Page 11 of Butterfly

“That’s a lie.” Einstein slammed his fist down on the table. “Sebastian wasn’t the only person bringing in drugs, you know that.”

“Could’ve been Pauly,” Jack suggested.

“Or Tristram,” Green added. “I heard his stuff was dodgy at best. You never knew what you’d get with him. He’d scratch Es into any pill he could get his hands on.”

“Hell,” Einstein muttered. “For all we know, Ryan’s girlfriend smuggled it to him at their last visit and it was a tragic accident.”

“Why would she smuggle him morphine?” Jonesy asked. “And such a high dose. Those drugs aren’t even kept on the hospital wing—”

“She could’ve been trying to kill him,” Green suggested.

Jack frowned. “Or more likely trying to help, Ryan wasn’t well, remember? Whoever gave him that pill probably didn’t realise how dangerous it was.”

Jonesy huffed. “He took that pill because Teddy kept sexually assaulting him and he couldn’t take it anymore.”

“So you think it was suicide then?” Green asked. “Not Teddy bumping off his cellmate for a cock-hungry one?”

“I don’t know,” Jonesy snapped. “That’s beside the point.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “What is your point?”

“He’s the reason Ryan is dead. I can’t believe none of you have warned Ollie about Teddy,” Jonesy muttered. He jutted his chin out at Ollie. “Bit of advice, if he hasn’t already pushed you to your knees and pulled down his trousers, just go with it when he does…you’ll end up dead if you don’t…”

Einstein relaxed his clenched fist.

All the other inmates drew in a collective gasp of breath.

Green joined Jack’s side, and they both backed off from the table, leaving a stunned Jonesy behind. Jonesy’s cheeks lost their vibrant hue; even his orange hair seemed to dull with fear. His eyes were wide, unblinking on Teddy, who stood on the wing, breathing hard and fast from his nose.

Ollie had no idea how long he’d been there, how much he’d heard.

His eyes said he wanted to pummel Jonesy into the floor, but he held himself back.

Ollie knew he was the reason for his restraint.

He’d told Teddy it brought back bad memories when he fought on the wing.

His father’s fists and steel toe cap boots.

Blood.

Its taste, its smell, the sight of it on the floor and the sensation of it running from his nose over his lips.

No one moved on the wing, not even the officers close by who’d been watching the whole time, twitched.

Everyone waited for Teddy, and Teddy waited for him.

Ollie backed off from the table. He turned around, headed into his cell, and pushed the door closed.

Then he waited.

The wing didn’t explode into violence despite Ollie giving his blessing by removing himself.

What happened next was Teddy’s decision to make, not his.

The cell door opened.

Ollie slumped with relief at the sight of Teddy.

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