Chapter 3

The person who walked into the classroom was the opposite of what Darren Howe expected a teacher of Business and Entrepreneurship to look like. He was no sixty-year-old wrinkled man with slouched posture and a balding hairline, but an impeccably dressed fake blond who couldn't be older than thirty. He'd put a great deal of effort into making himself look natural, but Darren had an eye for these things and saw right through it even if he couldn't pinpoint the original color. At about 5'9, the man was rather well-put together not just when it came to his choice of clothing. His physique hinted at someone who took care of himself… though wasn't as focused on it as Darren. It made sense, considering Darren's depressing prison life offered little else to do.

Indeed, if anything, this man did not look like a teacher at a prison. He was too young and didn't have that dead look in his eyes.

Had those in charge bumped up the compensation to attract fresh blood?Or did this have something to do with the behavioral problems in Horizons since the last batch of prisoners?

Did it even matter?

The answer was no, but it didn't stop him from wondering. Most of the men he had encountered in such positions were the power-hungry type who loved to think they were at the top of the world, but this teacher didn't strike him as one for some reason.

So why was he here then?

Darren felt his mouth curl up as he observed the man's journey from the door to the wooden desk. He was alert and confident, his hazel-brown eyes evaluating the room as if he'd come here to conquer and not teach. Darren's smile grew; one thing was clear as day—whatever his reason for being here, this man was trouble. And the worst kind of trouble to boot, the kind that Darren wanted to shove against a wall and fuck until filthy moans were the only things coming out of those tempting full lips.

Other than being Darren's total type with a mix of softness and prominence in his features, there was something distantly familiar about the business teacher that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He searched the man's face for it and their gazes clashed, a heartbeat in which he could not look away as a thrilling tingle crawled down his back and electrified every nerve ending it touched. There was a challenge aimed at him in that dark hazel and a futile effort to hide it.

Darren didn't know why the man was glaring at him, but he liked it regardless, the intensity of it riling him up even more. He suppressed a pleasant shiver and licked his lips, letting his tongue linger on his piercing. Goosebumps covered him from head to toe as the teacher's gaze zeroed in on the golden hoop, half a moment of allowed contact that hijacked all of his senses and ended all too soon.

But even as they left him, Darren found himself searching for those mesmerizing almost-brown eyes with gold flecks sprinkled around their edges. He wanted them on him, needed their intensity, the thrill they elicited within him too good to let go.

Who was this man and where had he come from?There had never been a teacher so young or inexperienced. Why was he here?Had Darren maybe misread him? Was he actually just as power-hungry as all of those who worked in the prison industry?

Darren wanted to know, to figure out this familiarstranger who'd so easily disrupted his bleak and mundane life simply by walking into the classroom today.

The man's eyes shimmered when light hit them just right as he reached the desk and continued scanning the room. Darren wondered how they'd look when the man was consumed by desire, squirming and panting under him.

Shit, just thinking about that was making him horny. Why was he so taken aback like this? He had his share of fun with a few of the inmates, but something in that man seemed to pique his interest. It made him curious to know a lot more than just why his brain seemed to recognize the guy. Maybe it hadbeen a one-night stand. Or had they shared a drink at a bar?

Commotion pulled him out of his speculations. Seeing as Eddie was picking a fight with the teacher for some dumb reason, Darren let his thoughts and fantasies fade away for later. Pushing back into the uncomfortable chair, he watched the show. Eddie was big, as were most of the inmates, tattooed and quite intimidating, but the ease and nonchalance with which Aiden Kesley, as per the name written on the board, handled him was commendable. He was, by no means, a small man himself, even if the tailored suit he wore was doing a decent enough job of hiding his fit body. It was an interesting choice, considering anyone who looked good would show that off and not suppress it, but then again, scholars in prisons also veered to the older, less muscular stereotype.

Is that what he was doing then? Trying to fit in? Why?

Aiden asked the class some question, his eyes flitting right past Darren this time.

Oh. He bit down a grin and looked out the window at the star-infested universe. This was going to be a challenge. But he did love a challenge. Even if said challenge was a bad idea and the furthest away from a guaranteed hook-up because sex with a non-inmate didn't happen often. Unless it was a friendly from the guards… and that too had its risks. A lecturer would definitely be tricky and require the right maneuvering since there were repercussions if the lecturer got caught. But, well… it wasn't impossible if Darren put his mind to it.

First though, he still had to seduce the man. And not just because he was hot. Being on good terms with the staff was always a plus, especially when Darren's smuggling operation was about to pick up steam.

"Mr. Howe?"

Damn,even Aiden Kesley's melodic tenor of a voice was a killer. Just where the Hell did he come from?

"Mr. Howe?"

"Hmm?" Darren ripped his gaze from the window. If nothing else, this rock jail had amazing views.

"Dreaming in class, are we?" Aiden asked with a hint of mockery in his pleasant voice.

Summoning his most intimidating expression, Darren pinned the man with his eyes. But the scared lamb was nowhere to be seen, in its place an impish fox low-key smirking at him. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

Folding his arms in front of his chest, Darren abandoned the threatening tone he'd meant to pull out next. "No, of course not, Mr.Kesley."

"Then perhaps you can answer my question?" Aiden challenged, drumming his slender fingers along the tablet's back.

Darren's mouth quivered, but he successfully halted the smile this time. "If there is a decrease in the availability of goods or a service, which is to say, when something is hard to obtain, consumers are usually willing to pay more."

"And why is that?" Aiden followed up, masterfully hiding his surprise at the accurate reply. He'd thought Darren hadn't been paying attention, hadn't he?

"Because that something is perceived as rare or more valuable, thus bumping up the demand, which in turn increases its price," Darren recited back the exact words Aiden had used.

"Very good, Mr. Howe." Aiden smiled approvingly and meandered down the aisle. "See, Mr. Jezby? It wasn't a trick question like you accused me of. If you actually listened to my explanations instead of fumbling with your dick under the desk, then I'm sure you'd have been able to replicate the answer just as well as Mr. Howe did."

The word ‘dick' coming out of those kissable lips had Darren fighting off an onslaught of late-night fantasies again. He held them at bay though, focusing on what was being said because if being smart piqued Aiden Kesley's interest, then he intended to be at the top of the class and get on Aiden's good list. And once he was there? He was going to seduce the fox and fuck his brains out.

Aiden returned to the holoboard and drew a line, adding a bunch of dates on it. "Now that we've gone over some of the basic principles, we'll focus a bit on the evolution of the modern economic system. In particular, how the unification of Earth by the Global Nations after the abolishment of the last Monarchy in the 2050s affected the role of money in society. As we know—or should, at least—the GN not only introduced the universal credits and the baseline universal income, but also pioneered the commercial altenergy engine we use in our spacecrafts. This development further contributed to the need for a new standard for exchange of goods and services under a centralized—"

Darren's brain tuned out the rest. Like Aiden had said, most people knew just how big the GN's role was in shaping the post Space Revolution world, so going over it seemed like a waste of time that could've been spent on something more practical. At the same time though, he supposed it made sense to start there and give an overview, but he also didn't bother to listen, instead gazing out the window and counting the occasional space rock that passed by outside.

When lectures ended, everyone filed back to their blocks in orderly fashion. Since it was almost time for lunch, the mess hall was already brimming with activity, and not just because food was about to be served. As one of the few open spaces now that the court and field were closed for repairs, Darren and the rest of G Block's residents could only enjoy it if they behaved and didn't start any fights among themselves. It was a sensible condition, he thought, but sometimes, one of those individuals with life sentences like him would disagree, stirring up shit either out of boredom or spite.

The last such occurrence was a week ago, earning everyone four days of lockdown just because Dave had fancied a brawl with one of the newbies. To teach the new guy his place, Dave had said when asked, which translated to ‘I was in a bad mood and wanted to punch something other than a wall'. Darren couldn't necessarily relate, though he had his own devils to deal with every now and then. Generally, he could manage them, but sometimes they reared their heads, bickering and bringing back flashbacks and memories from the life he'd lived before Horizons.

Darren shook off that train of thought, not wanting to go there. Nyle, the ‘new guy' who was also Darren's smuggling ring logistics partner, had ended up with a sprained nose. He was in the infirmary while Dave was currently in isolation and would stay there for two more weeks. Now, if the other dumbasses with mush for brains just kept their outbursts in check, everyone would get two weeks of not being holed up in a cell all day.

Win–win, really.

Darren swung by his cell, dropped the notebook on his bunk, and joined his cellmate downstairs. "Yo, Matt, how was management?"

Matt sighed, his entire body sagging. He was twice Darren's size and very intimidating at first glance, but on the inside, he was a softie. He had curly black hair and a small scar on the left side of his jaw, so that probably didn't help in making him more approachable.

"So. Fucking. Boriiing. Same as last time. They really ought to retire old man Joe. Guy can barely keep upright," he complained half-heartedly as Darren vaulted over the metal bench across from him and sat down.

"He hasn't kicked the bucket yet?"

"Seems so." Matt shrugged, placing elbows on the table and resting his chin on his fists. "That aside," he drawled as a smirk settled on his rugged face, "heard ya got, and I cite, an otherworldly beauty with a massive rack and an ass as big as Jade Ogden's teaching ya bizz?"

Darren shook his head, holding in a scoff. "Where'd you hear that?"

"C'mon. You know word travels fast around here." Matt grinned, slicking back his too-short chestnut hair.

Darren watched more people mill into the mess hall. "Mhm."

"Well?" Matt didn't seem ready to give up the topic, raising his eyebrows. "What's the verdict? Was she as gifted as the rumors say?"

"With an annoyingly irritating tongue, sure," Darren said, allowing a smirk to materialize on his face.

"No, but, what about here?" Matt outlined invisible boobs in front of his chest.

"Didn't have any. Dunno where you get your gossip, but ‘she' was a dude." The prim, stoic type that Darren couldn't stop thinking about defiling. Something about Aiden Kesley's vibe just resonated with him on a primal level, and he didn't really feel like fighting that. If anything, he welcomed it and the glimpse of excitement and vibrancy it offered to the suffocating mundaneness of Horizons.

"Ya kidding me, for real? I'm slitting that motherfucker Benny's throat for lying to me, next chance I get."

"That will get you another ten. They'll bury you here at this rate."

Matt sniffled, wrinkling his nose. "Fuck, ya right." He scratched along the stubble of his square jaw. "I'll get that ape, Simon, to do it."

Just like Darren, Matt was here for murder, though in his case, it had been unpremeditated. Self-defense even, if only he'd gotten any other judge but that sleazy asshole Prijav. Matt had been here when Darren arrived, and he'd already served half of his time, so he was currently en route for a parole hearing next year because of his exemplary behavior and rich parents.

"Don't do anything stupid or your mom will come for my neck," Darren warned, frowning slightly to emphasize his point.

Matt waved him off. "C'mon, man. Ya know I can take care of me."

"Oh, yeah? Like that time you almost got shanked because you decided to pick a fight with one of E Block's bullies?"

It had been an ugly affair and only about two months after Darren had arrived. He'd still been just a cellmate to Matt, but he'd been bored and so had tagged along for a couple kitchen shifts in E-Block. Matt had pissed off a bunch of dudes with his big mouth and would've ended up dead if not for Darren stepping in. He still wasn't sure why he'd butted in, but he was glad he'd done it because Matt was a good guy.

They'd pretty much clicked immediately after that, Matt's constant blabbering and friendly attitude making it hard not to like him. It had been surreal when it had happened, like a long-lost family stumbling upon each other after years of being apart, and frankly, Darren had been so glad for it and the chance of having the sibling he'd always wished he had had. They were good for each other and Matt supported him just as much as he supported Matt, a novelty Darren found solace in when everyone else in this place only ever looked out for themselves.

"Oh?" Matt perked up, grabbing the edge of the table so he could lift himself up and see over Darren's head. "Food's here," he said and kept staring at something with a slight curve to his lips.

Darren scoffed, rolling his eyes as Matt let out a wolf's whistle. "What? They bringing real fruit instead of that jell-o crap or something?"

Matt grinned fully, aiming it at Darren. "No—I don't know. But I think we are finally meeting our substitute warden. And I think you'll like him."