Page 1 of Stiletto's Savior

PROLOGUE

Stiletto

Five Years Ago . . .

“She’s going to end up dead if we don’t find her!” My sister, Suyin’s, voice rings in my ears, sharp as a blade. We’re standing on the corner of a cracked sidewalk in the Bronx, cars rumbling past us like thunder.

I look away, biting the inside of my cheek. “You really think I don’t know that?” My hands clench into fists.

“She’s been gone for three days, Song. Three days!” Her eyes blaze with desperation. “You know how she gets. She’s using again. It’s only a matter of time before?—”

“Before what? She overdoses?” I snap back. “Or gets herself killed in some dark alley?”

“Exactly!” Suyin takes a step closer, urgency radiating off her. “We have to do something.”

“Why is it always us?” I shake my head, frustration boiling up. “We’ve spent our whole lives picking up after her messes. It’s not fair. We’ve been more of a mother than she ever has.”

“Someone has to care,” she insists, her voice breaking slightly. “If we don’t help her, who will?”

“Maybe it’s time she figures it out on her own,” I mutter, but even to my ears, it sounds hollow.

“Like we ever had a choice in the matter. She’s our mother, Song. We can’t just abandon her.”

The word hangs heavy in the air, a weight I can’t ignore. I feel the heat rise in my cheeks, guilt creeping in.

“Fine,” I relent, dragging a hand through my red hair. “Let’s just...let’s go find her.”

“Thank you,” Suyin exhales, relief washing over her features.

“Don’t thank me yet.” I can’t shake the feeling of dread lodged deep in my stomach.

“Let’s split up,” Siren says, her eyes darting around the street as if our mother might just pop up from behind a dumpster. “We know where she usually works. It’ll be faster.”

I hesitate. “You think so?”

“Yeah. I can check the usual spots. The corners near the old bar.” She nods with fierce determination. “And you can hit the alleyways by the park.”

Our mother, one of the most well known prostitutes around.

“Okay.” I suck in a breath. “That’s a good idea.”

“Meet back here in an hour? Text me if you find anything.”

“Right.” I fumble for my phone, fingers trembling slightly. “One hour.”

“Watch your back, Song,” she warns, her voice low and serious. “You know how things get once the sun starts to set.”

“Yeah, I will. Don’t you worry about me.” I force a smile, but it feels thin.

“Okay, I’ll see you in an hour.” She gives me a gentle shove.

I watch her disappear down the block, her silhouette swallowed by shadows. The familiar streets of the Bronx feel different today. Darker, more dangerous. My stomach twists, anxiety gnawing at me.

“Come on, SuSu,” I murmur our mother’s street name under my breath. “Where are you?”

I start walking, scanning each face that passes.

They all look worn down, like they’ve been fighting a long battle.

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