CHAPTER TWENTY TWO – FINANCIAL TROUBLE

The thick envelope from her landlord felt like a lead weight as Mara tore it open with dread. Sure enough, the bold red letters at the top screamed "FINAL EVICTION NOTICE." She had ten days to pay the full balance of nearly $5,000 in back rent and late fees or be forcibly removed from her apartment. Panic seized her chest as the reality of her dire situation crashed down. She was utterly broke, in debt up to her eyeballs to that thug Vinny, and now on the verge of being thrown out on the street. And of course, Vinny's tactics were becoming increasingly aggressive and threatening. Almost daily, he or one of his hulking goons would show up at her door, pounding and bellowing for their cut of the vigorish she owed. "You got till tomorrow night to get us that $900 interest payment, or else we're gonna have to take it out of your pretty little hide!" One of them had snarled, grabbing Mara's arm so roughly it left finger-shaped bruises. She lived in constant terror, jumping at every une