Page 12 of The Fall Guy

Already, I need a break from the mind games. What else isn’t as it seems? I’m not naïve enough to think being a member of the Cyclones will set me up inside here. I glance around, feeling like I need to watch my back.

Max chuckles. “Trying to walk before you can crawl? We’ll hook you up all in good time. First, we need to get you settled. Let the meatheads know you’re one of us.”

I fork up some mashed potatoes and shovel it into my mouth. Instantly, I regret it because it tastes like boiled pond water. I put down my cutlery and push the plate away. My appetite is leaving like a fast train to London—on time and without hesitation.

Max laughs again. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. In the meantime, if you’re not eating that, I will.”

“Knock yourself out.”

I stand ready to leave when something shiny catches my eye. Before I can react, one of the inmates grabs a guard from behind and rests a blade on his neck. Another officer hits the alarm, and all hell breaks out.

People start fighting, food flies across the room, and I see chaos everywhere. A guy from another table approaches me, and I hit him in the face before he can get too close.

Max protects Ernie as he navigates him out of the room. I go to follow, but someone grabs the back of my ankle. I’m about to get shanked in the calf when a food tray comes down on the guy’s head. He releases my leg, making me jolt forward. I don’t wait to thank the person who stopped me from getting injured.

High-pitched whistles ring through the dining space. More officers with batons pile into the canteen. Aggression oozes from every corner like it’s been stored in the walls from previous fights.

A guard pushes me against the wall like I’m part of the problem. I could put up more of a struggle, maybe take him down, but I don’t. I’m escorted to my cell, and the whole prison is put into lockdown.

The whistles continue for a further twenty minutes, making my brain feel like it’s rattling. It’s true what they say. You cansugar coat something, but a shoe will still be a shoe. Prison might not seem so bad on the surface, but it’s still close to being in hell.

I lay on my bed with a pillow over my head, trying to drown out some of the noise. The mattress is so thin that the springs stick into my face, but it’s better than listening to the racket.

Rio takes ages to be transferred back to his cell. His features are hard, and he’s ignoring me when he enters. The door slams, and he climbs onto his own bed. I guess this is how it’s going to be.

CHAPTER 6

RIO

Gettingclose to Jono Decampo is proving more difficult than I thought. If my lap dog, Felix Broady, wasn’t causing me so much trouble, I could’ve got him in the showers already.

I let out an exhausted, long breath. It must be past midnight, and I can hear my new cellmate softly snoring. My last roommate was shipped out over a week ago to a prison up north. It’s been bliss having my own space, and now I’m stuck with someone who could uncover the truth.

Shoving my hand into the mattress, I dig around for the sewn in pocket that contains my phone. After today’s raid, I’m confident my hiding place is a good one. It wasn’t found even though our cell was torn apart. As soon as I boot it up, a message comes through from an anonymous number.

A little birdie tells me you’ve been brought a present.

The present must be a reference to myfriendbecause nothing else remotely interesting has happened.

The chaos that broke out early was no gift, it allowed Felix the chance to rub up against me. I shudder at the memory. Toescape his grasp I’d had to invade the kitchen area, which earned me a visit to the governor’s office.

Clicking reply, I write out a message?—

I could have used a bit more alone time

—and then I hit send.

The writing bubble pops up, and a message comes through a few seconds later.

How was I supposed to know he wouldn’t put up a fight? Kaden went down quicker than a dead body with lead weights.

I look up to his mattress while sucking my cheek into my mouth. He doesn’t strike me as the type to roll over and take it like a bitch.

Rio:

What did he do?

Sender:

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