Chapter 16: The New Girl

I'm in the yard, lifting weights and trying to block out the bullshit noise of this place. Frigid Rock is a hellhole, but it's our hellhole, and we make do. The cold air bites at my skin, but I’m used to it by now. The steady rhythm of the weights, the familiar strain in my muscles, it’s all a part of the routine that keeps me sane. Maks, Dmitri, and Kolya are nearby, each of them doing their own thing, but always keeping an eye on the surroundings. We’ve been here long enough to know that you don’t survive without staying sharp, without watching each other’s backs.

Maks is talking about some new shipment of contraband coming in through the laundry, something Kolya’s been working on. “It’ll be in by tomorrow,” Maks says, his voice low. “We’ve got a new contact in the kitchen. He’s reliable, but we’ll keep a close eye on him.”

Kolya nods, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Good. We need to keep things moving. This place is getting too quiet, and I don’t like it. When things go quiet, that’s when shit goes down.”

Dmitri grunts in agreement, his massive frame looming over the bench press. He’s not one for words, but when he speaks, you listen. “We need to watch the Brotherhood. They’ve been too quiet lately. I don’t trust it.”

I nod, my eyes scanning the yard. The Aryan Brotherhood, the Bloods, the New Mexican Mafia—they’re all threats, but we’ve kept them in line so far. We’ve built something strong here, something that even this godforsaken place can’t break. The Sevens are my family now, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep us on top.

But then I see something that stops me in my tracks. A flash of red hair, bright and unexpected in the gray monotony of the yard. My grip tightens on the barbell as I spot her, walking beside that prick Captain Hayes. The bastard looks like he’s showing her around, his usual smug expression plastered on his face. I hate that guy. He struts around this place like he owns it, like we’re all just animals in his little zoo. But it’s not him that’s got my attention right now—it’s her.

She’s small, petite, with a kind of quiet confidence that you don’t see in this place. Her long red hair is tied back in a neat bun, not a strand out of place. There’s something almost virginal about her, like she’s too pure, too untouched for a place like this. It’s almost laughable that she’s here, in the middle of all this filth and violence. But there she is, walking with her head held high, like she’s got nothing to fear.

She’s wearing a modest outfit, practical and no-nonsense. A tailored black coat that falls just below her knees, buttoned up to her neck, with sensible flats. Underneath, I can see a white blouse and a simple skirt, the kind of thing you’d expect a teacher or a librarian to wear. It’s all very prim and proper, like she’s just stepped out of some old-school movie. But it’s her eyes that get me—bright blue, like the summer sky. The kind of blue that makes you forget you’re stuck in this freezing, godforsaken place. I haven’t seen a sky like that in years.

She’s young, too. Early twenties, if I had to guess. Maybe 21 or 22, just a few years younger than me. But there’s something about her that makes her seem even younger, like she’s still got some of that innocence left. Innocence that hasn’t been ground down by the world yet. It’s almost painful to look at.

“She’s new,” Kolya mutters, noticing where my gaze has landed. “Must be the new researcher they were talking about.”

“Interesting,” Maks says, his eyes narrowing as he watches her. “She doesn’t look like the type who belongs here.”

“Maybe not,” I say, my voice low, “but she’s here now.”

Hayes is leading her around, pointing out the different gangs, and I can see the way the other inmates are reacting to her. They’re not subtle about it either—whistling, shouting lewd comments, the kind of disgusting shit you’d expect from men who haven’t seen a woman in years. She doesn’t flinch, though. She keeps walking, her expression carefully controlled. But I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way she’s holding herself a little too stiffly. She’s trying to be brave, but she’s scared. She’d be stupid not to be.

Hayes stops in front of us, and for a moment, everything goes quiet. It’s like the whole yard is holding its breath, waiting to see what happens next. The girl—no, the woman—looks up, her eyes locking onto mine. It’s like a punch to the gut, that connection, that instant awareness of each other. There’s fear there, sure, but there’s also something else. Curiosity, maybe. Or something deeper, something more dangerous.

I drop the barbell to the ground, the heavy thud breaking the silence. She doesn’t flinch, just keeps looking at me, those bright blue eyes boring into mine. There’s no way she doesn’t know who I am. Sev, the leader of the Sevens, the most dangerous man in this prison. And yet, she doesn’t look away. It’s like she’s trying to figure me out, trying to see past the reputation, the tattoos, the violence. I don’t know what she’s looking for, but it makes my skin prickle, like she’s peeling away layers I didn’t even know I had.

“She’s got guts,” Dmitri mutters under his breath, clearly impressed.

“Or she’s just stupid,” Kolya replies, though there’s no real bite in his words.

I keep my eyes on her, my heart pounding in my chest. She’s different from the others. There’s something about her that draws me in, makes me want to know more, to understand what the hell she’s doing here. Because she sure as shit doesn’t belong.

Hayes clears his throat, pulling her attention away from me. “This is the Sevens’ territory,” he says, his tone cool and controlled. “They’re one of the most powerful gangs in the prison. Their leader—” He nods in my direction. “—is Sevastyan Mikhailov, but everyone calls him Sev.”

She looks back at me, and I can see the recognition in her eyes. She knows who I am, what I’m capable of. But there’s no fear, no revulsion. Just… understanding. Like she sees me, really sees me, and doesn’t immediately judge. It’s unsettling.

“Nice to meet you, Sev,” she says, her voice soft but steady. There’s a warmth in her tone, something genuine, and it catches me off guard. She doesn’t sound like she’s talking to a monster.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I’ve seen a lot in my time, done a lot more, but this? This is new. This is different. And I don’t know what the hell to make of it.

“Let’s keep moving,” Hayes says, clearly eager to get her away from us. He’s got that look on his face, the one that says he thinks he’s better than us, that he’s in control. But I see the way he watches her too, the way he hovers a little too close. Asshole. I wonder if he even realizes what he’s dealing with. Probably not.

As they walk away, I can’t help but watch her go, my eyes lingering on the way her coat swings with each step. There’s something about her that’s going to change things around here, I can feel it. And I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet.

“She’s a looker,” Kolya says, breaking the silence. “Bet you half the guys in here are already dreaming about her.”

“They can dream all they want,” I say, my voice hardening. “But they better keep their distance.”

“You interested, Sev?” Maks asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I shake my head, though the truth is more complicated than that. “Doesn’t matter. She’s not one of us.”

But as I watch her disappear into the building, I know it’s not that simple. She’s different, and that difference is dangerous. Not just for her, but for all of us. She’s got this place stirred up already, and she hasn’t even been here a day.

As we go back to our workout, the usual banter and noise resumes, but I’m not really paying attention. My mind’s still on her, on those bright blue eyes, on the way she looked at me like she saw something more than just another inmate. Like she saw a man, not a monster. It’s been a long time since anyone looked at me like that.

I don’t know what’s going to happen now that she’s here, but one thing’s for sure: Frigid Rock just got a whole lot more interesting. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that interesting can be a dangerous thing in a place like this.

As I finish my last set, I catch sight of her through the window, still walking with Hayes. She’s talking, gesturing with her hands, but Hayes isn’t really listening. The way she moves, the way she holds herself—it’s all so… out of place here. Pure, untouched

, like a breath of fresh air in a place that’s long since forgotten what fresh air feels like.

But I can’t afford to get distracted. I’ve got a gang to run, enemies to keep in check. Still, as I rack the weight and wipe the sweat from my brow, I can’t shake the feeling that she’s going to be a problem. And in this place, problems have a way of getting people killed.

I just hope, for her sake, she knows what she’s getting into. Because if she doesn’t, this place will chew her up and spit her out faster than she can blink. And I’m not sure I can stop that from happening, even if I wanted to.

Which, right now, I’m not sure I do.