“Hello, Schneider.” The way Raven hissed my newly-acquired friend’s name sent yet another icy chill slithering down my spine.

Raven kept on feeling me up boldly right in front of everyone in the goddamn cafeteria, his hands trailing across my forearms, shoulders and chest, and it was all I could do not to shudder in disgust. I was so fazed by an intense, overwhelming fear that I let him do that to me like some kind of spineless wimp.

When I felt his hot breath on my neck, I nearly expired.

“Hello, Aiden,” he purred into my ear in a voice I assumed was meant to be sexy and husky and all that, but all it did was make me feel even more sick than I already did.

How was it that he knew my name?

“You remember me, don’t you?”

‘Course I remember you. You’re the crazy bastard who called dibs on me like I’m some kind of cheap pet in an auction, and humiliated me in front of everyone in the goddamn prison!

“N-No.” Having finally regained my senses and taken control of my fear somewhat, I grabbed Raven’s hand from the wrist and calmly pried it away from my body. My eyes met Schneider’s and his motivational, cautionary words from a moment ago echoed in my mind clearly: The inmates without backbones here are the ones preyed upon.

It was about time I showed these pigs what I was made of; so, with a sudden boost of confidence that belied my fear, I said to him while I stared at Schneider’s inscrutable face, “So if you’ll excuse me, I would like to have my dinner in peace.”

“You’ll have it in pieces if you don’t—!” The new, very angry voice from behind startled me, making me jump. Even though I didn’t want to, I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder to see who it was that had spoken those threatening words before being interrupted by a surprisingly calm Raven.

“Shut up, Bob.”

Bob turned out to be the man who’d wanted to share me like I was a tart as we were being herded toward the Inspection Room.

I’d only been in prison for two days and I was already drawing unnecessary and unwanted attention toward myself like I had a TILT sign hanging over me! It was absolutely mindboggling. Why did everybody instantly peg me as easy prey the moment they laid eyes on me? Was it the way I behaved? Walked? Talked? I didn’t cuss enough? I needed tattoos?

The way things were going for me now was bound to get me assaulted again. Something needed to be done about it, and fast.

Raven wore a devious smirk on his face that made my skin crawl.

“Come now, Aiden. We’re good company once you get to know us, and I really want to get to know you extremely well." His sky-blue eyes glistened with the same wicked intent from our first encounter, chilling me to the bone. He wasn’t even trying to conceal his perverted intentions; the man was practically undressing me with his eyes!

“Not on your life.” I retorted with a heavy scowl.

Raven opened his mouth to say something when Schneider cut in, coming to my rescue, “You heard the man. Leave him alone, Raven.” Any sane man with a sense of self-preservation would have done what they were told after they heard Schneider’s very menacing tone, but it seemed that Raven didn’t fall under that category.

“Don’t act like you have dibs on him, Prince Boy! I saw and called dibs on him first! You know the rules!” The deranged man growled, finally revealing his true colors. He clutched his fists, veins and cords in his neck and forehead popped out.

“The rules don’t apply this time, now fuck off. You’re giving me a headache.”

Raven’s hand shot out so fast, I didn’t even see it until it was firmly gripping my arm. Before I could even let out a single peep, I was pulled out of the chair with a force that nearly ripped my entire freaking arm off.

“What the hell, you jerk!” I vaguely registered Schneider rising in my peripheral vision, his chair falling to the ground.

“He’s mine, Schneider, so back the hell off or I’ll break his arm.” Hissed a very furious-looking Raven, his square jaw set. His vice grip tightened so much on my forearm that it became nearly impossible to bear the pain that shot up my arm like bolts of electricity.

Raven was not kidding around with his threat.

“Let go of me!” I screamed, in serious pain as I attempted to pry his long fingers. I twisted my hand and finally raised my knee to nail him in the balls as soon as I realized my efforts were futile. He seemed to had anticipated it and took a step back, missing my blow by a few inches.

By now, everyone in the cafeteria was watching the spectacle, including the guards who for some reason stood by idly, doing nothing to intervene. Most of the inmates seemed to be having the time of their life, cheering on madly for a fight to ensue like they were watching WWE.

“I promise you, Raven, if you don’t let go of him right this instant, I’m going to shove my hand up your hand up your ass and rip your heart out!” Schneider seemed to produce a sharp-looking, makeshift knife –a shank—out of thin air, holding it menacingly in clear sight so that Raven could see he meant every word. Not that anybody dared doubt him; the murderous expression on Schneider’s handsome face alone was proof enough that he was serious about his threat.

A few men appeared behind Schneider, looking like allies of his. They wore similar expressions on their faces, their eyes practically glowing with homicidal intent.

All hell broke loose.

A bloody fight ensued. Bob attacked Schneider, who moved with inhuman speed and gracefully dodged out of the way. Mercilessly, Schneider embedded the shank into Bob’s bicep and pulled it out, drawing blood. Bob shrieked like a felled beast just as Schneider’s allies tackled him to the floor. Next thing I knew, everyone in the cafeteria was fighting.

Now’s my chance.

I threw my head backward and headbutted Raven, and then lunged forward, thinking I’d loosened his grip enough to dislodge it.

I didn’t. I pissed him off instead.

Furious, he seized my head and slammed it down onto the table. A skull-shattering pain exploded in my head, causing black spots to appear in my vision. Unsatisfied, he grabbed my arm and twisted. I cried out as I felt fire course through my twisted arm. Agony made my knees buckle. Tears wet my cheeks.

Schneider started advancing on Raven, who had me pinned face down against the table with a twisted arm.

A darkness filled the corners of my vision as I felt myself begin to lose consciousness.

“If you come anywhere near me, I swear I’ll break his arm!” If Raven was hoping to keep Schneider away from him, that did the trick. Concerned for my safety, Schneider halted in his steps.

My entire left arm was beginning to feel numb and my vision began to blur.

A sudden hush descended upon the cafeteria.

“Oh, shit! It’s –“

"Let. Him. Go."

Whoever this new presence was managed to immediately quell the fight and silence everyone in the cafeteria. Raven released me immediately as if scorched. The last thing I saw was him bolting in the other direction before I succumbed to the darkness.