Marcus Hunt greets me at work in the morning with a cup of coffee.

It’s become a routine for us. Before Hunt brings me my first patient, he comes by the examining room with a hot cup of coffee for me. It’s nothing special. It’s just a coffee from the pot in the guard break room. But it’s nice of him, and a hot cup of coffee is always appreciated first thing in the morning.

My mother would say that boys don’t do anything nice for you if they’re not expecting something in return. Of course, she’s not around anymore to lecture me, but she may have a point in this case. I had been working out a way to mention offhand that I have a boyfriend.

But today, I’m too pissed off to be polite and spare his feelings. “Here’s your cream and sugar.” Hunt holds out my coffee in his left

hand and a couple of packets of cream and sugar in the right. “I know you like to add your own.”

I clear my throat. “Can I talk to you for a moment? Alone.” Hunt’s eyes light up. “Sure, Brooke.”

Great. He thinks I’m going to make out with him.

We get inside the exam room, and I shut the door behind us. A voice in the back of my head tells me it might not be the best idea to be alone with this guy, especially when I’m about to confront him, but I can’t have this conversation with him in the hallway. Unfortunately, this is definitely encouraging the idea that I am hot for him.

“Marcus,” I say in a low voice. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in my class in high school?”

He freezes, his mouth open but no words coming out.

“Don’t say you weren’t,” I say. “I was looking through the yearbook and saw your picture. You were in my class. You must have known who I

was when you first met me.” He starts to say something and I add, “Don’t lie.”

“Fine.” His shoulders droop. “Yes, I knew you right away. I mean, it’s pretty hard to forget the girl who almost got murdered by her boyfriend during senior year.”

“You also never mentioned that Shane and his buddies beat you up.” I fold my arms across my chest. “That they put you in the hospital. And you’ve been harboring a grudge against him for years, and now you’re making him pay for what he did to you.”

“That,” he says, “is an exaggeration.”

“Is it? Tell me he did anything here in prison to warrant the way you’ve been treating him.”

A dark expression passes over Hunt’s face. “He doesn’t have to do anything here. I already know what kind of person he is. He’s the kind of guy who would kick me in the ribs while laughing about it.” His hand balls into a fist. “You know what he’s like too, Brooke. I don’t know why you’re defending him.”

He makes an excellent point. I should hate Shane. I should be happy to see him locked up here, his hands and ankles shackled together. I should want to see him suffer after what he put me through.

But ever since I saw him lying in that infirmary bed, all the angry feelings I held towards him seem to have evaporated. Maybe it’s because he’s my son’s father. Or maybe there’s another reason.

When I testified against Shane, I felt so certain he was the one tightening that necklace chain around my neck, trying to kill me. But the more I think about it, the less certain I feel. There was something that happened that night I am missing. One little detail that has escaped me.

I’m sure of it.

Hunt leans in close to me—too close. “I could make him really pay for what he tried to do to you. Nobody on the outside gives a shit about him. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. I could throw him in isolation for weeks

—or months. I could have him beaten up so badly, he won’t be able to walk anymore. Just you say the word.” He winks at me. “Nelson thinks I’ve been torturing him, but he has no idea.”

My chest tightens. “I don’t want you to do that.” “What part?”

“None of it.” I swallow a hard lump in my throat. “I… I want you to lay off Shane.”

“Excuse me?”

“You need to stop.” I raise my voice, trying to seem more confident than I feel. “You need to treat him like a human being. Now.”

He cocks his head to the side. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands. You’re the one who took a job where one of your patients is a man who tried to murder you. What do you think Dorothy would say if she knew about that?”

Wow, yet another excellent point. This guy is on a roll.

“In fact,” he says, “if you want to keep this job, maybe you should think about making some time to grab that drink with me after work.”

I lift my chin. “Actually, I have a boyfriend.”

“You mean Tim Reese?” Hunt laughs at the shocked look on my face. “Come on, the guy’s at your house every night. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes.”

I can’t believe my ears. I’m suddenly incredibly sorry that I started this conversation. And even sorrier that we’re alone in this room together. “You’re spying on me?”

He shrugs. “I drove by your house a few times. I recognized Tim from high school. A boring but safe choice. Also…” He bares his slightly yellowed teeth at me. “I find it kind of interesting that you have a kid in fifth grade. You’re kind of young to have a son that old, aren’t you? Who were you dating ten years ago, anyway?”

Oh no. No, no, no…

“I bet Nelson would be really interested to hear about that,” he muses. “I’d sort of like to see the look on his face, you know?”

“Please don’t tell him,” I gasp. “Please.”

Hunt flashes me a smile that makes me want to punch him in the nose. “Don’t worry, Brooke,” he says. “Your secrets are safe with me. But you better be a little nicer to me. For starters, from now on, you can bring coffee to me every morning.”

“Fine,” I snap.

He gives me a long look, and I brace myself for more demands. But they don’t come. He just shakes his head at me.

“What a waste, Brooke,” he mutters. “All for that scumbag.”

With those words, he jerks open the door to the examining room and storms out.