Page 181 of Fragments

We were all pretty confused by the sudden change, but figured it was just temporary.Maybe Velle was sick or something, and Joy and Rook stayed home to take care of him?

But now it’s been two more days of the same thing. They’re justgone, and I’m beginning to worry that something might have happened to them. It’s a stressful thought, because the guards we’re left with are clearly in way over their heads.

We’re on our way back from the showers, uncuffed, and in a much bigger herd of inmates than I’m sure Velle would ever allow. Jasper and Hancock are bickering about something personal, while Peters is just trying to hold it all together.

Suddenly, someone swings at someone. I can’t tell who started it, but the next thing I know, there’s a pig pile of inmates on the ground, bodies flying everywhere. Roaring and snarling fills the air, punches being thrown left and right. It’s a huge mess, like a mosh pit without the music.

I’m trying to stay out of the way, but now guards are tackling people, guns and tasers everywhere. I’m afraid I might get shot by accident.

“Lex!” Ren calls my name, but I can’t see him. There are too many people rushing around this small space, bumping me from every direction.

While my face is whipping around in search of Ren, I catch an elbow to the temple.

“Fuck!” I growl, kicking the asshole next to me.

I don’t even know if it was him who hit me, but I’m pissed.

“Lex! Jesus,move, you fucking oaf!” I hear Ren, then I see him, weaving through the wall of idiots, shoving people to get to me. I’m holding my face as he rushes up, cupping my jaw. “You okay?”

“Yea, I’m fine,” I breathe, flinching when another arm flies near us. “This is fucked.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Ren grunts, grabbing my hand.

He pulls me to the other end of the hallway, peeking up at the camera before he tries the door.

Itopens.

We share a wide-eyed look of shock, stumbling through and slamming the door behind us.

“Where are we?” I look around the drab corridor.

“Oh, shit,” Ren mumbles. “This is near that old infirmary…” He brings me up the hall to another door that looks like it might be a closet or something.

“How can you tell?”

“I’ve used it more than once.” He smirks.

He opens it, revealing a dark room with an exam chair in the middle. Ren pulls me inside, and my pulse is rapping faster than usual.

“We shouldn’t be in here…” I mutter. “We’re gonna get in trouble.”

“Please, they won’t even notice we’re gone,” Ren says while poking around the room. “Peters is like a deer in headlights, the poor thing.”

“Yea…” I sigh. “I guess no one really understands what Velle goes through until they stomp a mile in his combat boots.”

Ren chuckles, leaning up against a counter. “Do you recognize this room?”

I tilt my head. “Is it a place where you’ve had your organs rearranged? Because honestly, that could describe more than half this building.”

He fakes a laugh, and I grin. “No… Well,yes, but that’s not what I meant.” I roll my eyes. “Do you remember you and me being in here together…?”

I purse my lips, allowing him to tug me closer by my hand, though I’m still pretending to stand my ground and act mad at him. I’m realizing it’s kind of my thing.

I like playing hard to get with him, because he’s so used to getting whatever he wants from men.

But don’t tell him that. It makes me seem like a willful cocktease.

“I do remember you forcing Hancock to bring me in here with you…” I murmur, easing up to his front. “When I was stillreallymad.”