The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 55

Coban’s POV

I shoved her in hard enough that she stumbled and fell.

Didn’t mean for her to hit the floor like that – but I didn’t stop it from happening either.

The door slammed behind her with a finality that shook the entire frame.

I stood on the outside of it for a second longer, jaw clenched, hand still pressed to the metal like some part of me hadn’t committed to walking away from her yet.

She deserved to be taught a lesson about this place once and for all.

But I had to walk.

I couldn’t be in there with her right now.

Not like this.

Not with my blood boiling and my thoughts snarling and snapping at my hands, longing to be set free.

She had no fucking clue what she’d just done either.

No clue what kind of eyes had been on her in that gym the second her little vestless mistake turned into a goddamn peep show.

She didn’t understand this place, didn’t listen to me either.

Not even after I’d warned her. Not even after I ripped the towel from her body that day – an attempt to make her understand how quickly somebody in here could and would take advantage of her.

I tried to teach her. To make rules to keep her in line. But now, it was almost as if she enjoyed dancing over my fucking lines right in front of my face!

A temptress.

A tease perhaps?

Maybe she wasn’t as stupid as she let up? Maybe she enjoyed my reactions?

But what she didn’t realise was that I wasn’t just trying to scare her for the fun of it in here…

I was trying to keep her stupid ass alive.

If these men could use her to get to me, then they wouldn’t hesitate.

But she didn’t get it.

Still.

So what the fuck will it take? Does she want me to beat her purple? Slam each one of my rules in to her thick fucking skull?

But I knew that I wouldn’t.

Especially after what she admitted to me on the first day…

Her father had subjected her to years of abuse from what I’d picked up on, similar to my own at the best of times… but the difference was, I was taught to be a man.

She was fragile.

I wouldn’t be the one to completely break her, because I knew if my temper snapped completely, that I very much could!

God, she looked so damn soft standing there in that white thing, completely oblivious to the danger of eyes that lingered too long as her head fell back.

Newman’s eyes…

Everyone’s damn eyes…

She didn’t know how fast things could go south here. How quick men in this place decided to take what wasn’t theirs.

And if one of them had even looked like they were going to try?

I wouldn’t have held back.

I would’ve crushed their necks with my knee.

Which was why I couldn’t be in that cell with her right now.

Because the next time she made some innocent mistake like that, I didn’t know if I’d be able to stop myself from teaching her exactly what the cost of those mistakes would be here.

Not in a way that made her cry and run off. No. In a way that would gut me afterward.

I couldn’t seem to find it in me to do that.

Not to her.

Leo shrugged, tossing the towel over his shoulder. “So?”

“So?” I barked, voice too loud in the echoing gym. “Half this room wanted to fuck her the second they saw extra skin. You think I’m gonna stand around and let that happen?”

He raised a brow, letting the silence sit a moment longer than I liked as he thought on it.

“Yeah, I probably would have done the same thing with Cara.” Leo finally agreed. “We are in deep with those two!” He grumbled next.

My fists clenched tighter. “I’m not.”

“Oh, sure. That’s why you looked ready to rip the walls down because she forgot to dress how you like. Not because she was in danger – because it was you who didn’t like what you saw.” He chuckled again, shaking his head.

“She’s mine in here,” I bit back, sharp as a blade.

Leo chuckled low under his breath, shaking his head. “You don’t even realise it yet, do you?”

I didn’t respond.

Couldn’t.

Because the truth was – I did realise it.

That girl had gotten under my skin in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

She was naïve for coming here, sure, but she wasn’t like the others.

And it made me insane.

Insane with the need to protect her.

Insane with the need to control her.

And even worse… insane with the need to keep her here.

Leo sighed, “Look Santo, all I’m saying is… this ends one of two ways. You either show her the ropes without losing your mind – or you lose yourself over destroying the one good thing you’ve had in a long time.”

He turned and walked off toward the water fountain, leaving me with that truth hovering over me like a goddamn curse…