red past the window of the town car he' d sent for me. The cash in

. A text from a

. He' ll never help

be. I deleted it

g back in. My phone rang, and the caller

ough the speaker. "Time' s up. The boss w

ce shaking. "I just paid for my mom

ird, but stress ain' t good for that heart of hers. I' d hate for something to

touch her. I' ll get the mon

r, Maddy-girl. Cl

hun

Voicemail. My hands were trembling so badly I could b

ying I wouldn' t be too late. When I burst into

face pale with terror, her breathing ragged on the oxygen machine. One o

ed, showing a row of yellow teet

I snarled, my voice sha

we' ll go," h

u, I need m

mother. The man tightened his grip. My mother cri

I fumbled for my phone, my fingers slipping on the scree

ge," his autom

oice cracking with desperation. "He' s hurting m

rich boyfriend ain' t

in a flash of white-hot pain. I fell to the floor,

dge' s boot coming towards my face, and the faint, hazy