From the Ashes (Possessed 2.50)

heir back are all some of these girls know. It’s all they would ever know because once they get out, they will fuck up again and end up right back in here. It becomes a cycle until they either die or commit a crime that lands them in prison for life.

She also said I looked like one of those girls that would keep coming back.

I don’t think I’ll make it long enough to bother.

Chapter Two

Declan

“This is Declan Hart,” I answer.

I’ve just finished up a job and am looking forward to some down time when my phone rings. I almost don’t answer it and will soon wish I hadn’t.

“Hey, Hart, how you doing?” Fuck. It’s Zach Smith, an old college buddy of mine. Anytime he calls, it’s for a favor that is bound to get me in a ton of shit. He’s a parole officer for the state. Usually, he needs me to dig around his parolees. I’m hoping that’s not the case this time.

“What do you need, Smith?” Fuck small talk.

“What? No niceties for your old friend?” I can tell he’s laughing.

“Nope. Not when the last time you called me, I damn near landed in jail ‘cause that fucker JJ decided he didn’t want to go down without a fight.” Booming laughter meets my statement. Cocksucker.

“All right, I’ll give you that. Look, I’ve got this girl. Something’s off with her, and I can’t figure out what.”

“What do you mean off?” My curiosity is piqued. Dammit.

“Her brother calls to check in on her at least three times a week. My answer’s always the same, but I got curious. Started doing random drug tests, searches of her apartment. Nothing’s wrong. It’s her that’s off. I can’t put my finger on it, though.” He sounds more concerned than usual.

“What’s your interest?” I have to know if Zach is into this girl.

“Nothing like that, man. She’s a good kid. Made some dumb mistakes, but she’s not like my other wards.”

“What’d she do?”

“Typical rich white girl thinks the world owes her. Except she seems down to earth. She’s confusing the fuck out of me, man.”

“But what did she do?” Still not getting an answer on her crime.

“Oh, yeah. She bullied a girl. Her soon to be sister-in-law ironically enough. Assaulted her. The brother was the one who pushed for charges to be filed. Wanted her to know how serious her actions were.” He seems confused about the brother. Normally, I would be too, but I’d seen some shady shit in my day.

“So what is it you want from me?” I’m still baffled on that part.

“Meet her, friend her, I don’t fucking care, just get into her life. Find out what the fuck is so off about her.” He sounds a little more invested in this girl than he is admitting. “I’ve sent you her bio with everything you’ll need to know about her. Picture, too. She’s a looker.” Of fucking course, he did. Crazy bastard.

“You think I’ll just do this?” I need to put him in his place before I agree.

“Oh, just wait,” he tells me, and I frown.

The dinging of my computer lets me know I have a new email. Opening it up, I am stunned at the beauty before me. Dirty-blonde hair frames her heart-shaped face, and the perfect cupid’s bow lips are thinned into a straight line of annoyance. Her cute button nose is scrunched up as if she’s smelling something funny, and if Zach took this picture, I could understand it. However, her beautiful hazel eyes are what divulges her story. Sadness lingers within, darkened by fear and shame. The heavy bags underneath tell of her sleepless nights. I feel for her.

A lot of people wouldn’t give it a second thought given that she bullied and hurt someone else. But as far as I am concerned, there’s a reason behind everything that happens. It often doesn’t make sense to anyone but that person, but in their mind, that’s good enough.

“Was this picture taken before or after you got a hold of her?” I ask Zach.

“Before prison,” he says, and her look increases my interest ten-fold. If she looked like this before she went to hell, I could only imagine how she appears now.

“You have a recent picture?” I need to know. I don’t know why, but I feel a connection to this girl. It’s her eyes, they hold so much more emotion than I am willing to bet anyone has paid attention to.

“At the end of the file. It contains everything her brother thought might be relevant to her situation. I fucking hate meddling family members,” Zach grumbles while I scroll, reading her academic achievements almost from the beginning of school.