Page 19 of Caretaker

His laugh was soft. “Beardy,” he repeated. “I’ll have to start calling him that.”

“What do you usually call him?”

He shrugged. “His name is Rory Gaines. I usually call him Asshole.”

Al laughed, then winked when I looked at him. Obviously, there was at least one guard who didn’t like Beardy.

“What’s your name?” I asked the guard.

He offered me his hand. “I’m Jamie Stone.”

“Stone,” I repeated, as he squeezed my fingers. “Are you—”

“Related to the warden,” he interrupted, as though he’d been asked that question a thousand times. “James Stone is my father.”

I traded glances with Shane. It would not be a bad idea to cultivate a relationship with the warden’s son.

Then Jamie dashed my hopes. “I can’t sway my father to help your shifter, before you ask. I’m not exactly his favorite person.” He gestured at his uniform. “One reason I’m assigned the lowly position of prison guard.”

“Hey,” one of the other guards said. “Fucker.”

But no matter what he said, he was the warden’s son—and he was reaching out. Both those things meant something.

I hesitated at the exit doors. “It’s nice to meet you, Jamie. I will take that tour…next time.”

He smiled at me, and there was a definite spark of interest in his eyes. “I live on the island. I’ll show you around.”

Before I left the prison I had Jamie’s cell phone number tucked into my pocket and a contact inside the Byrdcage.