Sweet Retribution (Book 2) (Editing and Improving) x

Isolation vs Visitation

TW - Rape included within this chapter.

Present day

'What you thinking about baby?' Phoenix asks, pressing his forehead to mine. The two of us go cross-eyed as our noses touch, which makes me giggle. We were so goofy together but in our solemn life, why not be?
'About Archer' I reply, sobering up from the brief bout of happiness Phoenix and I had just shared.
I often thought about the old man that had saved my life on several occasions. I often felt the immense guilt for being the cause of his death. I often missed him, he was a close friend to me and I would be eternally grateful for all he done for me.

I could speak without fear of sobbing like a lost child when I was with Phoenix but every night when I was bound and alone in my cell, the tears saturated my pillow. If Archer hadn't become combative with Jordan, would Jordan have spared him? Would he have dumped him in this hellhole too? I supposed it didn't matter as there is no way to reverse time but the thoughts had become menacing.
'I miss him too, darlin. He was a good guy,' Phoenix said softly, his own guilt shrouding over him.

Phoenix had told me all about the night my mother was shot, unintentionally informing me that he too took a bullet to the chest.
After Jordan's maniacal frenzy died down, Jase had taken Phoenix to some secluded cabin in the East countryside whilst Jordan and his new member who I had yet to meet, Brett, took my father and dumped him somewhere in the middle of deep woodland.
God only knows what they did with my mother's body. I tried to avoid thinking about it.
Jase had taunted they had left it dumped on the porch of our family home but I knew Jase had a tendency to lie through his fucking teeth so I didn't entirely believe that. Though, I wasn't sure if it was because I was in denial that the scum would do such a barbaric gesture and was trying to keep myself from anymore hurt.

Phoenix had been held at the cabin for the three months after my mother's death whilst Archer stayed by my side, making sure Jordan didn't hurt me in any possible way. Phoenix felt that had he had failed both Archer and I which of course, was utter rubbish.
'There was nothing you could have done, sweetheart' I say softly, expertly wiping Phoenix's fallen tear from my cheek, onto the shoulder of my straight jacket.
'I know' He sniffles, 'It still sucks'.
'Don't worry, he hasn't died for nothing' I whisper, knowing that the small camera in the top corner of the cell, despite looking battered and out of use, worked perfectly well. I intended to get our own back - I just needed to figure out when and how.

Time passed slowly in isolation, though with only the four padded walls and the locked door, neither Phoenix or I knew how much had passed exactly. The boredom became immense so we did what we always did and fell asleep. It was comfier lying on one another than laying bound to your bed every night. The rest always helped rejuvenate our boisterous and mischievous tendencies to mess with the nurses and doctors.

The two of us were woken by the stifling and vomit-inducing odour of what only the inmates of this dump would know to be the 'evening meal'.
It made Phoenix and I laugh as the gruel they plated up for us was no way near fit for human consumption. It smelt like a pot of sardines had been mixed with liver and excrement. Often, the 'food' looked that way too!

'Hmm nothing like a good old bowl of crap for dinner to get us in the mood' Phoenix jests, shuffling himself up into a sitting position.
'Oh don't lie baby, you fucking love it really!' I laugh, pressing my head to the floor and pulling my knees up to my chest. It isn't easy to mobilise when one has their arms bound in such a precarious way.
Phoenix couldn't hold back his guffaw and mocked my foolish strategy but hearing his deep chortle was music to my ears. It had been so long since we had been able to really laugh at anything.
'You've got a very sexy ass, Ms James, d'you know that?'
'Can't say I've ever looked at my peach long enough to be honest babe, but I'll take your word for it'  I retorted playfully. He laughed but quickly stopped when we heard voices just outside the door. We both knew what that meant. And suddenly, just as it did every Thursday, the solemn reality came rushing back.