Sebastian frowned and didn’t respond. Rory thought it was the end of the conversation, but Sebastian mumbled, “Tell me who it was. I wanna know.”
Rory shook his head. “I don’t know—”
“When you remember…”
“There’s nothing to remember, I didn’t see him, and what’s the point in telling you if you’re not gonna do anything about it?”
Sebastian rolled on his side, presenting Rory with his bare back, and ending their conversation. Rory removed the rest of his clothes, folded them up, then eased himself onto the top bed.
“Night, Rory.”
Rory bit his lip, waited a minute, then whispered. “Night, Sebastian.”
****
Captain’s scream tore through the prison. 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, instead of tidal waved. 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 huffed.
Rory limped to the door of the cell, then got to his knees, cheek to the floor.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked.
“Captain Tracy!” Rory yelled under the gap.
He clutched his throat and winced at the burning.
Captain stopped screaming, and Rory sat up and rested against the door.
“He needs help, professional help.”
“I know.” Rory mumbled. “But he’s stubborn, and guilt ridden.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, he hasn’t said.”
Sebastian got back on his bed, but didn’t lay down. He tilted his head and stared at Rory as he rested against the door.
“What?” Rory asked.
“I’m wondering how you’ve got his unwavering loyalty?”
“He said me and Ollie reminded him of some of the recruits he trained up.”
Sebastian hummed. “You sucked his cock?”
“No!”
“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, someone for the younger ones to look up to, but not while he’s suffering like that.”
“He talked about seeing a psychiatrist, but he cancelled the appointment.”
“Get him to make another one. Doc Jenkins is young, but he’s helped loads of guys in here. Stopped some from offing themselves.”
Rory’s heart missed a beat. “You don’t think he’ll—”
“No, I just meant I think it’ll help. After you got stabbed, that night, I’ve never heard anything like it. He screamed out your name, and the next morning he was at the gate, rattling it, beating it with his fists, wanting 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.
“You’ve got to convince him to see the psychiatrist.”
“He thinks he’s gotta 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 laid back down. Rory pulled himself onto the top bunk. He knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep, too guilty over Captain’s predicament.
****
Rory glanced up from his table and frowned at the guard advancing on Sebastian. He spoke into his ear, then Sebastian stood up and excused himself. Rory narrowed his eyes and studied the guard and Sebastian’s exchange. Then he recoiled when he saw the guard handing over something, and he quickly stashing it in his pocket.
Sebastian didn’t just have the inmates under his control, but some of the guards, 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 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 wanna play cards?”
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…”
They played cards, and their game got the attention of Sebastian’s closest friends. A middle-aged man with a scarred face called Damon, 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.
“I gotta 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.
“Ten phone cards, 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 favors, or sweets, or maybe it’s not about the cards, maybe it’s about trying to beat me.”
“Oh, go on, kid,” Einstein muttered. “Wipe that smirk off his face.”
Damon nodded along. “You’ve got this.”
Rory shrugged. “Fine.”
Sebastian shuffled in a fast blur, then dealt the cards out. Rory peeked at his and nodded to himself. Damon squeezed his shoulders. “You’ve got this Rory, boy.”
Any confidence shriveled and died when he saw Sebastian’s cards. He cracked his knuckles, then held out his hand for Rory’s phone cards.
Rory slapped them down on his palm. Sebastian stared at him, then moved his gaze to Damon, then Einstein.
“One for you, and one for you…”
He handed them out, and the humiliation heated Rory’s face. Damon tapped him on the back, and Einstein walked away laughing.
Sebastian leaned over the table. “Nothing going on in that head of yours is there…”
“You cheated.”
“You fell for it.”
He got to his feet and went to join Einstein and Damon on their table.
“Bastard.” Rory hissed under his breath.
****
Despite begging and pleading Captain to change his mind, he refused to see the psychiatrist. Rory agreed to meet Captain in the gym, but needed to get his painkillers from the doctor first. Captain shifted foot to foot and postured his chest to all the curious inmates around.
“Be quick.”
“I will be.”
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 spied the guard at the end, but she was distracted, chatting to an inmate, one of Pauly’s friends.
“How you feeling, sweetheart?”
“Worse now.” Rory muttered.
“That’s not very nice.”
He pressed his hand on Rory’s bad side, making him whimper, and knocked 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 he’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 away.”
“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. “No.”
“Allow me…”
One second Pauly had his nose practically resting on Rory’s and the next he was gone, wind whooshing past Rory’s face. He blinked and looked at the two inmates next to him. He was expecting Captain, but gawped when it was Sebastian with a snarl on his 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 gonna kill him. I’m just gonna give him a friendly warning.”
“Oh, go right ahead then.”
Sebastian laughed, 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.
“I’m gonna make this really simple for you, Pauly. Rory belongs to me. You touch him, you come so close you can smell him, or look at him in a manner I don’t like, 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.
“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 psychiatrist. 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 a thanks at Sebastian’s throat. He couldn’t raise his head high enough to look him in the eye.
“And I also claimed 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, and clutched his stomach.
“No, don’t give me that grateful look,” Sebastian smirked, “I haven’t claimed you because I 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 to his face. He slid along the wall, but Sebastian mimicked his slide, and Rory stopped trying to get away. He stayed perfectly still as Sebastian cupped his face. He used his thumb to tug Rory’s lip from his teeth, then rubbed the sensitive flesh, 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 look froze him, striking blue irises, and dark as night pupils were growing bigger as they looked at each other. Just as Rory began to press his cheek into Sebastian’s hand, he stepped back, and Rory found himself swaying to stay upright.
“But Pauly can’t have you, and I don’t want you. I need a good night sleep, that’s all it is.”
Sebastian walked away, whistling, and didn’t glance 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.
Chapter Six
“You’re under Sebastian’s protection?” Captain said.
Rory nodded. “That’s right.”
“And you don’t have to bring him drugs.”
“No.”
Captain narrowed his eyes. “He hasn’t tried anything inappropriate?”
“No, I swear. He wants a good night’s sleep, that’s all.”
“And he thinks one appointment with the therapist will magically change that?”
“I don’t think it could make it much worse.”
“Fine.” Captain huffed. He got to his feet, shot a menacing look at Pauly across the room, then spoke over his shoulder to Rory. “I’ll sort it.”
The pull of Sebastian’s stare made Rory look his way. He raised his eyebrow questioningly, and Rory nodded. Sebastian smiled, and gave him the thumbs up.
Ollie walked across the room hugging himself. His face was pale, and his eyes were darting.
“What’s happened?”
Ollie sunk down in the chair next to Rory but didn’t speak.
“Talk to me, are you okay?”
“I’m okay … at the moment I’m okay.”
“Has someone threatened you, has Teddy—”
“No, he’s not hurt me.”
Ollie’s gaze snapped to his cell, and he mumbled something Rory didn’t quite catch.
“What?”
“Maggots,” Ollie repeated.
“Maggots? In the food?”
Ollie shook his head. “In my cell.”
Rory shuddered. “Get rid of them.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Ollie leaned closer. “I think they’re Teddy’s pets.”
“Pet maggots.” Rory murmured, then he snorted.
“It’s not funny, I’m serious. He showed me them last night, by the window, a load of them. There was a big smile on Teddy’s face when he picked one up and put it in his palm, he tried to make me hold one, and I screamed.”
Rory raised his eyebrows. “That high-pitched scream was you?”
“Asshole. What am I supposed to do?”
“Don’t go putting them in your asshole for a start.”
“I hate you.”
“Look, they’re only maggots, and they’re by the window, right?”
“Even so, I couldn’t sleep last night, convinced I was gonna get eaten by them. I swear I could hear them moving around in their tub. I can’t—I can’t stay in there.
“It’s simple, really—you give Teddy an ultimatum.”
“Yeah?”
Rory bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, took a second to compose himself, then spoke closer to Ollie’s ear.
“You tell him, Teddy, it’s me or the maggots.”
Ollie glared at him, and he couldn’t help but laugh. His side pinched, which made him laugh more. Other inmates were looking, but he didn’t care.
Ollie’s l
ips twitched into a smile. “It’s not funny.”
“Kind of is,” Rory said, wiping his eyes.
“I genuinely don’t know what to do.”
“If you can’t live with them, get rid of them.”
Ollie shuddered, then pretended to retch. “I can’t touch them…”
“Well, I’m not doing it, I’m still recovering, and I don’t fancy getting pummeled by Teddy.”
“Shit,” Ollie hissed, then he paused. “I guess I could tell one of the guards, get them to remove them.”
“You could.”
Ollie pushed off from the table. “Right.”
Rory chuckled under his breath and went back to reading his book. He stopped when he saw a shadow on the table, someone looming behind him.
“You have a nice laugh.”
It was Sebastian’s deep voice. Rory didn’t know what to say in reply, and by the time he thought of something, a substandard ‘thanks’, Sebastian had gone.
****
Captain sat down at the table with a sigh. His white t-shirt was damp from sweat, and he was breathing hard.
Rory closed his book and lifted his eyebrow. “You all right?”
“Fine.”
“Want me to get you some water.”
“No, I don’t want water.”
Rory frowned. He was bright red, panting harshly, and sweating in buckets. He definitely needed a drink.
Rory went to stand, but Captain slammed his fist on the table. Everyone close by looked over, including Sebastian, who stood up slowly, and fixed Captain with a stern glare. Captain ignored him.
“I said I don’t want a drink right now.”
“Okay, I’m sorry.”
Captain mopped his brow with his t-shirt. “I’ve been in the gym lifting weights.”
“I gathered. Did—did you make an appointment with the—”
“Yeah, hence the exhausting workout.”
“Why are you punishing yourself?”
Captain closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Got to prove I’m not weak.”
“Asking for help isn’t weak.”
“I didn’t ask for help, I asked for an appointment with a shrink, that’s all, one appointment, to prove it won’t help.”
Sebastian cleared his throat, and they both looked up at him. A man stood beside him with the same haunted look Captain had. His head was shaved, and on his overworked bicep, he had a tattoo of a lion sitting on a crown.
The Rat Page 5