Waking up, I felt my skin along another's. Though his chest might be built like Kuza's, I knew it wasn't. Chris had beautiful tattoos but I wish I was waking up to someone else's ink. Regardless, I'm grateful for the way he opened his arms for me when I needed some comfort. I should say, opened his arms and opened my legs. It made me sleep well at least.

He pulled me closer, which made me feel somewhat safe. This was still Angelo's man and his bed. I didn't want to overstay my welcome. They're both very possessive of each other. Even know, in his sleep, Angelo is clung to Chris.

"You okay?" Chris sleepily whispered to me.

"Yeah," I sighed, "I just wish I was waking up to Mike. No offense."

"None taken. The few mornings I've been forced to wake up without my angel have been so lonely. I know what it feels like." He responded.

It hurt to talk about. I just about shut down anytime I tried to. It's for the best I get back to my usual work. Ryan always told me when I got upset that I should go torture someone. It would make me feel better. Speaking of, I should go see him. He's probably awake now. I was so tired that I did start to drift off again but the door suddenly opening made me jump straight awake.

As I sat up, I saw my dear sweet husband standing there. "God, you're pathetic." He scoffed.

Chris got pissed because his bargaining in woke up Angelo. He sat up, running his hand over Ange's soft black hair. "Look who's talking." He responded, glaring him down.

Every time I set my eyes on that fucker, I grit my teeth. "Unless you're here to tell me you've got Mike out, I don't want to see you."

"I kind of did. I had to work out a compromise with my boss. He won't be going back to ADX but he's not going to be a free man for awhile. He has to stay in a cell here for the next six weeks." Ricky set a keycard on the dresser, next to my phone. "You can visit him but keep it brief and don't do it a lot. You're also the only one cleared to see him right now, so don't bring anyone else. I need all three of you to meet me in the common room in the next ten minutes."

"For what?" Chris snapped at him.

Ricky shot him a dirty look over his shoulder, "Just do it." He pulled the door shut behind him, making Angelo jump since he wasn't fully awake. Fucking asshole.

I guess having this is better than nothing. I'll at least get to see Kuza. He's going to be fucking pissed about all of this. Here's to hoping I have the ability to tame the savage beast. Maybe if he has good behavior they'll let him out earlier than he's supposed to get out. I got myself out of bed and started to pull on some clothes. My makeup from yesterday was still on my face. Surprisingly it wasn't too messy.

The other two pulled themselves out of bed, though they didn't want to. Angelo was like a little puppy in the mornings. He never wanted to get up but he wasn't that mad about it. I waited on them to get dressed, then we headed to the main room. The others were all sat around too. At least Ricky didn't unfairly wake up just us.

"This better be good." Ryan-Ashley said into a yawn.

"You all can go back to sleep after this." He replied, "Reese and I have to leave for a few days. While I'm gone, agent Moore will be watching over you."

"We don't need to be babysat." Manson seethed.

Ricky gestured down to his bandaged arm, "I beg to differ." He turned his attention away as the agent he was referring to came down the hall. "This would be him."

"This is all of them?" He asked as he examined our group of misfits.

"Ryan is in the hospital right now. Mike is... chained up. You don't have to worry about him." He responded.

"Are we aloud to call you by your first name?" Angelo asked, "The whole 'agent' thing is weird for me to get used to."

"I don't mind. My name is Garth."

My eyes quickly narrowed, "As in Ricky's ex-husband, Garth?"

Ricky sighed, "Fake ex-husband. We were never married and he's not even gay. I told you, we only did it because we both needed to disappear from the system. Please just try to be nice to him while we're gone."

"And where exactly are you two going?" I snapped.

He was getting pretty frustrated with me. Ricky took a deep breath, responding quietly, "Our father died. We have to go to his funereal." With that, Ricky started to walk away.

Goddamn it. He actually managed to make me feel bad. His father wasn't that old, I don't think, but he was still active in duty. He probably died in the field. That's got to be a hard way to lose someone. And poor Reese. It's not enough she almost lost her boyfriend, but then she loses her father. I guess Ricky isn't much better, thanks to me. He might as well have lost his wife. This doesn't mean we're going to kiss and makeup. I'm just saying, I feel a little bad.

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It was probably best if I waited until everything cooled down before I went and visited Kuza. Everyone is still a little wound up from all that's happened. It might be twisted, but I was happy to be able to see Ryan without Reese being right there. She can be so nosy. I'm sure his head felt relieved to not have her constant talking in his ear.

Ryan was reading a book when I walked in. Knowing him, he's got to be going crazy not being able to work. He somehow always knows who's coming up on him even without looking. "Devin," He sighed, "I'm going crazy in here."

I laughed, "You're already crazy."

He groaned and turned his head towards me, "You know what I mean. Reese won't tell me anything. I try to ask about the others and she won't talk."

"Ricky probably told her not to, to not stress you out. Nothing stresses you out though." I replied.

"Something happened?" He asked.

I set my hands on the rail of the bed, bowing my head. "Yeah. This whole ordeal caused everyone to get pretty pissed at Ricky. Him and Kuza were both looking for a reason to fight each other and this was what they needed to get into it with one another. Kuza bit Ricky's arm, right on his veins. That's all Ricky needed as an excuse to lock Mike away. He wanted to send him back to ADX but I talked him down. Mike still has to be kept in solitary for six weeks."

"You know he was trying to kill Ricky. If he had ripped those veins open just right, Ricky would've bled out." Ryan said, "Mike's smart enough to know that."

"I may be pissed at Ricky but I don't want him dead. Besides, I actually think this wasn't his fault."

"I know it wasn't." He muttered. Then, in typical Ryan fashion, changed the subject. "So, I guess without Mike you're going to have a lot of free time on your hands?"

"I guess. I'm going to try to get back to work. Won't be as easily without you to help me come up with crazy torture plans."

"Eh, you could always take up reading again." He spoke as he sat his book down on the table beside him. I glanced at the cover, seeing it was pretty old and faded. The title was The Lady in the Lake.

"I've read every horror story there is." I scoffed.

"Try a different genre. I've been reading a lot of Raymond Chandler books lately. I just finished The Big Sleep. You should try it. It's in Ricky's office." He suggested.

"Hm, we'll see." I replied, looking back at him.

He caught me up in his eyes like a spider in a web. The majority of the time, there's nothing in Ryan's eyes. They're dead, numb. In all the time I've known him though, there's been a few times I have caught a little light in them. Now was one of those times. There was something he was trying to tell me. He wanted me to read that book for whatever reason. Damn it, Ryan. What did you do?

"If you're bored, I can bring you some of the blue prints for some of my new torture devices. You can look over them, check my math since I always fuck that up." I said.

"Please. I need something to keep my mind active." He replied, then yawned.

The nurse happened to walk in then, saying, "Just doing rounds."

"That's alright. I think I'm going to head back anyways, let Ryan get some sleep."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm not tired."

"If you're not tired then I'm not a whore." I scoffed and smiled at him, "Get some rest. I'll come see you later."

Ryan waved his hand at me lazily, "Yeah, yeah."

He can be such a knucklehead sometimes. After getting shot, I'm sure he could really use the rest. I know I would be sleeping like crazy. Not Ryan though. he just wants to get back to work. He seemed to be in pretty good condition. I'm sure they'll let him out in a day or two. Right now, I'm more concerned with what the fuck could be in that book...

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Comment question: Predictions for what's in the book?