Cell Mates (boyxboy) (Book 1: Behind Bars)

Chapter 5: Escape.

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Chapter 5

~Nathan's POV~

 From the moment he walked through my cell door until now I still had the same thought whirling through my mind; The kid wouldn't last very long here.

 I watched him every day trying to put up a brave front; laughing with Eddie and Ignoring John but the eyes never lied and no matter how hard he smiled or how tall he stood they never changed. There was always that tinge of fear mixed with desolation in them that had me wondering how much longer it would take before he snapped.

I wasn't exactly sure what made me decide to look out for him. It could have been the sad eyes, or the way his cheeks dimpled whenever he smiled. It could have been his bravery or the sound of his muffled sobs late at night when he thought I was asleep or even the way the sight of his body turned me on to the point of discomfort.

I didn't know but whatever the reason something in me was drawn to him and the need to keep him safe was almost overwhelming.

Never get attached to the inmates. Don't ask about their personal lives, don't tell them your life story and don't, under any circumstance trust a word coming out of their mouths. That's what I'd been taught, that's what I lived by and ever since his arrival I'd broken almost every rule I had set for myself.

 I found myself listening to him ramble on and on about any and everything, I sometimes even found myself cracking a smile over the silly things he said. I  felt like I knew everyone in his family just from his stories and even though I hadn't asked him to tell me and even though I never actually partook in the conversations I felt like I knew him.

It was when I started feeling the need to do him favors that I realized how far gone I was and it was then that I knew I had to stop but it was difficult when you were a warm blooded male with a sexy as hell young man sleeping just below your bunk.

If it had just been the attraction then maybe I'd have been able to resist but he made me get to know him, he made me get attached and now I had no choice but to look out for him and no choice but to keep him out of harm's way.

The incident a week ago only proved exactly what I'd been thinking from the start; the kid wouldn't last very long here. He didn't belong.

But despite my growing attachment and in spite of my determination to protect him I had more important things to think about and he was an unwelcome distraction. I'd already decided I'd detach myself from him the day he'd been hurt.

But seeing the nasty bruises covering his once flawless face shattered my resolve and I was right back where I'd started; panting after him like a love sick fool and billowing with anger at the thought of someone laying a finger on him.

"You all need to make him feel welcome, he'll never let his guard down if you don't and then he'll never really be loyal to us." I told the men standing before me and as expected, John was the first to disagree.

"Why do we even need him to be loyal? The kid's useless to us." He argued and my fists clenched at my sides.

"He's right Nathan, why are we wasting our time on this kid?" someone else spoke up and I let my gaze roam over.

"He won't survive in this place without our help." I said simply.

"And how is that our problem? We have one goal here and one goal only. You need to focus on that and cut him loose." John said and I bristled, my eyes narrowing as I looked at each of them in turn.