The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 190

Coban’s POV

I paced from the door to the barred window and back again, the soles of my feet thudding against the carpeted floor in a rhythm that was starting to drive me insane.

Behind me, Leo was sprawled across my bed like he didn’t have a care in the world – typical – because his relationship with Cara was very much still in tact unlike my own!

One of his legs hung off the side of the mattress while the other bent lazily at the knee. In his hand, he tossed the thick banded bundle of bank notes up into the air before catching it again. Over and over.

A reminder of my foolish offering…

The soft thwap of the money hitting against his palm only made my irritation grow worse.

“You shouldn’t have fucking bribed her to leave in the first place, you know!” Leo huffed again, catching the bundle and letting it drop against his chest this time.

I stopped pacing immediately.

Slowly, I turned toward him.

“Don’t you think I fucking know that now?!” I snapped, the words ripping out of me harsher than intended.

Leo raised his brows but didn’t respond.

Of course he wouldn’t.

He was enjoying this self torment.

“I thought she’d miss out on the weekly report,” I continued, running a hand back through my hair as frustration pulsed through my skull. “Give me some time to talk to her… calm things down…”

My jaw clenched.

“And now she might not even come back to this place ever again – and why would she?!” I hiss, pissed off at nobody but myself for this.

One guard had been decent this whole time, taking us up to visit her while she was unconscious, until today…

Today he’d shown up, with only Leo at his side, and told me that I couldn’t go see her.

Obviously I was pissed, until he told me that she’d fully woke up. That they were giving her the option to step out of this place for a bit.

That she was going to the ‘relaxation centre’ with Cara…

She’d most likely be giving them the shittiest report on me to date…

That she probably wouldn’t opt to come back to this place ever again thanks to me!

Gone…

The words felt like acid in my throat.

I started pacing again, faster this time.

Back and forth.

I felt like I was about to implode.

How the hell could I have been that stupid?

This entire week…

I’d thrown away every ounce of progress Margot and I had made.

Every small moment.

Every tiny step forward.

All because I fucking panicked.

Because the second things started to matter to me to really matter – I did the only thing I knew how to do.

I pushed her away!

“Self-sabotage,” Leo muttered, like he’d just read my mind.

I shot him a glare at that. “For fuck’s sake, Leo-”

“But she’ll come back,” he interrupted with a lazy sigh, finally sitting upright.

I shook my head violently.

“You don’t know that!” I stated, but he shrugged mindlessly.

“She won’t leave Cara here alone, will she?” he replied simply – suddenly becoming the man with all the answers.

Like the answer had been staring me in the face this entire time!

I paused mid-step to think on it though…

Leo leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

“You know I’m right,” he added calmly, “she’ll come back, maybe not for you, but for Cara. That will give you another week to fix this shit.”

Was I even capable of fixing this to begin with?

Leo didn’t see the look on Margot’s face in the bathroom that day…

The betrayal she felt.

The way id left her alone!

“She could’ve died this time,” I muttered hoarsely.

The words hung in the air between us.

Leo didn’t respond right away.

For once, even he looked a little uncomfortable at the thought.

Eventually, he tossed the bundle of money back onto the desk with a sigh.

“Your father will be coming here soon,” he reminded me, switching up the topic.

I let out a slow breath through my nose.

Leo smirked. “That face right there. That’s your first problem.”

But when I pictured Margot walking away from this place…

Never seeing her again…

Never hearing her voice…

Something cold and suffocating wrapped itself around my lungs…

“I don’t care if I have to get on my damn knees to keep her.” I admitted quietly.

Leo raised a brow in shock, and even I was surprised at my words…

“Now that… I’d like to see…” he smirked, but I ignored him.

Leo moved to lean against the wall, folding his arms.

“So what’s the play with your Dad?” he asked.

My jaw tightened again.

Right.

That part.

Because there were three problems I now needed to solve.

First…

Make sure Margot couldn’t leave the project.

Second…

Make sure nobody in this place can hurt her again.

And third…

Make sure the suits don’t fuck me over later down the line!

My father had connections that stretched far beyond these prison walls.

Men who made problems disappear.

And If I also needed to use that power to keep Margot here…

Then I would.

Heavy footsteps suddenly sounded down the hallway – stopping just outside the cell…

“Visitor, Santorelli.”

Leo smirked…

“Daddy’s here…”