Page 27 of Royal Havoc

The steps stop outside B’s cell. Then, I hear a thump, and someone groans. I hold my breath, trying to listen to what’s going on, but no one is talking.

After the bars on his cell slam shut, the footsteps leave, slamming the door at the end of the hall.

I scurry to the edge of my cell closest to his. “B?” I whisper, waiting impatiently, especially when he doesn’t answer. “B, talk to me,” I whisper louder, trying to stop my voice from shaking. “Brock, make a noise or something,” I demand quietly, freaking out from the silence.

He grunts, and I hear his feet scuff across the concrete slowly. “Shhh,” he hisses, sliding down the wall.

“What happened? Are you okay?” I whisper, kneeling beside the wall, wishing I could see him.

Tears leak from my eyes while I wait for him to answer. “The chair,” he coughs.

“What? Why?” I gasp.

“Shhh, don’t let them hear,” he grunts.

I’ve only been threatened with the chair. I’ve never seen it. I’m not even sure what happens. Hearing B, I’m guessing it’s pretty bad.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“No,” he grunts, holding in a cough.

“I hate this place. Someday, I’m going to end them all and get us out of here,” I promise him quietly, meaning every word.

If I’ve learned anything from The Row, it's good girls don’t lie. Ever.

thirteen

You’ve Got A Little…

Onyx: 2024

My head falls to the side, causing me to jump so hard I almost knock myself out in the process. My ass is completely gone, so numb I can’t feel it at all from spending hours huddled up on the shower floor. The neck pain is an understatement, and my skin’s close to blue from frostbite.

Locating my worthless phone, I see it’s a little past four in the morning. Rubbing my tired eyes, trying to motivate my lethargic limbs to move. To hell with the shadow, I’ve gotta get out of here before I die from hypothermia.

Shuffling my numb limbs from the shower to press my ear to the door hard enough, I fear it will fuse with the wood.

I don’t hear anything but my breaths.

Jogging on my tip-toes across the bedroom, my eyes frantically scan all the nooks and crannies. I’m relieved to find nothing’s out of place. I dash under the comforter, quickly pulling it over my head, praying my frozen skin will defrost quickly.

When my alarm goes off a few hours later, I trudge to the shower. The hot water turns me from an icicle to a human again, just as the outrage and my rising blood pressure set in.

It had to behimfucking with me last night. Screw him and his games. The ones he’s about to find out I don’t play anymore.

I fucking win.

Chatter mumbles uselessly inside my head as I storm down the polished hallway, searching unfamiliar faces. I’m on a pursuit to confront a prick. Now, I just wish I knew where to find him. I’m about to give up my search, knowing eventually I’ll run into his ass. When I notice a pile of grayish-white hair bouncing through the bodies clogging the hall in front of me.

Fuck, she’s a tall bitch.

Shoving my way through the crowd, catching up with her when she stops at her locker. “Where the hell is he?” I snap, making her flinch.

She turns, blinking at me slowly. “Who?”

I don’t have time for this sleepy act she’s got going on right now. “Don’t play dumb, idiots aren’t cute.”

Her eyes widen, surveying me. “If you’re talking abou —”

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