Chapter 1: Cinder-Fucking-Rella

Alex heard the door close, and thought it was awfully fast for the guard to already be back. When she turned to say something, what she saw – who she saw – sent fear running through her.

"Aydin… how?"

Aydin stood there looking smug, toothpick in mouth, "This place would hire Forest Fucking Gump. The guy who interviewed me was so relieved to find someone who's actually qualified."

Alex couldn't believe it. Lolly had tried to warn her about the guard with the toothpick and she just didn't listen to her. Now, she was trapped here with him and she was terrified. She knew he'd kill her without a second thought.

"You don't have to do this," Alex pleaded.

"Yeah, I do," came Aydin's cold reply.

Alex tightened her grip on the broom handle and tried to think of a way to escape the situation. Aydin eyed her carefully and looked as if he would be ready to pounce if she tried something. He moved the toothpick from side to side in his mouth and then said, "Relax, Alex. I'm not here to kill you."

Alex, slightly taken aback by his words, stumbled backwards a little, shaking, still grabbing tightly to the broom handle. "Don't fuck with me, Aydin! Why are you here?"

"Kubra wanted to kill you months ago. We sat outside your apartment in Queens just waiting for the perfect opportunity to take you out. We almost had you then you went and got yourself busted again. When Kubra found out you were back in prison again, he decided we could use you in a better way."

Alex was confused, she didn't understand what Aydin was talking about. How could Kubra use her in prison? "Use me how, exactly?"

"Kubra is a smart man, Alex. You know this, you know how he cut out the Mexican cartel and passed on those savings to the consumer. Kubra is always looking for ways to be bigger, better, richer, and more powerful."

"Right, he's a real heroin Robin Hood," Alex shot back.

"Alex, be thankful I am not here to kill you. You testified against Kubra in open court. You know he's killed people for less than that. For fuck's sake he killed Fahri for not buying new burner phones."

"Why are you here? What can I possibly do in here to help Kubra become more powerful?"

"It's simple, Alex. You will sell heroin here."

Alex laughed, "What the fuck? How am I supposed to sell heroin in prison? I'm an importer anyway, I was never a dealer."

"You'll learn, you're resourceful. We had a girl on the inside already, but she ended up getting run over by a prison van or some shit like that. Since she's dead, you're our new girl on the inside. Running drugs in prisons has been quite lucrative for Kubra. We have several girls in several prisons all running drugs quite successfully."

Alex couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was thankful not to be dead, but how could she go back to this kind of life? She wanted those days to be over, and here was Aydin and Kubra forcing her back into it, in prison no less. "How would the drugs get into the prison?"

"I'll handle that, Alex. You just need to focus on getting a group of girls together that you can trust to help you distribute the merchandise once it's in here. You're good at recruiting girls, this should be a piece of cake for you."

"Yeah, easy peasy. And what if I refuse to do this?"

"This isn't a request, Alex. You will do this for Kubra," Aydin yelled.

"Or what?" Alex shot back.

"Or I will kill your pretty little blonde girlfriend. Funny how you two ended up back together again after she dumped you in Paris and you spent all that time get drugged up and partying to forget about her. You must really love her if you let her back into your life again. So I think it would be best to kill her first. Maybe let you watch. Then I will kill you."

Alex felt faint. Piper. Alex was upset with Piper for a lot of things right now. She had broken up with her because Piper was becoming someone she didn't like, but she could never let any harm come to Piper. Alex loved Piper and she always had. It was like Yoga Jones said just a few days ago at Red's dinner: Lovers never meet. They're in each other all along. Piper was in Alex always, even when they were apart for so long. Alex could die right now and that would be what she thought she deserved, but no way in hell could she let Piper die.

"I'll do it," Alex said quietly.

"Smart move. I'll be in touch in a few days with more instructions. Don't try anything stupid until then. I'll be here… watching you and watching blondie. For now, finishing sweeping up, Cinderella."