Ex-Convict To Mysterious Power

The hand stopped three inches from his shoulder.

Big Mike had reached out the same way he had a thousand times before—the yard boss giving his blessing to another con heading back to the world. But something made him freeze.

Not fear. Something deeper. Something that made his scarred knuckles tremble before he slowly pulled his hand back.

The man Big Mike was trying to reach didn't turn around. He didn't have to.

"Cole is walking out," one of the guards radioed from the observation deck.

"Copy that. Thank God. I'll finally get some sleep again."

As Cole moved toward the gate, whispers rippled through the cells.

"Cole is leaving." The words caused a hush to fall over the entire block. Even the cell boss shot a trembling look at whoever had spoken.

"If that's a joke, I'm killing you tonight." Not a threat—a promise.

From another cell Cole passed, more whispers:

"Johnson used to be the hardest in here until Cole came."

"What'd he do?" a curious newbie asked.

"Nothing. That's what made him scary."

Meanwhile, in one of the offices: "That's him? Cole Bennett?" A new guard squinted through the monitor. "Doesn't look like much."

"Maybe three years ago. You see how Johnson's crew won't even look in his direction? There's a reason for that."

Cole strode past the other inmates like he was taking a casual walk, but every man he passed froze.

Two feet from freedom, two men waited for him—the two men even the wardens considered nightmares to handle. They were Cole's mentors in the prison.

One of them took Cole's hand and placed a black card in his palm. He looked Cole straight in the eyes and gently closed Cole's fingers around it.

"The world has been waiting."

The other man stepped forward and pressed a ring into Cole's other hand. No explanation. Then both men melted back into the shadows.

Cole looked at the black card and ring for two seconds before pocketing them.

The gate clicked open. For the first time in three years, Cole breathed air that wasn't mixed with blood and sweat and violence.

A car door opened in the distance. An elegant woman stepped out—the kind of woman you only see in magazines.

His wife.

As she walked toward Cole, a mixture of emotions flooded through him. He'd once been a live-in son-in-law—married his wife and agreed to that humiliating arrangement just to pay his mother's hospital bills. But things happened. They always did.

"Hi," his wife greeted, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Hello," he replied awkwardly. The fact that she'd come to pick him up was a good sign.

"The car's over there," she pointed quickly, like she was embarrassed to be seen with him.

"Yeah."

Three years ago, Cole had taken the fall for a rape charge. Some lunatic had promised to help his wife's company in exchange for Cole accepting the blame. Crazy as it was, it had seemed like the right thing to do—especially since his wife had stayed loyal.

"I couldn't ask that day," his wife's voice started as she pulled onto the road. "Couldn't visit either. They said it wasn't allowed."

Cole nodded, swallowing the lump in his chest. Other women would have moved on, but she was different. "Yeah."

"Did you..." she stopped, struggling with the question. "Did you really do it?" She wouldn't look at his face. Not even a glance.

Cole stared out the window. He'd made a promise to that lunatic—never to talk about it. Not even to his wife. He couldn't break it now. "Yeah."

She steered the car to the side of the road, engine still running. "Let's divorce."

Divorce? The word hit him like a sledgehammer. The last thing he'd expected to hear.

She kicked open her door and came around to his side. How could he say it like that? How could he tell her so emotionlessly that he'd raped someone?

"Get out of the car," she snapped. "I don't want to see you anymore."

For a second, Amanda thought he might smile and tell her he was bluffing. But he didn't. Instead, he got out without any emotion.

She scoffed. "I'm such a fool." Her voice cracked. "Everyone told me you were a rapist. I told them that couldn't be true. You weren't the type of man to do something that cruel."

"Amanda—”

"No. I'm not done," she fired back. "I defended you everywhere like an idiot. Told Granny there had to be more to the story. That we'd hear it from you when you got out, and now... what?" She laughed bitterly.

"God. I'm such a fool." She nodded like she'd just found her purpose in life. "You should throw a party tonight. Thanks to you, Cole, Granny kicked me out of the family. Right now, I've lost my only shot at being the heir."

That brought an angry look to Cole's face. "What did you just say?"

"I lost everything because I believed in you!" she shouted.

"What do you mean you lost everything? What about Blake?"

Amanda's face twisted with rage. "Are you joking right now? Who the hell is Blake?"

"Blake Harrison," Cole said. She looked more confused. "The Harrison family."

"I don't know anyone from that family."

"What?" Cole frowned. "I went to jail because he promised to help your company."

"Help?"

"We made a fucking deal." That was the first time Cole had raised his voice since Amanda picked him up from prison.

"What are you talking about?"

"He was the one who raped that woman. I saw him, started to call the bastard out, but he said if I kept quiet, he'd help your company. Three years seemed like nothing..."

Amanda's face flickered with shock. "Why the hell would you do that for me?!"

"Get in the car. I need to see that bastard," Cole said, already reaching for the door handle.

"Are you crazy? How could you go to jail because—" The rest of the words died in her throat.

It happened in less than a second. A truck barreling toward them at insane speed. Cole could dodge into the car, but Amanda wouldn't survive the impact.

Without thinking, Cole pulled her against him and pinned her to the car just as the truck slammed into them, shattering every bone in his body.