The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 196

Margot’s POV

The drive back to the prison felt longer than the one that had taken us from there this morning…

Not because of distance.

But because of the pain I was currently in.

Every bump in the road was noticed, sending a sharp, stabbing ache through to my ribs, up my spine, and straight into my skull like a warning shot.

I sucked in a breath through my teeth, trying not to make it obvious, but it was getting harder to hide.

The medication had worn off.

Completely.

And now my body was reminding me of everything it had endured.

I shifted slightly in the back seat, wincing as the movement alone made my side throb. The leather seat beneath me felt too firm, too unforgiving.

God… I needed more painkillers pronto!

But at least I wasn’t on the bus…

That thought alone brought a small amount of relief.

If I’d been crammed in with the rest of the girls, bouncing around with no space, no quiet, no control…

I don’t think I would’ve coped too well.

Cara shifted beside me, glancing over with a softer expression than usual.

“I heard one of the guards say that the swap ends tomorrow anyway,” she said quietly, keeping her voice low enough that the two guards in the front couldn’t hear us over their own conversation.

I blinked, turning slightly toward her. “Really?”

She nodded.

“Yeah… they’ve been letting me sleep in Leo’s cell since your… incident,” she added carefully, clearly not wanting to trigger me. “I think they’ve just given up on trying to separate the four of us at this point.”

A small breath left me.

That… actually made sense.

This whole project was already bending its own rules anyway.

What was one more broken boundary?

“I still can’t believe it was him that came to visit you…” Cara added after a beat, her voice dropping even lower now.

My stomach tightened instantly at the reminder.

Coban’s father…

The memory of that room…

His eyes.

His voice.

The way the air had felt like it was pressing in on me from all sides…

I swallowed.

“Are you going to talk to Coban about it?” she asked next, and I shook my head slightly, chewing the inside of my cheek.

“He already knows,” I muttered. “Apparently… he’s the one that sent him to see me.”

Cara’s brows shot up. “Are you serious?!”

I nodded again, my hands twisting together in my lap without me even realising.

“I can’t even put into words how terrifying he was,” I admitted quietly. “He’s exactly what you’d imagine Coban’s father to be… but then worse.”

Cara let out a slow breath, puffing her cheeks slightly.

“Yeah… I bet,” she murmured. “I mean, he must have some serious power if he can just walk in and out of this place like that… demand a private meeting with you?”

She was right.

This place had rules.

Strict ones.

And yet…

That man had walked straight through them like they didn’t exist.

Like nothing could touch him.

Like nothing could stop him.

Before I could respond further, the car began to slow.

Gravel crunched beneath the tyres as we approached the compound again, the tall fences and harsh lighting replacing the soft glow of the island outside.

Reality.

Back again.

The car came to a stop.

The guards stepped out first, circling around to open the doors for us.

Cool air hit my face as I carefully shifted forward, trying not to cry out as I moved.

One of the guards offered his hand.

I took it, stepping out slowly.

“Easy…” he muttered, steadying me.

“I’m fine,” I lied instantly, even though my entire body screamed otherwise.

“We were instructed to take you straight back to medical,” he added.

My stomach dropped at that…

Medical?

No!

“I… I don’t want to stay there tonight,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I’d rather go back to my own cell.”

He hesitated.

Scratched the back of his neck not expecting that…

“That’ll be up to the doctor, I guess,” he said finally. “Let’s just head up and find out.”

Not exactly reassuring…

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