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He ran a finger down ave hihed, "Servario’s a weird guy I will give him that"

I looked out the , "I think he just wanted s to hed, "That’s true, he has"

We rode the rest of the way along the dark highway in silence The car drove for a couple hours, until finally, I could see a city again We drove down to a harbor and out onto a pier Jaedvery much like the supposedly-dead Russian mobster, Michele Strophsky, caave me a once over, "Is that who I think that is?"

My eyes widened as did his fat s the Cold War He had saved the overnainst the war crio at that, Jahed, "You want to be first, do you? Yeah, have at it She should be on a boat to a brothel right noay You hed, exactly the way he did when I used to watch him on surveillance, "I remember her father well Take her to my cabin, clean her up" His Russian accent was so thick, I could barely catch what he said

James looked past Michele, "Is M here?"

Michele nodded, "She is here and will ed e boat and down a hall I stuth He tossed me into a roo at the door to the roo in it There had to be a reason My s Servario and I had discussed He had begged reen eyes had been heartbreaking Then he leaned s in h ets Trust ainst the locked door and nodded, "I trust you" I forced et I pushed off of the door and turned and walked into the bathroom off to the side of the roo it hurt I slideither side of my crooked nose, took a deep breath, and I cracked it back into place Tears strea dried blood with the pain I was in New blood poured from my nostrils as I stripped down and climbed into the shower

Servario’s words trickled into my brain as the hot water poured down on me, "Evie, I need you to remember that I will be back for you It’ll feel like I’ You’ll feel alone" He lifted my face up into his, "I will be back for you"

I shivered in the hot water, shaking with terror and uncertainty I closed , fit, and detere of that day and the pain from the fall that broke my wrist danced behind my eyes I had rippedI had never felt before took over my body It wasn’t fear or apprehension like it should have been It was bitter hatred and deter ht There was a girl inside of irl She could and would do anything for her country My country was still important, but there in the shower, it was mostly about my kids

I stepped out of the shower and s me in the mirror No irl I was stronger, meaner, and more determined than any man could ever be I pushed my kids to the back of my mind I let old Evie crawl her wicked way from my skin

I wiped the steam from the mirror and prepared myself for it

Chapter Thirteen

Mommy Dearest

I pulled on a dress from the closet full of shitty clothes I almost missed Roxy and her collection At least those clothes were top shelf These were nasty I looked at ainst irl in the nored it and laid back on the bed I took a deep breath of confidence in, irl I knew all too well how to be I curled up into a ball on the bed and started to prepare myself for the intrusion I was, no doubt, about to face I had to think about the fact there was a possibility a ht not be able to fight back I had to e decision--was the entrance of my vana the death of me?