Page 165 of Fragments

“Suicide? No.” Ren shakes his head. “He was stabbed. Like a bunch of times.”

A shivery breath escapes Kang, and he clears his throat to cover it up.

I feelsickright now, sorrow rolling in my gut. I’m all mixed up from so many different things, overpowering emotions flooding me with nowhere to go.

A breakdown is coming on, I can feel it…But a ragey one, not a sad one.

The bullshit of life in this prison is stirring up sudden irrational anger inside me, and I’m really justdyingto take out on someone…

My eyes narrow at Ren.Might as well be the Disney Prince with no soul.

“Where are you getting this from??” I snap at him. “I swear toGod, Ren, if you’re lying…”

“I heard it from Linetti,” he chirps, tone and expression stilltoocasual. It probably means he’s not lying, but it also seems like he’s not even mildly affected by the fact that our friend wasmurdered.

I glower at his damn sexy sociopathic face. “So he just walked up and told you O’Malley was stabbed to death?”

“Not exactly. I overheard him and Brenner talking. I guess Joy called a meeting with all the guards…” He pauses for a second, in something that looks like fascination. “Kieran’s death actually isn’t even the biggest news…”

“Ren, are you fucking kidding me right now??” I interrupt his blasé shit-talking with a frustrated bark. “You are being entirely too flippant about this. O’Malley was ourfriendand he’s fucking dead. Don’t you care??”

Kang mumbles a curse under his breath, scrubbing his palms over his face while he turns away from us for a moment. O’Malley wasn’t just his cellmate, and they were close. I mean, none of us really had the best relationship with the dude, because he was an irrational, unpredictable wacko. But still, he was one ofus, especially where Kang is concerned.

“Yes, I care.” Ren blinks at me.Fucking liar.“I liked him just fine.” He lowers his voice, watching Kang as he speaks so only I can hear him. “You and I both know he was nuts…”

“Takes one to know one,” I hiss.

He bites his lip like he’s trying to smother a grin, and I can’t stand it. Ihatehow much he loves when I lash out at him. He thinks my insults and my frustrations arecute, and it’s infuriating.

Seriously, there’s nothing worse than raging at someone while they just grin at you like you’re a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.

“Lex, listen to me,” he hums, stepping closer while I inch back. “Kieran was a sweet guy, but he was seriously damaged. After what he did… You have to admit, he sorta deserved to be stabbed a bunch of times in the face.”

I groan and rub my eyes.This dude is testing me right now.

He has a bit of a point, though I hate to admit it. Kieran O’Malley wasn’t just an angry Irish terror within these walls. He wasactuallyfucking crazy. He drowned his baby brother in a bathtub and hid the body for four days.So yea…I liked him as much as you can like any of the lovable lunatics in this place, but his crime was like a neon sign flashing above his head every time you saw him.

I just can’t fathom harming a child…

“Okay, well, even so…” I mutter. “Byron is obviously upset, so could you at leastpretendto have human emotions for a second? For him??”

Ren is nodding, pulling an obviously fake face of concern as a visibly edgy Kang stomps back up to us.

“Did they say who did it??”

Ren stares at him for a second, like he’s trying to gauge how much more what he’s about to say might upset him. “Well, no. But something else did happen around the same time.” He stops again to glance at me, and I’m about to slap him.

“Ren, for the love of God, just spit it the fuck out!” I huff. “Jesus, you’re driving meinsane,and you’ve only been standing here for three goddamn minutes.”

Why am I so annoyed by him right now?? It’s like just being in his presence is making me all hot and itchy and fucking pissed off. I’m gonna scratch this fucking tattoo…

“Lexington,” he says my full name in his calm, patronizing way that drives me up the wall. “Do we need to talk in private?” His lips twitch, eyebrow cocking. “You seem really wound up, like you might need me to—”

“I am going to rip your tongue out of your head if you don’t stop fucking with me and justsaywhat you need to say,” I growl, pushing into his space.

And he lets me, of course, blue eyes twinkling as he rumbles, “Dash is gone.”

Wait… What?