Page 29 of The Rat

Sebastian laughed, then hisexpression soured when he looked at Pauly. The change wasterrifying, and Rory took a step back. Sebastian’s nostrils flared, his eyeswere unblinking, and his lips curled back into a snarl. Roryimagined it was the same expression he had when he killedLester.

“I’m gonna make this reallysimple for you, Pauly. Rory belongs to me. You touch him, you come soclose you can smell him, or look at him in a manner I don’t like,I’ll make your life hell. I may have less than a year left in here,but I can make it feel like a lifetime for you. Understandme?”

A garbled sound bubbled up fromPauly’s throat. Sebastian scrunched his face. “Sorry, what wasthat?”

Pauly choked when he tried again, andhis eyes streamed with pained tears.

“Sorry, didn’tquite catchthat … wait … silly me, it’s my hand isn’t it, stopping you fromtalking?”

Pauly tried tonod and claweddesperately at the hand at his throat. Sebastian released his hold,and Pauly slid down the wall.

“Understand me?” Sebastiansaid.

“Yes.” Paulywheezed.

“Good, now get out ofhere.”

Pauly struggled to hisfeet and bouncedfrom one side of the corridor to the other as he rushedaway.

“I’m not getting youdrugs.” Rory blurted.

“That’s the thanks Iget?”

“I mean it.”

“Relax. I heard you thefirst time.”

“Then… why?”

“Tell Captainyou’re under my protection. Noone will touch you. Get him to see the damn psychiatrist. Whateverthe horrors in his past, he doesn’t deserve to suffer like that,night after night, and we all need a good sleep.”

Rory bit his lip, then murmureda thanks at Sebastian’s throat. He couldn’t raise his head high enough tolook him in the eye.

“And I also claimed you because Icouldn’t stand the thought of you moaning and groaning above me inpain.”

Rory looked up, touched bySebastian’s words, then Sebastian barked alaugh, and clutched hisstomach.

“No, don’t give me thatgratefullook,” Sebastian smirked, “I haven’t claimed you because I careabout you in pain, or care that someone wants to hurt you. I can’tstand you tossing and turning all night, hissing and huffing.There’s two of us in that cell, and I’m fond of sleep. You under myprotection, it’ll kill two birds with one stone so tospeak.”

Rorytucked his chin down and sunk histeeth into his bottom lip. Embarrassed heat filled his cheeks, andhe hated that Sebastian could see it.

“But that look was cute, you’re agood-lookingguy … my type, in fact.”

Rory flinched at the first touchto his face. He slid along the wall, but Sebastianmimicked his slide,and Rory stopped trying to get away. He stayed perfectly still asSebastian cupped his face. He used his thumb to tug Rory’s lip fromhis teeth, then rubbed the sensitive flesh, touch so slight, it wasmaddening.

“I can see why Pauly wantsyou.”

His gaze wasintense, andafter a few attempts, Rory could finally look at him. The lookfroze him, striking blue irises, and dark as night pupils weregrowing bigger as they looked at each other. Just as Rory began topress his cheek into Sebastian’s hand, he stepped back, and Roryfound himself swaying to stay upright.

“But Pauly can’t have you, and Idon’t want you. Ineed a good night sleep, that’s all it is.”

Sebastian walkedaway,whistling, and didn’t glance back. Rory leaned heavily on the walland closed his eyes. He didn’t know what had just happened, butknew it couldn’t happen again.

ChapterSix

“You’re underSebastian’sprotection?” Captain said.

Rory nodded. “That’sright.”

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