The body warmed, braided ring of metal felt slick in Casey’s hands as he turned it over and over. Did Lottie know he was arrested? Would she try to rescue him?

He snorted. He wouldn’t put it past her but hopefully Jaesen or Javier or Tristan… Ever-absent God! Was Tristan already in St. Louis? Hell, he could already be behind bars here at headquarters! Granted, Casey hadn’t heard anyone down here with him except his jailers since he’d been locked in, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t happened.

Casey pinched the band between his thumb and forefinger securing it before dropping his head to his hands. He rubbed his eyes. What was he going to do? How was he going to get out of this mess? Straightening, he looked at the ring again. He slid it onto his pinky, twisted it, and pulled it off.

“Seeds?” Brown asked, surprise coloring his tone. “Seeds!” he yelled over his shoulder. “Not only is he a traitor, but a rich one too!” Brown looked up, pinning Casey with an impressive glare. “That why you’re here? Theft?” Casey held still. He didn’t owe Brown any answers. Brown opened the little black bag. “Got you a fancy ring, too. You’re just full of surprises, ain’t’ca.”

Longing thudded in Casey’s chest at the sight of Lottie’s ring. “Give it back.”

“Nuh-uh. No personal effects, remember,” Brown reminded him as he tossed it in the air. Casey’s eyes tracked the ring as it soared high, peaked, descended and was caught by Brown, who in turn eyeballed it as it rested on his palm. “What do you need a ring for anyway? A woman?” Brown huffed a bitter laugh. “What makes you think the state worker you’re fuckin’ would want an asshole like you? You ain’t special. Just one of many nestled between her legs.”

Casey clenched his teeth. He’d rather forfeit Lottie’s ring than tell Brown about her. Brown lifted his eyebrow in silent reproach. “God, these assholes are all the same,” he called over his shoulder to his partner. “Acting all ‘high and mighty’, ‘better than thou’ bullshit,” he said still addressing his partner. Brown refocused on Casey and held the ring inches from his nose. Spinning it he said, “I got news for you buddy. She don’t want it.” His fingers closed around the ring, one by one. “Not only doesn’t she want this shitty ‘declaration’ of your affection, she doesn’t want you.”

Brown grinned nastily at Casey, his eyes raking him from head to toe. “You know what that leaves you with? Hmm?” Brown didn’t wait for Casey to answer, not like Casey had planned on responding in any case. “Jack-fucking-shit.” Brown turned to face the glass partition, but clearly still spoke to Casey, “You ain’t got shit. Not anymore. No rank. No ring. No whore. You’re just a lowlife-fucker that’s got a whole lot of ass kicking ahead of him down at Twenty-four.” Brown shook his head. “Fuckin’ traitor. Ought to kill you instead of keep you.”

Squaring his shoulders, Casey refused to acknowledge Brown’s words. He’d fight his way out before accepting execution.

“Get undressed,” Brown ordered.

“Here?”

Turning, Brown planted his hands on his hips. “Of course ‘here’, where else? You ain’t got shit, remember? Not even privacy.”

Casey unbuttoned his dress uniform coat and slipped it from his shoulders. He took a moment to stare at the fabric tear where his pins had rested. His chest felt tighten. Swallowing his emotions, he stuffed them deep inside where they wouldn’t be seen by anyone, then proceeded to fold his coat and set it on the floor. Brown tapped his foot in impatience while Casey yanked his undershirt over his head and placed it on the jacket after folding it as well.

“We ain’t got all day, shit-for-brains. Move it.”

Glaring at Brown, Casey finished stripping and stood naked before him, awaiting Brown’s next instruction. “Through there,” Brown barked, indicating the only other door in the room.

Casey turned on his heel and marched to it. Pulling it open, he entered a small shower stall.

“Scrub down. Dry off. And put this on,” Brown said, pointing to a white prison uniform resting on the bench next to the shower. “You have ten minutes.”

Nodding, Casey dismissed Brown from his thoughts and turned on the spray. He showered quickly. Once finished, he turned off the water and dried himself with the threadbare towel left for him by Brown. When he reached for the uniform, he started in surprise. There, on the top, was his ring. The one for Lottie. He looked to the door but Brown wasn’t in the room, and the door was firmly closed.

He picked the ring up.

He wanted to thank Brown for giving it back to him, but figured it was in his best interests to ignore Brown’s kindness—if that is what it was—in favor of securing his treasure before anyone else saw it. Sliding his dogtags from around his neck, he quickly unclasped the chain and added the ring to it before donning the tags again. Casey fingered the cheap metal, punched with his name and date of birth that rested on his chest over the ring. They didn’t lay as flat as they once had, but he doubted anyone would notice.

Noise at the end of the hall alerted Casey that his jailers were coming. With practiced ease, he slipped the ring on the chain, clasped it and dropped it over his neck before the CPS guard arrived at his prison door. Casey could see an eye study him through the small window above the food tray slot.

“First Lieutenant Green wants to know if you’ve changed your mind.”

“No.”

The guard shrugged, at least that’s what it looked like to Casey from what he could see through the small slat in the thick metal door. “Suit yourself,” he said and marched away. The sound of his footsteps fading until the door at the end of the hall rattled open then closed again announcing the man’s exit.

Casey pulled his tags from his chest and flipped them over to reveal the ring.