All Chapters of The Devil's Mistress: Chapter 1 - Chapter 3

ROXANNE POV They never saw it coming—twelve men, twelve bodies and I hadn't even laid a finger on them. The house always felt like it was holding its breath, suffocating and still, like it was waiting for something to go wrong.A car accident took my mother's life when I was twelve and in its aftermath, I ended up in the care of Garry, my stepfather. Not just any stepfather. Garry was the relentless leader of the Goons Gang. My memories of that time were fractured, like scattered puzzle pieces I couldn't quite put together. I'd survived the crash, but not unscathed. I'd woken up from a coma with no memory of the accident, or much of my childhood.Garry had filled in the gaps; telling me about a father I couldn't remember, a man who had been sentenced to life for murder.I hadn't known enough to question it and even if I had, who could I turn to? For the last five years, my life has been a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.Garry flat-out refused to pay for any medical treatment

ROXANNE POV The cool evening air brushed against my skin as I walked down the block, grocery bags in hand.My car—a dented old sedan I was still making payments on—sat a few blocks away.A nagging feeling crept over me as if someone was following me and I glanced over my shoulder. Something felt off.Instead of heading toward my car, I kept walking, tightening my grip on the grocery bags. The block wasn't completely deserted, but it was sparse enough that help would be hard to find.Then I saw it—the small diner where I've been working the night shift, its neon sign glowing faintly in the distance. It was tucked into a quiet corner of the block.I headed straight for it, quickening my pace without breaking into a full run. As I neared the entrance, I caught sight of a few people inside, their voices faintly audible even through the glass. Relief washed over me. Pushing the door open, I was greeted by the familiar clang of the bell above it. The owner, Gladys, stood behind the co