Chapter 23

Thomas drags her down to the basement of an unfamiliar house. The place is enormous and filled with scary-looking men with tattoos and scars on their bodies. His grip on her hand is firm. A bruise will definitely form by tomorrow. She bites her lower lip to keep from wincing. They stop in front of two holding cells. Why does he have a holding cell in the house? Melina looks at the two men in each cell and realizes that her suffering is nothing compared to theirs. Her hands fly to cover her mouth as one raises his head. His face is badly beaten, and she can bet people who know him will no longer recognize him. Looking at Thomas, she wonders why they are standing in front of these two battered men.

“Pick,” he says.

“Huh,” she asks, confused.

“Pick one,” Thomas growls at her.

She wishes to ask why but knows he won’t tell her. Melina looks at the two men in front of her, who are already at heaven’s gate. They’ve both been badly beaten. She wonders if he’s