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It wasn’t the first case Athena had taken on like this. It wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with issues this terrible if not worse. But this one case affected her more. And for the last three months that she’d been working on it, Athena hadn’t been able to put her finger on why.

Except twelve years was a long time.

Almost as long as twenty-two.

And if in twelve years nothing had been done, no one had listened, it gave Athena very little hope that twenty-two years would make any difference. Which left her exactly where she was.

Alone.

Working.

And trying to find justice for someone who stood a chance at getting it.

Because hell knew Athena didn’t stand a chance.

Athena pulled the heavy law book in front of her and opened it to where she’d left off. She always did prefer to work with books over electronics, so long as she could manage it. Sliding her finger along the rough paper, Athena lost herself in the words.

She wouldn’t lose.

Not this time.

three

The sun shone against Monti’s skin, warming her cheeks even though the air was chilly this time of year. The park she’d found was beautiful, and with the people bustling around it she could almost take her mind off the fact that she’d broken her fast of massaging.

And for what?

A few dollars and a curt dismissal.

She frowned, trying to push back the entitlement that she felt bubbling up in her. Athena had no idea who she was and clearly had her own demons to face. Monti couldn’t judge her quick reactions because every person was their own person.

At least that’s what she kept trying to tell herself.

It wasn’t really working.

Sighing heavily, Monti closed her eyes. She crossed her legs, the cold water from the morning dew seeping into her loose pants. They’d no doubt be damp for hours afterward, but she could live with that. It would be a good reminder of what she’d discovered on this journey.

Monti centered her breathing. She focused on it, the in and out of air from her lungs. Starting with the top of her head, she ran through the meditation quickly and then paused, letting her body work its magic to find the peace that she so desperately longed for. The one thing that was elusive in her life that she’d left everything behind to find.

And yet she still couldn’t grasp onto it.

Pain. Frustration. Annoyance.

It all slipped through her faster than a gunshot, though the wounding it left had the same rippling effect. Sometimes she wondered if she was ever going to find peace.

Or if it even existed.

Giving up, Monti stood up and brushed her pants off. She smiled at a young woman who jogged in her direction, sweat dripping down her face as she moved at a steady pace. It had been a while since Monti had taken any kind of lover. She’d been so focused on trying to find herself that she’d lost track of even paying attention to someone else. She didn’t need love, definitely not the physical sort.

What she needed was peace.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she smiled at the gentle reminder from Fallon about lunch. She’d lost track of time. With the constant gray skies, it was harder to keep track of it all. But then again, she’d never been particularly good at that. Brushing her short hair behind her ear, Monti stretched her legs as she took the long walk back the way she had come.

Peace.

What did that even mean?

She hadn’t had peace her entire life. She’d been born into chaos, and while she’d distanced herself from it, that myth of peace still hung over her. Fallon was the only good thing to come out of that house. Then again, Tia choosing to raise them had been the second-best thing. If only they’d been ripped from their home sooner. Running her fingers through her hair, Monti kept her pace a meandering stroll.