Inmate #1374-6052

7

Ace laughed in disbelief at everything that Kurt had told Lucy but it didn't come shock, he would be lying if he said he hadn't suspected Kurt to confess.

"Well, I was unaware Kurtis was such a little snitch." Ace joked trying to lighten the mood, Lucy stared him down her arms folded and face flustered from the big spiel she had delivered. "Right, um I guess you have a lot of question." She nodded and Ace signaled for her to ask away, it was the least he could do considering she was keeping this secret.

"Is everything Kurt told me true? Do you really pay off the warden to have your own cell?"

"Yes, its all true."

"How have you continued to pay for it, when you have been incarcerated for years?" This was one thing that made it hard for Lucy to believe his story, eventually the money he had would run out and he had no job.

"I earned and saved quite a substantial amount of money before coming here, enough for me to continue to live in this cage until I die."

"You have no chance at getting out at all?"

"Technically, I will be eligible for parole at the end of the year but no board will let me out." The finest lawyers in the country had worked on Aces' case, and this was the best offer they could get for him. They were so excited to inform him that a chance of parole had been given to him, but Ace knew he would never walk the street again.

"How did you and Kurt become friends?"

"He started working two years after I got locked up, I hadn't really talked to any of the guards before him. I was in a really bad place mentally, I wanted to be cut off from everyone but I didn't think it would have such an effect on me and at the time I felt I deserved it. Kurt was a rookie so young and scared sh!tless, he kinda reminded me of myself. I knew I deserved to be alone but I couldn't live without some sort of human interaction, to take me away from the dark places my mind would go. After a few months of trying to talk to Kurt he eventually cracked and he would actually have a conversation with me, we would play cards through the cell and then he would open the cell so we could play. Now we're basically bff's." Lucy laughed at the endearment, Ace watched in awe of the beauty that graced her features when she smiled.

"Wait, he opens your cell and goes inside there?"

"Yeah, it's a lot of work to keep passing the cards through the drawer to deal and reshuffle. Kurt insisted he was the best at snap but he left my cell a loser."

Another switch flicked in Lucys' brain, Ace was trying to get her into his cell with those cards. Her mothers voice rang in her head, I think this Ace guy likes you. Was this attempt to get closer to her or did he just need another person to talk to so he wouldn't go insane. A part of the woman relished in the idea of him wanting her, but her rational side shut that woman up deeming her crazy. Lucy could acknowledge the fact that she was attracted to the inmate but she also had to acknowledge that she could never let it develop into anything else. So when Ace continued talking and asking her about her day, she didn't hold herself back from the conversation. Her mother had always told her kindness was the best thing she could give someone. A conversation was a simple way Lucy could help the man feel less alone.

The familiar voice from the guards walkie talkie cut off their flowing talk. Ace sighed realizing their time together was over. Lucy grabbed the dirty tray and utensils, before wishing him a good night. The lights dimmed and he watched her retreating figure, smirking when she looked back to meet his stare before disappearing around the corner.

Laying back a wide grin came to the brutes face, thinking about the progress he had made with Lucy. There was still one thing that was eating at his insides, something he knew would completely ruin his chance with her. Thankfully, the small woman hadn't asked in her line of questioning what he did to end up in this hell hole. Ace was going to hold off revealing his past for as long as possible. The things he did would completely tarnish any good she had seen in him and even though he was no longer that cruel man, there was no forgiving the stuff he did.