“Enjoy the dark, Maya,” she whispered as I passed her.

I was dragged down a flight of narrow stone steps.

The air grew colder with every step, smelling of damp earth and concrete.

The guard opened a heavy wooden door with an iron bolt.

He threw me inside, and I fell onto the cold floor.

The door slammed shut, and the bolt slid into place with a heavy metallic thud.

Darkness swallowed me completely.

I sat on the cold floor, my knees pulled to my chest.

I thought of my children—Lena, Noah, and Oliver.

They were safe with Isabella, or at least I had to believe they were.

Isabella had promised me she would keep them hidden in her underground network.

But Salvatore’s words echoed in my head.

He knew about Isabella’s involvement.

I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against a small, hard object.

It was a burner phone Isabella had slipped into my bag before we were separated.

The guards had searched my coat, but they had missed the small hidden pocket inside my waistband.

My heart hammered against my ribs.