“I mean, they really lose their shit, pup. I’ve seen normal-ass people turn crazy overnight.” He shook his head like he couldn’t make sense of it and my brows pulled together as I watched the girl scratching at her skin, leaving reddened lines all over her flesh. A friend of hers soon arrived to help, looking concerned as she used her water magic to wash her and after a while, she seemed to snap out of it, pulling on her clothes with an embarrassed expression.
Roary and I fell into silence and I eyed the way the prisoners moved about the wide space with interest. The four factions which had claimed control of the prison weren’t that easy to spot. Roary’s followers could be anyone at all. I was fairly sure he even had people who were loyal to him within the opposing factions too. No doubt a Wolf or two of mine were handing over information on anything he might like to know about the Oscuras. Not that it really mattered. So long as he wasn’t outwardly against me, there was nothing about my pack which needed to be kept secret. So he was free to spy as much as he liked.
“Although I clearly enjoy the attention you shower me with, I’m guessing you might have had more of a reason for joining me than just wanting to stand by this wall,” Roary said as the silence stretched. “Or did you just come because you can’t keep away?”
“You wish,” I snorted dismissively. I might have been crushing on Roary like a fourteen year old all over again, but I would never admit it. And I sure as shit wouldn’t be wandering around after him like some little lost pup either.
“Come on then, the suspense is killing me.”
I cast a silencing bubble around us to make sure that we couldn’t be overheard and turned to lean my shoulder against the wall, looking up at him as he angled himself towards me too. Roary raised an eyebrow as that caught his attention and I leaned towards him conspiratorially.
“I’m going to break us out of here, Roary,” I said in a low voice.
He tipped his head back and laughed, the sound of it a deep rumble that poured right up from his soul. “I knew you were a little crazy, Rosa, but I didn’t realise you’d actually gone insane.”
I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he wouldn’t really dismiss me that easily.
“Come on, Roary, you didn’t really think I’d just let myself get banged up in here, did you? I don’t intend on living my life in a cage.”
“Neither did I, but that’s what happens when you live the kinds of lives we do, Rosa,” he said darkly. “And we don’t get a lot of say in it if the Fae Investigation Bureau catch up to us.”
“Well now I’m giving you a say in it,” I purred. “Don’t you trust me, Roar? What have you got to lose by trying?”
The corner of his mouth twitched with amusement and he looked down at me with interest lighting his gaze. “You seriously believe you can break out of here?”
“With a little bit of help from the right people.”
“Why do I feel like you’re about to get me into trouble?”
“Why do I feel like that’s what you like about me?” I teased.
The corner of Roary’s mouth hooked up and he turned his golden eyes on me, trailing his gaze over me slowly like he was drinking in every detail he could find.
“It’s on the list,” he said finally. “Come on then, let’s hear your master plan.”
I smirked like the cat who had the cream and leaned a little closer to him, drawing my hair over my shoulder to hide my expression from any nosey assholes who might be watching us.
“Well I’m not going to give you the whole thing just yet,” I said.
“Are you trying to get me hooked with the foreplay, little pup?” he asked in a low voice.
My pulse stumbled at his words and I swallowed thickly as I looked away from him before shifting a little closer again as I looked back.
“My foreplay is so good that I could have you begging at my feet within two minutes, Lion boy,” I mocked and Roary’s smile changed into something that had my blood heating.
“Well don’t keep me in suspense…”
“I need you to help me get around these cuffs,” I said slowly, raising my hand and letting a flower bloom in my palm. “So that I can use my magic outside of this yard.”
“Yeah, that sounds great. I wish I’d thought of that before,” Roary said, scoffing dismissively like he thought I was kidding.
“I’m serious, Roary. I need to steal a key from one of the guards and get it back to my cell without them figuring out I’m the one who has it. And as talented as I am, I don’t have the skills I need to pickpocket a guard and get away with it…”
Roary raised his eyebrows at me and ran a hand over the rough stubble lining his jaw. “You don’t ask for much, do you, Rosa?”
“I’d ask for the moon if you could steal it for me. But a cuff key is a good start.”
He snorted a laugh. “There’s CCTV to consider.”
“So let’s disable it,” I suggested easily.
“We can post a job for that, I guess. We could get someone to break the cameras in the Mess Hall at breakfast tomorrow. But it won’t be enough. The guards work in pairs, they’ll see me coming.”
“My pack can start a riot,” I suggested. “An all out brawl in the Mess Hall. The guards will be running around trying to break it all up, you spot a weak link and, presto – one cuff key for us to use as we like.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Roary teased. “You know those keys are on a chain? And that chain only releases at the magical signature of the guard who carries it?”
“Are you saying you’re not up to it?” I asked. “Has the great Roary Night lost his touch in prison?”
“Never,” he scoffed.
I moved right into his personal space, tiptoeing up to whisper in his ear and he leaned closer to me to hear it. “So prove it.”
My eyes kept trailing to the cameras in the corners of the Mess Hall as I ate my porridge. The single pot of honey it came with wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and I glanced down the long table to where Claud was sitting, arching a brow at him. He was a stout man with a Lion tattoo on his neck that looked suspiciously like me, and dark hair which he’d been growing out since I’d met him.
I didn’t normally have to wait this long to get what I wanted.
Claud nodded subtly, slipping out of his seat and within a minute, two girls arrived, placing their little honey pots beside me.
I tossed them a smile before picking up the pots and pouring them into my porridge. Rosa dropped down opposite me with her tray, glancing at the girls as they walked away and the now empty pots sitting beside me.
“Morning,” she said lightly, a sense of anticipation about her.
“Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into today, little pup?” I asked, skipping the formalities. I’d known Rosa long enough not to bother with them.
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” she said airily, turning her gaze to the cameras. “But if it all goes to hell, don’t go sacrificing yourself for me again, will you?”
A grin pulled at my mouth as she avoided my gaze, thinking she’d won a point against me. She’d might have been there the night I was arrested, but I wasn’t going to let her think I’d gone to prison for her. Whether it was true or not. “I think you’re remembering it wrong. You got your moon eyes over me and thought you’d tried and save my ass. That’s how I got caught.”
Her expression contorted in complete denial. “I didn’t have moon eyes over you. You showed up trying to be the hero and-”
“Can’t have. I’m no one’s hero. And there lies the fault in your story. It’s okay Rosa, it’s my Charisma.” When my Order gifts were unleashed, I could make Fae bow at my feet. The weak of will were the most susceptible and I knew Rosa wasn’t that, but my Charisma was one of the most powerful in existence.
A snarl ripped from her lips, but I was saved her fury as a sharp crack caught my attention. I swivelled in my seat as another crack sounded and my eyes snagged on one of the cameras as a rock flew through
the metal mesh around it and smashed the screen into a spiderweb of cracks. I hunted the room for the culprit as another rock whistled through the air, then another and another, taking out every camera with incredible precision. Movement down the end of the hall drew my attention and I spotted a pink-haired girl pocketing a slingshot just before all hell broke loose as the guards rushed around trying to figure out who had done it.
“It’s time,” I muttered and Rosa’s spine straightened.
She lifted her chin, releasing a low howl and within seconds, her pack rose from their seats all around the room. Her Beta, Sonny, stalked across the hall and smashed his breakfast tray straight over Ethan Shadowbrook’s head. The Lunar pack dove from their seats, rushing at the Oscura pack as Ethan caught the culprit by the throat and started beating the life out of him.
Excitement rushed through me and a smile hooked up my lips as the fight escalated.
Rosa slipped out of her seat as the guards rushed in to try and break up the brawling packs as chaos ensued.
I caught Claud’s eye and he nodded to me, stuffing two fingers in his mouth and every one of my Shades in the room started upturning chairs and tables, causing utter chaos and pissing off every gang in the entire prison. My heart hit a harder beat and my smile grew even further.
Rosa jumped over the table, joining me and shoving me forward. “That one,” she hissed, directing me toward the new guard, Hastings.
One of Ethan’s pack lunged for Rosa and I slammed my palm into his face, breaking his nose and making him hit the ground before he realised what had happened. I threw my foot into his gut for good measure and Rosa caught my arm.
“Come on,” she demanded and I jumped over the asshole, heading across the room toward Hastings as he tried to get between two Werewolves, hitting them with his baton with powerful strikes. He was cut off from the rest of the guards and the throng of the crowd around him would give me good cover. So he was my target.
I focused as I circled around him, approaching from behind and checking none of the guards were looking in my direction. Officer Cain was using the full force of his baton, whacking Fae over the head so they dropped to the ground at his feet like dead flies. Luckily, his attention was well away from us for now.
Hastings was thrown back into me by the warring Wolves and I plucked the shock baton from his grip with a simple twist of my wrist which I’d used to steal countless things when I was a free man. Adrenaline poured through my veins and exhilaration tumbled through me. He half turned his head with a gasp of alarm, but I flicked the power on and drove it into his spine before he had the chance to see who had taken it. Hastings bellowed in pain and his eyes rolled as electricity poured into him and he collapsed to the ground at my feet. Satisfaction sprawled through me as I tossed the baton aside.
I dropped down to my knees just as a Lunar Wolf collided with Rosa, trying to rip and tear at her with nothing but her hands. Rosa floored the bitch in half a second with a solid punch to her temple and moved to hide me from view as she waited for the next asshole to try their luck against her.
I turned back to Hastings, grabbing hold of his hand and reaching into his pocket. My heart ticked faster and the thrill of thieving brought another wave of adrenaline crashing through my veins. This was what I lived for. And it had been far too long since I’d had a real challenge.
I reached into his pocket, finding the cylindrical key which could undo the magical cuffs. Excitement thumped through my gut, but I wasn’t done yet. The key was on a magical chain and the only way to free it was to get Hastings’ magical signature to release it. I took hold of the guy’s hand, curling it around the chain then pinching the crook of his arm. There was a sensitive spot there on Fae which could force magic to their fingertips. But this fucker wasn’t responding.
“Come on, come on,” I growled under my breath, knowing time was running out.
Rosa was piling up more and more bodies around me as the Lunars came for her and one glance into the crowd told me Ethan was heading this way. His eyes blazed with rage as they locked on Rosa. But if he came over here and noticed what I was doing, I was fucked. He’d have his whole pack try to get the key from me and cause too much of a scene for us to hold onto it for long. And the punishment for stealing a key was more than just a few months in the hole, I’d get sent to interrogation where I’d be tortured for days, and when it was done the Warden would add years onto my sentence to make sure I never tried it again.
“Motherfucker,” I snarled, giving up on his arm and ramming my elbow into his gut.
Magic sparked at his fingertips as he coughed and the key came free. I clutched it in my hand, a manic laugh escaping me as I rose to my feet and caught Rosa’s arm.
“Shadowbrook’s coming,” I said in her ear as she kicked a Wolf at her feet.
She glanced over her shoulder as Ethan forced Oscura pack members out of the way to get closer, a roar of rage spilling from his lips.
“Get hold of that bitch!” he commanded his pack and several eyes turned our way.
“Not today asshole!” She flipped him the finger then caught my hand and we ran away into the crowd.
Laughter tumbled from my throat as we raced through the room together. My Shades were still causing chaos and victory swelled in my chest as we slipped between their ranks.
I glanced behind us and saw Ethan on a war path, hunting for us across the room, but he hadn’t spotted us yet. I grabbed hold of Rosa, tugging her to the ground and pulling her under a table with me at the back of the hall.
“Did you get it?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. She looked wild and so fucking beautiful, it knocked the breath out of me for a moment.
I quickly painted on a taunting grin, producing the key and holding it under her nose. She reached for it but I closed my fist around it, hiding it behind my back.
“What’s this for exactly?” I asked, narrowing my gaze.
“I told you, I have a plan.”
“That’s not an explanation,” I pointed out. “I need details, Rosa.”
“Everyone stop fighting right now or I will authorise every guard in here to shoot to kill!” Cain’s voice blared through the room and I poked my head out from under the table, my heart beating out of rhythm. He stood up on a table with fire blazing in his hands and lighting the space in ominous red tones. The rest of the guards were climbing onto tables too, magic flaring in their palms and the fights in the hall abruptly stopped.
My breathing quickened as I ducked back under the table and shared a look with Rosa. Quiet fell and it pressed against my ears, making anxiety knot up my gut.
“Sir!” Hastings’ voice sounded from the crowd and he stumbled through the inmates, appearing at the base of the table in Cain’s shadow. Panic gripped his features and his eyes widened in horror. Someone must have healed the bastard. “My key is gone.”
Rosa shared a look with me, not saying a word in case Cain picked it up with his Vampire ears, but I knew what that look meant. I had to hide the key. Fast.
“Everyone line up against the wall – now!” Cain roared and I glanced up at the table above me, hunting for anywhere I could put the key where it wouldn’t be found. “Wait – where’s Twelve? She’s not with her pack.”
“Fuck,” I hissed, turning to Rosa and a plan came together in my mind. I’d once been the best thief in Solaria. I could work my way out of any problem. I hunted for cracks of light and found a way out. Always. And I had a solution which was the only option right then.
Pounding footfalls filled the air as everyone gathered at the back of the hall and Rosa looked to me in alarm.
I lunged toward her, throwing her backwards and pressing my body flush to hers, driving her into the ground. I hooked her legs up around my waist as she gasped then I dropped my mouth to her neck, biting into her flesh hard enough to make her cry out. Between the rush of the heist and the taste of her achingly sweet body on my tongue, desire burst through me and I got hard for her in an instant. Oh shit.
>
The table flipped over and I drew my head back to look up at Cain above us, his eyes full of pure rage.
He was on me in seconds, heaving me off of her and locking his hand around my throat. I clutched onto his waist, my fingers slipping into his pocket as I released the key and let it fall inside.
“Do you know what Dr Quentin does to rapists down in interrogation, Sixty Nine?” he snarled in my face, venom spewing from his eyes.
“He wasn’t assaulting me!” Rosa got to her feet, tugging at Cain’s arm as his grip tightened on my throat, fire blazing beneath his skin and coming close to burning me.
His cold grey eyes slid to her, his upper lip peeling back.
“I wanted him to,” she said fiercely and I couldn’t help but smirk.
Cain growled low in his throat then shoved me away.
“Line up with the others,” he snapped and we hurried away toward the back wall where the inmates were crammed together shoulder to shoulder.
We found a spot and wedged ourselves into it, my hand falling to my side and resting against Rosa’s. Heat seemed to pour from her skin and I had to work really fucking hard to sink my boner while the guards moved to stand in front of us.
“STRIP!” Cain barked.
Oh fuck fuck fuck.
My hard-on needed to die a thousand deaths right now.
I tried to think about anything except the way Rosa had felt beneath me. Her breath on my mouth, her curves moulding to mine.
I set my gaze on a female guard with a hairy upper lip and that was going to have to be good enough. I pulled off my jumpsuit, forcefully not looking at Rosa beside me as she got completely naked.
Several guards ran forward to start searching our clothes and I tried not to smirk too hard at the genius of my plan.
Cain was watching us all with his jaw ticking, rage simmering in his eyes that looked desperate to be unleashed.
When our clothes had been searched, Cain’s lips twitched in irritation. “Turn around, hands on the wall and spread your legs.”
Oh fuck my life.
I turned, pressing my palms to the wall and glancing at Rosa. She gave me a look of fear, mouthing, where is it?
Darkmore Penitentiary (Supernatural Prison for Dark Fae Book 1) Page 17