Jail Bird. by Em. Z. (best free ebook reader .txt) 📕

I sped down the highway, my windows rolled down as I screamed, "Yeah!"

I pushed the limit of my car, sirens blaring behind me as I swerved along the empty highway. My black hair blew every which way, as I glanced down at the speedometer. I was officially going as fast as the car could go, and the cops were still gaining on me.

Screw Mom, and my stupid brother. I would die on this road, and I didn't care. Of course it might have had something to do with the fact that I was drunk.

Suddenly, the car caught on something, and I went spinning. A scream escaped my lips as I tried hard to get control of it again, and I went sailing through the air, but I never flipped. I hit the ground, and my body was wrenched against my seat belt. As my car slid in the grass, it tipped, just almost falling onto it's side, but at the last second, it fell back, slamming back down upright.

I gasped for breath, having had the air knocked out of me. I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the door, almost falling out of the car. Cop cars circled me, and I leaned against my poor smashed mustang, a small smile on my face.

"Get on the ground!" One of the cops yelled.

"Sir yes sir!" I yelled back, shooting him a salute and lying on the ground.

"Smartass." He muttered as he cuffed me.

I chuckled as he hoisted me up. "Be gentle, I'm only human." I said.

He sat me down in a rough manner, despite my warning, in the cop car, and closed the door.

***

"How could you be so stupid, Jane?" My mother screamed through the phone, making me pull it back from my ear and wince.

"So yeah, as I was saying I'm in jail, and my plan to die didn't work out, so..." I trailed off as Mom inturrupted me again.

"Jane Lane Harison I could strangle you! This is the second time you-"

"Okay, my call is up. Bye!" And I put the phone back on the hook.

I let out a breath, shaking my head. "Take me away officers!" I said dramatically, leaning on his shoulder.

His lips twitched. "Actually, we're to take you in for questioning, boss's orders." He said.

"What for? I freaking started a car chase, I didn't commit a robbery with a partner or some shit." I said as he took my arm and led me into the room where they questioned people.

"He'll explain everything to you." He said, chuckling.

I sat down with a bored sigh. "Hey, you got a coke, Greg?" I asked him.

"No." He said, tuckings his hands in his pockets, as turned and left.

I sighed again.

A minute later, I was sitting with my feet up on the table, studying my nails, when "the boss" walked in. I didn't expect  the man my blue eyes took in.

His dark eyes were almost golden, as they assessed me. His tan skin was hidden under a black blazer. His black slacks fit him just right, and a tie wrapped ruggedly around his neck. Even with his clothing, I could see that he was well built. His hair curled around his ears, and he looked as if he'd been running his hands through it.

He gave me a polite nod. "Hello, Jane Harington, I'm Victor Price." He said.

My drunk mind made me bolder, as I grinned up at him and exclaimed, "Man, you're sexy!"

Victor Price sat down across from me, not seeming amused. "I see you're intoxicated." He said.

"Dude, I'm wasted." I said.

"Sober enough to answer some questions, I hope."

I crossed my eyes upward and began twitching my eyebrows. As I saw that they were in operation, I nodded with a serious expression. "My eyebrows still move when I want them to. I'm good."

He narrowed his eyes at me and leaned foreward. "I'll make a deal with you. If I can get the answers I need from you, I'll cut your jail time down to two weeks." He said.

I crossed my arms. "What in the hell would you need from me that would get me out in two weeks?" I asked him.

"Well, you're the daughter of a notorious criminal, Dirk Harison." He said.

I smiled. "Dadio!"

"I want to know if he's contacted you recently." He said.

"Sure he has! You know he's very proud of me for that grand theft auto I pulled a few years back." I said thoughtfully.

"Listen to me. I want to know what he said." He said, impatient as I got off track.

I raised an eyebrow, happy that I wasn't too drunk to use them - they were my greatest sass weapons. "Blood is thicker than water."

"Listen, I know he's family but-"

"No, that's what he said." I explained.

He raised his eyebrows, so I felt the need to explain further, smiling in amusement. "It's our little code, for when he's close by. Usually he's watching us through the windows or something, but then he's gone. Off to hide out again. This time he told me that he was headed to Los Angeles, of course that's code for either Mississippi or Texas." I said.

He raised his eyebrows. "You don't think he'll be angry at you for sharing this information?"

I stared at him, my smile fading. I sobered instantly at his words.

"Blood is thicker than water." I said again, this time with emotion.

My father once told me, that if I were ever questioned like this, to tell them everything I knew. He didn't want me in trouble like him. He made me promise him, with a pinky promise and no crossed fingers or toes. It may not have seemed like much, but to us, it was a rendition of the hand on the bible. 

He stared at me for a moment, before looking down at the file he'd brought in with him. "Tell me, what else did he say?" He asked.

"I don't know, some sappy crap about how he loved me and that he'd never let anything happen to me or something." I muttered, not revealing how much those words meant to me.

"I see. Well we think we know the reason for this. Your father is not only in trouble with the law. He's in trouble with a gang. We think this is why he started robbing banks in the first place." He explained.

I shrugged. I'd already known that. "Yeah, so?" I asked.

"We think his life is in danger. He called us an hour before you started the police chase, asking us to put you and your family into protection. He pretty much told us everything, all except where he was located at the time. How long ago did he call you?" He asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What did he say to you?"

"Please answer the question-"

"No you answer my question, what did he say to you?" I asked, my voice raising.

"He said that he was sorry for his crimes, and to take care of his daughter." He said, his face smooth.

My breathing started becoming shallow, and fast, and for the first time since my father left, I felt tears brim my eyes. "What did he say to me?" I demanded, slapping my hand down on the table, knowing that they were holding back.

"He said, I'm sorry." 

I closed my eyes tightly, a single tear escaping. "I'm done." I whispered.

"Can I just ask you one more-"

"I'm done!" I snapped, opening my eyes to glare at him, "Get me out of here."

He stared into my eyes for a moment, before letting out a silent breath and nodding, waving a few officers in to take me away.

I didn't notice them hoist me up. I didn't even notice them leading me back to my cell. My entire world melted away with only one thought swirling through my mind.

My father was dead.

The memory of that phone call was flitting through my head, and I closed my eyes again.

**

I was sixteen years old, and the phone began ringing. Thinking it was a bill collector, I picked it up and said in Spanish, "You're mother is a whore."

What I got was a boistering laugh. "I see the bill collectors have been nagging at you." Dad's voice said.

I squealed like a five year old on Christmas. "Dad!"

"Hey, sweetheart. Guess what? Blood is thicker than water."

"Really? Do we get to go out for icecream again?" I asked eagerly.

"No, unfortunately I just dropped in to check on you. Man, you've grown since I've last seen you!" He said.

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'll always be your little girl." I said.

He laughed softly, and then the line went silent for a few seconds. "You still there?" I asked him.

"Yeah...yeah I'm still here. Listen, I've got a new code for you, okay? I don't want you to argue with me, but I might not be able to tell you this in my own words. If I should...well if the Peter's gang should catch up with me...I want you to be able to know what happened to me, okay? So if I say "I'm sorry," that means...that means I didn't get away in time." He said seriously.

The smile slipped from my face. "Daddy, why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"I just want you to know. I love you. I have to go. You tell your brother to take care of you two, okay?"

"O-okay...Dad?" I asked after a second.

"Yeah, sweetheart."

"Promise me I'll never hear those words."

He was silent for a moment. "I love you."

And then the line went dead.

***

I watched as they shoved another delinquent in with me. He was no older than twenty. He had shaggy blue hair, and almost neon green contacts. I rolled my eyes. 

He looked at me, and gave me what he thought was a charming smile. "Hi there."

"Hi." I said in a flat voice.

"What are you in for?" He shifted his hair out of his eye, and stared down at me.

"Murder," I replied, blunt.

He blinked, and then he cleared his throat, laughing slightly. "Nice joke."

I almost, almost grabbed him by the throat.

He tilted his head, and murmured with a smug smile as if he was so badass, "I stole some vodka."

I snorted and sat back. "Nice."

We stood in silence for a minute, as he checked me out, and then blue-green goblin sat next to me, a little too close. "So I heard in jail that sometimes-"

He was cut off as I pulled back my arm and punched him dead in the face. I heard the satisfying crunch of bone, and he was out like a light, sliding to the floor. That was the last straw.

"I am not your bitch." I said to the unconscious creep, shoving him aside.

I sat against the wall, watching as Glen rushed over to see what the commotion was about. He looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. "You know you're not supposed to do that."

"Hey, he came onto me. I have the right to self defence." I said, shrugging as I studied my nails.

He sighed heavily and left, probably to go find a medic for the poor kid. A few minutes later, Victor stalked over, looking down at the kid. "Oi,