6. Chapter 6

6

" F irst," Ryan announced. "The H-wing cameras were fixed yesterday morning."

Alfie stiffened. Nate's cell was at the end of the landing, not directly in front of a camera, but it still had one of them covering his door. He wouldn't be able to linger during roll call; that would arouse suspicion. The disappointment weight on him, but he tried not to let it show. Ryan didn't notice, but Henry narrowed his eyes in Alfie's direction.

"Second," Ryan continued after the others had expressed their relief. "They were broken during association by Tony Blair from cell one. He's now on the segregation unit, and we're without cameras." He shrugged. "But that's nothing new."

"Why would Tony break them?" Glen asked.

Henry got there before Ryan could answer.

"He doesn't need a reason. He's an animal like everyone else in here, animals. This is the only way he knows how to act."

Ryan pressed his lips in a firm line. "Tony didn't give a reason, but he doesn't call the shots on H-wing, Nate does."

Marie bit her lip. "Nate told him to destroy the cameras?"

"Of course, I can't prove that." Ryan sighed. "But I strongly suspect it. The same way I strongly suspect he has a mobile in his cell, but every time we spin it, we find nothing."

"Did you spin it today?" Henry asked.

"Yes, and nothing."

A calculating smile appeared on Henry's face.

"But why would Nate want the cameras destroyed?" Marie asked.

Henry's eyebrow lifted. "Are you really asking that? He's top of the pecking order on that wing. He doesn't want accountability for how he keeps everyone under his rule. No one can pin anything on him if he's not seen doing it. Smart, that one. I'm sure Tony will be rewarded when he gets back."

Ryan snorted. "He won't be going back to H-wing. I'm transferring him out of here. That's the last time he's smashing H-wing's cameras."

Henry folded his arms. "Nate will just get someone else to do it."

"Probably." Ryan yawned into his hand, then he checked his watch. "Right. Home time. Have a good night."

He left the office with the day shift in tow. Henry waited until they were gone from view, then he pointed at Alfie, Glen, then Marie. "You, you and you."

"Yes?" Marie said sweetly.

"Are going to spin Nate's cell."

They all baulked.

"Why?" Glen asked.

"Didn't you hear Ryan? Nate has a mobile, and he hides it during the day, but I imagine he's got it right now. We catch him by surprise, turn his cell over, and bam, we've got it."

"When you say we…" Alfie muttered.

"You can't expect me to flip beds and knock over wardrobes. I'm not a young lad anymore. You and Glen will do the cell, and Marie can—"

"I don't want to pat Nate down," Marie said with a shudder.

Glen pushed his chest out. "I don't want you to pat him down either. He's dangerous."

Henry nodded. "Okay, okay. Glen and Marie spin the cell, and Alfie can pat Nate down outside of it, make sure he doesn't have it on him."

Alfie swallowed. "But—"

"You've patted down a prisoner before, right?" Henry asked.

"Yeah—"

"Then there's no issue. You've got Glen and Marie up there with you, and if you need an extra pair of hands, call me on the radio."

Alfie exchanged a look with Glen and Marie.

"No time like the present," Henry said. He stepped over to his chair while shooing them out. "He won't be expecting it, and who knows, Fish, if you find it, Ryan might even reward you by putting you on day shift."

Henry pointed to H-wing.

"Let's get it over with," Glen muttered, stepping over to the gate.

The clunk of his key echoed across the wing.

"After you," Glen said. He held the gate open and waited for Alfie to take the lead. He hesitated, then sighed, accepting his fate. Marie stuck close to his back as he ascended the first set of stairs, and after Glen had locked the gate, he hurried to join them.

It was ten o'clock, and the lights had been off for an hour, but Alfie wasn't sure how many of the prisoners were asleep. He could imagine them behind their cell doors, ears pricking as they wondered where the three sets of footsteps were heading.

Alfie stopped in front of Nate's cell and took a deep breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Glen waving his hand, trying to get Alfie's attention. He looked, and Glen mouthed at him, "No warning."

Alfie nodded as he unhooked his keys from his belt. He took another breath through slightly pursed lips, then shoved his key in the door. The bolt clanged, and the hinges whined, and then he was standing in the doorway, wide-eyed as he tried to keep his anxiety in check. Nate lay on his bed with his duvet draped across his chest. He groaned and sat up.

"Fresh—"

"Out of your cell, Nate," Alfie said, putting as much strength into his voice as he could.

"Why?" Nate asked.

"We believe you have contraband. A phone."

"Ah." Nate rubbed his chin. "I see."

He flung the duvet off himself, and Alfie was relieved to see he was wearing clothes, blue tartan pyjama bottoms and a tight white T-shirt, as he stepped closer.

"Glen and Marie are going to search your cell," Alfie said, retreating to allow Nate out.

Nate's lips spread with a cocky smile. "And what are you going to do?"

"Wait with you outside, and…" Alfie's voice hitched. "Pat you down."

"I see." Nate flexed one of his eyebrows.

He stepped aside and dragged his eyes from Alfie to glance at Marie, then Glen. "Knock yourselves out."

Glen went into the cell first. Marie was frozen, eyeing Nate as he leaned against the wall.

"Marie," Alfie said softly.

"Oh, right."

She bolted into the cell and began ‘spinning it', which Alfie had learned meant destroying a cell in the hope contraband would be found. He winced at the crash of Nate's bed being tipped onto its side.

Nate didn't seem to mind. He watched Alfie through heated blue eyes.

"Are we doing this or what?" Nate asked.

"Right." Alfie glanced down at Nate's bare feet. "Do you have anything on you that could cause injury to me or yourself?"

"Of course."

Alfie stiffened and reached a hand out behind him to grab the top bar of the railing. "I need you to hand it over."

"Sure," Nate said. His eyes crinkled as he shoved out his closed hand. Alfie held his breath as he waited, but Nate opened it to reveal it had nothing inside.

"I…I don't understand?"

"My hand could cause injury to you and myself." He snorted. "But it could also cause you pleasure if you allow it."

Alfie flashed his eyes at the cell. Glen and Marie were too preoccupied to hear Nate's teasing.

"Anything…sharp…like a weapon?"

Nate grinned. "You want to ask me about my weapon?"

"Nate…" Alfie whispered, lowering his gaze.

"No weapon," Nate murmured.

"Can you turn around, put your hands on the wall and keep your feet shoulder-width apart?"

Nate did as Alfie told him. "I'd much prefer if you were doing this for me… naked."

Alfie ignored him, then approached. He held his breath as he ran his hands up one of Nate's legs, then down the other.

Nate hissed, and Alfie paused at his knee. "Did I hurt—"

"No, I'd like it slow, that's all, so I can savour your hands on me."

Alfie continued, stroking his hands up Nate's sides. He was wide, firm, and warm to touch. The whole time, he breathed through his mouth so he couldn't draw in any of Nate's scent.

"Done," Alfie said, with a croak in his voice.

"We're far from done," Nate replied, dropping his hands from the wall. He turned around and leaned against the bricks as he looked at Alfie in the same way he had when they'd first spoken, like he was undressing Alfie right there and then.

Alfie shivered and unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself.

Something crashed to the floor inside the cell. Alfie grimaced and glanced at Nate with guilty eyes, but Nate seemed unbothered by whatever possession he had being destroyed.

"They won't find anything," Nate said in a murmur only meant for Alfie. "And they can break and trample on whatever they want in there. It won't take this smile from my lips."

Alfie turned and peered down at the locked gate below. He didn't want to engage with Nate, didn't want to be alone with him on the wing while Nate looked at him like that and his body responded, heating up and making his clothes feel tighter. He wanted to undo his top button but didn't dare to while Nate was watching him.

"Do you know what kind of smile this is?" Nate asked, pointing to his face.

"I don't need to know," Alfie blurted.

"It's a surprised yet pleased smile," Nate said. "I accepted I might only get to see you once a month when I'm coming back from my visit, but here you are, looking like that."

"Looking like what?" Alfie asked before he could stop himself.

"Like you know you shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't?"

"Want me." Nate pressed his teeth into his bottom lip as he smiled. "But you do."

"You're right," Alfie whispered. "I do want you."

Nate stood up straight, shock evident in his widening eyes.

"I want you to hand over the phone."

Alfie jumped at Nate's rumbling laugh. He clutched the bar as his back again for support.

"Good one," Nate said before tilting his head, plotting his next move.

Alfie wasn't expecting him to peel off his tight T-shirt, but that was precisely what he did, rolling it over the hard muscles of his chest until they were no longer hidden. Nate let his arms hang by his sides, the T-shirt clutched in one hand, and let Alfie rake his gaze over his physique.

The dull lights added shadow to Nate's defined muscle, and his skin was smooth, blemish-free.

"What…what are you doing?" Alfie asked.

"I was hot."

"It's not hot. It's always cold in here."

Nate shrugged. He brushed a hand over his pec. "Looks like you're right again, Freshman. My nipples are tightening, and I'm getting goosebumps on my skin… That could be the cold…or it could be how you're looking at me."

"Put your T-shirt back on. It's freezing up here."

Nate threw his T-shirt at Alfie.

"What the hell?" Alfie squeaked as he grabbed it. He breathed in through his nose and caught Nate's rich scent. His stomach flipped, and he had the urge to bury his face into the T-shirt and inhale. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Alfie asked.

Nate smiled. "You kept saying it was cold."

"I wasn't asking for this."

"But you like it, though, don't you?"

Alfie's cheeks burned. "It's a nice enough T-shirt."

Nate rumbled with another laugh. "You're going to have to try harder than that. I can see your nostrils working, even from here."

"Nate," Alfie growled, throttling the T-shirt.

"Take it home."

"What?"

"I want you to take it home." He rubbed his lips together. "You can sleep in it if you want…"

"I don't want to sleep in it."

Nate hummed. "Ah, that's a shame."

Alfie held it out to him. "I want you to take it back."

"Do you know what I think you'd like to do with it, you know, if you were allowed ?"

"I don't want to know—"

"I think you'd take it to bed with you. I think you'd get hard thinking of me and rub my T-shirt over your skin while you masturbated. You'd get high on my scent, and before you came, you'd wrap it around your dick for those last few vital pulls, and then you'd cover it in cum while moaning my name."

Alfie's cock twitched. He wanted to hiss at Nate to shut up, that he was wrong, but his voice had left him. He threw the T-shirt at Nate, smacking him in the chest. Nate chuckled as he caught it before it fell to the walkway.

"You only have to ask for it, and I'll give it to you," Nate said seriously. "Ask me for anything you want, and it's yours."

"The mobile phone you're hiding."

Nate tipped his head back, smirking. "Except that."

"No phone," Marie said, leaving the cell. She dusted her hands together. Glen joined them, sagging with defeat. He shook his head at Alfie.

"Back in the cell," Alfie said.

Nate went without protest and paused in the doorway as he took in the destruction. He took a deep breath, then spoke over his shoulder. "It was worth it."

Alfie locked him inside, then the three of them trudged back down to the office.

"Anything?" Henry asked for his chair.

"No," Alfie admitted.

"Smart, that one." Henry put his glasses on and leaned back to signal the end of their conversation.

Alfie sat down and tried his hardest to push the images out of his head that Nate had put there, but they dug their heels in, and he could see himself tangled up in his sheets as he swept Nate's T-shirt over his sensitive skin.

He hadn't masturbated in a long time, not since Nate had first called him Freshman. He couldn't risk it, knowing how attractive he found the killer. Henry thankfully started snoring, and the lust Alfie felt faded, all until six hours later at roll call when he stood in front of cell 150.

Queenie had just confirmed himself present, and he waited for Nate to answer him through the door.

"It's yours if you want it," Nate said.

Alfie ticked off his name. His hand shook. "What?"

"The T-shirt."

"Nate…"

"I love the thought of you using it like that. If you open the hatch, you can stuff it down your shirt, take it home and later—"

Alfie turned on his heels and left before Nate could say anything more.

As Henry was the senior officer, it was up to him to relay the night's events to Ryan and the day staff. Henry, out of all of them, seemed the freshest, most alert member of the team. They didn't know he spent the night in and out of consciousness. They believed him to be a lively seventy-year-old and were inspired by his energy.

"We spun cell 150." Henry shook his head. "But nothing."

Ryan nodded along to Henry, but his eyes never left Alfie. Once Henry had finished, Ryan scratched the annoying strip of facial hair with a hum. No amount of stroking it could clean the dirty arse crack on his face.

"We'll get him eventually," Ryan said with a nod. "You're done for the day."

The six of them from night shift got in line and left the office one after the other. The zombies of the night gave way to the wide-eyed dayshift.

In the car park, Marie and Glen gave each other longing looks, then climbed into their separate cars. The former off to her house and husband and the latter to the home he still shared with his parents. Alfie hadn't asked, but Henry was a man of all knowledge and told him. The twins shared a car, one of them could drive and the other couldn't, but Alfie still couldn't tell them apart to know which one had the licence.

Henry climbed into his battered old beetle and drove away, narrowly avoiding the gate, the kerb and a pedestrian.

That left Alfie. He walked back to his two-bedroom house.

One of the advantages of living near a prison was the cheap housing, and he had the biggest house of anyone he knew. But that didn't mean he had anything to fill it with. His place, Tia had told him, had a distinct lack of personality, so she added spice to the rooms in the form of cock-shaped candles and inspiration stickers on the walls.

He might have saved money living in that area and didn't have to pay for fuel to get to work when he could walk, but Larkwood still paid him a meagre wage.

He could only afford a second-hand sofa, a coffee table and a bed.

The kitchen appliances were ancient and failed on a weekly basis.

Alfie slumped into his threadbare sofa with a long-drawn-out sigh. He stared out the living room window at the cars that whizzed past. The outside always reminded him that work was nearby. There was no dramatic wall on the horizon covered in barbed wire, but there was a white sign for Larkwood Prison opposite his house.

He groaned and fell to his side. His stomach bubbled for food, but his tiredness won the battle, and he fell asleep on the sofa, not the plush king-size bed of his dreams, and not with Nate's T-shirt beneath his nose.