Page 71 of Chained

Because I haven't been sent to pick up any more girls to replace them.

I don't say that, though.

"I'd know."

She sighs, fingers picking at the skin around her nails. "I wish I could see them. That I could tell them I was sorry for not getting out, that I didn't mean for John to die or to make things worse for them."

John?

"John? What are you talking about?" John's an old boy; he's been here longer than me. He's a good guy, never any bother. Probably one of the only ones who doesn't mess with the girls or steals from the drug intake.

"You don't know?" Her eyes begin to water, her bottom lip quivering. Fuck. Poor John.

"Is he dead?"

"It was awful…what he did to him, how they left him…" Her voice breaks as she drops her head, curls falling down her chest. "It's all my fault. I tried to run, but I didn't know the way out and then I got trapped in a room full of mirrors." Her words tumble out fast, almost incoherent.

"Then she came and found me. I don't know what she told Vincent, but he thinks John did something…" she struggles to say the next words, "so he killed him, Ace." Her voice breaks into a sob. "I wanted to save him, I tried…"

She?

"Who came for you, Amora?"

"She said her name was Melina. I think she's Vincent's sister." She wipes away at her nose with the back of her hand.

Ah fuck. Now Melina has taken interest. I don't know how long Amora will last, or if she ever will. Vincent is a cruel bastard, but Melina is a fucking psycho.

"You need to ignore her, Amora. If she comes here, you go to Vincent. If she tries to take you anywhere, you tell her no and you find a guard, okay? You don't trust her." I don't care if I'm scaring her—she needs to be scared. She needs to be guarded against Melina and her sick fucking mind.

"What? Why?" Her voice shakes as she tries to compose it. She drags her chair closer to me, so close I can feel the heat from her body.

"Just do what I ask, okay?"

"She lied too. I don't know why, I don't understand what she gained but she did. She told him something happened—" she bites her lip, holding back whatever happened.

"That's what she does, Amora. She lies. Everything she says is a lie and that's why you need to stay away from her."

"Okay." She pauses. "Can you do something for me?"

"Depends, does it get me killed?"

She ignores my joke, which was probably in poor taste—Jarrod always says my humour isn't my strong point, but fuck him.

"Will you check on the girls for me?"

"I don't know…" I do know. I'll be down in the cells the first chance I get, despite knowing the risk.

Her hand moves slowly, sliding across the table until she folds it over mine. Her fingers slowly caress my skin, her eyes begging as she stares into mine. I tense, wanting to snatch it away, wanting to recoil at her touch, but it somehow makes me want to fold. She doesn't pull away.

"Please."

I suck in a breath as she keeps her hand still, only her thumb stroking me, and her eyes—fuck, her eyes—they never leave mine.

"I'll check on them."

I don't know what possesses me to say yes, but I did. And by the way her eyes lit up, I knew there was no taking it back. Her hand stays over mine a beat longer than it needs to before she pulls it back, tucking it into her lap.

"Melina…" she says the name slowly, testing the shape of it. "You said her name like it was poison."