“One for you, and one for you…”

He handed them out, and the humiliation heated Rory’s face. Damon tapped him on the back, and Einstein walked away laughing.

Sebastian leaned over the table. “Nothing going on in that head of yours is there…”

“You cheated.”

“You fell for it.”

He got to his feet and went to join Einstein and Damon on their table.

“Bastard.” Rory hissed under his breath.

****

Despite begging and pleading Captain to change his mind, he refused to see the psychiatrist. Rory agreed to meet Captain in the gym, but needed to get his painkillers from the doctor first. Captain shifted foot to foot and postured his chest to all the curious inmates around.

“Be quick.”

“I will be.”

Less than five minutes later, with the bitter pills still making their way down Rory’s throat, he found himself in the corridor with Pauly. He spied the guard at the end, but she was distracted, chatting to an inmate, one of Pauly’s friends.

“How you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Worse now.” Rory muttered.

“That’s not very nice.”

He pressed his hand on Rory’s bad side, making him whimper, and knocked his head back to the wall.

“That idiot thinks he can watch you all the time, but throw a damsel in distress in his way, and he’s distracted.”

“What?”

“Right now he’s helping one of my buddies in the gym.” Pauly pouted. “Twisted ankle, or pulled hamstring, I can’t remember…”

Pauly ran his fingers up Rory’s neck, into his hair. “So soft…”

“Take your hand away.”

“It’s not hurting, is it?”

“I don’t like it.”

Pauly dug his nails in, and Rory shuddered. “Look at that, I think you do like it.”

“Get off me.”

Pauly leaned closer. “No.”

“Allow me…”

One second Pauly had his nose practically resting on Rory’s and the next he was gone, wind whooshing past Rory’s face. He blinked and looked at the two inmates next to him. He was expecting Captain, but gawped when it was Sebastian with a snarl on his face. Sebastian had Pauly pinned one handed against the wall. His right hand, his killing hand, tightened, then relaxed around Pauly’s neck.

“Don’t,” Rory said, grabbing his arm.

“Don’t what?”

“You’re out of here in less than nine months, don’t mess it up.”

Sebastian’s snarl lessened, then he smirked. “Relax, I’m not gonna kill him. I’m just gonna give him a friendly warning.”

“Oh, go right ahead then.”

Sebastian laughed, then his expression soured when he looked at Pauly. The change was terrifying, and Rory took a step back. Sebastian’s nostrils flared, his eyes were unblinking, and his lips curled back into a snarl. Rory imagined it was the same expression he had when he killed Lester.