I blinked, trying to clear the thick fog from my mind.

I was in a small, windowless basement room.

A single bare lightbulb hung from a rusted wire overhead.

My stomach ached slightly, and a surge of panic went through me.

I wriggled my fingers, trying to feel if I was bleeding, praying my baby was safe.

From behind the heavy wooden door of the room, I heard voices.

They were muffled, but I recognized them instantly.

“She is awake,” Evelyn said.

“We don’t have much time,” Marcus replied, his voice tense.

“Russo doesn’t know about this place,” Evelyn said. “And he won’t find her before we get what we need.”

I heard the sound of footsteps pacing on the floorboards above me.

“Are you sure the paperwork is ready?” Marcus asked.

“Everything is signed and filed,” Evelyn said. “The witnesses are lined up.”

“If this doesn’t work, the syndicate will skin us alive,” Marcus said, his voice cracking with fear.

“It will work,” Evelyn insisted. “Once she is gone, the payout will clear all your debts.”

I held my breath, straining to hear every word through the cracks in the wood.