**Author’s Note: This chapter is written in the third person, as if it was being watched by a fly on the wall of the prison. This is NOT from Ivy’s perspective.**

When Matt left Ivy’s office, he was hot all over and practically dripping sweat. It wasn’t from the rough, animalistic sex that he and his lover had in the first half hour of being together today. No, it was from the rage building inside of him, finally knowing who was the mastermind behind this dirty game. Finally knowing who was trying to harm the woman he loved so damn much. Trying to harm the one person that he felt complete with. The person that knew him as Matthew Charles Sanders; not Shadows.

Matt knew Ivy would not want him to do something that could cost their relationship. She wouldn’t want him to do something that could cost him more time locked up in this place, but Matt didn’t care. He didn’t care if he was stuck here forever. He didn’t care if she was mad at him. She would get over it eventually. All he cared about was making sure that Red got what he deserved for plotting to harm Matt’s most prized possession, Ivy. Matt didn’t want to have to call up the boys, come up with a plan, send someone out as a hitman. He wanted Red’s last words to be spoken to him. He wanted to be the one to watch Red die. He wanted to be the killer.

Billy had been so wrapped up in the idea of taking Ivy out sometime, that he had slipped up multiple times when it came to restraining the dangerous inmate that he escorted down the hall. Not only did he miss a wrist restraint on Matt in Ivy’s office, and only half-assed the other, but he was so preoccupied staring at the dark-haired goddess that he half-assed the cuffs around Matt’s wrists. Billy hadn’t noticed that he made any of these mistakes, but Matt did.

One swift move and Matt pulled a hand free from the links that surrounded his wrists, catching the fallen cuffs in his right hand, making sure they would not hit the ground. Matt knew there were cameras in the prison halls, but those guards rarely ever watched them. If only those taxpayers knew that their money wasn’t even going toward adequate protection. These officers had “other” things to do.

Matt continued to follow Billy down the hall, stopping in his tracks when he got to the corridor that led down to the wing that Ivy once told him Red now resided on. Billy noticed Matt’s presence, missing from his side as walked down the hallway, turning on his heel and coming face-to-face with what may have been one of Billy’s worst nightmares.

Matt stood with a evil, wide grin. Those hazel eyes that Ivy thought were so beautiful were now glistening with excitement. His dimples were set deep into his cheeks, like a small child, contradicting the darkness that was inside of him at this moment. He held the cuffs up with his right hand and waved them in Billy’s face, causing Billy to freeze out of fear.

Billy reached to grab his gun and Matt took a step forward, placing his large hand around Billy’s throat. He cocked his head to the side and continued to grin at the 5’7” officer in his grip; internally laughing at such a puny man trying to be an officer.

“Bring me to Red and I’ll spare you,” Matt spoke sternly, his eyes shining and teeth flashing as Billy nodded his head in acceptance. Matt dropped the man to the ground, and followed him down the corridor.

Matt’s eyes scanned the hallway as he followed Billy. Billy was shaking in his shoes. He had probably pissed his pants the minute Matt held him up by the neck, but he was going to do as Matt told him. He hadn’t had the time to radio other officers for back up, or pull his gun. He was now a victim to the demands of the dangerous inmate beside of him, and he accepted that.

Matt’s eyes locked on Red at the end of the hallway, standing outside of the doorway to McKenna, the newest psychologist’s office. Matt shoved Billy to the side and took off running, tackling Red to the floor. The officer struggled underneath of Matt’s broad body; Matt throwing punches at the man’s face. Billy ran back out of the corridor, heading toward the main hallway of the prison, calling for back-up at this point.

“You mother fucker,” Matt growled, kneeing Red in the area that hurt the most while pinning him to the floor further. He pulled his fist back and then let it collide with Red’s nose, “You think you can pull one over on me? You think I’ll let that happen?”

Red couldn’t answer Matt between the punches, blood flowing down the officer’s face from his nose and now busted lip. Matt had blood down his hand, all over his knuckles. He let up on Red’s face and began throwing blows to the chest, twisting the officer’s limbs, hearing a couple of bones snap in the arms.

Growing tired of the man underneath of him not answering his questions, regardless of the position he was in to answer them, Matt’s gruff voice spoke again. “You risked the life of an innocent girl to try to kill me off. Leave me to rot. She’s mine. She’s always going to be mine. You, on the other hand, are always going to be a bad memory.”

Matt reached for the gun that was kept on the belt of the officer underneath of him. Pulling it out of the holster and switching off the safety. He held it up to Red’s head with a devilish smirk and eyes glistening with craze, “Any last words, sweetheart?”

“Shadows, drop the gun and put your hands in the air,” a voice called out from behind him.

Matt let out an animalistic growl, knowing that his time had come to an end with this game. He didn’t have the chance to kill Red, but he hurt him bad enough for the man to be in the hospital for a while. He knew that he could shoot the man underneath of him, but then the officers would shoot him dead. They would ultimately win. He would lose. He didn’t lose. Not ever. And he wasn’t going to get himself killed off when he had half a year left until he could be with Ivy outside of this hell-hole. He dropped the gun and held his hands in the air. Two officers came to his side and forced him to the ground, pulling his arms behind his back and cuffing him. One gave him a nice kick to the ribs. He’d remember that. He’d get them back once he was a free man. Maybe even kill this one, along with Red.

“Get your ass up,” the officer who kicked Matt in the ribs sneered. He pulled Matt up to his feet and shoved him against the wall. “It’s been a while since you’ve been in solitary, Shadows. Hope you enjoy it as much as before,” the officer laughed then stuck a needle into Matt’s neck.

Matt knew that pinch in his neck. He had been sedated each time he was brought to solitary in previous years, and it was the same sedative that was used on him when he nearly killed Ivy. Feeling his body start to give out, the last thing Matt thought about was her, whispering her name to himself before slipping into la-la-land and being dragged to those four white walls that he would be enclosed in for an upcoming period of time.

Notes