Page 2 of Shattered Pieces

“Where are you from?” she asked from opposite me, seeming genuinely interested.

“Grew up in Hawthorne Heights. Currently in Ashburn Valley,” I answered, her eyes lighting up.

“Oh, you live near Bryant.”

“Lexi?” I asked, her eyes widening slightly.

“You know her?”

“Well, no. I’ve just heard of her. She’s in with the Reapers, right?” I asked carefully, not sure if I should be admitting I knew any of this. When she studied me a little more tensely, I added, “I’m dating one of the Psychos.”

“Shit, really? I’m surprised they put you in our block. They try to keep crew connections separate in here to save drama. Especially lately,” she said with a wince.

“Psychos and Reapers don’t have beef.”

“That can change on any given day,” she snorted, flicking her eyes over my shoulder. I turned, and as much as her face was bare and she was in prison uniform, I knew it was Lexi walking towards us.

She was being flanked by two other girls, one with strawberry blonde hair and the other with a long black pony tail, all of them taking me in like I was vermin.

Lexi’s bleached hair was getting dark regrowth, and despite not having her lashes or makeup on, she was still naturally pretty.

“Hey, Bryant. Donovan’s from Ashburn,” Jamie said as a greeting, Lexi dropping her gaze down my body before looking back up at my face.

“I know. You’re Skeet’s girl, right?” she asked, her voice flat and putting me on edge.

“Yeah. You’re with Hendricks? I’m Rory,” I stated, standing and offering my hand to shake to show respect, not expecting her to punch me in the face.

The girls with her laughed as I stumbled, and when I went to swing back, Jamie gave me a shake of the head, telling me not to.

I gritted my teeth and relaxed my hands, eyeing the pissed off woman in front of me.

“That’s for waving a gun at Myles,” she bit out before stalking inside, and Jamie sighed.

“I thought you said there was no beef?”

“There’s not, that was personal,” I muttered, rubbing my jaw.

“So, you’re with Skeeter Maddox? He’s popular here when he comes to visit some of the girls,” she smirked, finishing her cigarette and putting it in the ashtray on the wall.

“Not surprised,” I grumbled. “How long until I can have visitors?”

“They like to let you settle in for a week first. If you get into trouble, it can be longer. Skeeter will probably get hold of the other girls to pull you under their protection. They’re not a big deal in here or in our block, but there’s strength in numbers. The hierarchy is simple. Bryant’s the top dog, and the other girls in our cell area are her crew. You’ve got to prove yourself before she brings you in, and I hate to say it, but it’s going to be a challenge if she already hates you,” she cringed. “I’d recommend staying out of her way for now. Keep your door open during the day to avoid people thinking you’re hiding something, don’t ever push the help button or bring the guards into any trouble, and don’t be a rat. It’s really not that hard in here if you can do all of that.”

“Noted,” I huffed, following her back inside to our cell block.

Lexi and the others were all there, and I ignored the fact that the girl with the strawberry blonde hair was straddling her while shoving her tongue down her throat. Hunter hadn’t been kidding, she was having a blast in here.

I headed straight into my room and remembered to keep my door open, sorting out my bed and lying back on it with a sigh. What the fuck did people do in here all damn day?

Hours dragged. No one bothered me, and I didn’t leave my spot on the bed until Jamie poked her head in.

“Hey. Coming for lunch?”

“Can I skip?” I grumbled, and she rolled her eyes.

“It’s better that you don’t. Everyone’s wanting to get an eyeful of the murderous newbie from the news, so it’s super obvious if you hide away.”

“Ugh,” I grunted as I stood and stretched. “What are the chances of this going smoothly?”