Chapter 3

There were tables in the court yard much like the ones in the yard of the reformatory. Some men sat around and played cards while others played basketball in the corner. Some sat on the short brick railing that separated the small entry ways of the apartments from the yard, making it appear to have a porch of some kind. There were three floors of apartments and the second and third floor had wooden rails that some men looked over as Taylor and Bridget walked through the grassy area.

Taylor kept her head down so she could not see their lustful stares. She wished she could block out their whistles and cat calls.

"Hey Bridget, got time for me tonight?" A tall, Latin man wearing a bandana around his head approached.

"Later." Bridget flirted and placed her hand on his chest. Bridget seemed to be well known in the yard. "Who's your friend?"

"How soon you forget me, Sergio." Bridget tapped him. "You never mind. You're not her type."

They arrived at the store and Taylor was in awe of the different things the store had. Things she had not dreamed of having in her life ever again. She touched a pair of jeans. It was easy to tell they were second hand, but to her it felt like they had come from the mall. She had never cared for the plain blue dresses made out of thin material that all the inmates of the reformatory wore with their numbers printed in bold black letters on the left top. Even though she had no idea when she would receive a paycheck, she gave into her desire and bought the two dollar pair of jeans along with three tee shirts for fifty cents each. She bought a second hand walk man that the tape player did not work on, but the earphone were in good shape and the radio and batteries were worked. She then bought a few food items to contribute to the apartment. She did not know if the women ate together or if they had to tend to their own meals. Either way she did not want to feel like a mooch and anger the others. She ended up spending her entire ten dollars quickly, which made her feel sick to her stomach. She had saved it for over a month, going without as often as possible.

She stepped out of the store and her eyes met with a man who was sitting with his legs propped up on the brick and his back against a supporting beam outside his apartment door. He wore no shirt and his arms were covered in tattoos. He stared at her as she walked, smoking his cigarette. Unlike the other inmates, he was not surrounded by friends and no one looked his way.

"Randy." Bridget told her as they walked.

"What?"

"That's Randy Orton. He's the most dangerous man in here. But no one calls him by his name. They call him the Viper."

"The Viper? Why?"

"He's just like a snake. Sneaky and he will strike with venom with very little warning. No one messes with him. They say he strangled a kid to death with his bare hands. He's got a temper no one wants to cross."

"You know him?"

"Not personally. He stays to himself. Look at those eyes. They're like ice." Even Bridget seemed to be scared of the man. As they spoke, a group of guys walked up to the Viper, seeming to challenge him. The leader of the group pushed the man's shoulder and the others laughed. Taylor watched as The Viper took a draw off his cigarette and then flicked it away. He did not say a word even after the cocky man punched him square in the jaw. The Viper slowly turned his head back toward his attacker, his eyes narrowed, the muscles in his cheeks jumping. And just as Bridget had said, he moved quickly and the man soon lay at his feet, holding his nose and kicking and screaming in pain. Then The Viper's eyes looked at her again. Taylor tore her eyes away. She definitely did not want to be on his radar for any reason.

"Let's go this way." Bridget moved to the far end of the courtyard, completely opposite of where The Viper sat staring at them. "That man scares me. If he wants something, he takes it."

Bridget did not have to explain. Taylor knew what it meant.

Randy stared out at the crowded court yard and at the man the guards were picking up from the ground. Charlie had been running his mouth toward him for an entire week and Randy had tried to ignore him. But Charlie wanted to make a name for himself, just like many new guys did. And Randy was always the one they wanted to take down. He watched Bridget as she walked toward her apartment. The men flocked to her. But he wouldn't. He had other plans for the money he earned and he was not turned on by a woman who sold her body. He wondered about the new woman who walked with her. She was the prettiest girl he had seen in the community so far and he knew she would have men lined up to be with her. He took a deep breath and was tempted to give in and receive the pleasure he had been without for over four years. Instead, he lit another cigarette and laid his head against the wooden pillar. He had a real life to look forward to. Seven more months and he would be free and he would not have to pay a woman to be with him.

Please Review.