"Prison? What the hell?" Adrienne's voice quivered.
"Juliette gave that document to the police. She wanted to hurt me after I refused to take her side. The document had evidence of my illegal arms deals," Richard said.
"Arms deals? That's how you got wealthy, right?" Adrienne asked and Richard nodded.
"The Chief offered me a deal. He said he would give me the video Rosa sent to the police if I let him arrest me as a 'big criminal' to boost his promotion chances," Richard explained.
"What? No, that's a terrible deal! That's like trading a bread factory for a loaf of bread. You didn't agree to that, did you?" Adrienne said.
"Of course not. Rosa's video was useless to us. But I thought about it.
I would get caught sooner or later if someone found out, or one of my partners got busted, or someone dug into my past.
I know the Chief, so he's being easy on me. He could end our 'relationship' and arrest me with what he has.
Luckily, that's not the case. If or when he gets promoted, there would be a new Chief, and that would be bad for me.
So I decided to go to prison. Let the Chief use me to get ahead, while he locks me up. He promised me some privileges and it would be for three years max.
Amelia would still be a baby, and I would visit her once in a while until I serve my time. It's better to go to prison now, than when she's older, because that would hurt her more," Richard said in detail.
Adrienne was speechless. This was too much to take in.
"I'll be with you at the birth and you won't raise Amelia alone.
Also, you're human, and I understand if you want to..."
"If I want to do what?" Adrienne cut him off.
"If you want to rethink your choices..."
"My choices about what?"
"Your choices about us. I love you, Adrienne. I really do. And I want to be with you forever.
But you have to make your own choices. Whether you want to wait for me or..." Adrienne silenced Richard with a kiss.
"Wait for you or what? Walk away? Leave you? Break up with you? There's no such thing here," Adrienne said and kissed him again.
"Adrienne, wait. This is serious. Three years is a long time. Isn't it selfish to make you wait for me?" Richard said.
"You said you'll visit, right?"
"Yes, I arranged that with the Chief, but it won't be often. Maybe once every two months, so I don't get in trouble," Richard said.
"I'm fine with that, really. Just three years and by then, our baby will be two, so you'll still be part of her life. Please don't push me away," Adrienne said, holding his face and leaning in again.
"Adrienne..." he groaned against her lips, his breath hot on her skin.
Their lips met and they kissed passionately.
“Do you realize what you said earlier?” Richard asked, caressing her cheek with his thumb.
“What did I say?”
“You said I would be part of her childhood. Her. You just agreed that we’ll have a girl,” Richard said and they laughed.
“Fine, I’m okay with having a girl. As long as she resembles you. You know, the female version of this gorgeous man,” Adrienne said.
They kissed again, forgetting the soap opera and losing themselves in their emotions and feelings.
***
Linc had been in prison for a week, and he woke up every day with a deep resentment towards Adrienne for putting him there.
As he opened his eyes on this fateful day, he clenched his fists, filled with his usual anger.
"Fuck you!" Linc swore as he got up.
"Are you talking to me?" A fellow inmate glared at Linc.
He was of average height, had brown hair, wore glasses and had an ugly mole on his face.
"Shut up, nerd!" Linc snapped as he went to the toilet in their room.
When it was time for breakfast, they served them rice and soup. The soup was so watery that it reminded Linc of the dirty rainwater in the gutters.
He threw the food away in disgust and some of the soup splashed on the inmates at his table.
He went back to the room but the 'nerd' from earlier followed him.
"Fuck off!" Linc said, rolling his eyes at him.
He smiled innocently.
"Why? This is my room too. What's your problem with me?"
Linc was annoyed. "Why are you smiling at me?"
He kept smiling. "Why not?"
"Do you know who I am? Don't piss me off," Lincoln warned him.
"Well, I know you are a prisoner, and you are at least twenty-eight," he mocked Linc.
Linc slapped him hard and his glasses fell to the floor.
He put his glasses back on.
"Do you know who this nerd is?" he grinned at Linc.
"I killed my mom, father, wife and two kids in one day and I have been given a death sentence," he grinned.
Linc was shocked for a moment.
"You? You're as weak as a fly under my foot and you want me to believe that?"
The man grabbed his neck and slammed him to the wall.
"I'm stronger than you imagine. And I have one goal before I die; to kill you too," the man said, choking Linc.
Linc tried to fight back and punched the man. He let go of Linc's neck briefly.
Linc gasped for air, but the man attacked him again.
He was more tough and stubborn than Linc expected. Linc soon became the victim of a brutal attack, suffering many hard hits. The man's force and will left Linc wounded and broken, his power and courage gone.
The prison changed as they fought. The noise of their struggle echoed through the cold, concrete walls.
Toughness doesn't mean winning, he thought as he struggled to get the man off him.
Suddenly, the man brought out a pocket knife and before Linc could count to three, he stabbed Linc's neck horizontally and threw his body to the floor.
***
Adrienne and Richard were having a good time on Adrienne's bed. Adrienne had a slight pain in her waist and Richard offered to give her a massage.
He knelt between her legs, expertly massaging her waist with his fingers, applying soothing pressure to alleviate the pain.
Adrienne let out a relieved smile as she rubbed her growing belly, feeling the tension melt away with each purposeful stroke.
"Mmm... ohh... " Adrienne moaned softly.
"Move your fingers a bit lower," Adrienne requested.
He knew where she wanted but he intentionally moved his finger just an inch below.
"Come on, you know where I want it," Adrienne said impatiently.
"Oh yeah? Someone looks in the mood," he teased and moved his fingers to her groin.
She spread her two legs open to give his fingers easy access to her groin.
"Oh, fuck!" she muttered, breathing heavily as she caressed her own breasts.
"Yeahhh... good girl," he grinned proudly as he moved his fingers to her labia that was wet with her vaginal fluids.
Her moans intensified as he massaged her sensitive flesh.
"God! I think it's coming," she screamed.
Her legs vibrated and she ran her hands through her hair and breasts, breathing heavily.
Just then, he slipped his thumb inside her and in less than five seconds, the floodgates of heaven opened and she brought the rains all over Richard's body.
"Oh my god, you look so hilarious. I am so sorry," she laughed at Richard.
"That was..." he was interrupted by his phone ringing.
"Come on. Who is disturbing our intimacy time?" Adrienne complained as she passed Richard's phone to him from the nearby drawer.
He answered the call and the only thing he said was 'okay' before he ended the call.
"Who was that?" Adrienne asked.
"Now... it is really over," Richard said cryptically.
"What do you mean?" Adrienne asked.
Richard was silent for a moment before he finally spoke.
"Lincoln is dead."