"I placed the phone back on the table with quivering fingers. I might have won this round, but the battle was far from over. I pulled the duvet closer around me, sinking back into the bed as if it could shield me from the storm that was coming..."

"My phone vibrated. A text from Lola flashed on the screen:
'I’m going to get you. This town belongs to me, and you’ll learn that soon enough.'"

"I reached over to turn it off and saw twenty missed calls—all from Lola. Somewhere between waking up and going out to scout for new recruits, they realized I was gone."

"The alarm ringing the next morning felt foreign after months of being screamed out of bed every day. For a few moments, I just lay there, savoring the sound, appreciating the familiar irritation an alarm brings."