Prologue

Q ueenie

Heartless. Rageful. Fearsome and cold. Nothing but evil coursed through those cruel blue eyes. A man my mind wouldn't let me forget.

Never will I forget that man begging for his life, as he called out to his mother and prayed to his god.

But the other man…the one with evil in his eyes. It was like nothing was behind that soul—certainly not a person—as he emptied his gun into his victim.

Bang. Bang... Bang .

It all happened so fast—the blood of the priest's splattered across his face, an exploded head left behind in place of it. But the evil man…he shot one more bullet into his chest. What could he have possibly gained from one more bullet?

If the first shots hadn't killed him, surely the shot to the head had. But that didn't matter to someone void of emotion, devoid of empathy and most of all, devoid of God.

I'd told that story over and over. To the Boston Police department. To a private jury. Even to a judge. My testimony had been closed for my protection, so I thought I'd get to move on with my life.

Until my papa made a deal with the devil.

Greed made you do horrible things, but I never thought I'd be asked to take back my words. I couldn't object to it, because Papa said I didn't have a choice. And I was being promised to someone.

I just pray that I'll never have to look in the eyes of such savagery again…