Chapter 27 – A Deal

Margot’s POV

As we entered deeper into the dining hall, the noise settled into a steady thrum around us. More inmates and girls had taken their places at the tables, the atmosphere thick with tension, whispers, and stolen glances.

I felt so many eyes on me.

On us.

More on him.

Coban didn’t seem to care. He walked with that same sure-footed arrogance, like the air parted for him.

We reached a quieter table near the back, and he sat without a word, shoving a tray across the table surface in my direction. I hadn’t even realised he’d already picked up two.

I stood there for a second, unsure if I was allowed to sit.

“Sit down, Bella,” he deadpanned, as though I was being irritating, but I couldn’t be sure whether he had wanted me to sit with him or to take it and move away a little.

The way he said the pet name – like it tasted wrong in his mouth – gave me chills. But I obeyed, sitting gingerly across from him.

The food in front of me looked decent. Scrambled eggs, toast, some kind of sausage. But my stomach twisted tightly to even think about eating with so many predators now circling the room.

I stole a glance at him.

Coban didn’t look angry anymore – not exactly. Just tired. Distant.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, unsure what part I was thanking him for – the tray, or saving me from my encounter with Jay.

He didn’t answer. Just stabbed at his food with the dull fork, chewing like it was a task, not a meal.

I kept my eyes down and started to eat too, slow and quiet.

After some time had passed, and I had managed to eat half of what was on the plate, I was finishing my bottle of water before he spoke again…

“You said you got lost looking for someone? Who is it?” He questioned, eyes settling on me as I swallowed the last gulp.

“Ah, yeah, well it was my friend Cara who came here with me. I was looking to see if she was doing okay, but I haven’t been able to find her yet,” I explained, as he just stared through me when I talked.

I had barely noticed that nobody seemed to join our table to sit down, leaving us taking up an entire space alone whilst most others were crowded.

Was Coban that bad?

“This is only half of the group. We have five minutes left before we have to leave to let the next lot in. One day we will be early for breakfast, the next late,” Coban said, but his eyes drifted around the room as he did, calculating.

“The only way they’ll let me out of here in the end is if they can see that I’ve kept you in one piece and that you are with me most of the time, so that’s what you’ll do. I was warned to keep you safe, in return for my freedom, so don’t go getting lost again!” He went on to warn me, as I nodded and began to fidget with my bottle, crunching it a little to distract myself from his intensity.

“Bella?!” he snapped, causing me to pause in my movements, glancing up.

“What?” I whispered, unsure of what it was this time.

“Quit fucking playing with that bottle, it’s driving me nuts!” He stated, before he reached across to snatch it from my hands – causing me to flinch at the swift motion.

Woah…

“You’re so jumpy! Why is that?” He pushed on, as I shrugged weakly.

“I’m just nervous here, I guess?” I attempted to say, as he literally rolled his eyes at my reasoning.

“You going to explain that bruise to me yet?” He circled back to our earlier disagreement as I placed my hands underneath the table to avoid him seeing them tremble…

I dropped my gaze, my fingers curling into each other in my lap. He really wasn’t going to let it go. But why was it so hard for me to just admit the truth?

“I already told you,” I said quietly, “It was just something stupid really. Not worth talking about.”

His chair scraped a little as he shifted forward causing me to jump once more, proving his point.

“You think I’m a fool, Bella?” he asked, voice low but heavy with warning. “You flinch like someone raised a hand to you, and you’re walking around like a kicked dog. So either you tell me, or I’ll start making assumptions. I don’t do well with guessing games.”

My throat tightened. “I don’t think you’re a fool.”

“Then stop acting like I can’t see through your bullshit,” he concluded, leaning back again.

I swallowed hard, torn between pride and the real, sharp fear of setting him off. I didn’t even really know him, so why should I show him the darkest parts of my past?

“Should I be worried that you’ll get yourself into fights in here, hmm? Do you like to cause trouble, is that it?” He pushed me for an explanation as I closed my eyes to control myself.

“My Dad did it,” I stated, the sentence coming out snappy, instantly causing me to stiffen when I heard it.

I opened my eyes wide, as he stared at me, as he always did, unmoving. Like he was trying to see through me, to peel back the layers I was trying to hide beneath.

“Your Dad?” he repeated, as I nodded once to confirm that he had heard me right.

“So that’s what brought you here. That’s what you’re running from,” he hummed, folding his arms and seeming satisfied with my answer.

I didn’t answer him, just lowered my gaze, feeling mocked.

The silence stretched between us like a pulled wire, humming with all the things I wasn’t saying.

“The only person you have to fear in this place, is me,” he drawled out, a wicked grin flashing across his face for only a few seconds before it was gone.

He had an aura about him that could make anybody within his vicinity crumble…

“I don’t want to upset you…” I attempted to reason, as he began to laugh.

“I told you, follow my rules, you’ll make it,” he shrugged, as I squinted at him.

I didn’t even know what his damn rules were, other than number one: don’t lie and number two: don’t get lost!

“Look, if anyone but me touches you in here, then you can let me know, and I’ll handle it. I don’t care if it’s a girl, a guard, or the fucking wind,” His voice dipped low, dangerous. “For the meantime, you belong to me, and in return for keeping you safe, you’ll make sure that I can get the fuck out of here, is that a deal?”

I hesitated, taken aback by the sudden offer, somewhat thankful for it but knowing that he wasn’t doing this for me; he was only doing this for himself. “Okay.”

Coban didn’t speak again. He just sat there for a few more seconds before shoving the rest of his eggs into his mouth like the conversation hadn’t even happened.

A loud buzzer sounded.

Time was up.

Without another word, Coban stood, snatching both trays and stacking them like it was second nature. I hurried to my feet too, nerves prickling beneath my skin again as the guards began shouting for our group to move on.

“Stay behind me,” he muttered, not looking back.

So I did.

Even if I wasn’t sure whether his deal to keep me safe was a blessing… or the start of something far worse.