He sat in the centre of the canteen. A crowd of men and women swarmed around him, hoping to gain an alliance with the most dangerous man in the room. It was hard to tell if he intended to stick with any of them but he never sent them away.
His eyes followed me as we found a spot at the side of the room and sat down. I ducked my head so that I couldn't see him anymore and inspected my meal.
It was the same everyday. A highly nutritious pile of slop. It tasted of something somewhere between stale bread and cold porridge with a few spoonfuls of salt. I sighed and started eating.
"Imagine being a lifer. This would be the only meal you would ever eat until the day you died," Taylor said, letting a wobbly spoonful slide back onto his tray.
"What's got you so cheery?" I teased.
"You know me, always looking on the bright side." He smiled widely and stuffed a huge spoonful of the mush into his mouth. "Delicious!" He rubbed his belly and sighed appreciatively. I laughed quietly.
The group sitting on our table stopped eating and glared at us. I felt a blush light my face and stared determinedly at my tray until I was sure they had turned their attention from us.
Taylor reached across the table and took my hand. I glanced up at him in surprise.
"Don't let this place change you," he said.
"I think it's a bit late for that."
"No. It's making us stronger but it doesn't have to change who we are inside." I looked at his grey eyes and felt something flutter in my stomach.
"What's this? Love's young dream?" a gravelly voice cooed from somewhere above me. I snatched my hand back as though it had been burnt and spun around.
Grey loomed over me, smelling strongly of sweat. I dropped my spoon with a clatter and shrank away from him. A small crowd of his followers gathered around our end of the table so that the Wardens couldn't see what was going on.
Taylor tried to stand but a burley man appeared between the crush of bodies and gripped his shoulders, pressing him back down into his seat. A cold prickle of fear ran down my spine.
Dolly slinked between the bodies surrounding us and leant forward over Taylor's shoulder, the hair that was remaining on her head trailed down his chest. She reached out and pulled his chin around so that he faced her, her nails digging into his skin.
"What a pretty face," she hissed. Taylor jerked backwards, dislodging her grip but the man moved to stop him from standing again.
"What do you want?" I asked in a voice that sounded braver than I felt.
"That's a good question," Grey purred menacingly. He reached out and ran a lock of my hair through his meaty fingers. I stiffened and felt a surge of adrenalin run through my body but I didn't move.
I glanced at Taylor who seemed at a loss for what to do as much as I was.
"We're just being friendly," Dolly smiled widely. Her facial muscles tugged on the scar that dominated the left side of her face, making her eye bug out. She leaned closer to Taylor's face and his lip curled back in disgust.
The crowd of followers surged closer so that the press of bodies totally concealed us from view. Grey tugged at my hair again and I jerked away from him, managing to get to my feet. My legs were pressed against the table as I leant back, the bench I had vacated the only thing between us.
"Don't touch me," I snarled.
I wished I had some kind of weapon. The crowd started to murmur excitedly, waiting to see what would happen next. I held Grey's eye and waited too.
He regarded me through narrowed eyes for a moment that stretched on agonisingly. He took a step towards me. I leant back against the wooden table but there was nowhere for me to go. He took another step so that he was almost touching me, his legs pressed against the bench which was the only barrier keeping him away.
He leant down so that his face was inches from mine and smiled slowly. Each of his yellow teeth came into focus one after another and a waft of rancid breath washed over my face.
"What are you gunna do to stop me?" he growled.
My heart stumbled mid-beat and there was a pounding in my ears.
"Leave her alone," Taylor said fiercely from behind me.
Grey's eyes lifted in his direction and he started laughing. It was a deep, rumbling chuckle that rattled up his throat and through his teeth. His gang of admirers joined in appreciatively.
"Yeah, what are you gunna do lover boy?" a large man with a long beard catcalled from the crowd to my left.