Infiltrate the mansion. 

Abduct a four-year-old girl. 

Kill anyone in my way. Even if it’s Mom. 

The average eighteen year old shouldn’t be so proficient in weapons, but nothing about my life has been normal since Mom married a predator. My stepfather is one of the Galliano brothers, a crime family infamous for drug and human trafficking. 

I didn’t choose to be part of this world, but after years of being the victim, I’m ready to become the villain. 

Sunlight beats down on my back like a disapproving parent as I creep around the garden’s perimeter.  A tall fence blocks my view of its interior, and the roses climbing on them release floral bursts that mingle with the scent of fear.

At the first sound of Miranda’s soft giggle, my heart pounds hard enough to burst. 

She’s close.

Crouching low, I inch my way through a gap in the hedge I made earlier. I keep my footsteps light over the soft grass, and hold my breath. No amount of training can stop the leaves from rustling against my bullet proof jacket.

The noise can’t be helped, since the mansion’s security system has four blind spots. Only one of them gets me close to Miranda without alerting the guards. 

I catch a glimpse of her crouched in front of a pond, her brown hair styled into a cascade of ringlets so stiff that they remain still in the breeze. They’ve dressed her in a frilly pink gown with a tutu skirt that barely covers her underwear along with rhinestone sandals that shimmer in the sunlight like diamonds. 

My nostrils flare, and my hands curl into fists. 

This is how they clothe her in between my scheduled visits? 

“Miri?” I whisper. 

She turns her head to the left. 

“Behind you,” I say. 

Straightening, she turns around. The moment our gazes lock, my heart melts, and my chest fills with warmth. No amount of photos could ever capture her sparkling eyes or dimpled cheeks. She’s the most beautiful child in the world.

“Rosa?” she asks.

I give her an eager nod. “That’s right.”

Her deep blue eyes widen. “What are you doing here?” 

“Come to me, and I’ll tell you.” I reach out a hand and beckon her into the blind spot. 

Miranda glances to the right, where Mom sits on a bench at the edge of the pond, her face buried in a computer tablet. Hatred sears my veins, and my fingers itch to claw out her eyes. What kind of mental gymnastics go through her mind each morning when she sees this little girl, or is she still so blinded by all the wealth. 

I hold my breath, praying to anyone who will listen that she doesn’t look our way. 

Moments pass, and Miranda doesn’t move. Anxiety coils through my insides like a constrictor and squeezes tight. If I step into the garden and pick her up, I won’t just alert Mom. Every security guard working for my corrupt stepfather will be on us in seconds with guns drawn. 

“Hey,” I say, my voice rising with desperation. “I brought you a gift.”

Miranda tilts her head, her rounded features sparking with interest. “What is it?”

I reach into my cargo pocket and pull out a box. “Here. Another unicorn.”

She moves closer, her steps tentative. I keep my features light and even to mask my inner turmoil. Frustration roils through my gut and my breath turns shallow. 

What lies did Matteo and Mom have to spew to make a four-year-old girl so wary? 

She reaches for the box, just as Mom’s sharp voice says, “Miriam, come away.”

My jaw clenches. 

Her name is Miranda.

Mom shoots up from the bench, dropping the computer tablet. My heart plummets into my stomach, bringing up a wave of panic. 

Time has run out as have my chances for a peaceful abduction. I burst out of the bushes and scoop Miranda into my arms. 

Eyes widening, Mom reaches into her pocket and produces a pistol. 

Shit.

“Drop my daughter!” She points the gun at my head. 

“Yours?” I withdraw my own weapon and shoot her between the eyes.

Miranda screams. Mom falls to the ground, just as sirens blare from the mansion, filling the air with the chaos. Alarm explodes through my insides and I disappear into the bushes, clinging onto the wailing child.

“Hold tight, Miri.” 

“Put me down!” she cries, “You’re hurting me!”

My heart shatters into jagged pieces. When she’s old enough to understand, I’ll explain that this abduction is for her own good. With me as her parent, she can have a normal life. 

For now, I’ll withstand her hatred. 

I run alongside the hedges, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The sirens grow louder, as do Miranda’s cries. There’s no way we’re getting out of here unnoticed, but I’ve had four years to plan for every possible scenario.

An armored car pulls up, its engines still running. I fling open the back door and jump into the seat, still clinging onto Miranda. 

“What took you so long?” Britt’s blonde head whips to the side. 

“Drive.” I pull the door shut.

The central locking system whirs into place, and the car hurtles down the tree-lined drive that runs between Matteo’s mansion and the neighbors. 

Miranda’s tiny fists pound on my shoulders as she screams for help, and I hold her close. “It’s okay, Miri,” I murmur. “Everything’s going to be alright. I’m here to protect you.”

Britt slams on the brakes, making Miranda and me lurch forward. 

“Fuck!” she screams. 

My head snaps up to the windscreen, where an SUV blocks the road ahead. When I turn to the back window, another car closes in on us from behind. 

“We’re trapped,” she snarls. 

“Miri, listen carefully. I want you to hide behind the seat from the bad men.” 

I release my grip on Miranda, and she ducks down, staying close to the floor. My pulse has never beaten so hard or fast, but I’ve already prepared for a blockade. As I reach for a helmet, the SUV’s back door opens, and the first man to step out is Matteo.

Seeing him is like a punch to the gut, and my blood chills. I hadn’t expected to see my stepfather. He was supposed to be at work. Memories rise to the surface, threatening to drown me in a torrent of betrayal, resentment, and trauma. 

“What are you doing?” Britt yells from the front seat. “Get rid of them.”

My friend’s voice jolts me back to reality. I snap on the helmet, reach for the grenade launcher beneath the driver’s seat, and throw open the door. “Keep an eye on Miri.”

Stepping out, I sling the weapon on my shoulder. One of the men flanking Matteo fires a shot that hits me square on the chest. Pain explodes through my ribcage, even though the armor absorbs the impact. I rock backward and manage to catch myself before I fall. 

“Don’t shoot,” Matteo yells. “They’ve got my daughter.” 

My lip curls. That’s the first time my stepfather has admitted to being Miranda’s father. He raises his palms in a gesture to surrender but nothing this bastard could say or do will stop me from taking my baby. 

Aiming at Matteo and his goons, I pull the trigger. A grenade flies out and explodes with a deafening roar, sending out an explosion of shrapnel and fire. A rain of bullets hit me in the back as I dive into the back seat. 

Britt accelerates, and the car lurches through the wreckage. Triumph fills my chest as we speed away toward the airport. This unauthorized side quest will get us into trouble when we return to HQ but this was the whole reason why I trained for four years to become an assassin. 

My recruiter at the Moirai said I would become strong enough to take out any target… And he was right. Because of him, I’m finally able to take back my daughter.   

I turn to where Miranda crouches and pull her onto my lap and check her for injuries. “Are you okay, baby girl?”

“What was that?” she asks through hiccuping sobs. 

I bury my face in her ringlets and sigh. “You’re finally coming home.”