<h4>Chapter 160: Chapter 160 : New Alliances</h4>


    Allison.


    I was in the exercise yard when a guard I’d f*cked approached me. Maybe he’de with more cigarettes for me to trade. I sat on a bench with my new little posse around me. I’d managed to be something of prison royalty while I’d been here. It was a hard-won climb up thedder, but it was worth it. Prison could be fairlyfortable for those who knew how to work the system.


    “Valentino,” the guard, Max, said. “You have a visitor.”


    “Must be mywyer,” I sighed to my girls. “Fat lot of good he’s doing me. I’ll see youter.”


    I got up and walked with Max, whose name was really false advertising for his asset. He was the most “minimum” man I’d ever had the misfortune to sleep with.


    “I’ve got more cigs for you. Think you can skip out on your work detail today? I’ll make you some excuse,” Max whispered, licking his lips.


    I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Yeah, sure. That sounds great.”


    Max made a lewd gesture, grabbing his crotch.


    I gave him my prettiest smile, though my stomach turned in disgust.


    The first thing that surprised me was that I was taken to a small interview room, not the line of plexiss cubicles where I would be nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with other inmates. The second thing that surprised me was that, aside from my tatty public defender, there was anotherwyer in the room.


    The secondwyer was wearing a suit that was worth more than any car I’d ever owned, and since I had been with James during his early sess, that was saying something.


    “Allison!” Terry, my public defender said, rushing over and escorting me to a metal chair. “We’ve had a lucky break!”


    “A lucky break?” I echoed, looking at the other attorney.


    The otherwyer turned to face me and held out one well-manicured hand. “Good afternoon, Ms. Valentino. My name is Bruce Kensington III. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”


    I shook his soft hand, knowing from just that small handshake that he’d never done a day of manualbor in his life. This was a man of means—old money.


    “I am representing Carter and Cecelia Cartwright in the matter of a custody dispute involving your grandson, Alessandro Valentino,” Kensington went on. “We would like to remove him from a Ms. Ba Woods’s custody and ce him with his father’s family.”


    Ba. Woods. That b*tch who had taken everything from me. “I’m in.”


    Terry tapped his finger on the table. “Allison, you haven’t even heard the terms—”


    “I don’t care. I don’t want that slut raising my grandchild,” I sneered. “I don’t give a good goddamn about terms. Sign me up.”


    “It would involve you relinquishing any custodial rights...” Kensington exined.


    I shrugged. “How would I raise Alessandro in prison, anyway?”


    “Kensington, Kensington, and Pierce have criminal attorneys as well,” Terry said excitedly. “They’ve offered to review and take over your appeal in exchange for your testimony against Ba Woods and James Valentino.”


    “James?” I frowned slightly. “James is dead.”


    Terry shook his head vigorously. “Not dead. Witness Protection. Of course, he’s gone and broken that agreement now.”


    “He’s with that slut again, isn’t he?” I hissed.


    “Ms. Woods? Yes. By all ounts, he is harboring Ms. Woods and the rest of her family at hispound outside Florence, Italy,” Kensington said.


    I mmed my fist on the table. “Of course he is.”


    “Down the line, of course, we may be able to remove Dahlia Valentino to a better situation as well. My paralegals and investigators are currently assembling all kinds of dirt on James Valentino. It won’t be difficult to dere him an unfit custodian. However, we will need help with Ms. Woods,” Kensington went on.


    “Miss Goody-Two-Shoes giving you a run for your money?” I asked. “She was always a grasping little upstart, clinging to my Tally even though she didn’t belong in our world. Now she’s charmed James’s money out of him AND my grandbaby out of Tally. She’s a conniving little bitch, and I would pay money, if I had any, to see her taken down.”


    Kensington nodded. “There will, of course, bepensation for your time and efforts, and, should we be able to get your sentence reduced, vacated, ormuted, the Cartwrights have no intention of stopping you from seeing the child.”


    “They’re a good family. Old money,” Terry added.


    Old money? I wondered how much they would pay for my cooperation. Still, no matter how much or little it was, the satisfaction of squashing Ba like a bug was more than enoughpensation for any time and effort. “How much, may I ask, am I to bepensated?”


    Kensington named an eight-figure sum, which made my mouth water. “This is, of course, all unofficial. The funds will be wired to a Cayman Ind ount of your choosing, once all is said and done.”


    “Excellent. As I said, I’m all in. Alessandro deserves the kind of life the Cartwrights can afford him, and if I can help get him that life, then I am more than happy to add my testimony against James and that little whore.” I felt my un-lipsticked lip curl as my un-manicured fingernails tapped on the table. “I’m in prison as an essory to a murder of a man who doesn’t even have the decency to be dead.”


    “Yes, that will be a strong part of your appeal. But first, we must win the battle for Alessandro,” Kensington said.


    An idea came to me, and I smirked. “Well, Mr. Kensington, I have a proposition for you.”


    “Oh?” Kensington asked, raising an eyebrow.


    “Tally’s ‘friends’ don’t like Ba much. I think they might have not-so-nice things to say about her. For a price,” I drawled.


    Kensington’s lips twitched. “Oh, I like you. I could never, of course, bribe a witness. That would be hical. But I could encourage them to tell the truth.”


    “Do you have a pen and paper? I know they don’t let you bring your phone in, but I can make you a list of Tally’s friends who might be willing to help,” I said.


    Terry immediately snapped open his briefcase and produced a pad of paper and pen.


    I took the pen and began scribbling down names. It took most of a sheet of legal paper. I also added what cities they lived in for the ones that I remembered and little notes about weaknesses.


    Kensington watched me write from across the table, reading the information upside down. His smile only grew wider and wider.


    “I must say, Ms. Valentino, it has been most delightful meeting you,” Kensington said, taking the entire legal pad before Terry could and putting it in his own designer briefcase.


    “Likewise,” I replied with a coy smile. It never hurt to build a little currency here and there. Besides, he might be single. I didn’t see a ring.


    Not that it would have been anything but a minor challenge to me.


    “I will be seeing you again soon to go over your testimony,” Kensington assured me, a flicker of interest in his eyes. “We won’t be needing Terry here for that. Or anymore, actually, once you sign this retainer.”


    Kensington slid a form across to me.


    Terry didn’t look at all surprised. “I’m just so happy for you, Allison.”


    “Me, too,” I said, waving at Terry dismissively. “You can go now. Chase an ambnce. The big boys are talking.”


    Terry’s brow furrowed. He picked up his beaten-up briefcase and made a hasty exit.


    “Cold,” Kensington grinned as I signed my name and initials to the retainer documents with a flourish.


    “He was basically useless,” I said. “Not nearly as worthwhile as you.” I fluttered my eyshes at Kensington.


    “I’d agree.” Kensington took the retainer and put it in his briefcase. “I’d also like to take you to dinner when you’re a free woman.”


    My smile was slow and seductive. “I’d like that very much.”


    “Now, since you won’t be spending too much longer in here, you have to be on your best behavior. No more banging a guard for cigarettes to trade,” Kensington admonished me.


    I waved a hand. “That was more of a long-term arrangement. Since, as you say, I won’t be spending much longer in here...”


    “I’m d we understand each other. Also, keep yourself out of any prison disputes or other shenanigans. We want you to look like a model citizen,” Kensington said. “A grieving mother.”


    “Yes.” My heart panged, and I looked away from him. “I am a grieving mother.”


    Kensington paused. “Oh, yes, of course. I am sorry for your loss.”


    I wiped my eyes. “Thank you very much, but it’s not you who needs to be sorry. I am going to make that bastard and that bitch sorry they were ever born!”


    “That’s the spirit,” Kensington replied. “Nothing like the smell of vengeance in the morning. Better than coffee, I say.”


    “It keeps you going longer,” I admitted.


    “Indeed.” Kensington gripped the handle of his briefcase and headed for the door. “Now, remember, be a good girl.”


    I winked at him. “You have no idea how good I can be.”


    Kensington chuckled and let himself out.


    Max came back then, whistling a happy tune, ready to take me away from my work detail and pork me with his unimpressive p*nis. Luckily, I had no need for all that anymore.


    “I think I’ll go on work detail today, Max,” I said to him, much to his shock.


    “But... I’ve got cigs...” Max spluttered.


    Iid my hand on his arm. “Fun as it’s been, I’m afraid our arrangement is over. You need to find someone else to trade cigs to for sex. I need to be a good girl.”


    Max lookedpletely crestfallen, but we both knew he’d have a new hookup by dinnertime.


    I circled up my girls during our work detail and told them the new n. “We’re not getting involved in any of the crap going on in here. That way, they won’t have any reason to deny us early release.”


    “And your fancywyer is going to work on our cases?” one of my girls asked eagerly.


    “Absolutely,” I lied. “We just have to stay above the muck, and we’re all home free.”


    That would be enough of a carrot to entice them. In the real world, these women would be too low to lick my boots, anyway.


    “I’d love to see my kids again,” another one said wistfully.


    I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. “Yes, well, wouldn’t we all,” I said waspishly.


    The girls all looked at me in shock, and I realized I’d let my mask slip.


    “Sorry, Carol, I was just thinking of Tally,” I covered for myself.


    “Oh, yeah, sorry, Allison,” Carol replied.


    “How about we all go to dinner? My treat,” I joked.


    The othersughed, and we made our way to the cafeteria.


    I smirked silently to myself.


    Ba Woods and James Valentino were about to be shattered.