Chapter 3

BANG BANG BANG!

The pounding nearly splits the front door in half.

"Lucas! You coward, get out here and pay up!"

Before I can reach the door, it's kicked open from outside.

Three huge men barge in.

"Where's your husband? He borrowed two hundred grand from us!"

"With interest, that's three hundred thousand now. We're not leaving without our money!"

I freeze.

"Two hundred thousand? What did he borrow that much for?"

"Hell if I care!"

The bald one shoves me.

I'm still weak from everything. I hit the floor. My elbow blooms purple on impact.

"A husband's debt is a wife's debt."

"Call him. Now. If we don't see cash today, we'll burn this place down."

They start tearing through the apartment, looking for anything valuable.

I force myself up through the pain and dial Lucas.

It rings forever. Finally, his irritated voice.

"What? I'm setting up a perimeter for Sage. Don't bother me unless it's important."

"You borrowed two hundred thousand dollars?" My voice shakes. "The collectors are here. In our apartment."

Lucas lets out a little laugh on the other end.

"That's what this is about? I converted that money into antibiotics and medicine. There's a plague about to break out. Safe zone spots are limited. These supplies will get Sage a spot."

I'm clenching my jaw so hard it hurts.

"Are you insane? Pay them back. Now."

His voice stays lazy. Unhurried.

"Relax. I've stockpiled millions in supplies over there. Once Sage gets into the safe zone, I can trade for gold easily."

Oliver's voice pipes up in the background, dripping with contempt.

"Yeah! Gold in the safe zone is basically worthless, like scrap metal."

"Mom, stop freaking out over nothing. You're getting in the way of Dad doing real work!"

They hang up.

The bald guy sees I can't produce any money. He cracks his knuckles.

In the end, I sign over my car as collateral and put my name on a three-day repayment agreement just to get them out.

The front door hangs open. Cold air floods the living room.

I'm standing in the wreckage of my own apartment, trying to catch my breath, when my phone rings again.

It's the hospital.

"Is this Nia? Your mother has gone into sudden multi-organ failure. She's in emergency surgery."

"The procedure will cost approximately fifty thousand dollars. Please come to the hospital to make payment as soon as possible."

My head goes blank.

My mother is in a coma. Besides Oliver, she's the only blood family I have left.

Fifty thousand.

But every cent in our accounts is gone, Lucas "converted" it all into apocalypse supplies.

I have no choice. I call Lucas back, over and over.

Every single call, rejected.

A few minutes later, a text.

"I'm helping Sage move into the safe zone. Busy. Stop calling."

Then another, like he's doing me a favor:

"Handle the debt collectors yourself for now. You live in a peaceful world. Cut me some slack, I'm in a literal apocalypse. Stop bothering me with petty stuff."