Reborn: I Won't Be His Fall Girl Again

I choked on a mixture of mud and rain.

Two bouncers tossed me into the back alley like a bag of trash.

My broken rib on the right side was screaming. Every breath tasted like copper.

"Cough..." I struggled to get up but collapsed back into a puddle.

That's when a pair of worn-out boots stepped into my vision.

I lifted my head with effort.

It was the crazy old woman from the edge of the slums, Maria.

She had one eye and always smelled of cheap booze.

Usually, she wouldn't even look at me.

But tonight, she crouched down, her rough fingers pressing on my rib.

"Not dead yet," she rasped, her voice like sandpaper on concrete.

Without another word, she hauled me up and dragged me into her shack filled with scrap metal.

The sting of alcohol poured on my cuts almost made me pass out.

Maria skillfully wrapped my chest with strips of cloth. Rough, but surprisingly professional.

When she was done, she went to the corner and pried up a loose floorboard.

She pulled out a rusty metal box and tossed it into my lap.

"Take it."

I opened the box. No money. Just a heavy coin.

Solid gold, with a bleeding eagle carved on the front.

The highest token of the "Blood Oath"—a Gold Medallion for the Elite Academy.

Holders get direct entry, no fees.

I looked up at her in shock.

"Where did you get this?"

Tears welled up in Maria's single eye. She took a swig of liquor.

When she looked at me again, she was calm.

"Your mother left it."

My heart skipped a beat.

"My mother? Tony said she ran off with another man."

"Tony's full of sh*t." Maria stared at the coin. "Your mother was the Family's most lethal weapon. She didn't run. She drew the enemies away to save you."

She grabbed my shoulder, nails digging into my flesh.

"Go to the Academy. They have the deepest intel network in the Family. Climb the ranks. It's the only way you'll find her."

I gripped the coin. The cold metal felt like it was burning a hole in my palm.

It wasn't just a ticket; it was proof my mother was alive.

I stood up, fighting the pain, and tucked the coin into my breast pocket.

"I will find her."

Maria reached out and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. Her eyes turned sharp.

"Listen to me, girl."

She lowered her voice to a growl.

"Don't let anyone see that thing."