Chapter Two: The Alley
The rest of her closing duties passed in a blur.
Her hands moved on autopilot.
Wiping down surfaces.
Refilling salt and pepper shakers.
Restocking napkins.
All she could think about was getting home to Lily.
Collapsing into bed for the precious few hours before her morning shift at the coffee shop across town.
Her bag felt unusually heavy as she slung it over her shoulder.
Her body finally giving in to the bone-deep exhaustion.
She waved a weak goodbye to the kitchen staff.
Pushed through the back door into the alley behind the restaurant.
The night air hit her like a physical blow.
Cold and damp against her overheated skin.
Another wave of dizziness.
Stronger than before.
The world tilted alarmingly.
She reached for the brick wall.
Her fingers scraped against the rough surface.
Her knees buckled.
Down she went.
The concrete rushing up to meet her.
A distant part of her brain braced for impact.
But her senses were already fading.
Darkness creeping in from the edges of her vision.
Her last conscious thought was of Lily.
Waiting for her.
Needing her.
Then nothing.
Nothing until a voice cut through the darkness.
Deep.
Commanding.
Familiar.
“Get her in the car. Now.”
Hands lifted her.
Strong and sure.
She wanted to fight, to scream.
But her body wouldn’t respond.
She was floating.
Disconnected from reality.
“Boss, should we call an ambulance?”
“No. No hospitals. Too many questions. My doctor will meet us.”
The voices faded in and out as she drifted between consciousness and whatever lay beyond it.
She was aware of movement.
Of being placed on something soft.
Of a warm weight covering her.
“Her bag. Check her bag. She might be on something.”
“Boss, there’s a—there’s a baby bottle in here. And diapers. Formula.”
The voice that came next had changed.
Hardened somehow.
“Find out everything about her. Everything. I want to know who she is, where she lives, and most importantly, where that baby is right now.”
Panic surged through her.
Providing enough adrenaline to fight back the darkness.
She forced her eyes open.
Tried to sit up.
To speak.
My daughter.
They were talking about her daughter.
Lily.
“Please.”
She managed to croak.
Her voice barely audible.
“Please, my baby.”
A face swam in focus above her.
Dark eyes.
Alessio Russo.
“Where is she?”
The question was soft.
But filled with terrible intensity.
“Mrs. Patel. Neighbor. Watching her. Please, I need to get home. She needs me.”
She was begging.
Dignity long forgotten.
Nothing mattered but Lily.
He studied her for a long moment.
His expression unreadable.
Then he turned to someone she couldn’t see.
“Change of plans. Take us to her address. Now.”
She tried to protest.
To explain that this wasn’t necessary.
That she just needed to get to her feet and catch the bus.
But darkness was pulling her under again.
The last thing she saw before consciousness slipped away was Alessio Russo’s face.
His dark eyes fixed on her with an expression that might have been concern.
Or something far more dangerous.
