Maya's Pov
The heavy doors of Folsom Prison groaned as they shut behind Maya. Metal clanged. Guards led her down a narrow hallway where concrete swallowed sound, save for the distant shouts of inmates echoing like ghosts.
She kept her face steady, hands buried in her jacket pockets.
The guard opened the visitation room door. "Fifteen minutes." he muttered, then stepped aside.
Maya walked in. Behind the plexiglass sat a man built like a wall of stone... broad shoulders, tattoos creeping up his neck, eyes that once made men cross the street. Kenneth Torres. His name still carried weight in back alleys and dark corners of California, the kind of weight that drew fear.
But the moment his eyes landed on Maya, his entire face softened. His lips cracked into a smile that lit his scarred face in a way most people never thought possible. He picked up the phone, tapping the receiver against the glass like he'd been waiting hours for her.
"Princess." he said, his voice warm, deep, velvet under gravel. "Look at you. Still lighting up this place every time you walk in."
Maya sat down slowly, lifting the phone to her ear. She didn't mirror the smile. Her tone was flat. "And you also still look the same."
Kenneth chuckled, leaning back in his chair like this was just another Sunday morning. "You know, I'm already aware that the only time I get to see that face is when you want something." He spread his hands dramatically. "But that's okay. Your old man owes you, he owes you everything."
Maya didn't flinch. "Then pay me back now. I need information."
The smile didn't fade. If anything, it deepened. He nodded knowingly. "Course you do. Let's hear it."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice even though she knew the guards couldn't hear. "Anderson Cooper. He was arrested for leading a strike. Records say he worked at a factory in the desert. But I know that's a lie. He was paid to take the fall." She paused, eyes hard. "I need to know who paid him."
Kenneth tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. For the first time, the smile wavered, though only faintly. "Anderson Cooper," he repeated slowly, tasting the name. "Yeah… I think I heard whispers about him."
Maya pressed. "Can you get to him?"
Kenneth leaned forward, elbows on the metal table, his massive hands folded. His smile returned, wider this time, though it didn't reach his eyes. "You think he'll talk to me?"
"He will." Maya said. "He's got a daughter, Zoey. If you bring her name up..."
Kenneth's palm slammed the table so hard the plexiglass rattled. The sound made nearby guards glance over. His smile was gone, replaced by a snarl that showed exactly why men once called him. "Khaos."
"NO." His voice cracked through the air like thunder. Maya froze, her hand tightening on the phone.
Maya opened her mouth but he cut her off, jabbing a finger against the glass. "I don't need bring to bring a little girl's name trying to get to a man. That's not how I work, pumpkin. I'll make him talk my way."
Maya's lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes searching his face. Behind the scars, the tattoos, the menace... there was her father, stubborn and protective in his own twisted code.
"You don't have to worry." he said finally, softer.
Maya leaned back in her chair, phone still pressed to her ear. She then stood, sliding the phone back onto its hook.
"Already leaving?" Kenneth asked, the smile back in full force, as if the outburst had never happened. "I don't even get a goodbye daddy hug through the glass?"
Maya turned away. The guard opened the door for her.
Just as she stepped through, his voice thundered behind her, echoing across the room.
"I love you, pumpkin!"
She stopped. Just for a heartbeat. Her back straightened, shoulders tense. She didn't turn around. She didn't answer.
Then she walked out, her footsteps fading down the corridor.
Kenneth sat back down slowly, the smile still fixed on his face. He whispered to himself, too low for anyone else to hear.
"Always my princess."