Caught Up (Indigo Vibe) by Deatri King-Bey Read Free Book Online

knees. Those were only drunken dreams that he had never really considered. He looked at the bars. He’d given her to Ernesto to save her from the life and, at the time, save her from himself.
    If there were only a way to see her one last time before I die.
    An anxious chuckle escaped him. The knowledge of impending death was a mind-altering event. His priorities had changed since he was assigned his death date. Now all that mattered was Rosa. If the drug world discovered her identity, they’d never believe that she wasn’t involved. He’d die before he allowed another of his children to be destroyed by the drug world. He regretted giving her to Ernesto, but he couldn’t go back. The call he’d made a few minutes ago would ensure her safety once he was gone. Only the truth would protect her.
    He heard someone with a long, even stride approaching. It had to be Samson. He heard a second set of footsteps, but he didn’t recognize the stutter-step rhythm.
    The new guard let Samson into David’s cell, then left.
    “Where’s that lanky-assed bastard you call your partner?” he asked in Spanish.
    Samson grinned. “He said to tell you he misses you.” He sat on the opposite end of the bunk, which creaked from his weight. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.
    David considered Samson. He was young, single, honest, and actually a good person, so how the hell did he allow Alton to convince him to join the DEA? Samson had been visiting him twice a week for the past year. David knew the game. Samson’s assignment was to befriend David. He’d never admit it to Samson, but over the months David began looking forward to the visits. It helped relieve some of the boredom and loneliness.
    “You just gonna sit there or you got somethin’ to say?”
    “I thought I’d just sit here.”
    “Suit yourself, smart-ass. You got somethin’ to write with?” His pen had run out of ink, and he wanted to sign the pictures he’d drawn. Even as a child, drawing had calmed David.
    Samson handed him an ink pen and resumed his resting position. David didn’t know if Samson was brave or stupid. He could kill Samson with the pen, and what could they do to him? Send him to death row? There was no way Alton would have lowered his guard. He smiled internally. Samson knew that he didn’t have anything to worry about. Somehow, the jerk had become a friend of sorts.
    He took the stack of typing paper and signed the top picture, which was a rose. He’d missed his little girl’s thirtieth birthday. He closed his eyes, this time praying to see her again.
    “Where’s Rosa?” Samson asked.
    David coughed violently. His sketches dropped to the floor, the pages scattering. He hopped off the bunk and bent to retrieve them.
    “If you give us Sierra, I’ll ensure no one harms your lover. Just tell me where she is.”
    “My lover?” David quickly gathered the pages, laughing. “My lover!”
    Samson picked up the last stray page and displayed the rose design to David. “It’s too late. I’ve already seen your reaction. Who’s threatening her?”
    David snatched the page. “You don’t know shit.” He returned to the bed and leaned against the wall as if it would fall if he moved. Ernesto had been correct; naming Rosa after his lover was a stupid move.
    “Help me and I’ll help you.”
    “I take care of my own. Always have. Always will.”
    “We can put her into witness protection.”
    Placing Rosa in protective custody would be the same as taking her freedom. He held the drawings close and closed his eyes. He’d kept Rosa’s identity secret this long, he wouldn’t ruin it now. In a few days he’d be gone, and his baby would be safe.
    “Do you believe in fate?” Samson asked.
    David heard Samson but didn’t answer. His fate was sealed; he was a dead man and would never have the chance to tell his daughter that he loved her. If he could replay his life, he’d be thirty-two again and raise his