Chapter 1 - THE FLAME
The lit match shook inches from my alcohol-soaked stomach while Tyler smiled like he was watching a science experiment.
“Let’s see if this sterilizes the problem.”
My unborn daughter kicked beneath my torn shirt.
The movement made every cut across my belly burn harder.
I pressed both hands over her and twisted away, but Tyler grabbed the front of my shirt and slammed me back against the kitchen counter.
The empty rubbing alcohol bottle rolled beneath the table.
Its chemical smell filled the room.
Tyler leaned closer.
The flame reflected in his dark eyes.
“You should’ve listened.”
My breath came in ragged bursts.
For six months, I had listened.
I had apologized when he hit me.
I had hidden bruises from doctors.
I had told neighbors the screaming came from the television.
I had even lied to the police when Tyler stood behind the door with one hand around my mother’s throat.
But three weeks earlier, I had stopped obeying.
I looked past him toward the front window.
Tyler noticed.
“Nobody’s coming.”
I forced my breathing to slow.
“You’re already too late.”
The window exploded inward.
Glass showered across the kitchen.
Tyler spun, raising one arm over his face while still clutching the burning match.
I dropped into a crouch over my belly.
Three powerful men in dark civilian jackets climbed through the shattered frame in perfect formation.
Their movements were fast, controlled, and silent.
Tyler staggered backward.
His grin disappeared.
“Who are you?”
The man in front stepped over the broken glass without answering.
I recognized him as Agent Marcus Hale—the man who had answered my secret call three weeks earlier.
May you like
But before Marcus could reach Tyler, the burning match slipped from Tyler’s fingers.
It fell toward the alcohol spreading across the floor.
