Page 1 of Bishop

Chapter 1

Cantiville Federal Corrections, Cantiville Nevada

Bishop

“You gonna eat that?”

I looked at the disgusting pile of slop on my plate. Though it was the last fucking thing in the world that I wanted to eat, I wasn’t about to give it up. Doing so would be a mistake. Especially being where I was.

Want it or not, if I gave this asshole what was on my plate, he might think he could start helping himself to something else of mine. And I’d heard of the man’s preference for good-looking men. Not gonna happen.

Making hard eye contact with the prisoner, I shoveled a spoonful of the mystery meat into my mouth in response. Tiny, the inmate’s name which could only be described as ironic, stood. He towered over me. The fucker must have been at least six and a half feet tall. He wasn’t fat either. The neo-Nazi was a mountain of muscle that had a long list of prison yard fights under his belt. Fights that he’d won. But hell, so did I. And I wasn’t about to become someone’s bitch for anything, let alone subpar stew.

Tiny cracked his knuckles and glared down at me. “You think you’re fucking funny, pretty boy?”

Leaning back, I cocked my head to the side to consider the man’s words. This was the third time this week that he’d gotten into my face. The prick was spoiling for a fight, and nothing I said or did would convince him otherwise.

I’d managed to de-escalate the situation the previous two times. But that wasn’t going to happen today. Might as well lean into the fight then. Piss him off so bad he threw the first punch and took all the blame for the altercation.

Shit, I was actually looking forward to this. I hated the Aryans and their superiority complex. Being blond and green-eyed, they’d tried to recruit me the first day I’d come to Cantiville. What they didn’t know was I already had my own Brotherhood. And the Devil’s Riders could curb-stomp these lame motherfuckers into the ground any day of the week.

Tiny grew red-faced waiting for my response. Out of patience, he repeated himself, “I said, you think you’re fucking funny. Don’t you, pretty boy?”

Accepting the inevitable, I took another bite of the Tuesday special and chewed the knot of fat that was hidden within the thin, oily gravy.

Swallowing the gristle down, I wiped my mouth on a napkin. “Nah. I just think I’m better than you.”

Tiny’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Is that so?”

I solemnly nodded. “Yup. It is.”

Shaking his head, the neo-Nazi began to ball up his fists. “You won’t be so pretty once I’m done with you, Wilmont. Let’s see how the ladies like it when your face is all scarred up and you’re missing an eye. Something tells me you won’t be so popular after that.”

I shrugged. “You’d be doing me a favor, man. Don’t you know that chicks dig scars?”

Tiny grinned. “Well then, they’re just going to love you when I’m done with that pretty little face of yours, cunt!”

I could feel the room getting quieter now that we’d garnered the attention of the other inmates. In prison, nothing went unnoticed. These institutions were filled with men who had spent their entire lives being vigilant. Waiting for the right moment to exploit, deceive, or strike. Like wild animals, they could feel that something was about to pop off and were watching to see which of the two quarreling beasts would prove to be the strongest. And, conversely, who would be the weakest. In a place like this, pecking order counts, so I wasn’t about to come in last place.

Nonchalantly, I spooned the last remnants of the rancid stew into my mouth. “I don’t need any help from you with the ladies, Tiny. From what I hear, you don’t have much experience with them.”

That did it. Tiny took the bait just as I’d intended and threw the first punch. Exactly what I’d been waiting for. Lifting up my tray, the man pummeled down into the molded plastic. Stunned, he stumbled back a step. Not hesitating, I rabbit-punched my adversary in the kidney. The Nazi scum toppled to the ground like a poorly constructed Jenga tower. Leaping to my feet, I did what you’re conditioned not to do in elementary school and kicked the motherfucker in the nuts while he was down.

The chow hall exploded with noise and chaos then. Hoots and hollers from the other inmates filled the space as they began to egg both of us on, wanting to see blood more than their own families.

Tiny awkwardly scrambled to his feet, but the guards flooded into the room before he could follow through with any action.

Knowing the drill by now, I placed my hands behind my head, sank to my knees, and let the screaming assholes in blue cuff me as they tried to settle down the feral jungle of men surrounding us.

* * *

Bishop

The prison was immediately locked down and all the men shepherded back to their cells. My roommate, Jones, was already sitting on his bunk when the guard shoved me inside the six-by-eight we shared.

Jones swore as I climbed onto the top bunk. “Shit! I don’t know what the fuck happened today, Wilmont, but my time in the yard was cut short just as I was collecting some outstanding debts. I heard that Aryan piece of shit, Tiny, got his ass handed to him in the mess hall and they had to lock the place down. Serves him right. He’s been a boil on the ass of this institution ever since he got here.”

I grunted noncommittally and leaned against the wall.

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