Page 96 of Shattered Pieces

I’d rather not sleep in a cell block that was housing the enemy.

“It’s going to be a busy week in here. I need to handle a few things,” she grumbled, making me frown.

“Like what?”

“It’s better you don’t know.”

“Tell me, I’ll help,” I insisted, taking her wrist and tugging her towards her room so we could talk. “What is it?”

She blew out a breath, glancing out the door to make sure we were alone before closing it.

“One of Grovers’ girls has been smuggling crystal in. I don’t allow that shit in here. I need to teach them a lesson, but if we get caught, it’s added to our sentences. You’re still awaiting your day in court that could potentially get you out of here. It’s dumb for you to get involved.”

“Are you murdering the girl? C’mon, I can punch and you can do the talking,” I offered, and she chuckled.

“You really like punching people, don’t you?”

“I get a kick out of it, yes. They don’t host fights in here, right? I want in if they do.”

“No. They apparently tried a year ago but it went to shit fast. Keep your head down. You could get released any day if your case is dropped,” she huffed, toying with the ends of my hair. “As much as I’ll miss you when you leave, I don’t want to get you in trouble so you can stay longer either.”

“I told you not to fall for me,” I teased.

“I’m not,” she grumbled. “You just get me. You know what it’s like to be a woman in the crew world. It’s nice to not have to keep my mask on all the time around someone.”

“So let me help you,” I answered, giving her hand a squeeze. “What’s the plan?”

She studied me for a moment before nodding in defeat. “Fine. I need to get her alone in the bathroom, bribe a guard to distract the security room guy, cover the camera in the hallway, get my point across, then leave. We only have a small window to do it too.”

“How do you bribe a guard to do that?” I scoffed, and she raised an eyebrow.

“You do it on a day the creep is working. He’d turn a blind eye to murder if you fucked him. He’s completely driven by sex.”

“You seriously fuck him?”

“No different to the pervs on the outside I fuck or strip for. It’s just an exchange,” she shrugged. “Kat will help us while Jamie and Tilly are occupied. We don’t like Tilly getting involved, and we can fill Jamie in later. Just need to find a way to be in that hallway to block the cameras at the right time.”

“Can you bribe some of the other girls?” I asked.

“With what? I don’t really have anything they’d want.”

“Do things from the commissary work? I have loads of cash in my account, so I could buy a bunch of stuff in exchange for their help,” I stated, a slow grin spreading across her face.

“That could work. I’ll ask some of them.”

She motioned for me to follow as we left her room, and we headed out to the yard where some of the girls were enjoying the sun.

“Hey, Maxwell,” Lexi called out as we made our way towards the basketball hoop, motioning for her to join us. Maxwell was the girl who’d stepped in to defend me last time I’d played with them, and she’d been nice to me ever since.

She jogged over, her dark brown pony tail swinging, giving us a nod in greeting. “What’s up?”

“Got a favor to ask,” Lexi answered, leaning closer. “Any of your girls working the cleaning roster in the hallway by the shower block?”

“Jetson and Murry are. What kind of favor?” she asked suspiciously as she studied us with dark gray eyes, crossing her arms.

“I just need a towel tossed over the camera. I have to handle something in the bathroom. We’ll get you whatever you want from the commissary,” she promised, Maxwell’s eyes sliding to me.

“Someone messing with you again?”