Page 21 of The Rat

Erica blew down the phone, thenwhistled. “Now I am worried.”

“Just say it back to me,you git.”

“Love you, baby brother.”

Rory ended thecall, andwithout glancing up, he held the phone out to Morris.

“That wassweet,” shemuttered.

“Shut up.”

The door opened, and Hamish strolledinside with a big grin spreading his lips. “Great news…”

“What?” Roryasked.

“You can go back to the prisontomorrow, the doctorat the prison can treat you from your cell.”

“Great,” Rory said through histeeth.“That’s great news…”

ChapterFive

He’d been nervous the first timehe’d stepped onto the wing, but coming back from the hospital wasten times worse. His stomach fizzled, and the pain in his sidepulsed witheach step he took. The pain radiated into his chest, making it hardto breathe. It was a fight or flight response to danger, and hisbody wanted him to spin around and run the hell away, but he wentagainst the urge, and walked back on the wing.

One of them had stabbed him, buthe didn’t know who. Heads lifted from their meals, and aheavy silence begansuffocating the room. Pauly blew him a kiss, Sebastian directed asmirk his way, and then Rory looked at Captain, and the bubbling inhis gut stopped.

He gave Rory a warm grin, thencircled his finger in front of Ollie, so he’d turnaround. Ollieturned and widened his eyes. He flung his chair back, took threebig strides across the room, then wrapped his arms around Rory in aquick hug.

“You had meworried. You’ve been goneages.”

“At least someone missedme.”

“And Captain, he askedabout youevery day.”

Rory glanced at theirtable and gesturedto Teddy. “He sits with us now?”

“Yeah, he’s good, Ipromise.”

Rory clutched his side as hewalked over tothe table, then sat down beside Captain. He offered hishand, and Rory grasped on immediately.

“Glad you’re back.”

“Thanks, although thehospital food tastes better than this slop.”

Captain and Ollie snorted, butTeddy tilted his head, frowned, then resumed scooping up his eggs.

“Anything changed?” Roryasked.

Ollie looked pleased withhimself.“Captain’s been teaching me knife combat in the gym.”

“How to disarm an attacker with aknife,”Captain corrected.

“What do you do when they come upbehind you inthe dark?” Rory muttered.

“For starters, turn thelight on.”

“It was broken.”

“And thesecond you realized, you should’vegot out of there.”

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