It has been two weeks of prison visits. They have been the most stressful weeks of my whole life. My attendance has gone down by ten percent at Uni and I am being recommended a meeting for my subject head. Great, this is all Luca's fault. At least now I can be shot of him forever. But do I want to be?
Today, I have to meet him outside the prison, waiting for when he gets out so that we look more authentic. For someone who has been with Luca for an hour each day, the least I could do is see him out of prison.
Me and Sebastian are trying to keep our distances. We have talked about it and we have both agreed that it's probably best for us to stay as friends, at least until Luca isn't in need of me anymore. I know that he won't want to know me after he has been released. After all, I don't belong in his world.
My brother is adamant that me and Sebastian are a thing. I keep telling him no, but he doesn't listen. He always brings him up in front of my parents to tease me, but they never properly catch on.
"Where are you going?" My mum asks, as I am putting my coat on.
"Just to meet a friend."
"What friend?" She interrogates.
"A friend that I met whilst working at the prison, her name's Lucy." I lie.
"Not a prisoner?" My mum asks, appalled.
"No! Mum, it's a male prison." I laugh.
"Do you need a lift? Where are you meeting her?" She questions.
"Outside the post office." I tell her, trying to remember the surroundings near the prison.
"Okay, I'll drop you there now!" She says.
---
As we pull up outside the post office, my mum is slightly suspicious that there is no one waiting for me there.
"Where is she?"
"Must be running late." I say, whilst hopping out the car. "Bye, Mum!" I wave over-enthusiastically. I wait until she can't be seen for me to walk in the direction of the prison.
"Here goes nothing." I think before turning up outside the gate.
Hang on? Whose car is that? I look at a black Mercedes that I recognise. Of course, Sebastian.
"Alright, Isobel?" He asks.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm picking you both up."
I groan in dismay. This is going to take far longer than I anticipated. Before I have a chance to say anything else, there is a load beep which means the gates are opening.
Out comes Luca - looking incredibly dapper. Luca, if anything, is better- looking than I remembered. His face tells of a muscular body beneath his black trench coat and his expression is serious but not angry. His hair looks much darker than I remember, the blonde has almost completely gone. There are still some strands that glisten in the sunlight that are blonde. He is wearing black jeans and I can see a grey jumper beeping up, out of his coat, with some Italian leather brogues.
As he approaches us, he has quite an intimidating smirk on his face. Like he has been inflated with arrogance and power. Whenever I saw him within the prison, he did look intimidating but weirdly broken too. He's fixed himself by the looks of things.
He goes to Sebastian first and gives him a man hug.
"Five years, brother. Five. How have you been?" He chuckles.
"Luca, you have no idea what it's been like. The drugs we had in 14 were taken down to Coventry by the police and then taken in for a-" He is interrupted by Luca putting his hand up.
"Come on now, Seb. I've only just got out. Now is not the time to discuss business." He grins.
He finally turns to me but doesn't say anything which makes me feel uncomfortable. I can see a twinkle in his green eyes that says to me that he thinks that he can do whatever he wants now he's out. Well, he's wrong.
He takes a step forward so that the sight of Sebastian is blocked out by his 6'3" frame.
"Looks like you're free." He grimaces, making me silently sigh in relief. "From working for us. At least for now. But remember, you'll never be free from the view of KM17 now." He whispers that last bit in my ear making me shudder. He chuckles at the effect he has had.
"Come on, Seb. Let's take Isobel home, and then we can get things running again." He says, turning back towards Sebastian.
---
The ride back is fairly quiet; from my side anyway. All I can hear is Luca and Sebastian talking about their friends and their little drug cartel.
Just before we arrive at my house, Sebastian reminds me that he left some kind of stash in the skip on our drive which annoyed me. Why didn't he tell me. As he goes to retrieve it once we're all out of the car, Luca again turns to me.
"Remember what I said. You will never be free from the reach of KM17, and by that, I mean the reach of me." He smirks, stepping even closer. I feel sick. He bends down to kiss me but I turn my head so he catches my cheek.
"Fine. It's like that is it." He says, sternly. I can see a slight infuriation build up.
"I don't want to continue something that I know will end badly." I breathe.
He gives me a look that still has the essence of that sad, broken, brave man I knew in the prison. But he soon blinks that away.
"You won't have a choice next time." He says bluntly, and stalks off and into the car. What is that supposed to mean? Are we over? Am I finally free?
YOU ARE READING
Degeneracy♡
RomanceIsobel Shelby, is a hard-working nineteen-year-old, with bucket loads of ambition. She is studying criminology and psychology at University and is on the pathway to success. This all changes when she meets Luca. She is put on a two-week placement in...
