Chapter 240

Cassandra pulled the boy from Rafael’s arms and held him tightly against her chest, her designer blouse catching on the grime and sweat that clung to his frail body. He was nothing but bones and bruises, and the smell that came off him was sharp an unbearable mix of sweat, neglect, and dried blood. Still, she held him as though he were a priceless heirloom fragile, irreplaceable, and hers.