Chapter 8 #2
“I was thinking you didn’t want to get your pretty face carved up and needed help,” I joked, wincing as she applied pressure. I looked down, finding blood on my shirt and her hands, ignoring her cursing as she barked something at the other girls.
Was I bleeding a lot? I felt cold.
I jerked as the alarm blared through the prison, and Lexi put a hand on my shoulder to keep me still.
“You’re fine, Donovan. Don’t move,” she promised, but her face wasn’t really convincing me.
Guards rushed in soon after, and it was a blur as I was carted off on a gurney, Lexi watching me as I was taken away to Medical.
I must have passed out because the next thing I knew I was in a hospital bed, a handcuff around one wrist that kept me attached to the bed.
“I feel like I just left this damn place,” I grumbled, trying to sit up and wincing as my abdomen felt like it was on fire.
“You’re awake,” the nurse said with a smile, looking over my chart. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got stabbed,” I deadpanned, glancing at the door to find Miss Jarvis there. “How long was I out?”
Miss Jarvis glanced at her watch, sighing. “A few hours. You were sedated. Scans showed no internal issues, so you were patched up, given antibiotics and a tetanus shot, and you’ll be discharged in the morning. You’ll be asked to make a statement once you’re awake more.”
I had no idea what to say. I couldn’t rat anyone out, but I couldn’t exactly ask Lexi what her story was going to be.
“It won’t be much help. I don’t know who stabbed me,” I said lightly, getting a knowing look in return.
“Things are a lot easier when you’re honest, Donovan.”
“My mind’s a little foggy. Maybe it’s the sedation? I was in my room, right?”
“You were in Bryant’s.”
“Why was I in there?” I muttered, trying to act more confused so they wouldn’t get a good statement out of me.
She rolled her eyes, knowing I was full of shit, but she gave up talking about it.
The nurse went over everything in medical terms, but since I knew I was going to live, I zoned it out.
What was happening back at the prison? Had Lexi been blamed?
“Miss Jarvis? It wasn’t Lexi,” I said, making her snort.
“Thought you didn’t remember?”
“I know it wasn’t.”
“Whatever you say, Donovan,” she grunted, apparently not giving a shit about what I said.
I napped on and off, waking at some time through the night to the sound of scuffling.
The guards were outside the door, leaving me alone since I was cuffed to the bed and this room was apparently too high to worry about me breaking out.
The sound continued until the cover of the air duct popped open, Marco’s face appearing a moment later. He put a finger to his lips before silently slipping out, making the smallest thud possible as he dropped down and landed on his feet like a cat.
“You good?” he whispered as he moved to stand beside the bed, pushing my blanket back to inspect me.
“Got shivved,” I whispered back, scowling at him as he lifted my gown to look at it. I was only wearing panties under it, so I swatted at him. “Hey, perv. Do you mind?”
“Not in the slightest,” he grinned, inspecting my wounds.
“What happened? Hunter and Josie got a call saying you’d been stabbed, but they don’t know anything else.
” I quietly gave him the rundown, and he shook his head slightly when I was done.
“You got stabbed because you jumped between Lexi and a shiv? That makes you stupid, Princess.”
“What was I supposed to do? Leave her there? Lexi’s not a bad person,” I answered, my gaze flicking to the door. “How much trouble will you get in if you’re caught?”
“It’s fine. I paid one of the guards to stay out. He knows I’m in here,” he chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Is shit going down in there or something? I heard about the murder.”
“It was that girl Lexi was banging. No idea what happened.”
He hummed, his fingers tracing a line across my stomach and making me wince as I flinched from it, hurting myself in the process. He pulled back, but I reached for his hand, holding onto it.
“How long can you stay?” I asked, knowing he couldn’t stay for long, and he sighed, his other hand lifting to my hair to brush it off my face.
“A little longer. Take a selfie with me so I can show the guys you’re alright. They’re freaking the fuck out, and Josie isn’t home to bully her way in here.”
“I look like shit.”
“You smell like shit too, but who’s taking notes?
” he teased. I let him take a photo with me and he sent it straight to Hunter before pocketing his phone again.
“The good news is if you got stabbed for helping Lexi, you’ve probably gained some respect.
Loyalty is important, and you proved you had her back,” he offered, and I cringed.
“Doubtful.”
“I mean it. Are you too sore to blow me? Because it was hard work getting in here and I deserve a reward,” he smirked, and I risked injuring myself as I elbowed him.
“I wouldn’t touch your cock even if it was the last cock on earth.”
“Say cock again and look me in the eyes. A little slower though.”
“I’m already in prison, I might as well stab you,” I mumbled, making him huff out quiet laughter.
“Move over.”
“Why?”
“You want a cuddle? I’ll allow it without cock sucking being involved,” he joked, and I rolled my eyes.
“No, I don’t want a fucking cuddle.” I really did, but I wasn’t going to admit that to him.
He knew I was full of shit, and I winced as he gently manhandled me over on the bed enough to make room for himself before lying beside me.
We didn’t talk as he eased an arm under my head and carefully drew me a little closer, the motion being more expected from someone like Hunter, not him.
I tried really hard not to cry, I didn’t want him to see me as weak, but he must have sensed my emotions because he shuffled even closer and pressed a kiss to my head.
Tears fell as I fought sobs, not wanting the guards to hear me.
A couple of weeks in and I was already breaking. How the fuck would I last months or potential years?
“Good girl. Let it out now before you go back,” he practically crooned, holding me until I finally cried myself to sleep.