Page 28 of Auctioned to the Prisoners

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. The words leave my lips in barely more than a whisper, but he hears me because he stills to listen. I don’t know all the words, but I can sing enough to settle us both.

There’s no sunshine in Blackstone, but I learned when I was cowering with my sister beneath my childhood bed that people can be the light in the inkiest darkness.

11

KINKAID

HEAVEN IN HELL

The quiet has me on edge.

I lean back against the wall, the cigarette between my fingers burning down to the filter as I stare at the door. It’s been too long since I heard anything from Hyde and Lory. Too long since the tension in the air subsided, leaving me with this gnawing sense of unease.

Hyde’s never been one for silence, especially when he’s battling his demons. He’s either pacing, muttering under his breath, or on the verge of snapping. The quiet is unnatural, like the calm before a storm. And Lory… she’s strong, stronger than I expected, but the worry that she’s out of her depth with him grates at my nerves.

I toss the cigarette aside, crushing it under my boot as I push off the wall. Rock is sprawled out on the bed across the room, his massive frame taking up most of the space. He’s reading a battered paperback, but he’s not paying attention to it. He’s on edge too, his eyes flicking toward the door every few minutes, like he’s waiting for something to happen.

When our eyes meet, I raise my shoulders in an unspoken question that he understands immediately. Should we go look?

He nods, but I hesitate. We battle hell together daily, and I trust Hyde more than most men. But Lory’s different. She’s not part of this place, and Hyde… he’s different with her. More vulnerable, more on edge. A greater risk potentially. I don’t know.

“Yeah,” I finally say, pushing the door open just enough to slip out. It’s dark and quiet; the only sound is the faint humof the surrounding building. I move silently toward the door to the room that’s now become Lory’s, the tension in my chest tightening with every step.

When I reach the door, I pause, my hand hovering over the handle. I don’t know what I expect to find—maybe Hyde spiraling out or Lory trying to calm him down. Hyde with his hands around her throat. Fuck. I don’t think he’ll go that far, but I’ve learned to never underestimate a man on the edge. The silence on the other side of the door is thick, almost oppressive.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly push it open just enough to peek inside. The room is bathed in long shadows, but my eyes adjust quickly, revealing Hyde and Lory lying on the bed together. Hyde’s face is buried in her chest, his body curled up like a child seeking comfort. Lory’s fingers are tangled in his hair. They’re both asleep, their breathing slow and even, and for the first time in a long time, Hyde looks… peaceful.

The sight hits me harder than I expected. Me and Rock try to help him but we’re not always successful, especially surrounded by so many triggers. But Lory has this way about her, this quiet strength that anchors him in a way nothing else has.

Rock makes a low hum in his throat as I close the door, and we return to the other room, shuffling as quietly as two men our size can achieve.

“She’s worked him out,” I say, shaking my head.

“She’s not what I expected.” Rock rubs his thick beard. “She’s going to get under our skins, Kinkaid.”

“She already has, by the looks of it.”

Rock nods. “Hyde needs this, but what the fuck is going to happen when she has to leave?”

I don’t even want to think about returning to the main prison block and dealing with the rest of the assholes in this place, but most of all, I don’t want to think about letting Lory go. In a few brief hours, she reminded me of everything I’m missingoutside these walls. “Maybe we need to keep reminding him that this shit is only temporary.” And ourselves. I don’t say that part, though.

Rock shrugs. “What’s better? Reminding him so he can’t enjoy her while she’s here or letting him forget and have him crash after?”

There’s no right answer to that question.

I sit down on the edge of the bed, running a hand through my hair. The room is suffocating, the weight of the situation pressing down on me from all sides. I keep it to myself that I’m just as worried for me. How will we go back to our cells and our shitty lives after having this time with Lory? I need another cigarette but rationing them is the only way.

Eventually, I lay on the cot beside Rock’s bed, staring at the ceiling. Rock’s quiet, lost in his thoughts, just as uneasy as I am.

Sleep doesn’t come quickly, but eventually, exhaustion pulls me under.

***

When I wake, the early morning light filters through the small window, casting a pale glow across the room. I rise, still carrying the tension in my muscles, and find Rock is already up, pacing by the door with a restless energy that mirrors mine. There’s a knock and then a series of beeps as someone enters the code from outside the unit. The door creaks open, revealing Warden Grady, carrying a box of supplies.

“Morning,” he says gruffly, setting the box on the table. “Brought you some things to keep you going.”

I nod in acknowledgment, my mind still clouded from sleep. Rock moves to inspect the box, pulling out some food, clothes, a deck of cards, and some more cigarettes. It’s not much, but it’s enough to get by.

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