Scarlet Vows: Trapped in the Mafia's Embrace

and pleas, the jury believed the fake evide

way," the j

a's smirk. Her sister wore Mama's pearl earrings and whisper

spair. Alessia's wrists ached from the handcuffs. She

opped with razor wire that glinted in the winter

d a guard wit

ossi," she

ude

er voice bounced o

rubber band from her hair. They gave her scrat

ing a thin mattress into her arms. "Any

th rusty water, and a bunk bed. Her cellmate was a wom

t touch my stuff, don't talk when I'm

low. No one called her name for visitor hours. No one

st slop at 6:30. Work in the laundry folding other i

guard on her third day. "Pick up

rom the harsh soap. She bi

uiet ones who watched everything. Alessia stood alone against the fence, c

her cheek approached. "I heard you stole millions.

ything," Alessia s

didn't. Hand over your desser

her pudding cup. The next day, they wanted

op?" she asked V

hen you make it

Alessia in the shower. One held something shiny-a m

re than pudding,"

mered. No guards ar

," she said, surprised by t

take bloo

She was done being a victim. With a scream, she ducke

t floor. Alessia grabbed it a

ff!" sh

ated, eyes wide

ver," their l

d. Alessia kept the shiv

. "Not so princessy after all," she commented.

corners of the yard, she showed Alessia how t

instructed. "Quick in, quic

aching her waist, was chopped short after lice spread through the cell block. She lo

nymore. Even the guar

d called one da

one had written to her. She took

t party. Isabella wore a diamond necklace and smiled brilliantly at the camera. The note scr

er in her fist, rage bur

frame-the first of many. Each scratch rep

hing?" Vega ask

g," Aless

he moved silently and her gray eyes seemed to see through people. She joined Vega's tabl

call anyone?" V

to call," Alessi

ed-Carmen, a former computer expert c

said when they met in the libra

," Alessia said

. "Maybe not. But

story-Isabella's betrayal, the plante

d. Digital forgery, planted evidence, w

Alessia's chest.

are you going to do abo

at hadn't existed before prison. "Fir

I might be able to help

t pr

e women here don

digital footprints and backdoor computer entri

explained. "If your sister planted tho

at on her bunk, running her thumb alon

ly. "World out there isn't

said, hiding the weapon in the

you need anything..." She slipped Aless

stood at the prison gate in donated clot

fifty dollars and bus tokens. "Good

that smelled like car exhaust and possibility. No one

f paper with an email address. "When you're

urb. The driver's window rolled down revealing a m

Rossi?"

ding to her hidden s

e back door opened. "They

hree years of silence, why

his tone making it cle

minous click. The car pulled away from Ironwood Prison,