Page 16 of Pawn

Three.

Two.

One.

Looking towards the entrance of the ivory walled room, she doesn’t appear. Is she that scared or did something happen?

Sitting up, I keep my gaze on the entrance. Fuck, did she fall in those cuffs?

A head of messy curls appears in the doorway and my muscles relax like I’m hit with a tranquilizer. She’s looking around to see if anybody notices what I know she’s wearing, the scarf doing a great job at hiding any metal. Those eyes fall on me, a boom in my chest, my heartbeat picking up.

Her back straightens as she walks over as if she’s trying to tell me she’s not bothered. It’s hard not to smirk at her defiance, that fight in her to the very end. Moving my jacket from the seat beside me, she plops down, hands in front. When I put my hand on top of hers, they’re warm even through the scarf.

“You’re fucked up,” she whispers.

“What’s that?” I lean in closer, bringing my mouth to her ear. “You wanna fuck? Meet you back in the chapel.”

That gets me a glare and that gets her a smirk, those cheeks turning a hint of red under the hospital lights. “When we’re out of here, you’re fucked.”

“Mmm.” My hand comes to her thigh. “I hope so. Tell me more, Medusa.”

She stamps her boot on mine and I pull her closer by the scarf-wrapped cuffs. A boy enters the room, about Willow’s age but I don’t give a fuck. “Try it again, Rowland.”

Her jaw works before she yells, “Take these off!”

“There you guys are!” Allie, Christian and Isaac appear in the entryway. They all still look way too shook to be here.

“You guys get out of here,” I say. “Thanks for driving us but I don’t want us all seen together. Not right now.”

I’ve been checking my phone for updates on my orders to Baldy and his clean-up crew. I need everyone to do their part.

Isaac looks out to lunch and I’m not sure what’s going on in his head. If what he said was true, if he was really in love with Marion, if he feels how I do about Jo, then he’s a mess inside. He’s no use to me like this.

“Can you drive?” I ask Allie. She’s stronger than both of these guys and for that reason, she’s always walked to the beat of her own drum. Like Jo.

Looking back at the door, she comes closer to where we sit, eyes moving between us. She fidgets with the string on her hoodie. “Are we gonna talk about this shit? How’s Willow? Is she okay? What about Mar—”

“She’s fine.” Jo nods, pulling her wrists away from her friend. “I’m waiting for the doctor to let us see her but I don’t know how long that’ll be. It’s okay. You can go.”

“What?” Allie looks confused, her forehead creasing like she’s still digesting our night. “Will you be okay?”

“Yeah, thanks, Allie.” Jo chews on her lip, eyes on the floor. “I really mean that.”

So she gets a thank you and I get a ‘fuck off’? My jaw tenses. “You guys go. Now.”

“Alright!” Allie snaps. I can’t tell if it’s from agitation or built up emotion from seeing the shit she saw today. Her eyes drop to the scarf. “Oh wait, my scarf.” When she reaches for it, Jo sits up, pulling her arms away.

“No!” The boy sitting in a chair across the room looks at her and when I look at her too, I give her a smirk. “I’m cold.”

Allie’s brows furrow. “Isn’t that why you have this guy?” She tilts her head towards me, reaching for it again.

“Yeah isn’t that why you have me?” I tease.

Her mouth flattens before she pulls back again, the tip of the scarf pulling away from Allie’s fingers. Leaning back in my chair, I can see the gears turning in Jo’s head and I love watching her squirm, I love seeing what she does. She’s not predictable but there are two ways out of this and I win each time.

C’mon show them you’re mine, Medusa.

“Do you mind if I hang on to it?” Jo asks

---