Chapter 22
5:56 p.m.
I’ve been looking for Alexander in the hallways for several minutes now. He wouldn’t be dumb enough to escape on his last day… then again…
I head to the isolation cell floor with determined steps-he’s not anywhere else in the prison. What the hell would he be doing there?
I walk along the corridor when I hear screams and sounds of fighting. I hide behind the wall to take a look.
“Get up, Chris! What the hell is this? Good thing we didn’t bet on you!” yells Anis in his usual asshole voice.
“The guy’s three times skinnier than you and still kicked your ass!” adds Franck.
I can’t believe it. I’m witnessing an underground fight in a prison. Chris is being beaten up by another inmate while five. prison guards, including Franck and Anis, laugh and cheer.
So this is what Mathieu meant when he said guards treat inmates like animals.
Chris is getting slaughtered by the other prisoner, who enjoys pummeling him. Just watching makes me hurt.
I want to step in, but it’s too risky. So instead, I pull out my phone and start recording the underground fight and all the guards present.
The video lasts at least two minutes. I hide my phone in a corner of the wall just in case things go south.
“Stop, that’s enough! Take them back to their cells. We’ll collect the money later! Someone might catch us at this hour,” says Anis in his little bossy tone.
The other guards nod. One of them cuffs Chris’s opponent, who’s smugly grinning. Two others carry Chris’s body- completely disfigured and unable to stand.
I wait until the guards and inmates leave. Then I step forward toward Franck and Anis, clapping slowly and giving them a
bold smile.
They widen their eyes, shocked to see me. Their jaws clench, and they ball their fists-realizing I just witnessed their little illegal activity.
“So, scumbags like you represent justice and the law, huh?”
“What the hell are you doing here?!” Anis yells.
“The real question is: what do I get for exposing your little scheme to the higher-ups?”
Of course, it’s all lies-the so-called higher-ups don’t even know who I am.
“It’ll be the word of five experienced, respected guards against that of a stupid little brat trying to play with the big boys!” Anis spits at me.
There’s no point telling him that my phone holds damning evidence. It’s better to keep the element of surprise. If the higher-ups try to cover for them, they won’t like it when the video hits the media.
“I’m smarter than the two of you put together.”
“We’ll just say you’re taking revenge because we turned you down. That you’re a slut in heat who can’t stand being rejected.”
1/4
A “slut in heat,” really?
“We’ll see. I hope you handle things as well as you claim.”
I start laughing out loud and head for the exit. I’ll retrieve my phone later-I’m not taking any risks with losing my proof.
Anis grabs my arm tightly and Franck tries to do the same. I slap Franck hard across the face, making his head snap to the side, then elbow Anis, who lets go of me.
“Keep your hands to yourselves.”
I feel a sharp blow to my head. I collapse to the ground from the force of the impact. I touch the top of my head and look at my hand-it’s covered in blood, and my vision starts to blur.
Anis is gripping the baton he just hit me with.
I stare at them with hatred.
“That was a big mistake.”
As I try to grab my baton, Franck gets close enough to seize my wrists.
Damn it! I’m still too stunned from the hit to react properly.
“You leave us no choice.”
Anis approaches to take my weapon and baton and throws them out of reach.
He doesn’t even give me time to stand before climbing on top of me, while Franck pulls my hair back to keep me from moving.
Anis’s grip is so strong I can’t fight back-I can only force out the words:
“You’re going to pay for this!”
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to enjoy that gorgeous body of yours? Don’t worry-you’ll feel everything.”
I try to scream with all my strength, but nothing comes out. Anis unbuttons my uniform top. I can feel his growing impatience as he rips it open, kissing my neck despite my protests.
Franck laughs, entertained by the situation.
I can’t escape-there are two of them, and my weapon is out of reach. My head is bleeding and throbbing with pain.
Getting raped?
How ironic that after everything I’ve survived, it’s these two scumbags who finally break me.
I hold back tears when he violently unhooks my bra, and I feel their perverse gazes on my chest.
Never show weakness.
“You were hiding some nice assets.”
My eyes go blank as his tongue runs down my throat toward my chest.
“Hurry up, Anis! Someone might catch us!” Franck starts to panic.
“Let me enjoy this wonderful moment.”
2/4
Chapter 22
I feel sick from the way his body presses against mine.
“I’ll kill you both!”
He smirks as he looks at me.
When he tries to pull down my pants, I struggle, but he succeeds. The only piece of clothing I have left is my black thong.
“A real little tease, aren’t you?” Anis gloats.
Suddenly, I smell a cigarette. I lift my head in surprise.
“So now you’re forcing women? That it?”
A mocking laugh.
“Didn’t think I’d be busting skulls today. But hey, guess I needed the release.”
I can’t believe it. The smoker just saved me. He’s so casually smoking while the tension is sky-high. He takes one last drag and tosses the cigarette to stomp it out.
I stare at him, stunned-it’s the last person I ever expected to save me.
He can’t see my body since Anis is still on top of me.
Anis and Franck freeze. Just as they’re about to speak, my savior walks over, grabs Anis’s baton, and slams it into his head. Anis collapses on top of me.
Franck barely has time to scream before he gets a blow to the throat and falls unconscious, letting go of my hair.
I can finally breathe.
As soon as he sees me in just a thong, his eyes freeze. I instantly cover my chest with my arms. He looks away.
I get up from the ground, trying to snap out of the shock. He takes off his prison shirt and hands it to me without turning around.
“Here, put this on.”
I grab the shirt and pull my pants back on.
I notice he can see me in the reflection of the glass-and he’s checking me out with that stupid grin. I shoot him a death glare.
“You don’t have to look.”
“I deserve a little reward, don’t I?”
He faces me, eyes scanning. His shirt is way too big for me-our builds are nothing alike. It smells like him.
“Thanks, Alexander.”
Of course, it’s Alexander.
“No problem.”
“How did you know?”
“I heard a noise. Came to check it out.”
3/4
13.37
+23)
Chapter 22
“Thanks… even if it was just a coincidence.”
I’m not used to thanking people-it feels strange.
“What happened to all that intense training? They didn’t teach you how to fight off guys trying to rape you? That should’ve
been lesson one.”
His voice drips with sarcasm.
Any sense of gratitude I had just evaporated.
Idiot.
I feel my pride sting. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him, trying to act unfazed so he doesn’t know he got under my skin.
“They caught me off guard. Then hit me in the head and took my weapon.”
“Your skull’s bleeding. They didn’t go easy on you, those sons of bitches.”
I touch the back of my head. I feel the warm red liquid running.
I sigh and shrug. I’ve been through worse. I’ll wait for the blood to dry, then clean up the mess.
“Not so tough now, are you, little doll?” Alexander says with a smirk.
No comment.
“Don’t look like that! You’ve gotta admit, without me, your defense training wouldn’t have been much help.”
“I already thanked you. What more do you want?”
He grabs my arm and smiles, his eyes drifting to my lips. I frown in confusion.
“In movies, the princess always rewards the prince with a kiss, doesn’t she?”
I raise an eyebrow. I can’t believe he’s being this bold right now.
I nearly got raped. My attackers are unconscious on the floor.
Alexander, shirtless in front of me, just saved me.
And now he wants a thank-you kiss like we’re some couple?
“I’m far from a princess. And you’re nowhere near a prince.”
“Let’s say we’re both the villains in this story.”
