A Pound of Flesh (A Pound of Flesh #1)(44)

“So says Portia,” Carter countered with a smile.

“The most intelligent character in The Merchant of Venice,” Kat said with a flirty undertone.

“Well, she did save Shylock,” Carter responded.

The metaphor was not lost on Kat. She knew Carter saw himself as less because of his life choices, much like people saw Shylock as less because of his religion. The comparison was tenuous, but to Carter, Kat knew, it was very real.

“That she did.” Kat’s eyes landed on his work. “But if we’re talking literary characters, I’m not sure that Portia is the right one for me to be compared to.”

“Oh, no?” Carter asked. “Who were you thinking? The Queen of Hearts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Hecate from Macbeth?” He snapped his fingers with inspiration. “The White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?”

Playing off his jibes, Kat grabbed her pen, and began to make a shopping list. “No,” she deadpanned. “But thanks for reminding me what I need from the store: axe, cauldron, Turkish Delight.”

“Okay,” he said with a chuckle. “Seriously, who would you choose?”


“That’s easy,” she replied. “I would want to be Walter from Walter the Lazy Mouse.”

Carter looked puzzled. “Not a velveteen rabbit or a spider named Charlotte?”

Kat shook her head. “No. The girls at school used to read those. But for me, it was always Walter.” She turned toward him. “Do you know the story?”

“Tell me.”

“Walter was a very lazy mouse,” Kat began. “He’s so lazy he won’t get up for school or go out with his family or play with his friends, and soon they all forget about him. His family moves away one day while Walter is asleep.”

Carter slumped in his chair, listening intently.

“He decides to look for his family,” Kat continued. “He meets many creatures on his travels, including frogs that can’t read or write. Walter tries to teach them, but, because he missed so much school through sleep, he can’t remember how to.”

For a quick, heartbreaking moment, she heard her father’s voice as he read the story to her.

“Peaches,” Carter whispered.

Sadness weighed heavily on Kat’s shoulders. “My dad used to read it to me when I was a little girl. He used to do all the voices.”

Carter folded his arms on the table. “He sounds—he sounds like a good guy.”

A small smile tugged at Kat’s mouth. “He was. He would say no matter what the obstacles, if I was determined like Walter, I could do anything I put my mind to.”

“And did you?” Carter asked, taking her by surprise.

“Did I what?”

“Did you do whatever it was you put your mind to no matter what the obstacles?”

Kat smiled, embarrassed. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you are.”

*

Carter noticed her eyes go to the wall behind him and cursed quietly.

Time’s up.

Carter watched, trying to feign indifference but silently mad as hell that she had to go, as she started to pack up her belongings.

“I might have a look for that book in the prison library, you know,” he said casually. “Do you think Arthur Kill library would stock children’s literature or is that just wrong on too many levels?”

Peaches failed to hide a smile.

“What the f*ck am I talking about? Riley probably has it hidden under his pillow to read on cold, lonely nights. I’ll ask him.”