Page 6 of Jackson

“For that, I can’t blame you, but being worried about Hound is smart. He’s dangerous, and he is king around here. We might be housed in different wings, but he has an in with everyone. Stick with me, I’ll do my best to protect you, but if I can give you a word of advice, straighten that spine, push that chin out, and show everyone in here the backbone that lies deep. I know it’s there; no child of Hogan’s would be without one. Don’t let anyone push you around. You hear me?”

I nod.

“I mean it. If they see weakness, they’ll jump on you. Stand up for yourself, and I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”

“Why?” I ask, meeting her eyes. “You don’t know me.”

She smiles and pats my hand. “They don’t call me Mama for nothing. I protect those who are innocent.”

I have a feeling that when Mama fires up, she does it with an intensity that would scare most.

She’s right about one thing, though.

I have to get tougher, because if I don’t, I won’t survive in here, and the only way I’m going to get out is to still be alive.

Hound terrifies me, but I can’t escape him.

My only option is to face him and do my best to stay alive.

I hope Jackson comes up with a plan to end this.

I’m not sure how long I can be strong for.

BLOOD SPLATTERS FROMmy lip as my head swings to the side. The chaos erupting around me is deafening as guards come running in our direction. I don’t lose the chance to take one more swing at the woman who decided to make it her mission to pick on me. I took Mama’s advice, and I fought back. I fought with everything I have, and I know it caught her off guard.

She’s older than me, but she’s smaller, and that gave me an even chance to fight her.

When she decided to shove me in the food line, I took my tray and slammed it over her head. That caused a fight that I’m now being dragged away from, blood trickling from my lip as she screams and curses at the guard pulling her away. The guard behind me takes my arms and jerks them behind my back before swiftly removing me from the dining room.

Panting, blood continues to trickle down my chin as he takes me toward the medical center. It’s protocol that I get looked at when blood is involved. As soon as we reach the center, he orders me to sit on the bed and wait for the nurse. It’s then Ireally take him in, realizing he’s fairly young. Hell, he probably just hit thirty.

He has soft brown eyes and dark messy hair. He’s lean but muscled, and when he talks, I can see a dimple in his right cheek. He looks kind, there is a softness in his eyes that makes me wonder what he’s doing working in a place like this. Most of the guards around here are harsh and judgmental. It’s rare to find a nice one.

“What are you doing causing trouble like that?” he asks, taking gauze and handing it to me to stop the bleeding.

I shrug. “It’s either that or they’ll eat me alive.”

He frowns, his brows furrowing as he crosses his arms. “What’s your name?”

“Serenity, and yours?”

“Xander.”

Unique. I like it.

“Tell me, Xander,” I say, replacing the gauze when it fills with blood. “Why are you working in this hell hole?”

He smiles, lopsided and rather cute. “Why not?”

“You actually want to spend your days with criminals?”

“Not all of them are bad,” he tells me, leaning against the bed and studying me. “We all have a past, and sometimes that past creeps up on us and we can’t escape it. Don’t you agree?”

He sounds like he’s talking from experience.

I snort. “I suppose. Some of them are outright monsters, though.”

“Oh, I know. But there are so many innocent people, too. The least I can do is help them out.”

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