The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 182

Margot’s POV

My finger stayed raised.

Right there in his face, and for a moment, the entire gym seemed to stop breathing with me…

No weights clanked.

No one spoke.

Even Cara and Leo had seemed to pause – both their jaws slack at what I’d just done for the second time today…

Coban didn’t move at first.

But the change in his expression was immediate.

His jaw tightened so hard the muscle ticked along the side of his face, and the vein in his neck pulsed visibly beneath the sheen of sweat still on him…

Leo let out a slow, horrified breath from beside him, before he attempted to break the tension with words…

“Fuck sake, okay let’s all just take minute to…” he began, before:

“Coban, don’t!” He suddenly shot out, but before he could even finish whatever attempt he was about to make, Coban had already moved.

And fast.

One second I was standing there with my finger raised up to him.

The next his arm had wrapped around my waist, the world tilting violently as my feet left the ground.

I screeched as he hauled me up and threw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

“COBAN!” I shouted, kicking wildly.

My fists pounded uselessly against his back as he turned and started walking out of the gym like this happened every day.

“Put me down!” I yelled.

Behind us I heard Cara gasp.

“Margot! Fuck!” she cried out, desperate to help me.

But Leo had already grabbed her arm, holding her back from intervening.

“Don’t,” he warned her.

Coban didn’t even slow down either.

Didn’t say a single word.

He just carried me straight out of the gym while my legs thrashed and my hands beat against him in frustration.

The hallway outside felt colder than the gym.

Brighter.

Guards turned their heads as we passed, but none of them stepped in.

Of course they didn’t.

Because Coban Santorelli didn’t get stopped.

He didn’t even walk far. Just straight down the corridor to the nearest door.

The female bathroom…

My stomach dropped the second he shoved it open.

Oh no.

Not here.

Not again!

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as he stormed inside.

There was a girl standing at the sinks, washing her hands as I stared at her – entirely mortified.

She froze the second she saw us but Coban didn’t even look at her.

“Get the fuck out.” His voice echoed violently off the tiled walls and she didn’t argue.

Didn’t even hesitate.

She scrambled for the door so fast she nearly slipped on the way, rushing past us with wide terrified eyes before disappearing out into the hallway.

The door hadn’t even fully closed behind her when Coban finally grabbed me by the waist and yanked me down off his shoulder.

The world spun as I dropped.

I hit the tiled floor hard, with him not even bothering to attempt to catch me…

Air burst from my lungs at the impact and the pain shot up through my hip as I landed on my ass.

I sucked in a breath and immediately scrambled to get back up. But I barely made it halfway before his hand shoved hard into my shoulder and forced me right back down on to the ground…

My palms smacked against the cold tiles.

Anger exploded through me.

Not fear.

Not anymore.

I was past that now…

“DO IT!” I screamed up at him.

The words tore out of my throat.

“BEAT ME UP! I KNOW YOU WANT TO!” My voice cracked with fury as spit flew from my mouth.

God, I hated this bathroom! Hated it!

Too many tears shed here yesterday!

Too many humiliating moments!

Broken…

Coban stood over me like a storm about to break.

His chest rose and fell heavily.

His eyes were black with sheer rage.

Then suddenly, his foot lifted. My body instantly braced. Muscles tightening. Eyes squeezing shut. Arms lifted.

Waiting for the impact…

BANG!

The sound exploded beside my head as I screamed in fright…

My eyes flew open to see the bathroom stall door slamming violently against the tiled wall only inches from my face.

Coban had kicked it, not me.

Hard enough to dent the metal.

My whole body was shaking now but the anger still burned hotter than any sense I could muster.

Didn’t say anything.

Then his tone changed completely…

Controlled.

Dead calm.

“The deal is off.” He sneered.

“You will leave this project on Saturday,” he continued.

Each pause deliberate.

“Empty fucking handed!” He drawled, “Back to your little trailer park daddy.”

That cut deep… he knew it did!

“And if you don’t… if you so much as dare to come back here…” He spoke, as I finally lifted my head.

His eyes locked onto mine.

“I promise you, Bella…” He spat on the floor beside me. “Then I’ll kill you.”

The words echoed through the bathroom.

Heavy.

Final.

Then he turned.

Shoved the bathroom door open with both hands.

BANG!

The sound reverberated through the room as he disappeared into the hallway.

And just like that, he was gone.

I sat there frozen. My body still shaking.

My ears still ringing.

My chest tight.

Because there hadn’t been a single ounce of hesitation in his voice.

Not one.

He meant it.

Every word.

My hands slowly curled into fists against the floor.

And the tears finally broke loose again.

Hot.

Relentless.

I curled in on myself on the cold tiles.

Because once again….

Coban Santorelli had won.

He always won…