Read Online The Payback Man by Carolyn McSparren - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carolyn McSparren
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fear of God and the warden into him.”
He caught her hand. She drew in her breath sharply, braced against him.
“You will not.” It was the voice of command. He hadn’t used it in three years. Amazing how quickly it came back.
“Let go of me,” she said softly.
“Sorry.” He released her and struggled to his feet.
He could see from her eyes that she was suddenly uncomfortable with him, perhaps even a little afraid. He dropped his hands. “I apologize. But I’ve got to make you see that you can’t interfere with Newman on my behalf or the behalf of any of the other men.”
“Of course I can. He’s a stupid man.”
“He’s a sadistic bastard, but he’s clever at that, if nothing else. He’s also dangerous, and not only to me and theother men. If you cross him, he’ll find some way to hurt us. And he may hurt you, too.”
“Hurt me?” She laughed and walked to the computer. “He wouldn’t dare use his baton on me. What’s he going to do, get me fired? I don’t think so.”
Steve shook his head. “Not fired and not hit with a baton. And not by him directly. Probably not even on prison property, but hurt, nonetheless.”
“You’re serious.” She wrapped her arms around herself and hunched her shoulders.
He longed to pull her close, feel the warmth of her body against him. The very thought shredded his nerve endings. He didn’t dare allow her warmth to seep into his soul. He might begin to question his goals.
He had to teach her how to be careful. She was more vulnerable than she knew. “This place has its own unwritten rules. A man like Newman has power that reaches outside the prison gates, to men who owe him, who know they may be under his control again someday.”
She raised her eyes. They were hazel, the color of the last leaves of autumn. She leaned toward him and, without the consent of his body, his hands reached for her arms.
“Hey, Doc, you okay in there?”
They jumped apart like a couple of guilty adolescents caught in the hayloft.
“Absolutely.” Eleanor opened the door the rest of the way. “Come in, Selma. You need to know what’s been going on and what we’re planning.”
Steve shook his head. He knew she saw the gesture, but whether she’d keep her mouth shut about Newman’s attack, he had no idea.
She shut the door behind Selma and leaned against it. “Okay, here’s the deal. Chadwick, here, knows enough about computers to set me up a database to track the cow program. It’s fairly complicated, and heaven knows we can’t afford to pay one of the computer geeks at the university to do it. Any problem with that?”
Selma looked from one to the other. “Nope. He’s working for you. You want him to dig a hole to China, he starts digging.”
“Will the others resent it?”
“Sure. Not much we can do about that.”
“I can handle the others,” Steve said quietly.
“Good. Then let’s get started,” Eleanor said. “What’s happening with the painters?”
“I am going to kick Sweet Daddy all the way to the mess hall at lunch,” Selma replied. “Other than that, we’re okay.”
“I thought the men were brown-bagging it.”
“Not until tomorrow. You know changes take time when you work for the state.”
“Okay. Tomorrow. Today, I’m the one going out for lunch. Raoul Torres is picking me up here at eleven-thirty. I’ll get Steve—Chadwick—started with what I want and leave him with it.”
“Fine.” Selma turned to leave.
“Leave the door open all the way, will you?” Eleanor said.
“Sure thing.”
The moment the CO left, Eleanor said to Steve in a businesslike tone, “I spent last night making notes about what I want in the database, but they’re very rough. I’m not precisely certain what should connect with what.”
“I’ll take a look at what you’re proposing, then I can make suggestions about changes and additions. Okay with you?” He kept his voice as businesslike as hers. No one overhearing them would think
He caught her hand. She drew in her breath sharply, braced against him.
“You will not.” It was the voice of command. He hadn’t used it in three years. Amazing how quickly it came back.
“Let go of me,” she said softly.
“Sorry.” He released her and struggled to his feet.
He could see from her eyes that she was suddenly uncomfortable with him, perhaps even a little afraid. He dropped his hands. “I apologize. But I’ve got to make you see that you can’t interfere with Newman on my behalf or the behalf of any of the other men.”
“Of course I can. He’s a stupid man.”
“He’s a sadistic bastard, but he’s clever at that, if nothing else. He’s also dangerous, and not only to me and theother men. If you cross him, he’ll find some way to hurt us. And he may hurt you, too.”
“Hurt me?” She laughed and walked to the computer. “He wouldn’t dare use his baton on me. What’s he going to do, get me fired? I don’t think so.”
Steve shook his head. “Not fired and not hit with a baton. And not by him directly. Probably not even on prison property, but hurt, nonetheless.”
“You’re serious.” She wrapped her arms around herself and hunched her shoulders.
He longed to pull her close, feel the warmth of her body against him. The very thought shredded his nerve endings. He didn’t dare allow her warmth to seep into his soul. He might begin to question his goals.
He had to teach her how to be careful. She was more vulnerable than she knew. “This place has its own unwritten rules. A man like Newman has power that reaches outside the prison gates, to men who owe him, who know they may be under his control again someday.”
She raised her eyes. They were hazel, the color of the last leaves of autumn. She leaned toward him and, without the consent of his body, his hands reached for her arms.
“Hey, Doc, you okay in there?”
They jumped apart like a couple of guilty adolescents caught in the hayloft.
“Absolutely.” Eleanor opened the door the rest of the way. “Come in, Selma. You need to know what’s been going on and what we’re planning.”
Steve shook his head. He knew she saw the gesture, but whether she’d keep her mouth shut about Newman’s attack, he had no idea.
She shut the door behind Selma and leaned against it. “Okay, here’s the deal. Chadwick, here, knows enough about computers to set me up a database to track the cow program. It’s fairly complicated, and heaven knows we can’t afford to pay one of the computer geeks at the university to do it. Any problem with that?”
Selma looked from one to the other. “Nope. He’s working for you. You want him to dig a hole to China, he starts digging.”
“Will the others resent it?”
“Sure. Not much we can do about that.”
“I can handle the others,” Steve said quietly.
“Good. Then let’s get started,” Eleanor said. “What’s happening with the painters?”
“I am going to kick Sweet Daddy all the way to the mess hall at lunch,” Selma replied. “Other than that, we’re okay.”
“I thought the men were brown-bagging it.”
“Not until tomorrow. You know changes take time when you work for the state.”
“Okay. Tomorrow. Today, I’m the one going out for lunch. Raoul Torres is picking me up here at eleven-thirty. I’ll get Steve—Chadwick—started with what I want and leave him with it.”
“Fine.” Selma turned to leave.
“Leave the door open all the way, will you?” Eleanor said.
“Sure thing.”
The moment the CO left, Eleanor said to Steve in a businesslike tone, “I spent last night making notes about what I want in the database, but they’re very rough. I’m not precisely certain what should connect with what.”
“I’ll take a look at what you’re proposing, then I can make suggestions about changes and additions. Okay with you?” He kept his voice as businesslike as hers. No one overhearing them would think
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