Chapter 3

Three years later.

The heavy iron gates of the Upstate New York Federal Women's Correctional Facility slid open with a deafening, metallic screech.

Ada walked out of the dark concrete tunnel. She wore a cheap, faded gray trench coat that hung loosely on her emaciated frame.

The bright afternoon sunlight hit her face. She flinched, raising her hand to shield her eyes. The back of her hand was covered in raised, purple scars from severe frostbite. She remembered the brutal winter when the guards, bribed by Jacklyn, had stripped her of her coat and locked her in an unheated solitary cell for three days. The agonizing burn of the ice eating into her flesh was a nightmare she would never forget.

She took a deep breath of free air, but the sudden intake of oxygen irritated her lungs, which had been damaged by three years of damp, freezing cells. A violent fit of coughing shook her fragile shoulders.

A black Ford sedan idled by the side of the road. The driver's door opened, and her cousin, Gary Fowler, hurried out.

"Ada," Gary said, his eyes filled with pity. He wrapped his arms around her thin body.

Ada leaned her forehead against his shoulder. It was the first time in three years she had felt human warmth.

Gary took the plastic bag holding her few belongings and opened the passenger door for her.

Ada slid into the seat. The car pulled away, leaving behind the concrete hell that had buried her youth and the memory of the baby they told her was stillborn.

Gary handed her a paper cup of hot coffee from the cup holder, his fingers pressing a small, cheap burner phone into her palm along with it. "Hide this," he whispered quickly, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror. "Use it only when absolutely necessary."

"It's over, Ada. Everything is going to be okay now," Gary continued, his tone shifting back to a comforting pitch. "Although... do you still remember Kael? It's a pity what happened to him after you went inside. He disappeared completely."

Ada's fingers tightened around the phone, slipping it deep into her coat pocket. The mention of Kael sent a dull ache through her chest, a ghost from a past she was too broken to mourn. She held the warm cup with both hands. Her eyes were dead and hollow as she stared at the passing trees. "How is Caleb?" she asked, her voice raspy from disuse, pivoting to the only blood relative she had left.

Gary shifted in his seat, avoiding her eyes. "Your brother is still in the state prison in California. He's... stable."

Before Ada could ask more, the screech of heavy tires ripped through the air.

Three massive, black Cadillac Escalades swerved out from a dirt crossroad. They formed a solid wall of steel across the highway, forcing Gary to slam on the brakes.

The Ford jerked violently. The hot coffee spilled over Ada's hands and her gray coat.

She looked up, her heart suddenly pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird.

The door of the center Escalade opened. A polished black leather dress shoe stepped onto the dusty asphalt.

Desmond Ortiz stepped out. He wore a perfectly tailored dark suit, looking like a king descending to inspect a slaughter.

Seeing the face that had haunted her nightmares for a thousand nights, Ada's lungs forgot how to expand. Her entire body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Gary yelled, unbuckling his seatbelt and jumping out of the car.

Desmond didn't even glance at him. He gave a slight nod. Two bodyguards rushed forward, grabbed Gary by the neck, and slammed his face hard against the hood of the Ford.

Desmond walked slowly to the passenger side window. He raised his hand and tapped his knuckles against the glass.

Get out.

Ada bit down on her lower lip so hard she tasted copper. She shook her head frantically, pressing her back against the seat.

Desmond's jaw tightened. He reached into his suit jacket, pulled out a thick stack of legal documents, and slapped them flat against the glass.

"Gary's company was liquidated yesterday," Desmond's voice was muffled but dangerously clear through the window. "I bought his debt. If you don't step out of this car right now, your cousin is going to federal prison for commercial fraud."

The words hit Ada like a physical blow to the stomach. Her family was already destroyed. She couldn't let Gary go down because of her.

Her psychological defenses crumbled into dust.

With trembling fingers, she pulled the door handle. The door swung open. She stepped out, immediately swallowed by Desmond's tall shadow.

Desmond reached out and pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He forced her head up, his dark eyes scanning her hollow cheeks and scarred skin.

"Look at you," he sneered, his voice dripping with disgust. "You look exactly like the trash you are."

He let go of her face. He gestured to his bodyguards.

A hand shoved Ada roughly between the shoulder blades. She stumbled forward and was thrown into the back seat of his waiting Maybach.

The heavy door slammed shut behind her, sealing her fate.