Detained

In the strange symmetry of their relationship, in a new detention, in another moment where they were entirely, raw and open to each other, Darcy knew where they were in space and time. It was a truth or dare moment.

“Will, truth or dare?”

He refocused, said, “Truth,” like she knew he would.

“Why don’t you think you’re innocent?”

He looked away into the spreading darkness of the room. “I’ll take a dare.”

She used a hand to bring his face back. “What happened to you, Will Parker, to make you think you’re unworthy of innocence?”

He sighed, removed her hand from his face and held it. “I don’t want to lie to you.”

“Then don’t.”

“Everything has changed now. I could get my life back, if we get out of here.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“I don’t trust me. That’s the whole problem. I could never trust me.”

“I don’t know what you did, Will. I don’t care. You did make me love you. And I won’t love you any less no matter what you say.”

“God, gorgeous. You’re dangerous to me.”

Darcy started to laugh. There were three thousand hardened criminals in control of the prison, and who knows how many of them would try to take her. She had no doubt this man, holding her in his arms would fight to the death to protect her, and yet he was more afraid of her than them.

He put his hand against her mouth, “Shh, shh. I want to hear that laugh again without having to shush you, but not now. We don’t know what’s going on out there.”

She needed a change in tactic. She resettled against his chest. “Your turn. Ask me anything.” He must’ve had a million questions, about the trip to Tengtou, about getting out.

“Did it fit?”

“Sorry?”

“I sent you a new dress. I had to guess the size. Did it fit?”

He was going to make her cry again. “You’re asking about a silly dress?”

“It was a very nice dress, on a very beautiful woman. I liked it better than these scrubs.”

“You haven’t tried to tear these off me yet.”

“Give it time. We might be here for hours.”

She smiled. Will was back from wherever he’d had to go. “Are you going to talk to me?”

He sighed. “I’d rather go and face that mob. I’d almost rather agree to stay in prison than talk to you about this.”

“Pete knows?”

“Pete knows everything.”

“You’re not really brothers, are you?”

“Not blood brothers.”

“You’re surname isn’t Parker, is it?”