CallahanSix men lie on the ground at the front of the house, all but two shot execution style. The two are riddled with bullets. They were taken by surprise. The others were rounded up.They saw death coming.“The front door was open when we got here,” Dante says.I should have left him with her. Why didn't I leave him? Why?"Any of their soldiers among the dead?" my uncle asks.Dante shakes his head. We were ambushed. Betrayed again. No one knew this house even existed. Even if they did, no on knew she was here. No one but the men who were here with her. Who are all dead.All except for one."Where's Alec?" I ask. He's the lone survivor. He called it in a few hours ago."Kitchen."I look beyond the house to the mountains. Turn around to the ocean. They drove right up. Killed the men at the checkpoints and continued straight to the house.Betrayed.Again.I turn to my uncle who has remarkably not puked at the sight of the bloodbath, both outside and inside the house. Maybe I don't k

PortiaMurmurs and quiet whimpers are the, sounds I hear. The smell is dank, like sweat and something else, something rotten. When I'm jostled violently, those whimpers swell to a joint scream followed a few moments later by the sounds of someone retching.I blink. Turn my head. My neck is sore, my shoulders, back and arms aching. I groan, try to bring my hand to my face but my wrists are bound behind my back. As my eyes open and the room comes into focus, I remember why.I remember Fernando. Remember my uncle.And Fernando killing my uncle.I move backward through time and memory, remembering farther back to the room at that house. My bath. Cutting my foot on the shards of glass from the bottle Callahan destroyed.Our wedding night gone up in smoke.Callahan accusing me of being a whore on our wedding night. Something inside me twists but I don't linger because there's another one of those swells and panic grips me. I struggle to sit up just as we crash down and water sprays the wind

Portia“Who are you?” a creaky voice asks in the darkness.I blink, look around to locate the woman speaking. I find her on the opposite end of the mattress nearest me. There are three others sleeping between us.“Why can't they touch you?" she asks, and I hear resentment in her words."I..." How do I answer? And that too, honestly?"He called you a cartel whore. I heard him. Are you with them? The Cartel?""No. Of course not.""Then why didn't he touch you? You don't have the mark.""What mark?"She lifts the wrist of one of the sleeping girls. A younger one. She shows me the mark made by what looks to be a black sharpie. Just an X.“What does it mean?”She drops the girl's wrist and looks away, her eyes clouded with an emotion I can't place. More like pain, though. "Virgin. They get more for the virgins. Crew can't fuck the virgins but the rest of us are fair game.""They'll sell them?""What did you think they'd do?"That was a stupid question now that I think about it."And they

CallahanI stand with my arms folded watching from across the room as the doctor finishes examining Portia. She's sleeping. Didn't even fight me when I told the doctor to give her something to relax her. Something strong enough to knock her out."What is it about her?" Antonio asks, his eyes, too, on Portia.I turn to him. He shifts his gaze to mine and takes a swallow of whiskey."Why would you give everything up for her?" he continues.I take a deep breath and swallow my own drink. It's not enough. “She's innocent, Antonio. And she can't help her name."He snorts."Why did you go in after her then?" I ask him."I was going after you.""No, you weren't."He turns his attention to pouring himself another glass, taking his time to look at me. I'm glad she wasn't more badly hurt. Glad she didn't die. But we can't lose focus.“That bastard — "" — will be punished. I swear it on my life, dear Brother.”"Don't swear on your life. Don't tempt fate." He drinks."Fate's fucked me over too m

Portia I wake to the smell of coffee. I move, rolling onto my side, but wince and stop as soon as l do. I remember instantly why I'm sore. Everything that happened comes flooding back to me at once."Good morning," Callahan says. I open my eyes. Deep orange light, the first light of morning, filters into the room washing it in its warm glow. I watch Callahan get to his feet from the armchair he was sitting on. His clothes look rumpled, his hair like he's been running his hands through it all night.I'm back on the island. Back in his room. In his bed.“Morning," I say, slow to push myself up to a seat."Easy." He's by my side in an instant, lifting me gently.I suck in a breath and he draws back. Even the lightest touch hurts."I'm sorry," he says."It's okay."He adjusts the pillows behind my back.“Is Nathan okay? Did anyone — ”"He's fine. Safe. They only hit the house you were in.""The soldiers are dead."He nods."Alec. Is he.."There's a momentarily shadow that crosses his fea