Summary

In summer 2008, Brandon Leeman started reminding Maya constantly how lucky she was to be with him (he only hit her once, when she talked to a stranger at the gym too long), foreshadowing his unwillingness to let her leave. Maya still vaguely intended to return to California, but her life was so submerged in drugs and alcohol that she floated along, not consciously making any decisions. She was also peripherally aware that Leeman was involved in worse things than drug dealing and car theft, such as facilitating the sale of young girls into sex slavery. Leeman suggested they should deepen their working relationship, and Maya knew she was in danger, but was too incoherent to take steps to save herself.

Freddy went missing. Leeman and Maya run into Officer Arana, who told them Freddy wandered into a neighboring gang’s territory and was...