Page 8 of Rat

Rory slipped down from the top bunk and reached into the cabinet for his toiletries. He brushed his teeth, then splashed water on his face. He glanced up at his pale complexion, his ruffled brown hair and wide-open green eyes.

Gone was the composed police officer he wanted so badly to be.

He’d been stripped back to a person he didn’t recognize.

“How old are you again?” Sebastian asked.

“Twenty-five, and you?”

“Almost double that.”

Rory knew he was forty-nine. He knew Sebastian had been convicted at thirty-three for murder.

Rory hesitantly peeled off his clothing, overly aware of the attention on him. He looked at Sebastian on the bed, lying on his side, head propped up on his hand as he watched Rory get ready for bed with no emotion on his face.

“You trying to tease me?” Sebastian murmured.

“What?” Rory took a step back, knocking into the wall. “No!”

“Then get on with it.”

Rory kicked his trousers aside, but a firm finger wag from Sebastian had him reaching for them. He folded them up, along with his T-shirt, and placed them in the closet.

“That’s better. Night, Rory.”

He didn’t say good night in return. He climbed up on the top bunk and lay down. Sebastian Claw was beneath him, staring up at his mattress, burning holes in it with his intense glare. Rory knew he wasn’t going to be sleeping that night. He couldn’t hearSebastian breathing below him; there was no shifting of the bed or rustle of a pillow.

Sebastian was unnervingly quiet, and Rory knew he was lying awake too. Rory tracked the ceiling, fixating on bumps and cracks as he thought of Sebastian beneath him.

He was supposed to form a bond with the killer, but so far, he got the impression Sebastianhatedhis guts.

2

Rory was still alive in the morning, but he’d not had much sleep. For hours he lay awake, waiting for Sebastian’s arms to shoot up from around the bed and clutch him or for a pillow to be pressed to his face. He imagined Sebastian’s hot breath against his ear, telling Rory he knew who he was, why he was there.

Nothing happened, and eventually he drifted into an uneasy sleep only to be awoken by Captain’s scream of terror. It echoed around the whole wing, and the bed shook as Sebastian threw himself upright, cursing under his breath. It took twenty minutes before the night officers managed to rouse Captain from his nightmares.

In the morning, Rory stayed on his bed while Sebastian got ready. There was barely enough room for them to stand in front of the bed together, and Rory felt oddly safer off the ground, being as quiet as possible.

Rory stole glances at Sebastian’s physique. He was tall, strong, and darker hair grew from his chest. He looked good, but then when he attached his gaze to Rory, any good feeling vanished and fear rose up in its place.

“What are you staring at?”

Rory flipped onto his back. “Nothing.”

Sebastian pulled on another tight white T-shirt and smart black trousers. He wetted his hand, then stroked back his hair. He tested the length of his stubble with his fingertips as he looked in the mirror, then nodded.

“How am I looking?”

Rory struggled to find words—he didn’t know what was acceptable. He settled for ‘good’, but Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

“Good?”

“Ready to face the day,” Rory tried.

Sebastian sighed. “Nine months… Nine months with you.”

The door clunked, then swung open. Sebastian strolled out and disappeared around the corner. Rory pressed his palms to his face. He rubbed his fingertips into his eyes until a galaxy of colour bloomed.

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