“They’ve got it under control, Becca. Right now I need you to listen to me. Ash is alive. She’s alive and she needs you.”

His words didn’t register at first. “Did you hear me, Becs? We found Ash.”

The words she’d been waiting to hear. Ash was alive. Her girl was alive. “Where is she?” Becca said.

“Cedars-Sinai. Your parents are on their way too. We need to go. Right now.”

“What happened? Where did they find her?” Becca asked, her entire body buzzing with relief and uncertainty of the unknown.

“Downtown. A few blocks from the Greyhound station. A shopkeeper spotted what looked like a brawl unfolding outside his store. He called 911 and then raced to break it up. By the time he got there the attackers were gone. He found Ash and waited with her ’til the medics arrived.”

“She was beaten?” Becca asked.

“She was beaten and stabbed,” Christian said softly.

She absorbed the words, the reality that someone had hurt Ash, that they’d wanted her to suffer. She thought about the wounds on Nate’s face. Did he attack Ash and she fought back? Was the guilt too much to cope with?

“We need to go now. Ash’s condition is critical,” Christian said.

Becca thought about how she’d left Nate before. It felt cruel to leave him again, but she had to get to Ash.

“We’ll take Joanne’s car and she’ll find her way back,” Christian said. Becca numbly followed him. Ash would be okay. She had to be. As Becca hurried toward the squad car, she glanced back at the unfolding chaos. All the kids sat on the sidewalk. They were so young, looking much less intimidating with their hands tied behind their backs. They all seemed uninterested in Nate’s distress, staring vacantly into the distance. The only person who watched intently was Mo. She sat up straight, her posture impeccable despite the restraints, a look of pure delight on her face as she watched the officers working to revive him.

It’s over. It’s all over now, Becca told herself. There was no way this woman could hurt her or Ash. As if she’d read Becca’s mind, Mo turned, and the two of them locked eyes. Mo’s smile grew even wider, almost taunting. Becca didn’t blink. She wasn’t one of these helpless, vulnerable kids. She wasn’t letting this terrible woman intimidate her. At least that’s what she told herself. But as Becca climbed into the car, despite her best intentions, she couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow Mo was still pulling the strings.

BECCA

BECCA