of rancid frying o

dug into the pocket of her wet jeans. Her fingers brushed past the cheap, cracked-screen smartphone that had belonged to this body'

ose wrinkling at the sight of her. B

et," she said, her voice ra

ey. Greed won. He pulled a cracked iPad

napkin. She connected to the diner's

heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, painfu

lt like glass grinding against her ner

headline felt like a ph

of Montgomery Heire

reen. It was her cousin, Kathleen, dressed in custom b

ana's veins. Her knuckles turned stark whi

cally, searching for any

omery Couple Steps Down Due to Severe Grief. Niece Kat

ired to a private, highly secure sanatori

d. Sanatorium? It was a prison. Kathleen

he screen exploded with photos of Kathleen dripping in Montgo

ive iron gates of the Ellis Manor. The caption read: Looking forward to the future. Th

rd she gagged. The betrayal taste

wn onto the table. The loud sm

ak it and you buy it, psycho

er, murderous intent radiating from her gaze made the man stop dead in

ng. No money, no identity, no power. If she went aft

pon so terrifying that Kat

lashed in her mind. A crazy, desper

ordered a black coffee. The bitter liquid b

er. She began writing down the debts Doyle owed, the names of

ve the diner

of cheap beer and weed. Their eyes scanned the room

eck tattoo, leaned over her table. He reached o

She drove the ballpoint pen straight down int

sound, and yanked his hand back

d, reaching into their

diner windows. Two black Range Rovers slam

ed forward and let his suit jacket fall open, revealing the cold, black steel of a handgun holstered snugly under his arm. The thugs

na's booth. He didn't look at the blood o

sharp smile stretching across her lips.