The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In Rivenwood, in the depths of an off-the-grid prison unlike any other, the inmates were not your garden-variety criminals. Not even the hardened murderers found solace within these walls.

At present, this prison housed a mere trio of prisoners.

Flynn, Scott, and Fiona Ellington.

Fiona, though her body was a patchwork of decay, possessed sensory faculties that rivaled a healthy man in his prime. However, this heightened perception meant she also endured agonies far beyond the ken of ordinary humans.

Flynn, too, lived each day in excruciating pain, a modern-day Prometheus, his vitals ravaged daily, only to regenerate each dawn anew. This was Vivienne’s brand of retribution.

Scott, in contrast, seemed almost content. Free from the physical torment, his punishment was a Sisyphean task of endless paperwork. He accepted his fate with a disarming calmness, even pointing out errors for correction by his wardens from the Vanguard Agency.

Many said Scott was the quietest of the three.

Vivienne and Karen arrived to find Soren and Anna waiting at the gate.

“Ms. Vivienne, Ms. Karen,” Anna greeted as she adorned their wrists with security bands.

Back then, Vivienne was Percival’s wife, and Percival was the deputy. Thus, she had never needed such measures before, but times had changed.

Soren collected all their communication devices, casting curious glances at Karen. She gave him a playful warning, “Hotshot, any more staring, and you’ll be crossing a line.”

“My apologies, Captain,” Soren blurted a tad too quickly.

His curiosity stemmed from wondering why Percival respected Karen so much to call her master.

“Don’t call me Captain; I have no plans of returning to the Vanguard Agency,” Karen said with a smirk before stepping through the threshold.

Karen’s discomfort with the Agency’s rigid structure and protocol. Freedom was what Karen thrived on, and

way,” Vivienne gestured toward

left,

Flynn’s cell, the former head boss of CK, known as White Tiger,”

merely nodded, but something about that cell made her skin crawl—a

sensed Karen’s unease and offered, “Mom, do you want to take a

to reality.

most of his confinement by exercising

seem to be enjoying

been Belle’s stand-in, he and Karen might have been good friends, like she was with Micah.

body tensing up. Without turning, he knew—it was her. But he could not bring himself to look, fearing the disappointment if he

saying a word. She could tell just how strong Scott’s feelings toward Karen were, or he would not have gone easy on her so

care about that at all, and neither would

be considered Karen’s old flame, it was

took a seat. “Old friend, long time no

wide with disbelief. Approaching the bars that separated them, his hands shook as currents zapped from the metal. It

was her.

the electric barrier was a cruel reminder of the distance between them. His hand lingered before

characteristic smile. “Looks like I’m

go, the current vanishing from his nerves. “Karen, have you been

cracked, betraying

nodded. “I’ve been fine,

failing him. Thousands of

two sat in silence for a moment before

down memory lane,” she said, “I actually wanted to ask you about

the GTO by the Brooks family. Once, this Vanguard Agency guy took a dozen of us, including me, from the base. I think