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Rory lay in bed, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. He couldn’t sleep. No matter how hard he tried to force it, it wasn’t happening. The reason for his insomnia lay underneath him, deadly still, not even a slight whistle or snuffle as he slept.

Rory liked being around Sebastian. He liked the way he looked, and the way he smiled, and the way his protection made Rory feel safe.

But Sebastian Claw was a monster.

He was in prison for murder, but he’d done worse. He’d made deals with terrorists and gangs, sold them despicable weapons to torture and kill. Not to mention he seemed hell-bent on getting revenge on Hamish. Hamish, who had rightly locked Sebastian up for murder.

Rory couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Even though he knew Sebastian’s dark side, he couldn’t hate him.

Somehow, against his better judgement, he’d started to like him.

10

Hamish looked at Roryexpectantly. “Well?”

“I haven’t heard anything else.”

“It’s been a month since we last visited.”

“I know that.” Rory sighed.

A month of playing chess with Sebastian.

A month of watching him strip off for bed, of Rory taking his clothes off under his watchful gaze. A month of waking up to Sebastian and trying not to steal glances at him as he stood in all his naked glory, morning erection bobbing as he got ready for the day.

It had been sweet torture.

“So, what have you been doing?” Hamish asked.

“I eat, I sleep, I play chess, I exercise in the gym, and I go to art class on Friday.”

Hamish slammed his fist down on the table. “This isn’t some holiday retreat!”

“You’ve been here over eight weeks now,” Morris muttered.

She paced back and forth in the governor’s office. “Surely, you’ve got something more for us. Sebastian Claw wants revenge, but we didn’t need you to tell us that. You’re in here to find out what form this revenge will take.”

“I’ve been getting closer to him.”

Morris stopped and tipped forward as she laughed. “Oh, really, getting closer?”

“Not like that.”

“Sure.” She smirked. “Not like that.” Morris rolled her eyes, then averted her gaze.

“I’m serious,” Rory snapped. “I know what he is, I know what he’s done. I’m not going to use my body to get closer to him despite what you think.”

“Then how have you got closer to him?” Hamish asked.

“Like…friends, I guess.”

“You’re friends with Sebastian Claw?”

Sebastian had let down some of his walls in the last month, not all of them, but enough that he and Sebastian were no longer existing in their cell in silence. They talked about books, movies, music and had found common ground in all areas.

Rory nodded. “I’m hoping he’ll open up to me, tell me what he’s planning on the outside.”

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