Page 74 of Psychopath

“Yes, I know, but then you made some comment about being number one now—”

“It was a joke, a stupid joke that I never should’ve said.”

Quinn hung his head. “I thought you’d…manipulated me, got one over on Mackie by using me, and I…”

“Was an idiot and invited Mackie back onto the study.”

“Yeah. Something like that. He said no and asked for a debrief, but then…”

“He attacked you.” Zane filled up on a deep breath, then let it out to the ceiling. “He was fucking on top of you, Quinn. Your eyes had rolled back, and your arms were limp by your sides.” He shook his head. “I thought I was too late.”

“I’m sorry,” Quinn whispered, despite not knowing why he was apologising.

“You should be,” Zane snapped. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“I’m sorry he hurt you.”

“This?” Zane pointed to his face. “This was the prison officers, not Mackie.”

Quinn swallowed. “I’m sorry about that too.”

Zane grunted, then pushed his chin out in Quinn’s direction. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

Quinn glanced down at the papers. “It’s an IQ test, but if you’re not feeling up for it…”

“Let’s get it over with.”

Zane sat down on the bed with a huff. Quinn glanced at the open cell door, then moved to join Zane. He held the test out, and Zane snatched it from his hand.

“Pencil?”

Quinn pulled it from his top pocket and handed it over with a wince. He was close enough to hear Zane grind his teeth.

Zane used his thigh to lean the paper on as he went through the test, muttering under his breath and shaking his head. Quinn bounced his leg on the floor, uncomfortable with Zane’s lingering anger.

Zane paused when he got to the third page of the test. “You are okay, though, right?”

“I’m okay,” Quinn promised. He touched his neck. He only noticed the ache when he turned his head, but the cuts from Mackie’s fingernails continued to sting. “I couldn’t get to the button.”

Zane exhaled through his nose.

“And I couldn’t get him off of me,” Quinn said softly. He slumped. It was only hitting him now how close it had been, how absolutely helpless Mackie had rendered him. It had taken less than a minute and he was on the floor, and it had all happened so quickly he’d not had time to realise he’d been about to die.

But away from the situation, in the quiet of the cell, it dawned on him, and he dropped his head into his hands.

“Jesus,” he breathed. “That could’ve been it.”

“That could’ve been it,” Zane repeated with no emotion to his words. “You’re so stu—”

“Stop,” Quinn pleaded, glancing in Zane’s direction. “Stop calling me stupid. Please. I know, okay?”

Zane looked at Quinn for a long moment, then continued answering the questions to the test, no longer muttering or shaking his head. He shifted closer to Quinn on the bed until their thighs were touching, but Quinn didn’t comment on the closeness.

He kept his gaze to the floor as Zane ticked boxes and answered questions. A coldness crept over him. His eyes itched, and his body sagged. He knew Zane kept pausing to glance at him, and he tensed at the heat of his angry gaze.

“This one here,” Zane said, flicking the page. “I’m not sure how to answer.”

Quinn snapped his head up. He leaned over, trying to locate the question that had stumped Zane Black. He couldn’t help or even give clues, but he was curious as he whipped his eyes down the page.

---