Page 16 of Craving Venom
Power without control is meaningless, Zane. It’s a storm that tears through everything in its path, leaving nothing but destruction behind. You think you’re free because you’ve embraced your darkness, but freedom isn’t just about cutting ties, it’s aboutunderstanding the consequences of your choices and owning them.
It’s almost cute how much you believe your own bullshit.
And it’s almost tragic how much you don’t.
I shove the chair back so hard it scrapes across the concrete floor with a deafening screech. Mark’s eyes widen, but I’m already moving, heading for the cell block door.
“Zane?” he calls after me.
I don’t answer. I need air, not that you can really breathe in this place. The whole building reeks of sweat, despair, and too many lives spent rotting in the system. But even stale, recycled prison air is better than whatever the fuck Faith just shoved down my throat.
Shouts and curses rip through the air as I move through the yard. A couple of guards linger on the outskirts, looking about as motivated as a sloth on a caffeine crash. This place doesn’t run on law and order; it runs on apathy and fear.
Mark’s right behind me, hesitantly scuffing his boots against the ground. He stops next to me, fidgeting on his feet. There’s a couple of guys on the ground, and it’s hard to tell if they’re out cold or just regrouping.
Mark crosses his arms, then uncrosses them, glancing at me. His jaw’s working like he’s chewing over a thought he’s not sure he wants to say.
“Rookie,” I say, dry as hell. “Don’t even think about it.”
He doesn’t look at me, just keeps watching the brawl. “This could get out of hand. We should—”
Before he can finish that stupid sentence, some idiot lets out a feral yell as he slams another guy into the chain-link fence. The sound of the metal rattling echoes across the yard, and Mark shrinks back.
Then he takes a step forward.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
I grab his collar, yanking him back so hard he stumbles. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“We can’t just stand here!” he snaps. “This could get ugly. We need to do something.”
I chuckle stepping closer until I’m in his face. “Ah, always the fucking hero, huh? Tell me, Marcus, what’s in it for you? You expecting a gold star? A pat on the back? Or maybe they’ll name a fucking wing after you. ‘Mark’s Moron Memorial.’ Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
He shoves my hand off his collar. “I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“The right thing? In here, rookie, the right thing and the foolish thing often overlap. You jump in there, you think they’re going to thank you? No. They’ll stomp your ass into the ground for the fun of it, and you’ll deserve it”
“Maybe. But at least I’ll be able to look at myself in the mirror.”
I sneer, crossing my arms. “Yeah, well, good luck finding one that ain’t already cracked.”
Once I’m sure Mark isn’t going to throw himself headfirst into that mess, I straighten up, shoving my hands in my pockets. My eyes swipe back to the brawl. Some asshole lands a punch so hard the other guy’s head snaps back like a goddamn Pez dispenser. Blood sprays, splattering the dirt, and the crowd roars.
“The idealist in the den of wolves,” I mutter, mostly to myself. “How fucking noble.”
“You were better with that girl,” he says quietly.
My head snaps toward him. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he replies. His eyes don’t leave mine, and I hate the look he’s giving me. “You were actually tolerable when you were talking to her. At least you showed a glimmer of humanity.”
I let out a short, humorless laugh, stepping toward him. “Humanity?” I echo. “You think I owe these fucking vermin any semblance of humanity? Look around, Marco. They’re here for a reason. Every single one of them. And if you’re so goddamn eager to play hero, be my guest. But don’t come crying to me when you’re lying on the ground with a shiv in your gut.”
“You’re right, Zane. There’s no point trying to reason with you. You’re just as much a part of this place as the rest of us.”
And with that, he turns on his heel and walks away. He doesn’t stop, doesn’t even look back. Just keeps going until he disappears around the corner.
Good.
