Fragments alabaster peni.., p.31
Fragments (Alabaster Penitentiary Book 4), page 31
She actually looks nervous. That alone is worrying, since I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen an emotion on her face other than annoyance.
Dash is wriggling in Brenner’s arms while Peters tries to secure the cuffs. A whimper comes from Lex at my side, and I reach over quick, grabbing his hand.
“What’s going on?” Lex cries quietly. “What are they doing to him??”
“Calm down,” Rook mumbles, but even he looks concerned.
Heavy footsteps charge up from behind us.
And here comes Daddy to get the kids in line…
“What the fuck is going on over here?” Velle barks, storming up to his men and our panicked, sobbing friend.
I can’t hear what Dash is saying, but the fear in his eyes and the tears streaming down his cheeks are breaking my fucking heart. Lex is squeezing my hand so hard, it’s going numb. Kang is anxiously gnawing on his bottom lip.
We’re all just frozen, staring on helplessly as Velle pulls a syringe from his holster and sticks a needle into Dash’s neck. In an instant, Dash goes limp.
Jesus…
Lex releases a hoarse whimper, burying his face in my chest. Folding him up in my arms, I press my lips to his head, kissing his soft, short hair. I can feel him shaking; he’s so torn up over this, and I get it. Dash looks like a broken doll…
This is terrible.
It reminds me of when Parker came down with pneumonia… When they told us he was being air-lifted to a medical center for treatment, and even though we wanted to believe he’d be okay, I could feel in my chest that something was seriously wrong. Despite how strained things were between Lex and me at the time, he didn’t even hesitate.
He launched himself at me, hugging me so tight, stroking my hair and whispering calming words into my ear… Just like I am right now.
“It’ll be okay, baby,” I shush him, rocking his trembling body while keeping his face in my neck so he doesn’t have to see them carrying Dash away.
No surprise that Velle instructs Brenner and Peters to bring Dash to the East. Still, it sinks my heart like a fucking stone in the sea.
“Fuck, man…” Kang rasps, dropping his face into his hands and rubbing his eyes hard.
Velle storms off, shouting at everyone on his way out, “Alright, fuckers. Show’s over. Eat your food and shut the fuck up.”
The rest of the inmates go back to their regularly scheduled programming, though the room is much quieter than before, a cloud of gloom covering us all.
“Hey, maybe he’ll be okay,” Kang says hopefully, like he’s trying to convince himself. “Maybe he’ll just cool down a little and they’ll let him come back…”
I nod, but even that movement is a lie. After an outburst like that, there’s no way Dash will be coming back to gen-pop.
Kieran used to pull shit like that, and look at him now.
Lex straightens a little, though he’s still leaning into my side. I know he needs tough right now… Even if it’s just friendly consolation. So I keep my arm around his waist, drawing circles on his hip with my thumb.
“That wasn’t what he wanted.” Lex shakes his head, scraping a palm over his face. “It wasn’t supposed to go down like that.”
“What do you mean?” Kang asks.
Lex looks around, biting his lip as if he’s contemplating telling us something. But then he leans in, and Kang does the same from across the table.
“Last night, Dash told me he’s trying to escape,” he whispers. Kang and I share a look. “I guess he had some plan… I don’t know, something about a guard in solitary.” He shakes his head. “He didn’t give me specifics, all he said was that he’s trying to get out.”
“So that was all an act?” Kang looks baffled.
“No,” Lex hums. “He was only supposed to go to solitary, not the East. That was definitely… unscripted.”
“Goddamn, man,” I breathe, my head spinning through his words. “This is Toby all over again…” Lex swallows visibly. “You really think he has some connection to a guard downstairs? I mean… who would it even be?”
I can’t help the curiosity overshadowing my thoughts. Dash has some kind of connection, that’s for sure. You don’t just inherit all the fancy shit he has out of nowhere…
Nor do you get My Officer tattooed on your wrists unless you have an officer worth doing it for.
“Honestly…” Lex stares at the table, blinking. “I doubt it.”
There’s more he isn’t saying, but again, I don’t want to pry right now. I just want to make him feel better. He needs a distraction.
A few minutes later, I get up to throw away my trash, playing it coy while I inch over to Rook, who’s guarding the doorway with stress lining his features.
“Hey, Harley,” I hum, extending my leg to tap him in the shin with my foot. “Whatcha doin?”
“What do you want, Ren?” He sighs. “In case you haven’t noticed, today’s not the day.”
“Yea, exactly why I’m over here,” I reply. “Dash is our friend. What just happened was pretty fucked up to witness…”
“I can’t get him out of the East,” Rook says definitively.
“Yea, I wouldn’t think so. All I’m concerned with right now is making Lex feel better.” I lean in a little closer. “You weren’t here for it, but his last cellmate also ended up in the East, and well… we never saw him again after that.” I give him a pointed look, and he visibly gulps. “We’re missing O’Malley… now Dash.” I shake my head. “It’s taking a toll. I’m sure you can understand.”
Rook glances behind me, at the table where Lex and Byron are still seated, staring despondently at their food. “Well, what do you expect me to do about it? Like I told you, I have no control over anything…”
I can’t help but notice an anxious air about him that I’m guessing has to do with Velle. Harley’s a good guy. And I’ve had my ups and downs with Velle, but I also know he’s dealing with his own shit. Being The Ivory’s lapdog can’t possibly be fun.
I think Rook and Velle would be cute together. But who knows if it’s even a possibility, given the circumstances of this island…
“All I’m asking is for you to let Lex come into my cell for a little bit.” I give him my most pleading eyes. “He shouldn’t be alone in his right now…”
Rook stares at me for a moment in contemplation. “I brought an inmate to your cell last night and Velle yelled at me.” He raises a brow.
“Yea, that was Dash,” I mutter. “Velle clearly isn’t a fan of Dash. Plus, don’t act like getting yelled at by Velle doesn’t make your pussy wet.”
I smirk teasingly while Rook rolls his eyes. But then he exhales slowly. “Just the two of you?” I nod eagerly. “Alright. I’ll give you an hour. But no bullshit, okay? I can’t deal with any more inmate drama…”
I bounce around in excitement. “You have my word, Officer Samuels.”
I didn’t tell Lex my plan, but it’s obvious he really needs to get his mind off the whole Dash thing as we walk back to the cells. He’s wearing the blank face of someone whose mind is running so fast on a treadmill of emotions that it’s completely shut down.
I hate seeing him like this. It really just crushes my soul.
Once back in the row, Jasper herds the rest of the inmates into their individual cells, while Rook hangs back with Lex and me. Kang nods at us, one of his see ya expressions, and Lex begins to wander off too, but I grab him by the shirt.
He gives me a bemused look. “What are you doing?”
I don’t answer him. I just drag him inside my cell with me, where Rook removes our cuffs and leaves without a word.
“I thought you could use a distraction,” I tell him softly. He blinks over wide eyes. “We can do whatever you want… Watch a movie, play a game, or even just talk. But the point is, I don’t want you stressing, okay?”
He bites his lip. “What makes you think I would…?”
I offer him a pointed look. “I know you, Lex. If you go back to that cell alone, you’ll spend the whole night obsessing. Let me be your distraction.” His brow arches suspiciously, and I grin. “As a friend, I mean. Strictly platonic, of course.”
His mouth quirks as he murmurs sarcastically, “Of course.”
I assume he’s going to accuse me of being too clingy, or presumptuous. What I don’t expect is the soft hum he lets out before pushing into my space, draping his arms around my shoulders and melting his body to mine.
Wow… I get a hug. So he’s not mad…?
My hands sink onto his lower back like an instinct, pulling him in for the closest embrace physics will allow. He rests his chin on my shoulder, that sweet neck spot right in front of my face…
It’s calling to me… I have to press a tiny kiss there.
Goddamn, his skin is so fucking soft, I’m in agony. And he smells delicious, like sandalwood and warm, clean flesh. I want to bottle it up and spray it all over everything I own.
Seriously, who even smells like that?? Those Lexington pheromones float a direct path to my brain.
“Thank you,” he mumbles, toying with my hair at the nape of my neck.
I think I might die from not kissing him right now. I just want to hold his jaw and sink my tongue between those pink lips. I want to shove him backwards onto my bed and just kiss the living daylights out of him until he forgets why we ever stopped doing it in the first place.
But I hold myself together, croaking, “You’re welcome.” I clear my throat, pulling back to look in his eyes, though my hands refuse to leave his hips. “What do you wanna to do? Anything at all. Name it and it’s yours.”
He gazes at me, a teasing look I love seeing on his face. “I’m still waiting on those fireworks…”
I grin, eyes trained on his mouth. “You want some bang bang, beautiful?”
He quickly pinches my lips together with his fingers. “No more talking. You’re ruining the moment.”
I’m chuckling as he slides out of my hold, meandering around my cell, poking at things. I know he was just in here a couple of weeks ago, but it’s still amazing to have him back. I miss the way he looks when we’re all alone.
Plopping down on my bed, he picks up my iPad. I take a seat next to him, nodding at the screen. “We’ve got Gone Girl and three of the five Twilights.”
“Whose iPad is this??” He scoffs. “It sounds like it belonged to an eighteen-year-old girl.”
“I got it from Rook,” I chuckle. “So either he has a sister, or his personality is very bizarre.”
Lex laughs. But then it fades, and he sets the device down, shaking his head. “I don’t think I can do a movie right now… I’m way too worried about Dash to concentrate.”
“Then we’ll do something else. Something more distracting…” He glares at me, and I smirk. “I swear, that’s really not what I mean. But I like where your mind is going.”
He rolls his eyes, staying quiet for a moment before an idea visibly dawns. “I think I want you to give me a tattoo.”
I can feel my face light up in shock. “Are you serious??”
He nods. “Yea. I think that would be a great distraction, don’t you?”
“Well… yea. I just… You never seemed to want one before.”
“I have,” he says. “But I wanted to be sure, ya know?”
I’m radiating instant excitement. I love tattooing. Honestly, I love it more than any other random hobby I’ve ever picked up, and I’ve been dying to give Lex some ink since I started doing them. He’s finally ready to let me mark him up, and I’m vibrating.
“Alright, then. You’re the boss,” I murmur. “Get comfy. Do you know where you want it?”
He shifts in place for a second before answering. “I want it on my side… A line of code that runs vertically down my ribcage.” He shows me with his finger, drawing a line from below his armpit to just above his hip. “Remember the code I drew for you that time? The ones and zeros?”
I have to bite the inside of my cheek, because fuck me, I already know that’s going to look so damn sexy on him.
Nodding casually, I wander over to get my tattoo supplies, before unearthing the piece of paper, which naturally I saved. “You mean this one?”
His eyes sparkle, and he nods, apparently quite pleased that I still have it, cheeks flushing a little at the notion that I’ve clearly wanted to do this for quite some time.
Hands folded in his lap, sitting on my bed, he looks like the tastiest, most innocent little snack ever. So sweet… Pure and unsullied in so many ways.
Maybe some people would want to preserve that. But not me. I want to be all manners of bad with him, for him… on him. Shit, I probably sound so toxic, but I want to ruin everything about this boy so he’s mine forever.
Beginning with marking up this blank canvas.
Grabbing my things, I sit down next to him on the bed with my tray. “Shirt off, please.”
“Oh. Right.” He lifts his shirt over his head while I try to be subtle about the fact that I’m blatantly drooling.
I’ve been seeing the kid naked for years at this point in the showers, and yet I’m still heavily affected any time he removes any article of clothing near me. It’s fucking bonkers. I’ve probably seen hundreds of guys naked; touched them naked, rolled around in all sorts of elaborate positions. Pretty much everything you can do with a naked man, I’ve done.
But sweet virgin boy simply pops that top off and I’m squirming.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Lex mutters.
I shake myself out of my obsessing. “Sorry. I’m just… trying to visualize it.”
Yea, visualize a way to get through this without sucking on those little pink nipples… Jesus.
I remember Kang doing it to him last time he was in here, and my teeth clench.
That should’ve been me. Mine mine mine.
“Okay.” I clear my throat. “There are a few ways we could do this. You can lie down on your side… But honestly, it might be easier if you kind of drape… your body over my lap.”
He swallows visibly, pulling another accusatory glare. “You want me to lay on top of you? Is that how the professionals do it?”
“Well, professionals have chairs and special furniture.” I cock my head. “This isn’t Ink Masters. I have to work with what I’ve got.” I pat my lap and grin, to which he shakes his head, biting back a smile.
“You’re already being creepy,” he huffs. But he’s inching closer.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. This is strictly business.” No, it isn’t.
“Right.”
He’s correct to be questioning me. My intentions are entirely lascivious right now. If anything, him lying on me will be less convenient. But this is the level I’m at…
Shamelessly talking him into crawling on top of me… for the logistics.
Lex doesn’t argue any further, though. He just shifts onto his hands and knees, then lies down on his side, over my lap. He’s facing me so I have access to his left ribcage, knees bent as he nestles up, getting comfortable with his head resting on my pillow.
I peek down at him, my eyes meeting that effervescent green gaze, like the ocean in Miami Beach. I’m so fucking warm already just from feeling his body weight on me. I might combust by the time this is over, so I’d better make it quick. It’s bad enough he’s resting right on top of my dick.
Just control yourself… I know you get hard when he looks at you, but now’s really not the time.
“Arm up.” I take his wrist and lift it above his head.
He repositions to get more comfortable, leaving him cuddling around my seated body, his hips curved and our stomachs together.
Opening up an alcohol pad, I swipe it along his skin to clean the area.
He flinches. “Cold…”
“Sorry.” I shift. “So, ribcage tattoos can be a little painful. Not the worst spot, but let me know if you want me to stop for a second. Also, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to try not to breathe…”
His brows jump. “You want me to not breathe??” I have to chuckle at how offended he is by this request. “You do know breathing keeps us alive, right?”
Grinning, I run my fingers up his back. “Sweet boy, I just mean try not to breathe heavily while the needle is down.”
“Whatever you say,” he sighs. “And stop calling me that. Don’t be weird.”
I purse my lips, feigning remorse. “So sorry, precious.”
“Ugh.” He rolls his eyes.
I have no stenciling tools available, so I just prop the scrap piece of notebook paper with the code on it next to my stuff, prepping some Aquaphor and the portable gun with black ink. Taking a deep breath, I try to prepare myself mentally for this, all the while lusting after the feel of him on my lap, and the way he looks stretched out before me… Pale skin waiting to become my artwork.
“Ready?” I ask.
He nods, but doesn’t speak words, and I think he’s nervous. My dick likes it. A lot.
Dipping the needle into the ink, I press it up to his skin, switching on the gun for my first touch. The buzz has him tensing, but he doesn’t flinch when I go in.
He does, however, release a tiny hum of a noise that has me chewing aggressively on my bottom lip already.
The tattoo is easy. It’s just a line of numbers, but I’m taking my time with it, savoring every second I get to have him splayed out, trusting me. He’s literally in my hands, and I’m so obsessed, I’m purposely going as slow as possible just to make this experience last.
Watching his face in between carving ink into his skin, I admire the calm in his features. He’s not cringing or whining about the pain. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he likes it… The soothing ache that pulls focus from everything else.
Tattoos are magic in that way.
A few minutes in, I ask, “Doing okay?”
Lex nods, waiting until I pull the needle back to respond. Such an obedient boy. “Yea… it’s not as bad as I thought it’d be.”
I wipe some excess ink away with a cloth. “You like it?”
“Am I weird if I say yes?” He licks his lip.
I’m deceased.
