Chapter 1
Nora
"Please, Nora—my heart medication." Mom clutched her chest and collapsed onto the motel bed, her body curling inward as though trying to shield itself. "I think I'm having an episode."
I dropped the stack of folded clothes I had been holding, the fabric tumbling to the floor in a chaotic heap. "Where is it? I'm calling an ambulance right now."
"No!" she gasped, her voice barely a whisper. "No ambulance. Too expensive. My medication—it's at Lucky Star with my friend Tony."
"The casino? Mom, that doesn't make any sense. Why would your heart medication be there?"
"He's a pharmacist," she wheezed, her voice pleading, filled with urgency. "He gets me discounted pills. Nora, please. I need them now."
Panic surged through me as I grabbed my jacket, fumbling in my haste to find the sleeves.
Three months in Seattle, and we were still living in a weekly-rate motel, our belongings scattered between a few worn-out suitcases.
Mom had sworn that this move would be different—a fresh start, no more running from debt collectors.
But moments like this reminded me that in many ways, nothing had really changed.
"What about Lily?" I asked frantically, thinking of my twelve-year-old sister who had gone out to buy food with our last twenty dollars.
"She'll be fine. Just go. Hurry." Mom's eyes fluttered closed, her breathing becoming increasingly labored. She looked like a fish that had been out of water too long, struggling for air.
What if this were real? What if she actually was having heart problems? I couldn't take that chance. I had to act.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," I promised, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the fear gnawing at me. I snatched the car keys from the nightstand and rushed out the door, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders.
I had to hurry.
The unfamiliar streets of Seattle blurred past as I drove through the relentless rain, the windshield wipers struggling against the downpour that seemed to mirror my rising panic.
Each turn led me deeper into increasingly run-down neighborhoods—pawn shops, liquor stores, and finally, Lucky Star Casino, its neon signs flickering pitifully against the gray afternoon sky.
At the entrance, a broad-shouldered man stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He watched me approach, his eyes narrowing slightly as I neared.
"I'm here to see Tony," I said, water dripping from my hair and trickling down my neck. "He has medication for my mother."
His gaze swept over me in a way that made my skin crawl, and for a fleeting moment, I considered backing away. "Tony, huh? Come on in," he replied, stepping aside to let me through.
The casino was dimly lit, thick with the smell of cigarette smoke and the stench of desperation that hung heavy in the air.
Slot machines blinked and chimed hypnotically, their flashing lights reflecting off the glazed expressions of patrons feeding the machines with coins.
I felt completely out of place here. The man led me past the gaming tables, their players oblivious to everything except for the potential of winning, and down a narrow hallway.
Finally, we entered a small office. A man sat behind the desk, his silk shirt unbuttoned at the collar, exuding an air of casual arrogance. "What can I do for you?" he asked, his smile not quite reaching his eyes, leaving an unsettling impression of insincerity.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what came next.
"Are you Tony? My mother sent me to pick up her heart medication."
He laughed softly, leaning back in his chair. "Your mother is Vivian?"
My stomach dropped at the mention of her name. "What?"
"She owes me money. A lot of money." He stood up, moving around the desk toward me. "Let me guess. She clutched her chest, gasped for air, and told you her medication was here?"
I instinctively backed toward the door, confusion swirling in my mind. "I don't understand."
"Your mother used you as collateral, sweetheart." Tony's gaze lingered on my face for a moment before he leaned back against the desk, an amused expression on his features. "Where is she? Vivian should have come herself."
"She's having heart problems," I insisted, anger beginning to replace my confusion. "Or so she claimed."
He chuckled, a sound that sent chills down my spine. "Classic Vivian, always the actress." His eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a strange intensity in his stare. "You have different eyes from hers. Unusual blue—quite striking."
Just then, a young man entered the room, clad in an expensive suit that seemed tailored to perfection. He wore a practiced smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sorry, I'm late, Tony." He turned to me, assessing my appearance with an appreciative look. "And who might you be?
"Vivian's daughter. Sent her over as collateral," Tony answered.
My voice trembled slightly, and I took another step backward toward the door. "I'm leaving. My sister's waiting for me."
The young man moved closer, his smile unwavering.
"I'm Ryan, assistant manager of the casino.
I have a proposition that might help with your mother's…
situation." He began to walk slowly around me, like a predator circling its prey.
"You're quite striking. Our VIP clients would find you very appealing. "
"Appealing?" A shiver coursed through me at his implication, my skin crawling with discomfort.
"As a cocktail waitress," Ryan replied smoothly, his tone devoid of any real warmth. "Chatting with them, encouraging them to stay and play. Those blue eyes alone could keep high rollers at the tables."
"I'm not interested." I reached for the door handle, desperate to escape, but the security guard stationed nearby moved to block my exit.
Ryan's smile remained intact, but I could see a flash of impatience in his eyes. "This isn't a request. Your mother owes us one hundred thousand dollars. She put your services up as collateral."
"One hundred thousand?" The number hit me like a physical blow, knocking the breath from my lungs. "She can't do that. It's illegal."
"The paperwork she signed says otherwise." He produced a document bearing my mother's signature, presenting it to me like a trophy. "For the time being, you'll be staying here."
I lunged at him, my elbow driving hard into his ribs, catching him off guard momentarily. "I'm not some object you can just arrange!"
The guard seized me from behind, tightening his grip. I kicked backward instinctively, making solid contact with his shins. Ryan recovered quickly, his expression twisting with a dangerous intensity.
"I like spirit, but there are limits," he said, his voice low and threatening. He nodded to the guard. "Take her to the holding room until she cools down."
They dragged me down a dimly lit hallway, ignoring my protests. "Let me go! I need to call my sister!"
"Your sister will be fine," Ryan called after me, a cold smile etched across his face. "Your mother mentioned her. Such a sweet little thing, isn't she? Maybe when she's a bit older, she can join our team, too."
The threat against Lily ignited a fury within me, and I twisted in the guard's grip, kicking out hard to catch Ryan in the stomach again. He doubled over, his face contorted with rage.
"You'll regret that," he snarled.
They shoved me into a windowless storage room—a dark little box outfitted with nothing but a flimsy folding chair and bright, flickering fluorescent lights overhead that buzzed ominously.
"We'll keep your phone," Ryan said, rummaging through my pocket and retrieving it. "You'll earn privileges when you start contributing."
The door slammed shut with a loud, definitive click of the lock echoing in the small space.
I pounded on the metal door, my fists making dull thuds that reverberated as if mocking my frantic heartbeat. "Let me out!" I screamed, my voice bouncing off the cold cement walls. "You can't do this!"
Silence answered, wrapping around me like a suffocating shroud.
I kicked at the door in a futile attempt to escape, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through my foot as the reality of my situation set in.
The cramped room felt as though it were closing in, the flickering light casting disconcerting shadows that danced ominously on the walls.
I fought against the rising sense of claustrophobia, forcing myself to take deep breaths.
Finally, I sank onto the cold metal chair, wrapping my arms around myself as if to find some semblance of comfort. The sting of betrayal overshadowed my fear. My own mother had set me up, used me as a bargaining chip. Had she planned this all along?
A sob escaped my throat, sounding unnaturally loud in the stillness of the room. I bit my knuckles, desperate to stifle the noise, knowing that giving in to despair would only make matters worse. I needed to think clearly, to figure out a way to escape this nightmare.
Mom had always been like this, spending her time in bars and casinos for as long as I could remember. But I never imagined she would stoop so low as to fake an illness to sell me off, treating me like nothing more than a discarded piece of property.
I'd been sold, and beyond settling the debt, Mom must have received some kind of "bonus payment.
" She was probably already at another casino, eager to find more "opportunities.
" But she couldn't take Lily with her—she never did.
Just the thought of Lily alone at the motel made my chest tighten.
She would return to an empty room, completely unaware of what had happened to me.
Would she think I'd abandoned her? The motel manager had been suspicious of us ever since Mom had been late with the rent twice.
How long would it be before he decided to kick Lily out?