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.

all too well Karen’s discomfort with the Agency’s rigid structure and protocol. Freedom was

way,” Vivienne gestured toward

drawn to the left, to a cell secured with a

of CK,

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

offered, “Mom, do

to reality. “No, let’s

at Scott’s cell to find him making the most of his confinement by exercising

to be enjoying yourself,”

only things were different and Scott had not been the second-in-command of GTO and had not been Belle’s stand-in, he and Karen might have been good friends, like she was with Micah.

her. But he could not bring himself to look, fearing the disappointment if he had

without saying a word. She could tell just how strong Scott’s feelings toward Karen were, or he would

that at all, and neither would she

flame,

took a seat. “Old friend, long time no

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

her.

to touch her face like old times, but the electric barrier was a cruel reminder of

“Looks like I’m doing

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

cracked, betraying his

nodded. “I’ve been fine,

failing him. Thousands

two sat in silence for a moment

come here to walk down memory lane,” she said, “I actually wanted to ask

rings a bell. Back in the day, I got sold to the GTO by the Brooks family. Once, this Vanguard Agency guy took a dozen of us, including me, from the base.