I wake up at ten minutes past seven, sun shining through the tiny and dingy window fixed a solid foot above my head.

I sit up, my joints popping as I move from the cement floor to stand. I push a wooden crate up to the window and stand on it, peering out at the lawn, checking for Nathan's car.

Vibrant flowers of all colors and species decorate the ground, and frost coats the tips of leaves and petals in the shade.

But his car is gone.

It's two hours past when I was supposed to be up, yet no one came down to retrieve me.

A large part of me dreads heading upstairs to face my punishment, but I know I have to. With Nathan at work though, my mom shouldn't punish me too bad.

I shakily exhale and step off the crate, wincing as my ankle hits the floor with a bit more force than I would have liked.

I bend down to pick up my hair tie and pull my hair back into a sloppy ponytail before I climb the stairs.

I bang on the door, my wrist aching from the action.

It swings open, and I stumble back, almost falling down the stairs, when my mom is staring at me, her eyes lifeless.

"Mom?" I cautiously step towards her. "Are you alright?" I reach for her, and when she doesn't move, I grab her. Her body is still warm. I jerk back, her glossy eyes watching me. "Mama? Mama, please tell me you're alive!"

No reaction.

"Mama!"

I push her lightly. She starts to topple backwards, but then she stops, falling forwards again. Ropes. They suspend her from the ceiling, wrapped around her neck and waist.

Her lips are blue.

Bile rises in my throat and my eyes burn. My thoughts are racing, my heart is going just a bit too fast, my body is on fire. Oxygen won't enter my lungs fast enough, my vision swims.

"Mama, please be alive!"

My head feels too heavy. I reach for her, and finally scream, my throat burning with how loud I shriek.

I blink.



When I open my eyes again, I'm not standing in front of my mom. I'm in the police station.

I look around, the sudden change in my surroundings disorientating.

"What...?"

"Miss Raine, you're awake!" A man looks up at me, a smile on his lips, a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "I'm Officer Johnson. How are you feeling?"

I don't answer, looking down. Rule eighteen.

He sighs. "I've contacted your brother, he's on his way to pick you up."

I look up at that, my brows furrowing. "You must be mistaken, I'm an only child."

His expression softens. "Your mother has several sons, Miss Raine. The oldest is coming, he's chosen to take custody of you. I need you to fill this form out before you can go."

He hands me a paper and I look at him.

"What happened to my mama?"

He falters, and then sighs again. "Your stepfather, Nathaniel Raine, killed her and fled with all her money."

"He's my dad," I correct. "He doesn't like when I call him that, but my mom said so."

"He's your stepfather, Miss Raine. I'm sorry. We'll do everything we can to ensure he won't go near you. Since he killed your mother, he may go after you next."

I swallow, not responding.

It all must be a prank.

Nathan not being my dad? My mom being dead? Me having brothers?

Nathan may not be very paternal, and he wasn't above inflicting severe harm on me or my mom, but he would never kill her. He wasn't like that.

It was rule twenty.

I stare blankly down at the form, asking me to write down everything from finding my mom's body.

The words become blurry as I stare at the paperwork, feeling like I'm viewing it from someone else's eyes. My thoughts are appearing and vanishing, not really there.

And then there's a man in front of me.