes snap open, my heart pounding. It felt so real, so vivid. Almost like...

No. It couldn't be. Could it?

I sit up, scanning my cell with new eyes. Is it possible? Could Cara have found a way to reach me, even here?

The thought sends a thrill through me, equal parts hope and terror. If she's managed to penetrate this place, to slip past Elaine's defenses... then she's in more danger than ever.

But she's also closer than ever to setting me free.

I lie back down, my mind whirling with possibilities. Whatever's coming, whatever plan is in motion, I need to be ready. I need to be strong.

For Cara. For our child. For the future we're fighting so desperately to claim.

As I drift off to sleep, one thought echoes in my mind, a mantra, a promise, a battle cry:

I will endure this. I will fight, with every last shred of my will, every last ounce of my strength. For Cara, for our baby, for the future we dream of building together, I'll walk through fire. I'll stare into the abyss until it blinks. I'll take on the devil himself and spit in his fucking eye.

Elaine may have caged my body, may have stripped me of my freedom and my dignity. But she can never cage my spirit, can never break the unbreakable bond that tethers my soul to Cara's.

That spirit, forged in the fires of our love, tempered by pain and sacrifice and the unshakable knowledge that we are meant to be, will be my guiding light. My north star in this sea of darkness and despair.

I will find my way back to them. To the woman who holds my heart, to the child who embodies our hope and our defiance. I'll crawl through glass, through blood and bone and the very bowels of hell if that's what it takes.

They are mine. My family, my salvation, my every reason for drawing breath. And not Elaine, not Faulkner's ghost, not all the demons in this godforsaken world will keep me from them.

Afterall I am a killer.

And daddy's coming home.