“Joan, you’ve known me since I was a kid,” I said to my mother’s secretary. She sat outside my mother’s corner office with pictures of her grandkids on her desk and a coffee mug that read ‘I Love My English Bulldog’ on the side.

“Alex, I’m so sorry. But Dante gave specific instructions that upon your release you were not to be allowed into her office.” It was like the words were barbed as they painfully came out of her mouth.

“I’m on the board, so my vote still counts. My father made sure of that. You remember him? You remember the man who built this place and hired you when you needed a job after Fred got laid off?”

“Of course I remember,” Joan hissed. “But Fred is gone and so is your father, and Dante isn’t anything like your father,” she whispered angrily. “You can’t come barging in here, Alex, and expect things to go your way. You’ve got to follow the rules.”

“For five years I followed the rules,” I responded. “Five years that we both know I shouldn’t have had to give up.” I took a step closer to her. She was just a creampuff of a woman. Dyed red hair made her look clownish but she was one of the good ones. The kind of secretary men paid top dollar for. She wasn’t that easy on the eyes but nothing got past her. Including me.

“I’m sorry. If I thought there was any way I could help I would.” She looked at her desk. “But I’ve got a family. They rely on me. I can’t risk it.”

I wanted to scream at her and push her aside. But deep down I knew she was right. My mother had a file cabinet in her office that I needed to get to. There was something in it that had been waiting for me for five years. Just a little piece of paper my father left me. He’d told me to hide it.

“Hide it in plain view, son. That’s the best way,” he’d said, flashing that kind smile that showed off his dimples. And that is exactly what I did. But now, I couldn’t get to it. Regardless of my impatience, I was going to have to wait.

“All right, Joan. I won’t put you in a bad spot.” I saw her shoulders slump as if she’d been holding her breath. “Where is he?”

“You don’t want to see him. Not without your mother,” Joan pleaded.

“Where is he?”

“He took your mother’s old office.” She sighed.

“So what I read in the papers was correct. He is now VP? He’s got his tentacles in everything now, doesn’t he?” I was seeing red.

“Your mother seems happy.” Those words were not nearly as convincing as Joan had hoped they’d be.

“I’ll be back,” I stated. “And when I come back I want you to have the office open for me, okay?” I looked at her, feeling her turmoil as she looked up at me.

“You know I’ll do what I can. Haven’t I always?”

“Yeah. Hey, see what you can do about buying me some time before they get security up here.” I winked and headed off to my mother’s old office.

I heard Joan call the front reception desk and tell them to hold off on calling for security. That was all I needed. Just a few minutes to let everyone know I was back and ready to get to work. Especially Dante Ross.

There was someone in his office but I didn’t let that stop me. Half the staff had taken refuge in the kitchen or one of the conference rooms, convinced that I was going to go postal on the whole group. That was a notion likely put in their head by Mr. Ross, my step-father.

“Hey, dad!” I shouted as I stepped in the office. He turned and looked at me from across the room where he’d been standing, looking out the window. “Did you miss me?”

I was ready to charge him and risk toppling out the window, down twenty-eight floors. But I didn’t. In fact, I felt like I’d been punched in the gut as soon as I looked to my left. Sitting in one of the armchairs was the blonde woman from the elevator. She looked terrified as if she was afraid I was going to hurt her.

“Alex, I’m in the middle of explaining the business to Miss Lyons. She was just hired this morning. Do you think you can talk to my secretary and reschedule our little reunion?” Ross said.

“Your secretary? You mean your latest concubine?” I knew I was making a fool of myself but I couldn’t help it. I was enraged. While I was in prison fighting for my life among low-life rapists and murderers, Dante had seduced and married my mother. He’d taken over the business, I could tell.

“You’ve been gone a long time, Alex. We really do need to have a good, long chat. But now isn’t the time or place,” Dante said calmly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have to get back to work. Don’t make me call security and have you escorted out.”

My whole body vibrated with rage rippling from my core outward. I looked at the woman in the armchair. A lust settled over me. If I could have I would have taken her right there. It had, after all, been five years since I felt the touch of a woman and she had more than enough of everything in all the right places. Small, blonde, and cute – not to mention appearing frazzled and soaking wet. Instead, I let her beauty calm me. She didn’t look away this time. Her eyes stayed with mine like she was trying to read my thoughts. Maybe to match them to her own.

“You’re right, Dante. We do need to talk. I’ll expect to have my office back tomorrow. Enjoy the view while you’ve got it,” I barked before walking out the door.

The secretaries and lawyers and clerks jumped aside as I stomped down the corridor as if they were afraid of me – just par for the course when you’ve been to prison. It wouldn’t surprise me if they thought I had MS-13 tattoos on my chest and a huge supply of cocaine and firearms in my apartment.

Since my mother was who I really needed to see, I decided to leave the office peacefully. I took the private elevator, which I still had the key for, down to the parking garage. But the idea of climbing in my car and driving made me feel like I was back at Joliet. I needed to be out, even if it was raining. I needed to be out in the fresh air among the bustling people who didn’t know me or my felonious past. Crazy as it may seem, I wanted to be invisible. There was no way I could approach my mother in the state of mind I was in. I knew it. Everything was buzzing as the adrenaline started to wear off. But as soon as I got to the street level and began walking toward Randolph Street, I had the funny feeling I was being followed. But I never would have imagined by whom.