Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
RORY
“I’ll meet you at the shower block,” Tilly smiled from my doorway as I tried to hide all my snacks around the room. Hunter and Josie had really come through for me with the commissary, and I’d definitely make myself sick on sugar later.
“I’ll be two seconds,” I insisted, hearing her huff out a laugh before she walked off. I didn’t want to leave all my stuff lying around, despite my block not seeming too bad on respecting other people’s things.
Five minutes later, I was done, so I grabbed my shower caddy and fresh clothes before wandering to the showers.
I’d heard whispers around the prison all day about Hunter and Marco being here to visit Lexi. How come she didn’t get on everyone’s shit list for associating with another crew, but I did?
Jealousy hit me that she’d been able to see them, and I was still deep in thought about it when I walked into the shower block to find Tilly on the ground and some bitch straddling her with their hands around her throat.
I dropped my things and ran the rest of the way, fisting the girl’s hair and yanking her off Tilly. The bitch let out a screech of surprise, grabbing at my hand to try and pry it off her hair.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I seethed, glancing at Tilly when the woman didn’t answer. “Are you okay?”
She choked as she caught her breath, nodding to let me know she was fine, so I turned my attention back to the problem as she started thrashing.
“Let me go! You’re a dead bitch, Donovan!”
I wrestled her to the ground, most definitely breaking her nose as I slammed my fist into it.
“What the fuck were you doing to her, you piece of shit?” I demanded, punching her again and ignoring the small crowd of inmates that was starting to grow. Lexi appeared, leaning back against the wall with her arms crossed to watch, while others started cheering as the woman fought back.
“Everyone against the wall!” a guard shouted as she ran in, and I was suddenly yanked off the girl, my legs flailing to try and kick her one more time. “Donovan, enough!”
“Fucking bitch,” I snapped as the woman on the ground glared up at me, putting on an act that she hadn’t done anything, while I was dragged from the room.
She’d gotten a lucky shot to my lip, I could taste blood, but at least Tilly was safe. Lexi had been right, that girl didn’t belong in here, and I knew she hadn’t done anything to deserve an attack.
Tilly kept to herself, never causing trouble, so why was she targeted?
“You’re one stupid chick, Donovan,” the guard tsked, ignoring my cursing as I thrashed in her hold as she dragged me through the prison, another guard coming to help restrain me.
I was forced into a room, the door slamming shut behind me, and I smacked my hands against it with frustration.
At least Lexi would make sure Tilly was okay, she had a soft spot for her.
The adrenaline started to wear off, and I paced for a while, lying on the bed when I got bored of doing that, and I’d been doing push-ups for five minutes when the door opened and the warden appeared with a sigh.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” she asked, watching me as I continued my push-ups.
“Nope.”
“Donovan, you need to tell me what happened or you’re going to be punished for attacking Smith.” When I ignored her, she took a step back. “Have it your way. Assault will be added to your charges, and you’ll spend the next week in here.”
My jaw clenched, but I stayed silent and kept doing push-ups, even when I heard the door click shut and she’d left.
My body burned by the time I stopped and sprawled out on the floor, my back hurting from the pressure on the burn. It had only been four days since I’d been put in prison, and it had been boring as fuck. How long would the next week drag in here with nothing to do?
Dinner was brought to me some time later, and I happily dug in. I hoped my snacks would all still be in my cell when I returned, but I couldn’t do anything about it now.
I fell asleep well before lights out, waking to the sound of my door opening at breakfast time. It was the best sleep I’d had since I’d been napping with Diesel on Christmas day.
A pang of guilt hit me at knowing he was probably freaking out right now. Was Skeeter keeping an eye on him? He’d been on the edge lately and really needed support.
The warden arrived while I was eating, an armful of paperwork with her.
“Good morning. Get a good sleep?”
“Actually, yes,” I said brightly, picking at the sad excuse of scrambled eggs.
“I’ve been asked to give you these,” she replied, placing the stack of papers on the bed beside me, a pen alongside it.
“Josie Holloway has a lot of pull. She’s managed to keep you enrolled at Ashburn Valley Academy, and all your school work will be sent here to avoid you falling behind.
This should keep you busy this week. You can hand it in as you finish and I’ll send it off for you. ”
“Why wouldn’t I stay enrolled? I’ll be out soon,” I said confidently, and she raised an eyebrow.
“I’m glad you hold onto some hope.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“They never do,” she huffed. “Ashburn Valley Academy has pretty strict rules about criminal records. Your current court case is huge, and it reflects poorly on the school. She must have pulled some big strings to stop you from being expelled.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty great,” I answered, my chest tightening at knowing I couldn’t see her this week now. “Do I get visitation next week?”
“As long as you behave, all privileges will return once you leave this room. I’ll inform your visitors of the change so they don’t drive all the way here for nothing.”
“Do I get to shower?”
“Of course you do. You’ll be escorted to the bathroom after hours tonight,” she confirmed, taking my tray when I finished eating. “If you don’t give the guards trouble, you’ll get some fresh air too.”
“I’m dying for a cigarette,” I grumbled, picking up some of the school work to look at it. “Thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome. Someone will be back with your lunch later,” she replied before leaving me alone, and I got busy going over some of the work.
Most of the day ticked by quickly now that I had something for my brain to focus on, having a break over lunch to eat before getting back into it. I didn’t stop again until dinner, deciding to call it a night so my brain would stop hurting.
I’d barely finished eating before Miss Jarvis appeared to take me outside, leading me into a small caged area with nothing but a bench to sit on.
“How is this supposed to be classified as fresh air?” I muttered, making her snort as she stood in front of the door to wait out my time.
“You just breathe it in, Donovan.”
“You smoke, right? I bet you keep them on you instead of your locker. Can I have one?”
“No.”
“I’m a lot more placid with nicotine. C’mon, I’ve been good,” I chuckled, and she eyed me for a moment before pulling her pack out and handing me one, holding the lighter to light it for me. “Thank you.”
She nodded, not saying anything else as I sat on the bench to smoke in silence, wondering what the girls were doing. I had no idea what the time was, but I assumed I got my dinner when the others did, so they were most likely in the common area watching TV or playing cards.
When my time was up, I was escorted to the shower block to shower and brush my teeth, being taken back without seeing a single person. They’d taken me through hallways I didn’t recognize, so they must have had alternative ways around the building than the main hallways I usually roamed.
Miss Jarvis left me alone once back in my cell, so I put my school work in a pile beside the bed and got comfortable, rolling onto my side to stop my back from hurting so much.
My first twenty-four hours hadn’t been too bad, but it was definitely going to be a long week.
Hunter
“Motherfucker!” I barked, tossing my new phone on my desk with a scowl. The warehouse had been quiet tonight, most of the guys out on jobs and leaving me and Marco to catch up on paperwork. Marco had slept most of the day, so it had mostly been me working, but I didn’t care.
“What’s up?” Marco asked from his desk, his chin on his chest and his eyes closed.
“Aurora got put in the fucking hole last night. She’s in there for a week for assault. They’ve canceled her visitations.”
He chuckled, cracking an eye open to look at me. “I’m surprised it took her four days.”
“Not helpful,” I sighed, getting to my feet. “I need to get in there, man.”
“Good luck. She’s going to end up straight back in the hole when she gets put back in general. She can’t keep her fists to herself on a good day.”
“I’ll have to reschedule for next Tuesday.”
“Okay, but you’ll only get it canceled again,” he joked, stretching his arms above his head. “Fuck, I’m tired.”
“You slept all day.”
“Going to sleep all night too. I got shot, you know?” he grinned, milking it like he always did. “You should give me the week off to recover.”
“You can recover just fine at your desk where I can keep an eye on you,” I grunted, and he rolled his eyes.
“C’mon, have a heart. I’m injured.”
“My body’s on fire from skidding across the road and hitting a fence, but you don’t see me needing a rest,” I answered, grabbing my things. “Besides, you have to handle fight night stuff.”
“Why can’t Hammer do it?”
“You’ve got to stop hanging around Ty. You’re turning into a whiney, privileged prick. You never usually take time off when injured,” I deadpanned, and he flipped me off.
“I’m getting old, things change.”
“Twenty-one is hardly old.”
“Yeah, but I feel a hundred in dog years,” he complained, following me down from the loft to the bar.
Faris was having a beer, nursing a black eye from an altercation with one of the Reapers earlier, and any other day I would have been on his side, but he’d started shit with Milky, so that was on him.
“I almost had him,” he grumbled, making me snort.
“Sure, you did.”
Milky was a good fighter, it was one of the reasons he worked the bar so much. If anyone gave him trouble, he threw them out himself.