The bastards haul me to my room, and not too gently, either. It takes four of them to wrestle me to my cell, and the only reason they can subdue me is because I’m laughing so fucking hard.

They toss me through the door and I slam against the cold, hard concrete. By luck or design, I have a room of my own. There’s a bunk bed and a hole in the wall to shit in. That’s it. I don’t know if I’m in my own cell because I’m violent or what, but if I hadn’t already been in my own room, I would’ve made sure they fixed that.

I enjoy my own company.

I lie down on the saggy mattress and look at my bloody knuckles. As always, at times like this, I feel conflicted. I love the violence. I love the pain. Yet, I feel I shouldn’t have lost control.

Everyone has a switch. One that completely changes their minds when flipped. Some have more than one. Our reactions have to do with conditioning, and I use that fact as a tool. People have expectations, and using those against them is extremely easy.

Back in the days of my childhood, living in a Lord-of-The-Flies type deal, I needed the violence. It was expected. Adolescents are completely fucked up, and I was beyond weird to them. They did what they could to tease, to poke, to prod.

I made sure this didn’t happen then, and it won’t happen now, too.

I show them their fear. I shove their ignorance in their faces. Just by existing, I remind them what pitiful excuses of human beings they really are.

I should do more than petty violence to punish them for that audacity.

Perhaps Alison can help me with that.

“Alison.” I say aloud, rolling it over my tongue.

Beautiful. Goddamn sexy. And she doesn’t know just how fucking sexy she is. So innocent, wearing that body as if it was nothing. But when a man’s eyes are on her, she glows even without meaning to.

Women of her age should know how to work it.

Not Alison. She’s like a child in a way, with how innocently she moves and speaks. Everything is literal and plain. There are no hidden meanings with her.

Except with what’s really in her mind. I feel she’s chosen this profession not to understand others, but to understand herself. How strange that she should run into me, who sees her so clearly for who and what she really is.

Oh, honey. Your lack of emotion doesn’t make you less human. Your disconnection from the world is not a weakness.

It’s power. It’s strength. If you can’t feel…if you think the world doesn’t give you enough, fucking throttle for more!

My fists are clenched so tightly the knuckles are aching. My cock is getting hard. This won’t do at all.

With a few deep breaths, I bring myself back on the level. I can hear the other inmates moving around outside, talking. Management will be deciding what to do with me.

If I wasn’t already in a nice, private cell, I’d probably be in solitary.

In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve recognized some of the guards as being on my payroll.

Money fucking talks everywhere, bitches. Over the years, I’ve built a vast network. I’ve never burned any bridge so badly that a couple of grand wouldn’t solve. Any of them who thought they had ‘integrity’ either sold out or compromised.

I grin at that, and my smile grows and lingers as I start rubbing my hands together.

Compromise Alison. Oh, yes. Not just to fuck her—as fun as that would be, any dick could do that. Get her half-aroused and then tear her clothes off and fuck her. Soft virgin cries against the hard fury of male.

That’s too fucking easy. I can get that anywhere, any time. There are plenty of virgin idiots out there who’d give me that edge of fear, that first-time astonishment. It’s luscious every time, I don’t deny it.

But that’s not what I want from Alison. I can tell she’s a virgin by that innocent, childlike manner. She wouldn’t consider it childlike—she would probably be deeply insulted by the idea. It shows though. The way she moves, completely unaffected by the gazes of men, shows me she’s never been touched.

God, she’s probably never even had a hot wrestle with clothes on.

Fuck. My whole body’s getting hard. I let it ride over me, fury, power, need…and I let myself think about her.

I want that soft white skin under my hands. I want that flaming red hair fanned out about her, flickering like inflamed lust. I want to see those blue eyes looking up at me…but not in fear.

In hunger.

I want to see her hungry, and mad, and clawing at me. I want to tear off that cold calculating mask and set her heart alight.

I want to show her she’s just as mad as I am. I want to see her glory in the demonic energy of the deranged.

Anyone could fuck her. Anyone could deflower her; a clumsy half-cocked dick who’s gentle as a mouse, a football jock who doesn’t understand women even have emotions, let alone erogenous zones…

I’m the only one who can enlighten her. I’m the only man in existence that can truly open her, because, deep down, we’re the same.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

I feel calm sweeping over me. My fists open, my eyes close and my breathing becomes even. My cock even goes down, as if I’ve had an orgasm.

It was a spasm of the mind. A mental release.

Alison.

“Alison.” The word is like sweet candy on my tongue. We’re meant to be. We are one. She’s going to help me gain control of myself, so I can truly be all I can be.

I’m going to show her the dark and let her embrace her potential. I’m going to show her how good the dark feels.

Kiss the devil, and do not fear.

I’m drifting a little, just teasing myself with her image when I hear a low whistle. I look up quickly and there’s a skinny fellow at my bars. I grin at him.

“Benny! What the fuck, dude!” He’s one of my employees. Always in and out of jail. It’s part of his job.

You know some people have actually gone to prison to get away from me? How incredibly fucking stupid. I mean, seriously. Of course, I have people everywhere.

“Shhh, boss. Not too loud. No one’s supposed to be talkin’ to ya, but I called in a favor with one of the guards. Kept ‘em from getting shanked on a Tuesday. O’course he gets jumped on a Wednesday—but that wasn’t part of the deal, right?”

I get up and step lightly to the bars.

“Stop rambling. Whatcha got for me, Benny?”

He pulls a long slim cigar out of his pocket and a small bottle of vodka. I take them gratefully.

“There’s a book of matches hidden under the top mattress. The guards are going for lunch so there’ll only be a few on. It’s safe to enjoy for now. I’ve been spreadin’ the word and lyin’ low to get all the intel for ya, boss.”

“What are you in for now, Benny?” I sniff the cigar appreciatively.

“Ah…dealin’, boss. Remember? You told me to get busted with my pockets full because you needed Arnando Torelli watched in the joint.”

“Of course. I forgot. What happened to our dear friend Arnando?”

“Ah… He got his throat slit in the showers just as you ordered, boss.”

“Wonderful! My lawyers looking after you?”

“Yeah, boss. We got a meeting today.”

“Excellent. Listen to me very carefully, Benny. I need everything you can get on Alison Hughes. Turn this over to the lawyers; they’ll know what to do. But do some searching on the outside as well, Benny. I want it all. Legal documents. Hearsay. Rumors. If she might have fucked someone after a school dance I want to know about it. You hear me?”

A stupid, cock-of-the-walk grin spreads across Benny’s face.

“You got a crush there, boss?”

I drop the cigar and tiny bottle, and grab Benny through the bars, slamming him against them, forehead first. By dumb luck, he doesn’t get his nose broken.

“You aren’t employed to ask questions, Benny.”

“No, sir! I’m sorry, sir! Ouch!”

“I pay you well, don’t I?”

“Yes, boss! Fuck! Yes!”

“So, do as you’re fucking told!”

“Yes! I will! I swear!”

I let him go, loosening my shoulders. I turn away, and Benny scuttles off.

“Wait a second.”

He stops and looks over. I love the look in his eyes. A savage dog that just had the shit beaten out of him. He’s a dangerous dog, but he just met an even worse one. I can feel myself grinning. I’m tempted to lick some blood off my knuckles just for shock value.

“Make sure my dear Dr. Hughes gets a gift. A note. Something nice. Something cute. To let her know she’s being thought of.”

Benny nods and beats it. I gather up my cigar and tiny bottle of booze, and lay back on my bed to enjoy them.

This shithole isn’t half-bad, after all.