Chapter 72 – Under The Thumb

Margot’s POV

The sun was sharp and unrelenting as we stepped into the yard, heat bouncing off the concrete in waves that instantly clung to my skin beneath the layers I was wearing.

I blinked up at the sky, momentarily stunned. It was the first time I’d seen it so bright since arriving here.

No clouds, no breeze.

Just the kind of heavy warmth that made you dizzy the longer you stood in it…

I regretted the sweatshirt instantly.

The thick, grey material clung to my back already, trapping heat like a cage around me, and I resisted the urge to tug at the hem. I kept my arms down, nervous, even as my skin began to prickle with sweat. I should have worn the T-shirt like Cara.

Smart girl, I thought, as we approached them on the benches.

Cara spotted me tugging gently at the collar and smiled knowingly. “You’re going to boil in that,” she said lightly as she and Leo sat a little closer than usual.

She wore a soft lilac tee shirt with sleeves that ended mid-bicep, and even that looked hot, but at least she could breathe. I envied her immediately.

Coban didn’t say much as we joined them, already sitting down and wrapped up in some quiet conversation with Leo. Something about a fight that broke out in the gym that morning, from what I could hear. I could barely concentrate, my thoughts too focused on the way the sweatshirt felt like it was suffocating me, one sticky second at a time.

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, unsure whether I was allowed to speak yet. Coban hadn’t said anything since we left the cell, hadn’t even looked at me twice. I think he was still playing it cool after the whole notebook ordeal, like his approval had to last for exactly one hour before he went back to treating me like a misbehaving pet.

I watched Coban peel off his own tee shirt, his bare torso welcoming the sun to top up his natural tan… I was instantly jealous.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Coban,” I murmured, turning to him, tugging gently at the sleeve of his shirt to gain his full attention. “Mind if I take this off? It’s really hot.” I whispered, embarrassed that I even had to ask in front of the others…

His eyes snapped down to me instantly. Cold. Sharp. Unforgiving.

“No, should’ve thought about that inside!” he said flatly.

I blinked. My stomach turned. But I tried again.

“But I’ve got the vest on today,” I said quickly, my voice rising slightly in pitch. “I made sure, just like you said: no sports bra, I promise.”

He stared at me. Calculating.

Then, “Still not enough coverage. No.”

The second "no" landed like an extra slap, an additional punishment for yesterday’s incident.

I sat there, stunned for a moment, the heat feeling ten times worse now that I’d been denied escape from it. I swallowed hard, feeling sweat drip down my spine.

“You okay?” Cara whispered softly beside me, concern on her face as she leaned closer. “You’re turning purple, girl.”

I laughed nervously, but even my chuckle sounded weak. “I feel like I’m physically melting.”

She nodded toward the shaded side of the yard. “Try him again, or ask if we can go back inside. It’s brutal out here, I don’t know how you’ve even lasted so long in that.”

I hesitated, but I couldn’t take it anymore. My heart was thudding too fast, the heat making me dizzy and my mouth turning dry.

“Coban,” I tried again, louder this time, stepping forward until he had no choice but to acknowledge me. “I can’t cope with this. Can I please take it off, or can we go back inside?”

He didn’t look up from the conversation he was having with Leo, not right away. But I saw the way his jaw clenched at hearing me speak. The way his knuckles flexed.

Then, without warning, he turned and snapped, “Fucking take the damn thing off, then we will discuss this later!”

I nearly flinched at the venom in his tone, but my hands were already moving, too desperate to care.

I yanked the zipper down and peeled the sweatshirt off with shaking fingers, the cool air instantly kissing my damp skin. The cotton of my vest top clung to me, thin and light, and maybe too tight in places I knew he didn’t like, but I couldn’t care less. I could finally breathe.

“Thank God,” I muttered, exhaling a shaky breath as I looked to Cara, who fanned herself in sympathy.

“Why is it so warm today?” I groaned, tugging the collar of my vest to let more air in.

Cara chuckled. “They’ve got bottled water over there.” She pointed toward a cooler positioned near the fence. “Leo told me earlier if I wanted one…”

My eyes lit up. I’d kill for water right now – especially ice cold.

“Leo, mind if we go grab some water real quick?” Cara asked, turning to her inmate sweetly and pointing at what she meant.

Leo glanced back from his story about the gym brawl and nodded. “Go ahead.”

But before I could move, Coban’s voice cracked through the air like thunder. “You ain’t moving.”

I turned, surprised, just as his arm snaked around my waist and yanked me in close – holding me there. My side collided with his, solid and hot from the sun, and I sucked in a breath.

“Come on then, I’ll go with you,” Leo told Cara, completely unfazed, and the two of them peeled off toward the cooler together, Cara tossing me an apologetic glance over her shoulder.

Coban’s arm didn’t budge from around me. If anything, it tightened.

I sat there, tense, unsure what to say, unsure what this was.

Possessiveness? Punishment? Protection?

Or all three?

Leo glanced back at us and smirked. “Under the thumb, Santo…” he called out.

Coban scowled. “Look at you, bro. You ain’t any better.”

Leo shrugged, not at all offended. “I never claimed to be.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small breath of amusement. It felt weird to laugh around Coban, but it happened occasionally anyway. Maybe the heat had melted a few of my brain cells along with it.

Coban looked down at me, but his expression was unreadable.

I looked back up at him, meeting his eyes, half-expecting him to bark another order. But he just sat there, holding me to his side like a silent warning sign to the rest of the yard. His fingers splayed over my hipbone, firm, unmovable as I felt his hard torso against mine like a shield of armour…

The sun beat down on us both, but I didn’t ask to go inside again.

Something about his grip, about the heat between us now, had me rooted to the spot.

Not comfortable.

Not exactly safe.

But here. With him.

“You like testing me, don’t you?” He turned his head to whisper, before quickly nipping at my ear – causing me to jolt.

Damn…