Chapter 134

Coban’s POV

I watched them for a long beat—my Bella and Cara—two women pressed together on the other sofa, hands clenched so tight that their knuckles turned white.

They looked terrified in a way that made my chest ache.

Margot kept stealing glances at me, like she was cataloging every line on my face to make sure I wasn’t going anywhere.

I couldn’t let her be taken away.

I won’t.

“Leo,” I said, low, as he sat with me.

“You look like you’ve swallowed a grenade, bro. This whole thing is fucking bullshit, ain’t it?!” He spat, and I nodded stiffly.

“I got pulled by the suits for a meeting last night, after the whole thing with Newman…” I kept my tone low as I wasted no time, as Leo’s eyes widened.

“The fuck did they want with you? I hope to hell they aren’t trying to say you were involved!” He spat out, his annoyance for the men matching my own.

“Nah, it’s not what you think… they actually wanted my help.” I trailed off, eyes flicking towards the chatting girls to ensure they weren’t listening in.

This mess didn’t have to involve them any further than it already had. They were terrified for their friend’s state, and I knew my Bella wouldn’t condone what I had been asked to do.

“Help?” Leo repeated, as I shuffled in the chair, nodding.

“They want me to clean up Newman… make sure that what he did doesn’t get out…” I spoke cryptically, but Leo didn’t need any more than that.

He knew what I meant.

He knew they wanted me to kill him.

“So what are you getting in return for doing that then?!” He hummed expectantly, as I groaned.

“Haven’t given them my terms yet, but this would be a great time to…” I stated, motioning towards the pair opposite us. “Given the bullshit now that they are trying to split us all up…”

I told him more details on the suits, the meeting last night, the line about “removing” Newman.

How they’d leaned in, all corporate smiles, and made it sound like a tidy administrative fix.

How they wanted it to look like inmate-on-inmate business—a conflict between prisoners that would be marked as ‘expected’ in an experiment like this.

Leo’s face twisted in a short, ugly half-laugh. “My only advice would be, you should make sure to tell your Dad about this!”

I scoffed, immediately irritated by the mention of my father.

Of that bastard.

“You know that I’m right, Coban! If you’re making deals with the suits then he will at least make sure they stick to their end of the deal!” Leo explained his thought process, and the worst part of it all was… I knew he was right.

“Yeah, but what will he want from me in return?!” I spat, knowing my father wouldn’t have my back for nothing…

Leo fell silent, the pair of us knowing it was a dangerous game to negotiate with a man like my father, being his son or not.

“Anyway… I’m thinking that we can use this to our advantage. Take leverage with these extra privileges they have promised… have them bend the rules for us—make things easier.” I grumbled, before I caught my Bella staring from the corner of my eye.

My lips fell into a line, and with one glance, she gasped and turned back to Cara.

Listening in… naughty.

Leo cleared his throat, as I turned back to him, watching his eyebrows lift with curiosity.

“What’s your play, then?” He asked, spreading his arms out on the back of the sofa.

“They said they’d set it up, give me an opportunity, and when it came—I was to take it,” I stated, as Leo squinted and nodded.

“So we don’t know when this will be yet?” Leo huffed, as I sighed.

“Nah, that’s the annoying part. It’s all on their schedule,” I shared in his frustration.

“So you’d ideally need to meet with them before tonight, lay out your expectations before the swap…” He grumbled, and I pinched my nose and nodded.

I glanced up at the clock before my eyes scanned the gym. Around five other pairs were in, most of which seemed equally as pissed about the news of the new challenge.

I would have to catch the suits somehow before tonight… but how?!

My eyes went to Margot again.

She’d gone oddly still, as if she was hearing us without wanting to.

The raw, honest terror on her face when they had announced the Mix-Up had lodged itself into my chest and wouldn’t let go.

I couldn’t gamble on her being handed off to a man who’d tear her down, just to tear me down… I wouldn’t.

“First move,” I told Leo, listing it like a fact: “I need to find out where they are right now. Second, I need to make contact independent of any guards. Third, set all of my boundaries. Fourth, get it signed on paper and get it worked out by the end of the day.”

“Yeah, that all sounds real cute on paper,” Leo said. “But how you gonna find them? They aren’t just wandering around this place like common guards…” he puffed out a ball of air.

“I’ll find a way… but I’ll need you to stay here, stay with them. I can’t get shit done with Bella stuck to my hip.” I motioned towards her with my head as Leo chuckled at the request.

“Great, so I’ve been demoted from violent sidekick to babysitter.” He snorted, as I couldn’t help but smirk amusingly at the statement.

I stood, stretching out my limbs before cracking my knuckles as if preparing already for a fight.

Bella’s eyes were on me the second I’d moved, curious and cautious to why I was up and where I was going.

“You’re going to stay here with Leo and Cara until I get back.” I nodded firmly, leaving no room for debate as Margot looked confused.

“I won’t be long, just got some shit I need to take care of. You don’t have to worry,” I added, tone confident, as I watched her shoulders settle only a little.

I turned back to Leo, who had stood up himself too, announcing that he may as well get a workout in whilst I’m gone.

“Keep an eye on her!” I reiterated, as Leo rolled his eyes, waving me off.

“Go do your thing, I have this nanny service shit under control!” He huffed, as I rolled my eyes and headed for the door without another word.

The plan had to move, and it had to move fast.

Quiet. Clean.

But where the fuck would I find them? Where do I start?

Deciding to head downstairs for the security exit, I took that as my starting point.

I’d rip this whole damn compound upside down to find them by nightfall if I had to, especially before I would even consider handing off my Bella to another inmate.