Chapter Three
Dexter
Three days later, I walk into the rec room on Bryce’s heels. He graciously overturned the two-week ban Lee instilled in retaliation for our one-sided game of dodgeball after he “accidentally” entered my room while I was getting dressed.
It wasn’t an accident, but since a peek at my cock was required for me to regain access to Claudia, an impromptu strip was in order. Bryce is hoping his leniency will increase his chance of us becoming “friendly.” He is sorely mistaken. Sneaking a peek at my flaccid cock is one thing; touching it is another. I’ve toyed several times with the idea of killing him just for wanting to look. It is mainly in fantasy. . . for the most part. I want to see if he squirms the same way when his veins are drained of blood. I doubt his thighs would still press together after I nicked the vital artery pumping through them for my experiment.
Pushing aside the joy I get from imagining the life fade from his eyes, I return my focus to the task at hand. It takes me scanning the loon-filled space three times before I spot Claudia sitting in the corner of the room. She is wearing her favorite attire, a floral printed dress and ankle boots. Her hair that looks recently washed is pulled back with a fancy clip, and her face is void of any marks. Luckily—or the silent threat I issued Lee three days ago would have become a reality. I don’t give a fuck if the carcass is riddled with maggots. If I’ve claimed it, you don’t touch it—ever!
My steps to Claudia slow when a high-pitched voice squeaks, “You won’t get anything out of her. She’s a cookie that’s been dumped into a coffee mug too many times—all soggy and crumbling.”
An emo-looking female with heavy eyeliner, stark black hair with a purple stripe down one side, and a face as white as a ghost steps out of an alcove. As she paces toward me, she tugs down her sleeves to hide the fresh cuts on her arms. She tries to act tough, like she hasn’t detected the evil leaching from my pores, but her wobbly knees give away her true response. She’s petrified. Justly so. The guards are wary of approaching me, and they’re armed with skull-cracking batons and mace.And don’t even get me started on their mind-fucking candies.
Hoping to divert my attention from her, the unnamed female nudges her head to Claudia. “She doesn’t talk. Not that she don’t wanna; she just doesn’t. From what I’ve heard, she hasn’t spoken a word in over five years.”
Although I’ve never been one to believe rumors, this goth-lover has an honest edge not unusual for the disturbed. She doesn’t cut herself for attention; she does it for the solace. An immense amount of silence comes when people don’t understand you. That’s why I’m shocked she’s reaching out to me. I don’t give off friendly vibes as I’m not a welcoming guy.
A vein in the unnamed girl’s neck twitches when I hover over to her. “If she’s mute, who’s your source?”
My back molars grind when she swings her eyes to the right. Lee is standing at the side of the Rec room. He wears his uniform cap down low, hoping it will hide the direction of his gaze. It doesn’t. Even if I couldn’t feel the heat of his stare, the rapid bounce of his head as he strives to keep both Claudia and me on his radar is a surefire indication that I’ve secured his attention, much less his hand floating over the undone clip of his baton case.
My eyes drift back to Ms. Sun-hater. “Are youfriendlywith the guards?” The way I express “friendly” ensures she can’t mistake my question.
She quirks her black-painted lips before pulling a face. “No. I’m not their type.” Her voice is more pleased than dissatisfied. After scanning the room to ensure we don’t have any extra eyes focused on us, she murmurs, “But I am roommates with Claudia, so I’ve got my ears close to the ground.”
I arch a brow. I was under the assumption Claudia’s pasty white skin meant she was a patient on my side of the ward—the one for the real loonies. I had no clue she walked the halls with the lesser evil crazies. This is an interesting development I never anticipated, one I hope to exploit to my advantage. I ignored the voices in my head for years to get transferred to a facility like Meadow Fields, as the freedom was worth the boredom. But Claudia and this freaky-Friday contestant don’t have to walk the same line I’m walking. They can occasionally step over it. That’s an advantage—a fucking massive one.
“Have the guards ever paid Claudia any late night visits?” I clench my jaw, annoyed at the protectiveness in my voice. Claudia isn’t a little doll for me to play with; she’s a pawn. Nothing more.
Don’t get me wrong, I like my women broken, but Claudia is an entirely different type of cracked. I crave women with disheartened spirits, not ones with destroyed heads. Claudia has both. She’s all types of fucked-up.
The sun-hater shakes her head. “They’re too scared I’ll scream on her behalf.”
“Are you looking out for her?” I ask, pretending I didn’t hear the hostility in her voice.
Her shake turns into somewhat of a nod. “Yeah. I guess. She’s got that vibe, you know? The one where you can’t help but protect her. She reminds me a lot of my little sister.” Her voice tapers to a whisper before her last sentence.
Her confession is surprising considering she doesn’t look a day over twenty-one. Claudia would be at least mid-twenties if not close to her thirties, so why the fuck would this emo believe she is younger than her?
The blue-eyed girl shifts her eyes from Claudia to me. “Is that why you’re looking out for her too? Does she remind you of family?”
Her inaccurate assumption makes me smile, but it’s not a happy smirk. It is one of a man who’s hurt more women than he has loved. Usually, the only women I pursue are the ones who remind me of my mother, but that isn’t the case with Claudia. She’s my ticket out of this place, a free pass back to the life I had beforehefucked it up. I have no intention of playing her as I did Cleo, so you can be assured that means I won’t be fucking her either.
I watched Cleo for years before Marcus entered the picture. My game plan was long, but the secrecy behind it was addictive. I loved knowing that most of Cleo’s struggles were influenced by me. Her prolonged stint in the hub often referred to as the “dungeon” at Global Ten Media, the constant misplacement of her security ID tag, and the lack of funds in her bank account. That was all me.
I kept my sneaky transfers on the downlow, ensuring no one would discover her wages were thirty percent less than the rest of the staff. It worked for nearly three years. My scheme was only unraveled when Mr. Carson returned to the helm of his ship. He didn’t just snoop around; he found a way to increase her wages as well. That altered my game in a way I never thought possible. It made it more challenging, which was both a welcomed and unwanted change.
Although I didn’t need to work at Global Ten Media to fund my campaign for revenge, I did it so I’d have access to Cleo twenty-four hours a day. She was furious when she discovered Marcus had been spying on her for months. I wonder how she’d handle learning I had been watching her for years longer. Just the thought of her tears hardens my cock.
Not wanting the emo-lover to get the wrong idea about my extended crotch, I end our conversation. “No. She doesn’t remind me of my family. And I’m not looking out for her either.” Since both replies are honest, they are delivered that way.
I step away from the goth, only to be stopped three strides later. If I weren’t conscious of the four sets of eyes on me, dying for the chance to intervene, I’d pass on my dislike of being manhandled in a non-verbal way. But since I’m skating on thin ice, I shelve my retaliation and return my eyes to my new best friend.
“For a couple of benzos, I could give you an in with Claudia.” She keeps her tone low, ensuring the guards won’t hear her.
My chest rattles with silent mocking. “Are you not getting enough brain-fucking medication during yourpleasantstay at Meadow Fields?”
I don’t know why I ask my question. I don’t give a fuck if she pops sedatives until she dies. I’m just stunned by her request. Her eyes are so lucid, I am beginning to wonder if anyone here is taking their meds.
