No Matter What

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© 2013 Amy X Bryce. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/09/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2619-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2618-8 (e)

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CONTENTS

Prologue

Book One

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Book 2

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Book 3

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Book 4

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Book 5

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Conclusion

What Cancer can not

Take from you

It can not take away your

Faith

Shatter your

Hope

Or lessen your

Love

It can not destroy true

Friendship

Invade the

Soul

Take away

Eternal Life

It can not

Conquer your

Spirit

Thank you God and Dartgnan, with you both in my corner all things are possible.

I would like to dedicate this book to my Uncle Pete and my Aunts Carol, Sharon and Kathy. As well as my Aunts from my father’s side, Delberta, Rose, Susan and Robin.

Family is something special and wonderful!

PROLOGUE

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN going through life, just minding your own business, trying to have a good life and to be the best person you can be?

Well, that was me. This is my story on how my life changed completely in a blink of an eye. I worked in a nice, semi safe job that paid well. It had pretty good benefits. When I say semi safe, it could get a little risky sometimes, simply because I worked in a government correctional facility, it was a low security level prison. Most of the prisoners were getting close to being paroled. The majority behaved themselves, but every now and then you’d run in to an idiot that didn’t give a rat’s ass, if he was almost home or not.

Yep, my life was just moving along nicely, when all the sudden, WHAM!!! Life threw me a loop and knocked me on my ass. I had been in a car accident some time ago, were a big rig was trying to swerve to miss a stray dog, causing the truck to clip me instead. I was fortunate, because I wasn’t injured too severely, just a couple cracked ribs, a broken sternum and a very pretty black eye. So I was thinking, okay I can handle this, I’ve got car and medical insurance, sick leave to cover anytime I might have to miss from work and no one was killed. So everything was fine.

When out of nowhere, the radiologist that was reviewing my x-rays noticed a mass in my chest area. Now, this scared me to death, my mother, Beverly passed away from Breast Cancer at the young age of 38. I was a mere 18 at the time of her death. I don’t recall much about her cancer, only that I went to her treatments some times, but no one ever explained to me what was going on or even that it was cancer until she had already passed.

I can honestly say I never thought whatever she had would kill her, but I was wrong.

So I went for testing, which was horrifying in its self, I was wide awake for the test. They numbed the surface of my breast and inserted a long thin needle into the mass and withdrew some of it for testing. Frankly, it might have been better, if they had just knocked me out.

Yep, you guessed it, it was cancer. I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 24, Wow!!! But that was over a year and a half ago, not to mention it’s been over 7 years ago since my mother’s passing. I won’t lie my treatment was intense, it included breast surgery, ten doses of chemotherapy and twelve weeks of radiation, it was long and painful, but that’s understandable considering I was fighting for my life.

Thank the heavens, my treatments are over and my cancer is in remission. The doctor’s have given me a clean bill of health and authorized me to go back to work, where true craziness took over my life. I am just getting my strength back, but my hair hadn’t fully grown back in, but I’m alive and thankfully cancer free. Life is good, real good!!

Let me ask you another question, have you ever met someone and been instantly attracted to them, even though you hadn’t even spoken a word to them? Well, I have. I never believed in love at first site, but now I am living, breathing proof it exists. Just so you know it’s a blessing and a curse, all at the same time. Here let me explain a little better, so you get the full picture… . But first hold on, so I can take this call real quick.

Picking up the phone and getting ready to place it to my ear, I don’t say anything, I know who it is. There’s no need to look at the caller ID screen, because it will say, Blocked. just like it always does.

As I get the phone up to my ear. I hear, Ready or not, here I come!!! Then it’s followed by insane laughter, it’s always the same.

Looking down at my shaking hands, I feel cold sweat cover my back, it’s true you can’t choose who you fall in love with, but you can decide to go or fight to stay.

Unfortunately if you choose to stay and it involves a self absorbed psychopath, then your choices are limited and the few you have can be life threatening.

Or at the very least, extremely dangerous, due to the fact. You’re at the mercy of their madness, until you’re forced to stop it at any and all cost… . No Matter What!!!

BOOK ONE

The closing of a door is often the opening of a window, or so some people believe . . .

CHAPTER 1

HERE’S THE STORY OF our beginning… . it’s a normal day in the production kitchen of Camp Warsaw, which is south of the city of Detroit. When I glance up and see this incredibly handsome prisoner, my mouth literally goes dry. He’s a little over 6ft and very lean, but full of muscles, not bulking, sexy muscles. He has lean powerful muscles, when he turns his face towards me; I see these dark sexy eyes and these full luscious lips. He’s a very nice looking man, all male, no doubt about it, 100% perfect man. Hell, even in his kitchen whites and goofy hairnet, I can tell he’s extremely sexy. I pause to watch him for a few minutes. Then quickly, scold myself. That’s enough… . Focus!!! Get your ass back to work. Before, I continue working on the annual inventory, that I had been working on prior to seeing him. I look at him one more time and silently say a quick prayer, thanking God he isn’t assigned to my baking crew.

Thou higher powers are about to play a very cruel joke on me. Sometimes the Lord above has a wild sense of humor.

This was over five years ago, and I’ve learned never to judge others, because no one knows what they’re capable of, until we’re faced with it.

Since that day, my life has been a crazy rollercoaster ride. And now I’m just trying to it get back on track, or at least to some kind of normal, whatever the hell that might be. So let me continue… .

I hear Beep, Beep, as the alarm sounds letting me know my baking crew is in the area and reporting to work. It’s 4am on a Tuesday morning and we have a very hectic schedule this month. I run the production baking program, were we prepare large quantities of fresh baked goods for the other local facilities, along with run a bakery store for the public. The profits help assist with the financial responsibilities of the prison.

I have a crew of approx. 50 men, they work five days a week, from 4am to approximately 2pm. Our bake goods are well received. We have several regular customers and some are even local businesses. We also provide the bake good items to the country club and for the local schools. I try to run a very tight ship, but it’s a lot of responsibility and quite often gets very little praise. The majority of the men that work for me are eager to learn and enjoy baking. Unfortunately, some are just thrown into the position, but they gradually come around, no matter how they ended up in the foodservice program. It helps that I am patient and try to teach them a trade to take home with them, and I am always respectful of them. The public embraces us, due to the fact our bakery items are outstanding and with our state being in such a recession, the more money we make the less taxpayers have to pay. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

So everyday the workers report to work and we head to our bakery, that’s about five miles east of Camp Warsaw.

Glancing up from my computer, when the first worker arrives to my office. Good morning, Miss G. Prisoner Faison says.

Smiling, I reply. Good morning to you too.

Slowly the guys file in, everyone helps load up the supplies we’re going to need, into the van. Honestly, I teach my crew how to be great bakers, or at least the best baker each of them can be. It’s a hard, busy assignment. I pride myself on being a good supervisor, I am really well liked by the crew. I treat everyone respectful and in turn I’m also respected. It’s a good positive environment for all of us. Even though we’re busy, we still are able to build strong relationships. Yeah, I know they are convicted felons, but some of my workers have worked for me for three years plus. Regardless, it doesn’t matter to me that they are criminals, I treat everyone like human beings first.

Thankfully, I’ve been blessed with an incredible baking crew, my head bakers: Mr. Faison and Mr. Price, have become stellar bakers and they are eager to re-enter society and make a career in baking. They really keep the crew together and make sure all our deadlines are met, they also assist me in selecting future crew members.

Our foodservice operation has over 1000 workers total with a wide variety of areas to work in: Commissary, the garden center, prisoner store, foodservice kitchen, live stock & butchering department, specialized diets & menus and then the production bakery program. So as you can see there are lots of jobs for the prisoners housed at Camp Warsaw.

All the workers finally arrive, I do a quick head count with the help of our foodservice officer, then we load up into our two bright green buses for transport. As we ride to the bakery, the guys talk quietly among themselves. Pulling into the parking lot, one of the guards in the other bus, jumps out and unlocks the gate, then relocks it when we pull inside. The gate is always locked, wither we are here or not. When we are here it ensures there is no opportunity for escape, not that that’s a very high concern anyways.

Hi, Miss G. Prisoner Price says.

I nod and reply. Hey, you ready to get busy?

He replies. You remember, we have a new guy starting today, right? My brain spins as I think, shit, I forgot… .

Price starts laughing, saying. You forgot, huh?

I mumble, Sorry… My memory has returned completely since treatments.

He smiles and states. No problem, hey D come here!

I see someone approach out of the corner of my eye, turning slightly to see who it is, I stop and think. Damn, it’s him!! What the hell?

Before I can say anything, Mr. Price says. Miss Gynesis, this is Deshawn Bryce. I stand there like an idiot, just staring and unable to speak.

CHAPTER 2

HOW THE HELL DID he end up on my crew? Taking a deep breath, I realize it doesn’t really matter. After all it is what it is and it’s too late to change it. Quickly, I try to recover. I nod, smile, say a fast hello and then walk towards my office. I sway a little, my body is aching, Damn, I’m tired, I think to myself. I’ve been working a lot, plus along with the fact I’ve been trying hard to get him out of my mind. It’s been a few weeks since I first saw him and I have dreamt about him or have thought about him 24/7, not to mention all the sleepless night I’ve had, due to the fact he’s consistently invading my thoughts. It’s almost been impossible to get him out of my mind. Since that very first moment I laid my eyes on him, I can’t seem to forget him. And now here he is standing in my bakery, getting ready to work every day with me and the crew.

It’s two hours into the shift; I’m silently standing off to the side. I take everything in, even the cute blonde that keeps catching my eye. She’s very nice and has a really sexy smile, it lights up the entire place. Damn, if that’s not bad enough, she smells incredible too. I am drawn to her and this throws me because I have never been attracted to a staff member. Hell, I haven’t been attracted to anyone since before I got locked up.

Shaking my head, thinking, Wow, this is one busy ass place. Once again, my eyes wander towards Miss Gynesis or Miss G, as everyone calls her. She’s always smiling and very upbeat, when she looks at you with that smile, you find yourself simply smiling right along with her and you have no frickin’ clue as to why. Maybe it’s because she treats everyone like their people, instead of caged animals. Rumor has it, she has recently been sick and was off work for almost a year. Glancing at her, I think she looks healthy, but sometimes I’ve noticed, she does get real tired and needs to quickly sit down to rest.

Later, when I’m cleaning the stand up mixer, after mixing cinnamon roll batter, it feels like someone’s watching me. Casually, looking over my shoulder, I see her sitting at her desk, chewing her bottom lip watching me. Instantly I feel myself get warm, as I begin to sweat. Unable to control myself, my body becomes alive from her eyes moving over me. She catches me watching her, she blushes, then darting her eyes away. Wow… how attractive, she actually blushed. A sweet pink hue covered her very pale skin. I tap on the office glass that encloses her office space and softly smile at her, letting her know, I appreciate the attention and its okay. Shrugging my shoulders, I mouth to her… . No biggie, it’s nothing to blush about that’s for sure.

As he taps the glass to get my attention, I’m thinking, damn it… . I feel so stupid at this moment. I feel the heat of shame spread across my cheeks again, good going Gynesis… . I scold myself.

Getting up and moving out of the office and down the hallway. I hear a low whistle of approval, I just ignore it, but I have no doubt it’s him.

As I pass, Prisoner Faison he starts singing. There’s no sunshine when she’s gone!!

I laugh and say. I missed you, too. Everyone starts laughing; it’s an ongoing joke between us. He always sings this song, when it’s time for my off days or when I return to work after time off.

CHAPTER 3

IT’S BEEN CLOSE TO six weeks, since Mr. Bryce joined our baking crew. He appears to fit in. Everyone’s accepted him and talks very highly of him. The attraction we share is there, but controlled or so I tell myself a thousand times a day. Today I found a little yellow note on my clipboard, it was a drawing of a smiley face wearing a princess crown, very cute. I smiled brightly at it and then threw it away.

As the day wears on, everyone’s busy getting everything done. It’s after 1pm and time to start cleaning up and put away our products. There’s a group of 5 or 6 workers moving items into storage, Mr. Bryce is one of them. As I’m leading them to the correct holding area.

I say, jokingly. Come on my children this way! Everyone snickers at my silliness.

Then he asks softly. What are you the United Nations?

I smile sweetly and reply. Naw, but I do love all of you, like a mother loves her children.

All the guys start laughing and joking with each other, he just stares into my eyes, smiles and leans closer, saying. I’d like to love you, but not the way I love my mother. He makes soft kissing noises at me.

Blushing I say. Please don’t. A look of hurt crosses his face and he walks away. My heart aches, because obliviously I hurt his feelings or at the very least his pride.

Riding back to Camp, I notice he’s sitting in the back of the bus by himself; he’s just staring out the window lost in his own thoughts. All the other guys are talking excitedly about the upcoming parole board meetings. When we arrive back to the main facility, I’m informed I’ll be working the dinner shift on overtime, due to the fact the PM supervisor didn’t report for work again. I’m tired, but trying to keep a bright smile on my face. There’s no sense in being bitchy, it’s not their fault, I’m tired or that once again Mrs. Norman called in, she definitely has an issue with coming to work. Standing on the serving line, I’m watching the food being served. When a guy that use to work in foodservice comes through the line, nodding at him.

I say, "Good luck tomorrow, Mr. Watt-Bey.

He grins and says, Thanks, G. and moves on. Then out of nowhere, I feel Mr. Bryce near me. Looking over towards my left, there he is.

Licking my lips, I nervously say. Hi.

He nods and answers. Hey lady.

He still seems sad, so I whisper. Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings earlier.

He responds, ignoring my questions. You didn’t wish me good luck.

I quickly say. Sorry, I didn’t know you went to the parole board.

He replies. Yep, last week.

I say. Oh, I will add you to my prayers.

Then he smiles, genuinely and