Page 73 of Queen of Madness

“Survivor reminders,” Shi says, catching me staring.

“I apologize. I—”

“Don’t,” she cuts me off, drawing up her own sleeve. Along the creases and near the wrists, she carries the same small marks. All different lengths, depths, and forms. “Not all, but many of them were tied down for long periods of time while drugs were forced in their bodies in timed intervals. They got them addicted to drugs so they would do anything for their next hit. If you already had no family and a shitty life, it was easy to give up. And a lot of them did. These are the women who were strong enough to not only go through the sewer of being with the Murphys, but to weather the storms of withdrawal. Then, try to live again. We celebrate their marks because theymadeit.”

An understanding washes over me and I nod. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

She waves me off. “It’s important to tell people your story. How else will word spread that people can survive?”

We exchange a solemn smile as our group reaches a new area. It reminds me of an upscale mall. Each opening is similar in color with its iron frame and glass exterior. There’s a bookstore, a nail shop, a small grocery center, clothing store, and even a massage parlor. All together there are a dozen stores with aMico movie theaterat the end, and I can’t help but gawk.

Onyx has us walk by each shop, inspecting each one silently. There are about thirty women in the area and all of them stop and talk to the members of the group briefly before moving on to whatever they were doing before. All of them have smiles on their face and are chatting as if they really are just Saturday shopping.

Maddy bounces next to me, her vibrant eyes glowing as she examines the confusion on my face. “It’s awesome, right? Completely wild.”

“What even is this place?”

She giggles her high-strung laugh and points to a table near the bookstore. I follow behind, joining her to sit, while keeping Onyx in my periphery. She’s currently talking to the host about something she doesn’t like in one of the stores. The woman nods frantically, tapping away at her phone for notes to call someone about flooring.

“This isn’t just a rehab center. For some people, it’s home. It’s safe from the possibility of ever being taken again.”

“So what is this?” I gesture to the mini mall around me.

“The women have to work. They pick a store and their hours, and they get paid a normal wage. In turn, it’s how they shop. Nothing is taxed, of course, so the majority of the way we buy items is from corporate donations as well as profits we make legally through real estate.”

“And you buy real estate?”

She shrugs. “Through not-so-legal means.”

“Where do they live?”

She points back the way we came. “If we would have gone to the other side, it’s similar to this except there are rows of one-bedroom apartments. There’s only sixty, though, and Onyx is here to scout where we could have more added. In the back, there’s a large pool and a workout center. And then all of our doctors’ offices are just beyond that.”

My interest in how everything is set up piques. “Why wouldn’t the doctors be locatedinsidethe facility?

“It was long ago, but the idea of ‘going to the doctor’ and not living inside one was more appealing and the women liked the idea. It made them feel more independent.”

“So the same reason their jobs and stores are on the opposite side of their home.”

Maddy shoots a finger gun at me. “Precisely.”

“And who thought of all this?”

“I did.” Onyx slides up next to Maddy, replacing her at the table.

Maddy shoots me an overly elaborate wink before excusing herself and mingling with the others next to the massage parlor entrance.

“This is incredible,” I tell her honestly.

“It is. All because of the hard work and consistency of everyone here.” She tilts her head, her eyes trailing over the bruises still prominent across my face. “Your mother can stay here if you’d like.”

“What?”

“You’d like me to really repeat myself or—”

I wave a hand, overwhelming emotions clogging my throat. “No, it’s just, I…”

“I have some of the best rehabilitation doctors and emotional therapists in the state working here. She’d be in good hands.”

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