1

Christina

I wanted to strangle Alicia. I'd been sitting in the lunchroom for no more than five minutes. That was a new record, even for me. But how was I supposed to sit and listen to her bullshit without wanting to murder her?

"And then I told her," Alicia continued. "If you can't fix my nails the way they need to be fixed, I'm not paying for this crappy service. I mean, look at them." She held up her perfectly manicured fingernails with pink rhinestones on top. I had no idea what I was supposed to be looking at, but the other three women at the lunch table nodded in unison.

"You poor thing," one of them said. "How are you supposed to meet with clients when the stones don't line up?"

"Exactly!" shrieked Alicia. "That's why I didn't pay for them."

My hand fisted in my lap. Then I closed my eyes and counted to five.

Two, three, four…

"I see you're already practicing your mindfulness," a familiar voice whispered next to me.

My friend and coworker, Nikole, placed her lunch bag beside me and smiled. "That bad?"

"You have no idea." I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" she asked in a low voice. The other people at the table were still engrossed in Alicia's story.

"I'm trying to be more social, as you suggested," I squeezed through gritted teeth.

She laughed and shook her head. "Oh, is that what this is? Well, then you need to fix your face."

I scowled at her, and she laughed again. Despite her laughing at my expense, her cheerfulness improved my mood. It was genuine and, unlike other people in this law office, she wasn't afraid of me.

"What did you bring for lunch today?" she asked, opening her reusable bag.

"Tuna fish sandwich. You?"

"Avocado on toast."

She looked down at her avocado and frowned. "Want to head to Bruno's and share a pizza?" Her eyes pleaded.

"Definitely," I said and packed my lunch to place inside the refrigerator for later.

"Great." Nikole followed me to the fridge and set her bag next to mine. "I have an issue with one of my witnesses that I'd like to run by you. You're awesome on cross."

"Sure, no problem." We were about to leave the lunchroom when my cell phone rang.

It was my closest friend Gabby. Without hesitation, I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Chrissy, it's me. Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"No. What's up?"

"Um… well," she cleared her throat and fumbled her next words.

"Uh…" she sighed into the phone.

I frowned. She was never like this. She was as straightforward as I was. "Gabby, are you in trouble?"

"No. No, nothing like that. But…"

"But?"

She sighed. "I don't know how to say it, so I'll just be blunt."

"Yeah?"

"I think your sister's in trouble."

For a second, I hesitated. But only for a second.

"And?"

"Christina," Gabby admonished. "It's your sister."

It was difficult for me to muster familial concern since the feeling was never reciprocated. My older sister had never been concerned about me. Neither had my older brother, for that matter.

Why should I care about what's happening in their lives now?

But Gabby was the type of person who cared. She was the type who wanted to fix things, people, and relationships.

I didn't suffer from that tendency. But she was there for me when no one else was, so I would hear her out.

"What sort of trouble is she in?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but I know she's living with the Graff brothers."

The name conjured up old memories. Not good ones. Simon Graff cornered me behind the bleachers in high school. I knew to stay away from him, but I often walked home alone and he had noticed. I'll never forget the blank look in his eyes when he told me what he would do to me.

I never gave him the chance. Instead, I struck him hard with the palm of my hand, breaking his tiny nose. He never saw it coming. But I was prepared for assholes like him. Unfortunately, in my neighborhood, it wasn't the first time I'd been cornered like that.

Or the last.

"Well, if that's who she wants to hang with, I won't stop her."

Gabby ignored me. "I've tried reaching out, but she's not answering her phone. The Graff brothers are more dangerous than they were in high school. They're men now and mixed up in some drug and other trafficking rings. It's pretty bad. And your sister could be getting herself into a lot of trouble. Trouble that could blow back on you."

I sighed and rubbed my temple.

"All right. I'll go check in on her."

Having a sister locked up for drug dealing or sex trafficking wouldn't sit well with the partners in my law firm or our clients. But that wasn't the reason I decided to visit Simon Graff.

No.

Maybe it was finally time for payback. Payback for the last time he cornered me.

The time I didn't get away.

"Thanks, Chrissy. Call me later."

"I will. Bye."

Nikole waited patiently for me at the lunchroom door. "Is everything all right? Who do you need to check in on?"

"My sister," I sighed and walked past her toward the front doors.

She caught up to me despite her three-inch heels and my ballerina flats. "I don't mean to pry," she said.

"Then don't."

I hated talking about my family. Only Gabby knew all of it, and I wasn't eager to share my history with anyone else. But Nikole's face seemed genuinely concerned. So, I offered her my present situation instead of my past.

"That was my friend Gabby. She's concerned about my sister. She thinks she's getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. So, I agreed to check on her."

"By yourself?" Nikole's reaction confused me since she didn't shy away from confrontation either. Maybe married life had made her soft.

The thought nearly made me smile. "Of course, by myself. Who else would I ask?" I pointedly looked at my friend's slight frame. "No offense."

She ran her hands down her black blazer. "None taken. But you shouldn't go by yourself. I'll ask Jake to go with you."

"Your bodyguard husband?"

"Exactly. He's equipped to handle situations like this."

"I thought he was out-of-town protecting your mother on her campaign trail."

"Yes. But he'll be back this weekend. Can't you wait until then?"

I could, but it was also the perfect excuse to give Nikole to stop her from siccing her husband on me. I didn't need protection.

"It really can't wait. I'll be fine. I know these guys from high school."

"You do?"

That seemed to reassure her. Only because I never told her how I knew them. It was best she knew nothing more. Any pitiful glances she threw my way would be nauseating.

"You'll be fine?" she asked, placing her hand on my arm.

"Yes. I can take care of myself. Actually, I'm looking forward to seeing them again."

"Really?"

I clenched my jaw. "Absolutely."

***

After I finished making my last note on an upcoming case, I packed up my things and headed outside. As I approached my shiny black sports car, my lips turned up as they always did when I saw it. The sports car was the first big purchase I made after securing my job. I didn't reward myself after graduating college or even passing the bar. I figured plenty of people did that. I didn't reward myself until I became a senior attorney at one of the most prestigious law firms in the country.

I still had student loans and owed more than I could ever pay back to Gabby's parents for taking me in when my siblings had abandoned me, but buying this car symbolized, to me, that I'd beat the odds. I'd done it, despite my family and some teachers telling me there was no way out of my predicament.

I thought I would never go back, but now that was exactly where I was heading.

Pressing the ignition button, the engine roared to life and purred beneath my thighs. I eased my foot on the clutch and backed out of the parking spot.

It was nearly eight o'clock and the sun would set soon. If traffic wasn't terrible, I would get to the old neighborhood before it became dark.

I drove through the streets of New York City, leaving the tourist spots behind, and turned onto a road that many would assume to be abandoned, but I knew better. Several businesses had been boarded up, and the brick walls were lined with graffiti, but there were still plenty of people who lived in this neighborhood and would die here, too.

As I approached the street where I grew up, I pushed the car into fourth gear and drove past the house where my parents had been shot. I didn't bother to turn my head. There was nothing I wanted to see or remember there.

Finally, I turned onto the road where the Graff brothers lived and where Gabby believed my sister to be staying.

I pulled up along the curb and noticed some guys sitting on the porch next door staring at my car. I wasn't worried about them stealing it. It was one of the reasons I bought a standard car, not many car thieves knew how to drive a stick.

My car beeped as I locked it and walked away. I stared back at the boys on the porch and raised my eyebrows when one of them stood up. He lifted his chin and nodded once.

"Hey Lucky," I called, recognizing him. He was the younger brother of an old friend. He earned that nickname after surviving a knife wound a mere two inches from his heart.

"Christina, is that you?"

"As I live and breathe."

"Damn, girl. You look good." He bit his lip and swaggered a few steps closer.

I smiled and walked up the steps to Simon's house. "Still too old for you, Lucky."

"I'm twenty now, so a full-grown adult."

"Yup. But still not man enough for me."

"Shit." He chuckled and covered his grin with his hand.

I didn't bother to cover mine when I knocked twice on Simon's door.

After waiting several minutes and there was no answer at the door, I knocked again.

"They've got cameras all over the place. They won't open the door unless they're expecting you."

I looked up and spotted a camera against the brick wall. Pushing my hair behind my ears, I stared at it. "It's Christina Polito. Open the door, Simon."

Less than a minute later, someone unlocked several bolts from the other side of the door before opening it.

A man wearing shorts, a hoodie, and a backward Mets cap opened the door. His cheeks were hollowed and his hair was longer, but I recognized him. My stomach turned, and I wanted to throw up on the spot. Well, maybe on him, but I kept it together.

Simon looked me up and down, and a sneer pulled his mouth up. "Well, well, well. I always knew you'd come back."

"I'm not back. I'm here to see my sister."

Ignoring me, he looked over my shoulder and lifted his chin. "Is that your car?"

I crossed my arms. "Yes. It is."

He pursed his lips and tilted his head. "How much do you want for it?"

"It's not for sale."

He smiled. "Everything is for sale."

I believed that, too. We both grew up believing that. I hated that I didn't disagree. So instead, I asked, "Where's my sister?"

"I didn't realize you two were so close. She hasn't mentioned you at all."

I didn't argue, knowing he was telling the truth about that. But his words made my chest tighten.

"Is she here, then?" I tried to act nonchalant about it, but despite the years that had passed, being this close to Simon made my body react. I wanted to break his nose again.

He looked me in the eye. "No."

He was lying. "Then why did you say she's never mentioned me?"

"We still talk. But she's not here."

I didn't believe him. I tried to look past his body and into the house, but he had nearly pulled the door shut. The room behind him was dark and I could barely make out the color of the floor.

With my arms still crossed, I stared pointedly at him. "She's not answering her phone and I've received a tip that she's here. So, unless you want me to call the police and have them do a wellness check on her, I suggest you let me speak to her for a minute."

His jaw ticked, and I wondered if I'd scared him enough.

Neither one of us looked away. Perhaps he waited to see if I was bluffing.

I waited for my sister to show up. She rarely stayed quiet for long. If she was in that house, I would hear her soon enough.

"Don't move. I'll be right back," he finally said and shut the door behind him.

I exhaled, and my shoulders relaxed. I hadn't realized I'd tensed up like that. After inhaling a couple of deep breaths, the door opened again.

This time my sister appeared.

I hadn't seen her in years, and I hardly recognized her. She'd cut her curly brown hair to her shoulders and her once round face was gaunt and pale. Despite the low light from the setting sun, my sister squinted when she stepped outside. Simon followed closely behind her.

"Christina?" she asked. Her eyes were dilated, and her lips were dry. She was on some sort of drug. I could tell that much. She wore a tank top and shorts which hung loosely on her. My sister always wore the tightest clothes she could find. But she appeared to have lost some weight, so I wasn't sure if that was the reason for the ill-fitting clothes.

"Donna, are you all right?" I asked. My hand reached out to touch her arm, and she flinched. I pulled my hand back.

She licked her lips. "I'm fine."

"Why don't we go for a coffee and catch up?" I looked into her red eyes. "It's been a while."

"Yeah. It has been. But now's not a good time."

"Why not?"

Simon interjected. "We have some friends coming over, and it's best if you leave."

He grabbed my sister's arm and pushed her back inside the house. This time, he closed the door completely. "It was great catching up. But it's time for you to go."

"I'm not leaving without my sister."

I had no idea where this protective instinct came from. I didn't learn it from either of my siblings. Perhaps it was from my parents, but I'd only been a child when they were killed. Despite the anger I harbored inside of me, I couldn't walk away. It wasn't just because she was my sister. I didn't think I could leave anyone who looked the way she did in that house with Simon. If she was willingly taking the drugs, I wasn't sure. But she was in no state to be left unprotected in that house.

"Get Donna and I'll be happy to leave." I sniffed the foul air and recoiled from his odor. "I can't wait to get the hell out of here."

He clenched his fist and stepped closer to me. "Get the fuck off my property."

My heart beat faster in my chest, but I didn't back down.

"Not without my sister."

"Didn't you learn from the last time, princess ?" The nickname on his lips brought me back to that night and I thought this time I would surely throw up on his doorstep. He'd said the name over and over as a punishment.

"You always thought you were better than the rest of us."

My heart hammered against my chest, warning me to flee, but my legs wouldn't move. I inhaled sharply through my nose and confidently said, "I am."

His nostrils flared, and his jaw tightened. "Get the fuck out before I hurt you, princess ."

I ignored every survival instinct that shot through my body. My flight response kicked into overdrive, but I fought against it. This was the reason I'd decided to come here. I wanted Simon to know he didn't break me.

"No."

He looked over my shoulder behind me. I wasn't sure what he saw because I didn't trust him enough to look away, but he unclenched his fist and stepped back.

"You saw your sister. No need for a wellness check. This is the last time I will warn you."

He opened the door and I knew enough about the law that I'd be trespassing if I forced my way inside.

I wouldn't be leaving with my sister tonight.

"This isn't over," I said.

"If you come at me, you better watch your back," he sneered and slammed the door in my face.

"I've been watching my back since I was twelve years old," I ground out.

I waited until my heart slowed down and my legs no longer felt like jelly, so I could walk down the steps back to my car.

The boys on the porch next door had moved onto the lawn and I wondered if they were the reason Simon had backed down.

Coward .

A man I didn't recognize caught me off guard when he appeared from the side of the house. He walked up to a pickup truck parked in the driveway.

I kept my eye on him as I climbed into my car and pulled away.

I spotted his truck behind me when I drove down the street and he was still there when I merged onto the main road.

There was no way I would go home. Not with this guy following me.

Pressing my foot on the gas, my head fell back onto the headrest as it roared to life. I weaved in and out of traffic and when I spotted the first exit, I took it.

The sun had set, and this road had fewer streetlights. There weren't many homes or buildings nearby either. When I saw the truck's headlights behind me, I knew I hadn't lost him.

I smacked the steering wheel. "Shit."

Spotting a hidden exit on my right, I yanked the steering wheel towards it, hoping he hadn't seen me.

But a few seconds later, bright headlights shone from the back window inside my car. He sped up and I could barely see the road ahead of me, blinded by his bright lights.

Pressing my foot on the gas, I raced down the deserted road, pebbles hitting my car.

I gritted my teeth but floored the gas pedal, putting some distance between us. The lights were further away now and I could see better.

A smile spread across my face until something in the distance caught my eye. Was it an animal? A person? A bag of garbage? I wasn't sure. I swerved to avoid it, but I panicked and yanked the wheel too hard.

The car spun out, turning around once before it went airborne and then landed in a ditch.

The side of my face hit the steering wheel on impact and I screamed out in pain. Wheels screeched above me and a car door opened. I couldn't move. I didn't think I could run if he came after me with a gun. I closed my eyes.

I don't want to die.

I gathered all my strength and felt around for the seat belt latch.

Before I could remove it, a door slammed again, and the truck sped off.

I breathed a sigh of relief and dropped my head back.

I would live through this night.

My hands grasped the steering wheel as I pushed myself up. A drop of blood fell onto the embossed logo over the black leather wheel. Then another.

I should have bought the newer model instead of a classic, it would have had better safety features.

Turning to grab my phone to call an ambulance, pain shot through my neck.

Yes, I would live.

And I would make Simon pay for this. Or die trying.