Page 7 of The Freshman

“That’s my job, and Ithink I’d enjoy it.”

Alfie snorted and shook his head.“Name please?”

“Tyrone Gear, but I’dprefer if you call me Queenie.”

Alfie ticked off Tyrone but didn’tmove on from the door. He stewed the name in his head beforenodding.

“Queenie itis.”

Queenie was one of the few that didn’tcontinued to hurl abuse his way. His cell fell silent, and a smiletwitched on Alfie’s lips. He moved along to the next door, andbefore his fist struck the metal, a hissed word seepedthrough.

“Freshman.”

Alfie took an unconscious step back.With all the violent threats and foreshadowing of rape, he hadforgotten about Nate. Even when Ryan told him he was to move toH-wing, the disappointment at a nightshift blinded him from themost notorious inmate.

Nate hissed the word again, and Alfieblinked when he realized the whole prison had gone silent. Thesudden muteness was eerie, and he leaned over the railing to seethe lobby below.

Marie and Glen both stood behind thegate. They peered up at him with their mouths open, and Alfieshrugged with a matching expression.

“Freshman…”

Alfie jolted at the voice. Nearer thanbefore. It sounded like it rushed through the cracks of the door. Awhisper of wind only meant for him. All the other prisoners hadkept their distance. They’d hurled insults from their beds or threwwhatever possessions they had at the door.

He knew Nate was out of bed, pressedright up against the metal. The door stood between them, andAlfie’s eyes lingered on the hinges and the chunky lock. He wassafe, but he didn’t feel it.

“Name,” Alfie said withall the confidence he could muster.

“I could say a name, buthow do you know it’s really me? How do you know that any of theguys that answered you are who they said?”

Alfie was momentarily stumped. Natewas right, one hundred and forty-nine prisoners had answered him.Had given him the correct name for the cell, but it didn’t prove itwas them. He didn’t know what any of the prisoners looked orsounded like.

“I’ve got you thinking,haven’t I, Freshman? Maybe to be on the safe side you should openthe hatch, check it’s really me.”

Alfie shook his head. “I know it’syou.”

“Oh? How?”

By the shiver of his skin, the sinkingin his gut, and the chill at his neck. The voice, Nate’s masculinepurr, affected him, and his body reacted.

Nate couldn’t see him, and he couldn’tsee Nate, but he remembered the look, the way he dragged his irisesover Alfie’s body. The naked feeling that lingered long after Natestripped him with his gaze.

The prison heated up around Alfie, andafter a few seconds, he released the fire in his cheeks. He wiped ahand against them, hoping to disperse the blush, but itpersisted.

Nate chuckled, then he spoke with thesame drawn out voice.

“Nate Mathews.”

Alfie rolled his shoulder and shookhis head. “Thank you.”

He ticked the last name off, thenturned on his heels and rushed along the corridor to get to thestairs. No voices followed him, and he was overly aware of his own,slightly panicked, footsteps.

He only relaxed once he was the otherside of the gate.

“That was odd,” Mariesaid. She looked to Glen, then to Alfie.

“Did Nate say something toyou?” Glen asked.

Alfie shook his head. “Nothinghorrible.”

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