Page 8 of Snatched Up By the Cartel

The dynamics of our 'relationship' (could it even be called that?) were complicated, and I felt ill-equipped to navigate them.

Chapter 4

Mateo

I knew it was a matter of time before Vance made his move. The tension had been building ever since I intervened during Rylan's shower, and now, it was about to reach a boiling point. He wasn't the kind of person to accept defeat willingly. If anything, he doubled down on his hatred, always planning to enact revenge.

I hoped Rylan would stay out of it; he'd been through enough already. I hated him in the beginning because of his family's dealings, but the more time I spent with him, the more I realized he was very different from his father.

I was in the prison yard during our hour of recreation. The sun glared down, offering little relief from the oppressive atmosphere. No matter where we were and what we were doing, the prison always sucked so much.

Inmates milled about, some lifting makeshift weights, others huddled in groups, their eyes scanning the yard with bored disinterest. But, some of them, were looking at me. I knew they were thinking about me. I knew they wanted to hurt me.

I felt their gazes on me as I crossed the yard, my steps purposeful. I kept a wary eye on Vance, spotting him by the chain-link fence, surrounded by his lackeys. He was never alone, different from me. He was always with other inmates so they were stronger. I just wasn't very sociable.

I knew a confrontation was inevitable, but I wasn't about to back down. I never did, no matter the odds. Backing down would be like asking them to beat me to a pulp.

As I passed by, Vance called out. "Well, if it isn't the self-appointed protector." His eyes gleamed with malicious intent. "You sure you wanna mess with us, Solstice? You know how this place works."

I halted, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. His threat wasn't going to change anything. It wasn't going to make me back down.

"I made it clear the other day," I growled. "Stay away from Rylan."

I knew that repeating myself wouldn't change anything, but it was the only resource I had at the moment. The instance he tried to start a fight with me, then things would change.

Vance smirked, his eyes narrowing. "Or what? You think you can take us all on?"

I didn't know if I could. Probably not, but I wouldn't back down anyway.

He signaled to his crew, and they closed in, their faces set with determination. The guards, as usual, couldn't care less about what was going to happen.

I glanced around, noting the other inmates had formed a circle, eager for the entertainment. Prison thrived on violence, and a fight between rival gangs was sure to be a spectacle.

However, this time, it wasn't going to be much of a fight between two gangs. It was going to be me against them.

I took a step back, assessing the situation. They had me surrounded, cutting off any potential escape routes. They had probably planned for this way before I showed up. Vance was like that. Even though he didn't appear to be much of a thinker, his plans were always good.

I knew I could take a few of them down, but the odds were stacked against me. I still didn't fear anyone, obviously. I had been in worse situations.

"Back off, Vance," I warned, my voice steady despite the unease swirling in my gut. Did I think he was going to change his mind? No. He wasn't going to.

He laughed, a cruel, mirthless sound. "Or what? You and your little omega think you're above us?" He spat the word 'omega' like a curse.

I didn't know why he felt that way about omegas. They were part of our society. Wasn't he looking for his omega just like I was? He should be.

Anyway, those things didn't matter. Whatever Vance wanted to do with his life didn't change what I thought about him. He was still pathetic and laughable.

I saw red. My hands curled into tighter fists, my body coiling, ready to strike. I was already prepared for the fight that was going to happen.

"You touch one hair on his head, and I'll make you regret it," I snarled. I didn't think I would ever feel so protective of my cellmate, but here I was. Things changed, to say the least.

Vance's eyes glittered with challenge. "Oh, we plan to touch a lot more than that." His lackeys chuckled, their eyes threatening. They were not going to back down at all.

Before I could react, they rushed me, their fists swinging. I didn't have much time to react. I dodged the first few blows, landing a punch of my own, feeling the satisfying crunch of my knuckles connecting with flesh. Fighting was exciting, even though every time it happened, I didn't know if I was going to come out of it alive.

They kept coming, their numbers overwhelming. I knew there were a lot of them, but right now, it felt like there were so many more.

I fought with everything I had, my body a blur of motion as I struck out, aiming for vulnerable spots, trying to disable as many as I could. I landed a few extra punches, but I needed many more.

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