Page 10 of Hart of Vengeance
Prison gangs were different than gangs on the outside—fiercer, dirtier in their fighting, and took no prisoners. It was easy to shoot a gun or aim it at someone as a threat. Inside, knives and shivs were by far more powerful and deadly than any gun I’d carried. A person didn’t see a blade coming until it was carving through muscle and bone. I had a feeling Munster had one of those shivs on him somewhere.
“What the fuck do you want?” Munster asked with a snarl that would scare a cockroach.
Some old fuck who’d been in prison most of his adult life thought Henry Vasquez looked like Herman Munster from a TV show I was too young to know.
“I need to talk to Brown.”
The buzz of voices in the high-ceiling room died. Even the men leaning on the rails outside their cells on the second floor turned their attention to us. Most of the men on our block didn’t mess around with Rudy Brown. The main reason stemmed more from what he could get them rather than his arsenal of men.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the guards on the third floor were watching us. A solid glass room surrounded two sides of the cellblock and was the epicenter in which the guards had a full view of the common room, either through the glass or via cameras positioned strategically in places that were hidden from view.
“Let him pass,” Brown said.
Damn straight.The fucker owed me. I’d done my time for him in the hole for protecting his ass not long after I’d started my sentence. He owed me more than one favor too.
Munster moved out of my way, and I slipped into the chair he’d occupied.
Rudy waved his gnarly fingers at the other two at the table. They scattered like rats.
Once we were alone, I leaned in. “I need a cell phone.”
Rudy set his brown gaze on me. “I sold them all.”
“Bull. I know you always keep one hidden in your cell.”
The other inmates returned to whatever they were doing, and the hum of chatter ensued.
Sitting back with the cards in his hand, Rudy kicked his long legs out. “It will cost you.”
“Let’s not forget you owe me, and I’m collecting on favor one.”
He chewed on his toothpick like it was a juicy piece of meat. “I hear you’re getting out.”
I leaned my elbows on the table. “I have a parole hearing. Nothing is set in stone.” I refused to get my hopes up, but no matter who I talked to, the consensus was a resounding yes—I was getting out.
“Why the need for a phone? No one loves you on the outside.”
I stuck Rudy with the middle finger as I popped up. I had no patience for him. “Forget I asked.”
Duke wouldn’t answer anyway. If he did, I doubt he would corroborate what the agents had told me about him being at Hector’s the night of the murder. Still, I had to know if the agents were blowing smoke up my ass or not.
Good luck with that. The only way you’ll know for sure is if you confront Duke in person.That probably wouldn’t work either. Duke was the master at keeping things close to his vest, in person or not. He was an expert at bluffing in a card game.
I shoved my fingers through my hair, ready to head toward my cell in the back corner of the main floor.
Rudy caught my arm. “Wait.”
I backtracked two steps.
“Sit,” he said evenly.
I was getting tired of people telling me to sit. I wasn’t a fucking dog. Regardless, if my brother would answer the phone or my question, I had to try.
I dropped down once again in the chair.
Rudy’s bald head glistened beneath the bright lights. “I hear we have some fresh meat. I also hear he wants you dead.”
It took me a second to register his words. “Who?”
