6. Chapter 6

6

C aptain’s scream tore through the prison. They’d had a few nights without the screams, but Captain had warned them it wouldn’t last. Rory struggled out of his sheet, then yelped at the pinch in his side. He panted through the waves of pain until they only lapped inside his body, getting more and more gentle until he was okay again. Sebastian got out of bed and steadied Rory as he rocked forward and back while the pain faded.

“Okay?”

Rory nodded, then swung his legs over the bed and slipped down. Sebastian held him up for a few seconds, then backed off when Captain called out again.

“Jesus,” Sebastian breathed. “That is not fucking healthy.”

Rory limped to the door of the cell, then got to his knees, cheek to the floor.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked, nudging Rory with his foot.

Rory ignored him and yelled through the gap between the door and the ground.

“Captain Tracy!”

His throat spasmed at his shout, and he ended up inhaling dust that he spluttered on.

Captain immediately stopped screaming. Rory sat up, rested against the door and coughed into his elbow.

“He needs help,” Sebastian muttered. “Professional help.”

“I know,” Rory mumbled. “But he’s stubborn and guilt-ridden. He thinks he deserves those nightmares.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, he hasn’t said.”

Sebastian got back on his bed but didn’t lie down. He tilted his head and stared at Rory as he rested against the door.

“What?” Rory asked.

“I’m wondering how you got his unwavering loyalty?”

“He said me and Ollie reminded him of some of the recruits he trained up.”

Sebastian hummed. “Have you sucked his cock?”

The unexpected question set off another volley of coughs. Rory clutched his side as the pain flared.

“No. I haven’t sucked his cock.”

Sebastian shrugged. “I was only asking.”

“I don’t know why he cares what happens to me. He’s…a good guy.”

Sebastian pursed his lips. “I see it. When he’s training Ollie, when he’s watching over you. I see he’s a good guy. He could be a good fit here too, someone for the younger ones to look up to, but not while he’s suffering like that.”

“He talked about seeing a therapist, but he cancelled the appointment.”

“Get him to make another one. Doctor Jarvis has helped loads of guys in here. Stopped some from offing themselves.”

Rory’s heart missed a beat. “You don’t think he’ll—”

“No,” Sebastian cut in. His eyes bore into Rory’s. “I just meant I think it’ll help. The night when you were on the medical wing… I’ve never heard anything like it. He screamed out your name, and as soon as the sun was up, he was banging on his cell door, demanding to know how you were.”

Rory dragged his legs towards him and rested his forehead on his knees. Captain cared about him, but he didn’t deserve it. He was nothing but a fraud. Sebastian’s gaze pressed heavily on him.

“You’ve got to convince him to see the therapist,” Sebastian said.

Rory sighed. “He thinks he’s got to watch me all the time, make sure nothing happens to me. I think he blames himself for me getting stabbed.”

Sebastian’s gaze drifted off Rory, and he frowned. “It wasn’t his fault—”

“I know that,” Rory hissed. “I’ve told him that, but he doesn’t listen.”

He struggled to his feet, gritted his teeth, and growled through the pain. Sebastian looked as if he was about to help him, then thought better of it and lay back down. Rory pulled himself onto the top bunk.

He knew he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep, too guilty over Captain’s predicament.

Rory glanced up from his table and frowned at the officer advancing on Sebastian. He spoke into his ear, then Sebastian stood up and excused himself. Rory narrowed his eyes and studied the officer and Sebastian’s exchange.

He recoiled when he saw the officer handing over something, which Sebastian quickly stashed in his pocket.

In the three weeks he’d been there, Rory had realised Sebastian didn’t just have the inmates under his control, but some of the officers too. He looked over, and Rory averted his gaze. He knew he hadn’t been quick enough when he saw Sebastian approaching from the corner of his eye.

Sebastian moved around the table and sat down opposite Rory. He lifted his eyebrow, but Rory didn’t say anything. Sebastian sighed, then reached into his jacket pocket.

“You look bored.”

“I am,” Rory mumbled.

Sebastian placed a pack of cards on the table. “I’m here to solve your boredom.”

“Cards?”

“Very observant.”

Rory narrowed his eyes. “You want to play cards?”

“Uh-huh.”

“With me?”

Sebastian nodded, then emptied the cards into his palm. He shuffled them hypnotically fast, then dealt Rory a hand.

“How about it?”

Rory peeked at his cards. “I guess.”

“Great… Do you know how to play Crazy Eights?”

Rory’s lips twitched with a smile. “I do.”

They played cards, and their game got the attention of Sebastian’s closest friends. A middle-aged man with a scarred face called Vince and an older guy with glasses and wisps of hair around the side of his head.

Rory had heard Sebastian refer to him as Einstein.

Rory had watched Sebastian be welcomed by most of the friendship groups on the wing, but he spent most of his time with Vince and Einstein.

“I’ve got to say, you’re not bad, Rory,” Sebastian mumbled, “but why don’t we play for real stakes.”

“Like what?”

Sebastian huffed, then removed a wad of phone cards from his pockets. “I came by these today…”

He gave Rory another challenging look, but he didn’t rise to it. Rory knew the officer had handed the cards over; he’d been watching after all.

“Ten phone cards,” Sebastian counted. “How many have you got?”

“Two…”

“Okay, if you win, you get my ten phone cards. If I win, I get your two.”

“Why would I want ten?”

Sebastian shrugged. “You could trade them for favours or sweets, or maybe it’s not about the cards, maybe it’s about trying to beat me when you’re under pressure.”

“Oh, go on, kid,” Einstein muttered. “Wipe that smirk off his face.”

Vince nodded along. “You’ve got this, Roar.”

“Roar?” Rory asked.

Vince shrugged. “You know, Rory…Roar.”

Rory turned back to Sebastian and shrugged. “Fine.”

Sebastian shuffled in a fast blur, then dealt the cards out. Rory peeked at him and nodded to himself. Vince squeezed his shoulders. “You’ve got this. Roar.”

Sebastian beat him.

With ease.

His eyes flashed with triumph, and he glanced at Einstein, then Vince as Rory handed over his two phone cards.

“One for you, and one for you…”

He gave one to each of his friends. Humiliation heated Rory’s face. Vince tapped him on the back, and Einstein walked away laughing.

Sebastian leaned over the table. “You may have found your balls, but there’s still not a lot going on in that head of yours, is there?”

“You cheated.”

“I outplayed you.” Sebastian bit his lip. “I think you should get used to that feeling.”

He got to his feet and went to join Einstein and Vince who had retreated to another table with pleased smiles stretching their lips.

“Bastard,” Rory hissed under his breath.

Despite begging and pleading with Captain to change his mind, Captain refused to see the therapist. Rory agreed to meet Captain and Ollie in the gym to watch another of their sessions but needed to take his painkillers first.

Less than five minutes later, with the bitter pills still making their way down Rory’s throat, he found himself in the corridor with Pauly. He caught a glimpse of the officer at the end, but she was distracted, chatting to an inmate, one of Pauly’s friends, who blocked her view.

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Worse now,” Rory muttered.

Pauly clucked his tongue. “That’s not very nice.”

He pressed his hand on Rory’s bad side, making him whimper and knock his head back to the wall.

“That idiot thinks he can watch you all the time, but throw a damsel in distress in his way and he’s distracted.”

“What?”

“Right now, Captain’s helping one of my buddies in the gym.” Pauly pouted. “Twisted ankle, or pulled hamstring, I can’t remember…”

Pauly ran his fingers up Rory’s neck into his hair. “So soft…”

“Take your hand off me.”

“It’s not hurting, is it?”

“I don’t like it.”

Pauly dug his nails in, and Rory shuddered. “Look at that, I think you do like it.”

“Get off me.”

Pauly leaned closer. “Have you worked out who stabbed you yet?”

“I have an idea,” Rory said, staring Pauly in the eye.

Pauly chuckled. “If you think I had anything to do with it, you’re sadly mistaken.” His eyes narrowed. “Come on, kid, even though you haven’t been here long, you know who has the biggest influence on the wing.”

Rory swallowed. “Sebastian wasn’t even there.”

“Of course he wouldn’t do it himself.” Pauly pressed the tip of his nose into Rory’s. “But mark my words, it was him.”

One second Pauly had his nose resting on Rory’s, and the next he was gone, wind whooshing past Rory’s face.

Sebastian had Pauly pinned one-handed against the wall. His right hand, his killing hand, tightened, then relaxed around Pauly’s neck.

“Don’t,” Rory said, grabbing his arm.

“Don’t what?”

“You’re out of here in less than nine months, don’t mess it up.”

Sebastian’s snarl lessened, then he smirked. “Relax, I’m not going to kill him. I’m just going to give him a friendly warning to back off.”

“Oh…” Rory let go of Sebastian’s arm.

Sebastian smiled, then his expression soured when he looked at Pauly. The change was terrifying, and Rory took a step back. Sebastian’s nostrils flared, his eyes were unblinking, and his lips curled back into a snarl. Rory imagined it was the same expression he had when he killed Lester Yates.

“I’m going to make this really simple for you, Pauly. Rory is off-limits. You touch him, you come so close you can smell him, or look at him in a manner I don’t like, and I’ll make your life hell. I may have less than a year left in here, but I can make it feel like a lifetime for you. Understand me?”

A garbled sound bubbled up from Pauly’s throat. Sebastian scrunched his face. “Sorry, what was that?”

Pauly choked when he tried again, and his eyes streamed with pained tears.

“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that … Wait … Silly me, it’s my hand, isn’t it, stopping you from talking?”

Pauly tried to nod and clawed desperately at the hand at his throat. Sebastian released his hold, and Pauly slid down the wall.

“Understand me?” Sebastian said.

“Yes,” Pauly wheezed.

“Good, now get out of here.”

Pauly struggled to his feet and bounced from one side of the corridor to the other as he rushed away.

“I’m not getting you drugs,” Rory blurted.

Sebastian chuckled. “That’s the thanks I get?”

“I mean it.”

“Relax. I heard you the first time.”

“Then…why?”

“Tell Captain you’re under my protection. No one will touch you. Get him to see the damn therapist. Whatever the horrors in his past, he doesn’t deserve to suffer like that, night after night, and we all need a good sleep.”

Rory bit his lip, then murmured thanks at Sebastian’s throat. He couldn’t raise his head high enough to look him in the eye.

“And I also warned Pauly off you because I couldn’t stand the thought of you moaning and groaning above me in pain.”

Rory looked up, touched by Sebastian’s words, then Sebastian barked a laugh as a sneer tugged on his face.

“No, don’t give me that grateful look.” He smirked. “I don’t care about you in pain, or care that someone wants to hurt you. I can’t stand you tossing and turning all night, hissing and huffing. There’s two of us in that cell, and I’m fond of sleep. You under my protection, it’ll kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

Rory tucked his chin down and sunk his teeth into his bottom lip. Embarrassed heat filled his cheeks, and he hated that Sebastian could see it.

“But that look was cute. You’re a good-looking guy…my type, in fact.”

Rory flinched at the first touch of his cheek. He slid along the wall, but Sebastian mirrored his slide, and Rory stopped trying to get away. He stayed perfectly still as Sebastian cupped his face. His eyes widened, and his heart skipped and tripped with uneven beats. Sebastian must’ve been able to feel it, but he didn’t comment. His expression looked almost soft as he used his thumb to tug Rory’s lip from his teeth. He rubbed over the indents Rory had made, touch so slight it was maddening.

“I can see why Pauly wants you.”

His gaze was intense, and after a few attempts, Rory could finally look at him. The way Sebastian was gazing at him froze him. His striking blue irises were piercing, and his pupils seemed to grow bigger under Rory’s gaze. Something warm trickled into Rory’s stomach. His bottom lip shook. Sebastian pressed his thumb to it once, then twice, before letting Rory go altogether.

Sebastian took a step back, and Rory swayed, slightly dazed with his eyes still glued to Sebastian’s. He had to bite his lip to stop its mad quivering.

“Pauly can’t have you,” Sebastian said softly.

Rory’s breath caught. He swallowed, and the warmth in his stomach began to swirl.

“But that doesn’t mean I want you,” Sebastian growled. “I need a good night’s sleep; that’s all this is.”

Sebastian fixed Rory with a glare, then left without glancing back.

Rory leaned heavily on the wall and closed his eyes.

He didn’t know what had just happened but knew it couldn’t happen again.