The Don Drained Our Children's Marrow for His Sister-in-Law, I Left

A line of black sedans tore through the city in the dead of night.

Vivian was crammed into the passenger seat, and Ethan's grip on her wrist was crushing.

She had explained, God, how many times had she explained, that she had nothing to do with Claire being taken and had nothing to do with the Reeds.

She talked until her voice gave out. Ethan didn't look at her once. Finally he spoke, cold and flat.

"Stop wasting your breath. Who else could it be? You found out Claire's carrying my child, so you arranged this."

Carrying his child.

Those words split Vivian open.

He had killed her babies without flinching, and turned around and made one with Claire.

The car screeched into a chaotic side alley, with dust rising and voices shouting.

Claire was huddled in a corner with her clothes torn and mascara streaked down her face, surrounded by a circle of rough-looking men.

The Reeds. The family the Vosses had been at war with for generations.

The Reeds had cold eyes and wooden clubs.

Ethan got out of the car, and every part of him radiated authority, the kind that didn't need to be announced.

"You stoop low enough to grab a woman? Pathetic."

The man in front spat and grinned, idly turning his club.

"Pathetic? You boys hit our shipment at the docks last week and broke our Don's leg. Don't talk to me about pathetic."

"Can't touch you, so I'll touch your woman."

Ethan's eyes went dark, and his own men reached for their guns.

Both sides were locked, and the air went sharp.

Then men they hadn't seen, hiding behind the Voss cars, climbed in, grabbed Vivian by the hair, and dragged her out into the open.

She screamed once. Pain blacked out her vision.

The Reed holding her hair shouted across the alley.

"Settle the books? Fine. Ethan, pick one—your wife or your sister-in-law. Choose fast. Or we start cutting Claire's fingers off."

Ethan's whole face went still.

"Let her go. You think trash like you gets to threaten me?"

The Reed laughed, pulled out a small blade, and pressed the tip into Claire's fingertip.

"Tough talk. Watch me take this finger off right now."

Claire shrieked and started sobbing.

"Ethan, please, they're going to cut my hand, please."

His face went black with rage, and his eyes ticked between Vivian and Claire.

He looked at Claire, at her tears, at her fear, at the bead of red already running down her finger.

His jaw locked tight. He swallowed once, and his voice came out raw.

"Let Claire go."

"Vivian, hang on for me. I'll come back for you the second this is done."

The cold of her body went deeper than her bones, and every part of her went limp. The Reeds kept their hands tight on her.

The other Reeds laughed and shoved Claire forward.

Vivian watched, eyes empty, as that familiar shape rushed across the alley to catch Claire and hold her.

Ethan didn't turn around. Not once.

Despair washed over her like dark water, and she felt the Reeds dragging her step by step toward the unlit mouth of the alley.