Page 54 of Caged In

He finished his food when they both left and wasn’t interested in staying at the table with only Erik and David. He wasn’t sure where the rest of The Gang were. And he was not going to ask, and risk it sounding like he was talking to David—yes, he knows it sounds petty, as if he still holds a grudge. Which he doesn’t.

. . . Okay, maybe he holds a little bit of a grudge.

But whatever, the other inmate deserves it—

He’s counting down the days until Reni and Zidie don’t have to go to that stupid, pointless meeting.He hates being alone with his thoughts.

A few more weeks and those meetings will be over. Reni and Zidie will be signed off and free to go about theirnormal prison routines.

He would have stuck with Sinj, but he has no idea where to even begin looking for the red-head. Sinj could be anywhere in this prison. Including H-Wing, and The Gang had specifically told him not to go near H-Wing. He is not about to risk it and go investigating anywhere close by there. Knowing his luck he’d end up pissing off some mob boss and getting shivved.

He stripsdown in the shower room, leaving his clothes out on the benches. It’s bizarre,coming here alone. He’s only ever been here with someone else from The Gang. Never alone like this. He’d washed in his cell for the few days Reni had been absent.

Izz picked this time specifically, because he knows he won’t have to worry about the showers being overcrowded with other inmates. Practically everyone is in the cafeteria. He’d also chosen this time as Levis will be in the kitchen and he won’t have to worry about running into the creep in here.

He selects a shower head out of the way, close to the back corner to avoid the couple of men who were under their own sprays throughout the room.They are loners, minding their own business like he’s doing—

Speak of the devil—isn’t that the saying? Speak of the devil and the devil will appear?—he never should have thought the name. It’s almost as if he summoned the other man.

Levis.

It has to be Levis. While he’s vulnerable, standing naked and alone in the shower room. The beefyserver has to choose now to come to the showers—

Wait. Why is Levis here and not serving breakfast?

Izz swallows involuntarily, the lump in his throat growing and threatening to cut off his air supply. Why does his luck always have to be bad. Ever since he landed in this prison everything has been against him. Anything he thinks might be sweet, twists into a sour mess before he has the chance to savour the sweetness.

Levis saunters in, like he owns the whole room. Just like he does patrollingthe kitchen—immenselyup himself with an over-inflated ego. An ego that Izz’s dying to knock down a few pegs—

Perhaps dying isn’t the best term to use . . .

The beefy creep marchesforward, a gloating grin plastered on his face. Grossnaked body on full display—

Something to haunt Izz’s nightmares. If he makes it out of this encounter alive—

The creep’s smile vanishes, his mouth twisting, eyes narrowing as he comes to an abrupt stop. He stares at Izz, his expression twisting into one of extreme annoyance and frustration.

Surprisingly, Levis turns sharply on his heels and storms off to the other side of the shower room. As far away from Izz as physically possible while still able to use one of the showers.

Strange—

The shower next to Izz flares to life with a swirling rush of water. His heart rate sky-rocketing an electric charge through his body—swivelling, he faces off at the newcomer, his stomach dropping out into an empty pit—

Losing his footing Izz slaps his palm on the tiled wall to catch himself, so he doesn’t face plant thetiled floor—so many tiles in this room—

This shower alone idea is the stupidest thing he’s done since he’s been in prison. Why did he choose to come here alone again?

‘Cause I’m an idiot.

The red and black mohawked male—basking in the warm water cascading down his broad shoulderblades and over his thickly muscled back—is the serial killer Izz has been telling himself to stay away from.

And here he is, showering right next to the killer—and for the longest few seconds he’s transfixed on the male’s naked body—

Izz clears his throat, abruptly swivelling awayto face the shower wall. His peripheral vision doesn’t help him, he can still see the details he’s trying desperately to avoid . . .

The killer doesn’t speak, or do anything threatening. No shivs are uncovered from hidey-holes.He doesn’t attempt to look at or interact with Izz. He utterly ignores Izz—who’s surreptitiously trying not to peek at him. He goes about washing his own body, scrubbing the soap down coiled muscles—

Muscles that helped in killing people—

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