Ch. 266..270: Breed Me, Daddy Alpha chapter 266-270
Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 266
I pressed my head gently against the cold glass, letting the chill seep into my skin.
It was better than thinking too hard – better than watching Coban slaughter that poor punching bag like it owed him something.
I focused instead on the grey outside world. The barred windows, the concrete walls, chain–link fencing, some watch towers and their rifled guards in the event of an attempted escape.
–
When the familiar whoosh of the gym doors opened I couldn’t tell how long I’d been sitting like that again behind me, followed by a sharp, excited shriek.
“Margot!”
Jolted like I’d been tasered, snapping my head around just as a blur of dark curls came charging toward me.
Oh my god!
It was Cara!
I was on my feet before my brain had caught up, my heart leaping in a way that felt stupidly close to relief.
She was alive. Intact. She looked like herself – disheveled in a cute way, her cheeks flushed with recognition.
“Holy shit, you’re in here!” I gasped, barely able to believe it myself before she crashed into me, throwing her arms around my shoulders with enough force to make me stagger.
It was somewhat ridiculous really, since we hadn’t even been separated for an entire twenty four hours yet, but it felt like it had been a lifetime.
–
“I worried you were dead!” Cara cried dramatically, squeezing me, “Like actually murdered in your sleep and rolled up in a mattress, sorta dead!”
“Jesus, Cara!” I laughed, hugging her back. “What is wrong with you?”
“I just missed you,” she said with a shrug, as we finally stepped back from the embrace and looked each other over once more, in a maximum–security prison surrounded by felons.
I remembered where we were, realising we were being slightly louder than necessary, before I grabbed her wrist and yanked her down beside me on the seat. “So you managed to make it through the night, huh?” I asked, suddenly breathless from the short burst of energy.
Where is your guy? What one is he?” I asked her cautiously, scanning the room.
Cara glanced sideways, her body turning just slightly as she peeked around a few shoulders.
“There!” she whispered, practically bouncing in place. “That one – beside the tattoo guy. Next to the punching bag. Oh! Fuck! They’re both staring at us. Don’t look, don’t look!”
Too late…
I followed her gaze and instantly found them.
Two men, standing side by side like they’d stepped out of some testosterone–fueled prison catalogue: Coban, glistening with sweat, and right next to him, another mountain of a man with a sleeve of ink twisting down his arm and a stare sharp enough to slice through steel. Both of them were watching us.
Shit,” I muttered. “That tattoo guy is mine.” I whispered sharply, mortified to be caught ogling the pair.
Cara’s jaw dropped. “Shut up! No way! Well at least he isn’t old like you had dreaded! He’s pretty hot Margot! They both are… I think we got lucky.” Cara states, wiping faux sweat from her head in a ‘phew‘ motion.
“They seem to know each other pretty well,” I realised, heart skipping as Coban leaned in slightly toward the other man, murmuring something so that nobody around them would hear.
“Oh my god, what if they’re friends?!” Cara squealed, clapping her hands like we’d just discovered they were in a boyband together. “This could be amazing – for us I mean!”
I stared at her in disbelief. “You’re weirdly happy today. What the fuck? I’ve been rattled right up until you got here; I’m shitting my pants every two seconds in here Cara – how are you ok?!”
She shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe I’m just glad we didn’t get paired with total psychos. Well… technically, we did. But you know what I mean.”
“Not really – Coban is as terrifyingly nuts as they get.” I roll my eyes, offering a nervous laugh at the end.
I leaned back a little to get as comfortable as possible, studying her again.
“How’s yours been with you?” I asked carefully. “Has he… done or tried anything with you?”
Cara sighed deeply, brushing her curls back behind her ears. “He’s been good. I mean, he definitely has his moments and he set out some pretty strict rules right out of the gate. I thought he was going to rip my head off this morning though when I said I wanted to sleep longer and skip breakfast. Full–on meltdown. But besides that? Totally fine. Protective, even. Kinda like a grumpy bodyguard with resting murder face.”
“Charming.” I snort, unable to contain it.
“What about you?” she asked, tilting her head curiously. “How’s Coban? What happened to your pink uniform by the way? You’re in grey now.” She suddenly stated the obvious.
I stiffened.
My hand drifted over the dull grey fabric of my replacement uniform, and I felt the memory spike like a needle to the chest.
“Long story.” I mumble, but Cara wasn’t prepared to let me off the hook.
“We’ve got time.” She pointed, as I glanced over to find both of our guys doing weights together now.
I sighed, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees. “Let’s just say… there’s been a few incidents. He’s definitely kept me on my toes since I got here.” I began, sifting through each memory, deciding what to share first,
“He’s just really snappy, seems to get pissed off at every little thing. He seen me for the first time and demanded to the guards that I change my uniform colour because he wouldn’t be caught walking around with a Barbie… something along those lines anyhow.” I explain, my voice lowering despite Coban being at the opposite end of the room.
Cara gasped, shaking her head. “It’s only clothes! Why does it matter?!” She groans, as I nod.
“Well it mattered to him. But I agreed to swap for grey or black – which was the only two choices he gave me… The next thing was that I was to sleep on the floor last night – he said I would need to earn my spot on the bed.” I swallow hard, grimacing at the stiff pain I had woke up with this morning.
“What an ass! Luca made a comment about wanting the bed all to himself too until I must’ve pulled off the best soppy face of a lifetime! He quickly told me to chill, and that he was only joking… if I’d fuck him.” Cara stated bluntly, as I nearly choked on air at her words.
‘WHAT?! WELL, DID YOU?!” I demand to know, knowing that my best–friend was a fellow virgin.
“No! Of course not! He started mocking me though, saying he could tell I was a virgin from my reaction, it was pretty embarrassing but he let it go eventually telling me to get some rest. He left me alone the entire night and I had a pretty good sleep…” Cara recites the memory, as I clutch my heart.
Thank God!
–
“Well this morning, Coban woke me up, before spotting my shiner of a bruise and wanted to know where it came from.” I start, as Cara’s eyes widen. “I forgot about the makeup, then I tried to lie, but he could see right through it.”
“So did you tell him the truth?” Cara leans in to ask, as I nod once, confirming that he now knew all about my abusive father…
Reflecting on it now, Coban had pretty much cracked me open in under a day… how was I going to survive the man?!
Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 267
“It’s so confusing, you know? One second he’s actually pretty decent and then the next, I’m trembling, terrified of him.” I tell my friend, as both men now ran side by side on the treadmills – laughing together as I took note that this had been the most I’d seen Coban actually smile since meeting him.
Obviously they were good friends, maybe even in the same dark criminal gang on the outside?
It would make sense…
“So is that all? Don’t tell me there’s more?” Cara reaches out to take my hand, offering it a squeeze as I smile at her before pulling it away.
I was conscious of how it looked, her holding my hand like that, Coban might see and think that I’m playing the pity party to my friend – because I suppose that’s exactly what I was doing.
I needed Cara to console me, to tell me I wasn’t going mad and that everything was alright… it was the only way I’d get through this!
“There’s way more…” I began, taking another deep breath to recite more of the never ending list. “On the way to breakfast, I was too busy trying to find you amongst the crowds, that I lost Coban. When I finally got to the cafeteria, I had to stand around like an idiot by myself until someone found me. Long story short, a guy named Jay approached me and was just acting like a total creep… but Coban got there on time and threatened him to stay away from me before anything happened.” I offload, as Cara covers her mouth with her hand in shock.
–
“Woah! You’ve really been through it Margot – what the fuck!” Cara squints in disbelief, as I pinch my nose.
I wasn’t even close to being done yet…
‘Coban was obviously then furious that I had gotten myself lost, and warned me not to let it happen again… but then…” I trail off, remembering back to the deal he made me, vowing to keep me safe in here.
‘But then what?!” Cara pushes on, desperate to know the rest, evidently engrossed in all of my drama that had happened over the last fifteen hours or so.
“He offered me a deal… that he would keep me safe whilst I’m in here, in return for helping him get his freedom. He said that as long as I’m in here, that I belong to him, and so he won’t let anybody else touch me.” I say it out loud, cringing slightly at the way it sounded like some twisted romance novel.
“That’s sort of… nice of him though, right?” Cara tilts her head and says, as I rub the back of my neck awkwardly and nod.
“Yeah, believe me when I say that I was quickly grateful for the protection when a guy shoved me on my ass on the way here…” I begin the next part, as Cara screeches in horror.
“SHUT UP! THAT TOO?!” She bellows, as I hiss at my friend to be quiet.
“Remember he’s right over there!” I scold her, as Cara slaps her hands across her own mouth and nods.
I glance over, seeing that their sprint had dropped down to a fast paced power walk now, as they remained engrossed in their own conversations too much to care about us… phew!
“Yeah so, some random prisoner shoved me in the hallway on the way here because I bumped him slightly. I ended up on my ass and Coban went ballistic. Had the guy held up against the wall in two seconds flat by the throat. He nearly crushed his airflow. I’ve never seen someone react so fast either…” I whisper, as Cara leans in closer to hear me.
Cara’s eyes grew and grew with each passing word and I didn’t blame her…
“Then what happened?!” She whispered back.
Then the guards came,” I added. “One of them asked if Coban had hurt me and so I had to defend him. Told them it wasn’t his fault, that he was only protecting me.”
Cara blinked. “So, like… he actually followed his deal though and protected you? Sure he’s terrifying Margot, but that’s kinda cute that he’s willing to keep you safe…” Cara states her opinion as my jaw drops.
“Cute? No. Cara he’s crazy! He didn’t do it for me, not really. It’s part of the deal, remember? If I stay alive and intact, give him a good word, then he gets out of here. That’s the only reason.” I fold my arms, nodding at my own theory.
Cara smirked. “Still. You have to at least admit that he’s hot.”
I groaned. “You’re impossible.”
She nudged me with her elbow, grinning. “You know what this means though, right? If our prisoners are friends… then maybe we’ll get to see each other every day.”
“I sure hope so!” I breathed out, knowing it would be the only thing keeping me sane.
Just as I was about to say more, movement in the corner of my eye made me turn. The treadmills had now slowed to a stop, and the rhythmic pounding of feet ceased. Both men stepped off in sync, chests heaving, shirts clinging to their sweat–slicked bodies in a way that made it impossible not to notice how cut they both were.
“Honestly though… ignoring that they are criminals… they are totally our types!” Cara nudges me to say again as I hush her.
Coban reached for a towel, dragging it across the back of his neck and shoulders, then down his arms. His tattoos stood out even darker against the glisten of sweat, veins bulging along his forearms as he wiped them down. Beside him, Luca did the same, tossing his towel over his shoulder like he’d just strolled out of a gym locker room instead of a prison.
Their eyes flicked in our direction.
Cara straightened in her seat so fast it looked like she’d been zapped by electricity, and I felt my own spine go ramrod straight.
A thick, pulsing silence set between us as they crossed the floor toward us with the slow, casual power of men who’d never had to chase anything in their lives….
“Shit,” Cara muttered under her breath, leaning slightly toward me. “Okay, I know I’ve been acting all chill, but I’m actually, like, really nervous.” She finally admits.
I didn’t have time to reassure her, because the next second, the two men stopped right in front of us and dropped onto the sofa opposite.
Luca leaned back, legs spread, arm draped across the seat like he owned the place. Coban was more rigid, his forearms resting on his knees, head slightly tilted, those dark, unreadable eyes boring straight into me.
“You two are friends then?” Luca asked, his voice smoother than I expected – low, charming, with a hint of mischief laced through it.
“Yeah, we came here together,” Cara answered quickly, forcing a bright smile, even as her foot tapped nervously beside mine.
Luca chuckled, clearly amused. “Lucky. Coban and I go way back too, don’t we, Santo?”
Coban didn’t look away from me. “Mhm.” He hummed.
That was it. Just a hum of confirmation. But it landed like a bullet.
That name Santo – rippled through me, unfamiliar and yet intimate.
“So…” Luca’s gaze slid from Cara to me, his eyes sharp and curious. “Tell me all about your little friend,
Cara. What’s her name?”
But before Cara could even take a breath, Coban cut in like a knife. “Bella.” He stated with a swift wink directed right at me.
The name wrapped around me like a chain.
My lungs stalled.
Did he just wink at me?!
Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 268
The man fucking winked at me!
Subtle.
Quick.
Barely there.
But it was real enough that only I was the one who caught it…
It was like he knew exactly what he was doing – how that one small gesture could rip the breath from my lungs and make my heart do stupid flips that it seriously had no business doing.
Bella… I still had no idea what it meant either. Bella…
Cara turned to me, visibly confused. “Her name’s Margot… Margot Belle,” she clarified, voice hesitant now.
Luca’s smirk widened as his eyes darted between us. “Ahhh, I see. So you’ve given her a little Italian nickname already, Santo?” He points out, as I feel Cara smiling from beside me next as though it was just some sweet gesture.
Wrong.
Little did she know, that he had ripped me a new one on my real name, before deciding just to change it completely to suit him.
“Bella…?” Luca goes on, evidently wanting a reaction from him that he hadn’t yet given, as Coban rubs his hands down his face roughly.
Coban groaned, tipping his head back. “Fuck off, Luca.”
I flinched slightly, the tension in his tone knotting up inside me.
My body went rigid, suddenly terrified that this might be where everything exploded.
That maybe they’d fight over this.
That Coban could snap and turn on him like he had done earlier in the hallway…
I would hate for them to fight over something as silly as him giving me a pet name, since it didn’t actually matter in the grand scheme of things.
He could call me whatever he liked, if it kept him at bay.
But Luca just shockingly laughed him off, waving off the threat like it was a running joke between them. “Relax. I’m only saying it’s cute of you. Isn’t it, Margot? Nicknaming you his Bella.” Luca suddenly turns to me.
I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice.
What do I even say?!
“Uh… sure, I guess so?” I managed, though I didn’t sound convincing even to myself.
I looked at Coban, who now rubbed a hand across his jaw, clearly annoyed at being teased by his buddy, but not… furious about it either. Not dangerous. Just irritated in a very human, very male way that helped put me at slight ease.
“So what did you two do before this shit?” Luca asked, being the conversationalist. “Before you were recruited into this twisted little project?”
Cara perked up, clearly glad to be asked something normal after all of that… “We were students. Both of us. Just finished school in June. We felt stuck in our home town so wanted to get out.” Cara takes the stage, and I was glad, like Luca, that she was the more chatty one of us both.
They could work well together in this…
“So that makes you two what then? Eighteen? I thought you were both at least twenty–one. Didn’t you, Santo? Think they were a bit older?” Luca states, shocked to discover the fact.
“Shouldn’t be in here that young, are the pair of you lacking brain cells or what?” Coban questions, obviously more directed at me as I just shrug.
I had already told him that we needed the money, I don’t know what else he wanted me to say?
“Now, now, bro. Give them a chance. They’ve came here to keep us company. We can make this fun.” Luca states, grinning as Cara agrees with him.
“What age are you both anyhow? We were worried we would be landed with some old men weren’t we Margot!” Cara chimes in with an awkward laugh, and I could tell she was trying her best to prove to them both that we weren’t all bad…
But it should be them proving that to us…
“Both twenty–five.” Luca states, as Coban nods beside him, turning to glance out of the window.
“You two are pretty lucky to have us, you know? There are a few bastards who made it on to this project…” Luca eyes around the room, separating himself and Coban from the rest of the inmates as though they were both somehow better.
“Yeah! Ha! I guess we are!” Cara tries, as I shift uncomfortably, not enjoying Coban’s silent intensity.
“Bet they just thought they could throw you two in here with us animals and you’d get eaten alive.” Luca smirks, a wicked look in his eye, one that showed a dangerous side hiding beneath his friendly demeanour.
“Still time for that,” Coban muttered after him, almost to himself but we all heard it.
Luca just laughed again, finding him funny. “You’re in one of your moods, I see. Ignore him, Margot, he’s a big softy at heart!” Luca claims, as my brows furrow against their own will.
A big softy? I’ll crack the jokes here!
As if!
“I’m always in a mood,” Coban replied, settling back slightly before stretching his arms out.
How come you picked grey anyhow? Unlike this bright one beside you?” Luca pondered suddenly, motioning towards Cara, as my mouth fell open and Coban met my gaze.
What do I say to his friend? That he forced me to change from my original pink to a boring grey? That he didn’t want me to embarrass him with my colour choice?
“I made her swap.” Coban thankfully responded for me, eyeing his friend who suddenly bust out laughing.
“Seriously? What for? They all wear them!” Luca shook his head, pushing him for an explanation, as I feared Coban would eventually snap and end him all together.
“She chose pink – and I wasn’t parading around here with a short little blonde dressed in pink, she was fucking asking for trouble!” Coban began, suddenly confident in his decision. “But maybe that’s what she wants? Maybe she enjoys the other prisoners giving her grief? Maybe I don’t need to protect her in here because she likes it?” Coban starts rambling, his tone never changing but the words making me shiver.
He’s pissed off at me again… but what did I do this time? I’ve barely spoke!
“No…” I hear Cara’s voice come out from beside me, and I instantly wished that I hadn’t.
Why the hell did she have to try to defend me against him of all people?! It just wasn’t worth it!
“What did you say?” Coban leans forward suddenly, eyes now fully set on Cara as I began to panic for her.
“She didn’t mean anything by it.” I attempt, before his hand shoots up to silence me.
“I wasn’t asking you.” He states, as my lips slam shut, praying for Luca to step in to help Cara, but he just remains as he is comfortable and stretched out.
“Oh, no, uhh, forgive me, I just wanted to say that Margot isn’t like that. She hates drawing attention to herself. I’m the one who suggested she went for the pink because it’s her favourite colour. In fact, I’m the one that suggested that we even sign up to this project in the first place she didn’t come here for anything else.” Cara speaks up, clearing her throat, as I couldn’t help but feel somewhat proud of her for trying to defend me.
“Oh is that so my little rebel? This was all your idea, was it? Luca chuckles, as Coban seems to sit back, surprisingly not responding as of yet.
Unlike the rest of us, Luca was clearly used to Coban, and I couldn’t help but think back to the way he had been chatting, smiling and laughing during their workout together.
Something tells me that Coban Santorelli had more layers to him, and that I had only so far began to scratch the surface…
Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 269
The silence between us was uncomfortable, but not unusual at this point.
Coban didn’t say much as we left the gym, just threw his towel around his neck, grunted something about needing a shower, and jerked his chin toward the corridor for me to follow him out.
I did, after a quick hug with Cara and a ‘I’ll see you soon‘, feeling better now about leaving her with Luca since he actually seemed alright from the brief time I had spent with him.
Things could’ve gone much worse for us, I’ll admit that, but Coban was still so closed off and reserved that button… it was hard to tell how far he could go if I pushed the wrong
Trailing out behind him like some obedient stray, I kept my eyes low and tried not to let the weight of everything I hadn’t said crush me.
I was still reeling from what he’d spat out in front of Luca and Cara. That jab about me liking the attention from other prisoners? That I wanted the trouble? It stuck to me like grease under my fingernails.
No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t scrub the sting away.
Did he really believe that? Is that why he seemed to resent me so much?
–
The walk back to our cell – or more like a room, as they called it was quiet unlike earlier when the hallways had all been swarmed.
Coban didn’t look back once either, just expecting me to knowingly keep up with him now, as I made sure to do.
Once inside, he tossed his towel in to a corner where I guessed he had started creating his own ‘dirty laundry‘ pile, as I suddenly wondered what the situation with laundry was around here?
I stood awkwardly near the small desk, watching him from the corner of my eye.
He didn’t look angry. But he didn’t look anything. His face was unreadable. Like someone had switched off the expression switch altogether.
I couldn’t keep this inside anymore…
I took a breath. “Can I say something to you?”
Coban paused mid–search, his hand half–buried in his drawer as he heard my voice…
His jaw clenched for a second. Then he nodded once without turning around to fully face me.
“Please don’t get mad,” I said carefully, my voice softer than I meant it to be. “I just… I need you to listen, okay?”
This time, he turned. Not all the way, just enough to face me, his dark eyes unreadable. He leaned against the chest of drawers, arms folded now, his chest rising and falling steadily. Watching me.
Waiting.
I had no choice but to go on now, I had his full undivided attention…
“I feel like we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, and it’s bothering me. I really don’t want to upset you. Or piss you off every two seconds. That’s not what I’m trying to do,” I began, wringing my hands together. “I’m trying really hard to figure this place out, and figure you out, and what you expect from me. You say I’m yours while I’m in here, so I’m trying to be… bearable for you, at least.”
His stare didn’t soften. Not even a flicker. Giving nothing away on what he thought so far.
“I didn’t mean to cause you so much trouble on the first day. I didn’t come here to stand out or to draw attention to myself – please believe that. The pink uniform was stupid. I get that now. It was dumb and girly and totally oblivious to where I actually am. This place is crawling with dangerous men, and I walked in here like I was going to a summer camp.” I forced out a laugh, dry and humorless. “So what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry, okay? For the colour, for getting lost, for attracting that creep without meaning to and for bumping in to that guy – causing a scene. I’ll stay close to you from now on. I won’t wander off alone or speak to anyone unless you say it’s okay. I’ll keep my head down and I’ll try my damn hardest not to annoy the shit out of you.” I conclude, puffing out a breath by the end.
The silence that followed made the walls feel like they were closing in on me, making me question every word that I had forced to escape.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t even move.
I felt raw. Like I’d just turned myself inside out for him and he didn’t even blink.
Then, finally, he exhaled slowly and said just one word.
“Pretty.”
My brows furrowed, completely confused by him. “I’m sorry, what?” I whispered, not knowing if he was trying to be funny or not…
He pushed off from the drawers and walked a few slow steps toward me, eyes seemingly darker than usual, if at all possible.
“Bella,” he said, shrugging like the word was no big deal. “It means ‘pretty‘ in Italian.”
I blinked.
Was he serious right now? Or was he just pranking me? Mocking me?
It could mean the damn opposite for all I know…
“I called you that because you’re pretty. That’s why you’re attracting so much fucking trouble in here. Not the colour. Not the way you talk or walk or look around for your little friend, getting yourself lost. It’s your face. Your hair. Your eyes.” He tilted his head, examining me like I was some equation he had miraculously solved hours ago. “You’re pretty, at least when you can’t see that ugly bruise on your cheek.” He stated with a dry laugh, and there he was, back again with a short insult.
His voice was level, but his words detonated something inside my chest.
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
But he thought I was pretty this whole time?
That’s why he nicknamed me Bella?
The blood drained from my face only to rush back twice as fast. My fingers trembled at my sides, and I couldn’t tell if it was fear, confusion, or something dangerously close to flattery.
“I do still think your real name’s shit though,” he added, bluntly. “But you suit Bella. It fits you better.”
That did it. My mouth dropped open, and I stared at him in utter disbelief.
“When I first saw you, you were like a damn walking lolly pop! I figured more people would be drawn to you if you waltzed around here in that uniform… the grey helps to keep you more under wraps… more in line… keeps the other bastards in line.” He nods at himself, as I think on his reasoning.
Maybe he’s right?
“You’re mine for now Bella, and what I say goes around here. Sure, you’ve definitely irritated me more times than I can count, but you’re not the worst female to be paired with. I’m glad it was you.” He finished, breaking our connection in an instant after.
He didn’t wait for a response. Just tossed his fresh towel over his shoulder and made his way toward the bathroom in the corner of our unit, the door slamming shut behind him.
Leaving me standing in the middle of the room like a confused, trembling, short–circuited wreck.
I placed a hand over my chest, feeling my heart hammering wildly beneath my ribs.
My knees felt weak. The kind of weak that was not just fear this time… but it was something else.
What the hell just happened?
And more importantly…
What the hell was happening to me?!
Too many foreign words to decipher… it almost felt like a dream.
Breed Me. Daddy Alpha – Chapter 270
I sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, hands clasped in my lap like I was waiting for a verdict.
Every so often I’d glance at the bathroom door, still firmly shut, the sound of the water pattering against the tiles only making the silence more deafening.
I couldn’t shake the way his words had lodged inside me like tiny glass splinters.
Pretty.
He’d called me pretty? Bella meant pretty? And he’d said it like it was a fact, not a compliment. Like it was a problem to be managed.
I don’t think anybody had ever called me pretty throughout my entire life either, besides maybe Cara at some point or another? But definitely never a guy…
I still didn’t know what to do with that information or better yet, what else to say…
Trapped in my thoughts, I hadn’t even heard the water shut off as the bathroom door finally creaked open, steam billowing out before Coban stepped through it, drying off his short dark hair with a towel.
His expression was unreadable again – but something about the way his eyes flicked toward me said he knew exactly what mess he’d left me in.
He wore black athletic shorts and a snug black tee that hugged the defined lines of his chest and arms, his tattoos crawling out from under the sleeves.
“Let’s go,” he muttered, jerking his chin toward the door as he tossed the damp towel into the growing laundry pile.
I jumped up quickly, falling into step behind him as we slipped out into the corridor once more. “Where are we going now?” I asked, my voice steadier than I had expected.
“Outside for an hour,” he grunted over his shoulder. “Then it’s laundry.”
He didn’t wait for my reply. Just moved forward with that same sure stride that I was beginning to recognise as part of him arrogant, and purposeful. Like someone who didn’t have time to waste.
This time he turned us down a different corridor to the one we’d taken earlier, and I found myself struggling to memorise the way. Left, right, then another left before going down some steps.
The place was a goddamn maze!
I followed closely, clutching the hem of my grey jumper nervously as we passed a few inmates with their partners. Some nodded at Coban as we went by. Others stared.
But no one said a word to us.
As we rounded a corner toward a metal security door, a tall female guard leaned against the wall just beside it, arms crossed and a smirk playing at her lips.
“Behaving yourself, Coban?” she called out, raising an eyebrow at him.
He didn’t miss a beat. “Trying.”
She glanced at me after, eyes dragging from my head to my toes in a way that made me feel self–conscious. There was something sharper about it like she was assessing me.
–
“Your girl looks like she’s surviving at least,” the guard said dryly. “That’s more than I expected after a night with you.”
“She’s a quick learner,” Coban replied, his voice neutral but clipped, evidently not wanting to talk to her much.
She eventually pressed the button beside the door, and it buzzed before unlocking with a heavy clunk to let us both pass.
We stepped through it, into a wide courtyard surrounded by high walls topped with barbed wire.
The air hit my skin like a welcome splash of cold water – it wasn’t the freshest exactly, but it was still good.
I drew in a slow breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease up just a little. It was the first time since we’d arrived that I didn’t feel entirely suffocated.
Coban led us toward a bench near the edge of the yard, away from the handful of other inmates milling about. He sat down heavily, stretching his arms out across the back of the bench and tilting his head back to watch the sky.
I hovered nearby, unsure if I was supposed to sit beside him or just stand awkwardly in place.
“Sit down, Bella,” he muttered without even having to look at me.
And so I did.
Closer to him than I had intended to be due to the small gap left for me on the first bench.
And for a while, neither of us spoke.
There was something unspoken in the quiet – something almost peaceful, even if it was still laced with threat.
I watched him from the corner of my eye, studying the sharp lines of his jaw, the crease between his brows, the way his foot bounced ever so slightly as if he was always ready to move, to fight, to flee.
He hadn’t said another word about what he’d told me earlier. About the name. About what he thought of me.
But amongst it all, I was starting to understand something important about Coban Santorelli…
He didn’t seem to say things unless he meant them.
And that terrified me more than if he had lied.
But peace in this place was fleeting.
Growing voices broke through the calm – loud, obnoxious ones. “Yo, Coban!” One yelled, as my eyes flicked toward the source.
Sure enough, a group of five inmates were strutting across the yard like they owned it, laughter echoing between them.
And among them, unmistakable even from a distance, was Luca. Grinning like the devil himself, charming and smooth, with a swagger that said he’d never once known fear.
Trailing just behind the men were the girls too – including Cara, who caught my eye almost instantly.
Her face lit up when she saw me again.
She lifted her hand in a small wave, mouthing something I couldn’t quite catch, but it made my chest swell with relief and joy again.
–
I went to stand, instinct kicking in before thought I wanted to go to her, but before I could even rise fully, a strong hand wrapped around my wrist and tugged me back down onto the bench.
“You’ll stay here with me!” Coban muttered low under his breath, his tone possessive.
I blinked in surprise, my breath catching at the unexpected pull. I turned toward him, frowning slightly. “I just wanted to say hi?” I whispered.
But he didn’t answer, only glared at me briefly in a silent warning.
I sighed, as I swallowed hard and nodded, sitting still, his fingers slowly unhooking from my skin once he was sure that I wouldn’t move from him again.
I couldn’t tell if the tension in the air was coming from the group or from him, but either way, it prickled along my skin like electricity.
Luca was the first to speak as they neared our bench, hands tucked into his pockets and that same cocky smile stretching across his face.
“Well, well, well,” he drawled. “Didn’t think I’d find you two lovebirds out here enjoying the breeze so soon. Quick shower, Santo.” He comments.
“Enjoying it until you showed up with the welcome committee, asshole!” Coban stated, somewhat playful but ultimately insulting the others that joined.
I glanced up at Luca, who shifted his weight, clearly not fazed by him as usual.
His gaze then flicked to me next…
“You still doing alright with this one, Bella?” he asked, teasingly soft as he emphasised the nickname again.
Cara finally poked her head around him, hovering awkwardly a few steps back before I gave him a nod. “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”
“Fuck! How’d you land such a hot one, boss?” One of the other guys behind Luca suddenly roared, as my cheeks flared.
Were they mocking me? Mocking him? I was nothing special… I knew that, despite the stuff Coban had said earlier.
Wait…
Did he just say, boss, too?