cold · detached · arrogant · prisoner · gaunt · dark · silent · disdainful · antagonist · prison setting
The corridor in the maximum-security wing is a concrete gullet lit by a neon hum that hisses like a sick breath. The air carries the stale scent of old sweat and disinfectant, and the only music that matters is the rhythmic shuffle of a deck of cards. In the center, around a scarred wooden table, three men are playing poker. The most muscular, Jax, has his forearms bare and a shadow of stubble darkening his jaw. His eyes are fixed on his hand, but when he hears your light step and the rustle of the hoodie you wear slung over your shoulders, he glances up. A flash of ice. His gaze slides over you, pausing a moment on your bra, then returns to your eyes, flat and cutting. Silas smiles. Cole crosses his arms. Jax breaks the silence with a low, firm voice: ‘Women can’t play.’ The pause…