Page 56 of Ruin

Someone from The Pit knows me. What’s the point of hiding from them? Let’s bring the fight to them.

“You know you’ll always have a target on your back.” Cain turns the car off and leans back in the seat.

“I know, but I have faith in the family to have my back, plus I think they’ll come for you before they come for me.” I joke to lighten the mood in the car, because it’s a little tense in here at the moment.

“Yeah, they will. Killing the owner will get them out quicker. You’re my brother, but no one, and I mean no one, is to know you will take over once I can’t.” Cain makes sure I’m listening to him, because I know he’s being serious. But it also means he would die before letting one of us die. Even with Autumn in his life, he’s still happy to die to protect the family.

Cain nods his head for us to get out of the car, and I take a deep breath before I do. Standing by the gate, both Cain and Lincoln stand behind me, waiting for me to take a step in.

Walking in is always the hardest part, then after that I’ll be fine. Well, it’s what I keep telling myself.

The large metal door opens. The sound still makes my stomach feel sick, but I walk in with my head held high. This will be my Pit, and I can’t show fear.

Cain walks alongside me, and I hear a few people begging Cain for a fight for freedom, or calling him names, which isn’t anything new for him.

“He’s a fucking Crawford.”

“He’s the boss’s brother.”

“We should have killed him when we had the chance.”

They shout at me as I walk past their cells, but right now there is only one cell I need to go to, but Cain stops me.

“He’s in the room.” Lincoln takes the lead, and I glance over at the middle of the room, the blood which was spilled over the time I was here. You would think the thought would make me feel bad, but it doesn’t. I have to remind myself all the time, it was them or me. I chose to kill them to live another day.

Lincoln opens the door for me, and there he is.

“So, rumors are true, Pretty Boy is the boss’s brother. A Crawford.” I walk in closer to him, and he pulls me into a bear hug. The man is still strong. I believe he’s older than Cain, maybe the same age as Lincoln, but I have no idea. Never asked him.

“How you doing, Big Man?” I ask, and he looks behind me at Cain, and you can see it on his face. He’s not sure if he should say hello to him or not. Cain knows what he did for me in here, how he saved my life more than once, but Big Man doesn’t know that.

“Good. Keeping my head down.” He sits down on the chair, and I take the one in front of him. “How are you?”

“School might kill me this year, but I’m happy to be out of here.” I joke, which makes him laugh. “I did what you asked.” When he knew I was leaving, he asked me to see what was happening with the man who raped and killed his wife, the man who wants his head. “He’s about to marry for the third time. We know what happened to his first wife. His second wife, fuck, knows what happened to her, MIA. No one is saying a word, and this new wife, well I don’t even think she’s eighteen yet, but they get married next year. Other than that, he’s doing what the leader of the mafia does.” Big Man nods his head and then looks over at Cain before turning back to me.

“Thank you for finding out for me. You got a girl yet?” he asks, which makes me laugh.

Someone I’m having fun with. She’s mute.I sign, and Big Man bursts out laughing. “I know,” I say through laughter.

“Now tell me what’s happening. You’ve got a target on your back. There has to be a reason for it.”

“There is.” I look over at Cain, then back at Big Man. “A few weeks ago, I got a message. They know who I am and said they will make my family feel the loss that I have given the-”

“What?” Big Man asks in surprise. “You were a number, and getting information in and out of here is a mission on its own. Mr. Cain has done a good job of keeping this place locked up tight.” He again looks over at Cain, and I agree because it is a fucking mission to get out of here. “You get a moment of freedom. If you can climb to the top, a few have had five minutes up there.” I never climbed up the wall, mostly because I didn’t want to see anyone, and to get up there was a fight, I mean Batman trying to get out of Banes’ cage.

“We’re getting a list together of the people I killed-”

“That’s not a small list,” he jokes.

“Fuck you, smaller than yours.” I give him the middle finger, and he laughs even harder. “We’re getting the list together to see which family is after me.” Big Man leans back in the seat and folds his arms over his chest.

“I can see what people are saying around here, but again, getting information out of here is hard. The ones who get five minutes out there should be the ones you look into first. It has to be one of them, how they know who you are I have no idea, but I’ll ask around and see what I can find.” Big Man looks at me, glancing over at Cain, but only for a split second, then signs to me.You don’t look good. What’s happening?

Nothing, sleep isn’t easy. I might be out of here physically, but mentally it’s not so easy.I sign, and lean forward. “Thank you. Do you need anything?”

“Can I have something?” he asks with a chuckle to his tone.

I turn to Cain. I mean, he’s still the boss, and I’m the undercover guy. I laugh to myself at the thought of being the undercover boss.

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