Chapter 35 - Blood Shed Margot's POV The guys spoke over our heads , casual curses and rough laughter as I took note of the different side of Coban ... the more relaxed side ... Although I felt somewhat safe , I couldn't fully relax . Not after hearing how those guys spoke about their assigned girls . Was that what this project mostly was ? Girls coming here to please the inmates ? Cara gave me a look part concern , part ' what the hell just happened ' - before lowering her voice . - " You doing okay still ? " she asked quietly , leaning in so only I could hear her . Her bright eyes flickering behind me to where Coban's hand still rested loosely against his thigh , rock steady . " Yeah ... we had a sort of , good chat in the room , " I admitted . " But hearing those men , that was insane . " Cara exhaled through her nose and nodded , frowning . " They saw Leo on the way out and followed us . They seemed to know him well though ... maybe they work with them or something if you get what I mean ... " Her voice was barely above a whisper now . " I even tried saying hi to the girls ... and nothing . Just blank stares . " She looked genuinely rattled . I hated that . Cara didn't get rattled easily . I leaned in closer , my voice low . " They're probably all just ... " " Assholes ? " she offered , trying for a small laugh . " Yeah . That ." I smiled back . We lapsed into a brief silence , both of us pretending to listen to Leo and Coban talk over our heads , though neither of us were really paying attention anymore . My heart was still racing , and something in the pit of my stomach still wasn't settling as I looked around the courtyard ... Leo suddenly went stock - still mid - sentence , eyes narrowing over Coban's shoulder . His voice exploded through the still air like a grenade ... " What the fuck's he doing here ?! " Gravel cracked and shifted as both Leo and Coban stood at the same time , fast and sharp like striking vipers , rising up on either side of us in perfect sync , 1/5 3:19 pm P & DD . Chapter 35 Blood Shed " Looking for another fight , clearly , " Coban snarled , and his voice wasn't casual anymore . It was cold steel . Murderous . My stomach dropped . " What's going on ?! " I hissed , voice caught somewhere between panic and disbelief as I looked to Cara for reason . Her eyes were wide , mirroring mine , and without a second thought she reached for my hand . We clutched onto each other tightly , fingers locked in a panicked grip . Then I saw who they were looking at . Three men . Standing just beyond the far side of the yard , whispering amongst themselves . Their postures were rigid , movements subtle , but their expressions were pure venom . Their eyes never left Coban or Leo . One of them even had a half - smile pulling at his mouth , as if this was funny to him . There was tension , thick and sour in the air . Something unspoken but old . History . Bad history ... - I barely had time to process it when I heard Coban's voice again a hard tone that snapped me back into the present . " Bella ! " He didn't even look at me . His eyes were still locked on the three figures . I jolted slightly . " Y - Yeah ? " " Go walk over to the fence behind us with Cara , and bring us two of the largest rocks you can find . " My brain stalled . " Wait - Had I heard him wrong ? what ? " He didn't like that I didn't move . His head whipped toward me, eyes flashing . " DO IT ! " He snapped . His voice cut through me like a whip and suddenly my legs were moving , Cara's too . He didn't have to tell us twice . Chapter 35 Blood Shed We scurried behind the bench like rabbits bolting for cover , eyes scanning the cracked ground near the fence , desperate for anything that looked remotely large . " What the hell is happening ?! " Cara hissed again , but I could barely speak . " I don't know , " I said truthfully , breath short , " Maybe he's trying to distract us so him and Leo can talk ... maybe it's nothing ... " It didn't feel like nothing ... The gravel was useless , mostly pebbles that were too small . But just near the leg of the bench we'd been seated on , I spotted a larger , jagged rock palm - sized , solid . I snatched it up without thinking . Cara found one too , slightly smaller , but still heavy . - We turned and rushed back - but before I could even take a full step toward him , Coban was suddenly there . - He grabbed me - not hard, not painful but fast and firm , dragging me right into his chest like a shielded fortress . I gasped , caught off guard , but his arms locked around me with purpose . His mouth was by my ear again , hot breath against my skin . " Give me it and stay right behind me . " His voice was all grit and command . No room for questions . - My fingers shook as I pressed the rock into his palm it looked laughably small in his hand - and in the next second , he was moving me behind him with a single push of his arm . I peeked around his shoulder just in time to see the three men moving toward us fast now , their pace no longer casual , their faces dark and twisted . How had the guards out here not noticed a thing yet ?! I thought , eyes scanning to count the shocking number of them compared to the inmates ... I couldn't breathe . And very quickly , things erupted , " You thought we'd let you get out of these walls alive Santo ?! " one of the men shouted , just before fists flew - no more words , no more build - up . They clashed like a wave , as I watched Coban smash the rock against the head of the one who spoke first , drawing immediate blood , as I jumped and slammed my eyes shut for a second in horror ... The sound was chaotic : gravel crunching , bodies slamming , the guttural grunts of grown men fighting with no rules , no hesitation before the whistles began to blow loudly - alerting the guards . 3/5 3:19 pm P DD Chapter 35 - Blood Shed Leo tackled one of them hard enough to knock them both off their feet , fists already hammering down , while Coban ducked a punch and swung his rock - clenched fist into the side of another man's skull . It made a sickening crack- the kind you don't forget . One of the men tried to grab Coban's shirt , but he twisted , yanked him down by the collar and kneed him hard in the ribs , so hard I felt it from where I stood . I wanted to scream . Or run . I didn't know . Cara was frozen too , clutching me with one hand clamped over her mouth . Blood was everywhere on all of them . Someone's nose was gushing . Another was coughing and spitting into the dirt . And yet ... neither Coban nor Leo seemed winded . Not yet . They moved like predators . Fluid , fast , practiced . Like they'd done this before . Many times . It was terrifying to witness them so violent , causing for my eyes to water from the scene . Guards eventually flooded in , just as my eyes caught one of the inmates retrieving a small makeshift blade , swinging it at Coban and ripping his shirt . " He has a knife ! " I gasp loudly , as Cara suddenly obs , 1 Osing control of her emotions entirely . Before we could watch on , rough hands were on us , causing us to shriek , before realising that it was a large guard . " Let's go ladies ! " He yells , hauling us both towards the door to go back inside as I fight to look back at the messy scene behind us . Many men had gathered to witness the fight , making it harder for the guards to flood in to put a stop to it . " One of them might die ?! " I cried , as the guard only tugged us onwards . Coban could die ?! But without another second , the door closed , taking us both away from the violence completely ... 4/5