I closed my eyes, and the faces of eight children I never held surfaced behind my lids—eight lives torn away before they ever drew breath.
I hated Cecil for his cruelty. Hated Ruby for her poisonous heart. Hated Vivian for standing by and letting all of it happen.
And I hated myself for being too weak to stop it.
But what could I do?
I was locked in a basement where no one could hear me, no matter how loud I screamed.
Was I really going to watch them walk free? Watch my child become Ruby's toy?
No. Never.
My eyes snapped open. Nothing in them but hate.
Even if it killed me, I would drag every one of them to hell with me.
I thrashed against the leather strap binding my wrist, throwing everything I had into it.
The strap cut deep into the flesh, and blood ran down my wrist, staining the radiator pipe red.
Pain. Pain that drilled straight through the bone.
I didn't stop. I clenched my teeth and pulled with every ounce of strength left in my body.
A quiet snap. The strap broke.
I crashed to the floor, gasping in ragged, heaving breaths.
My wrist was raw and shredded.
I staggered up and groped through the dark, searching for a way out.
The basement was crammed with junk.