“So I did what the dragonfly told me to. I survived. Reynard nursed me back to health. He was kind to me. He raised me and gave me an education and continued to skim money from Capo’s operation so that every once in a while he could save a little girl from a nightmare.
“And every time I steal something at Capo’s request, I honor the memory of my sister and those dead girls by leaving the totem of the dragonfly, a beautiful creature that has a very short life. A creature that visited me when I was close to death and gave me a reason to live. Without that dragonfly on Reynard’s shoulder, I know I wouldn’t have made it past that night.”
After I stop speaking, there’s total silence. Ryan’s heartbeat thuds against my shoulder blades. His breathing is shallow, and there’s a small tremor in the
