Ivonne did not know how long she bled on hard pavement before she heard the screech of tires and the rev of a car engine.

She had been walking home from the drugstore, her purse full of prenatal vitamins, when the night changed. Two men in masks stepped out of the alley, one pushing her onto the pavement, the other holding a glinting blade.

"Too easy," one growled. "The boss will pay extra for this."

Ivonne had fought, but pregnancy had finally gotten to her. A blow to the ribs had stolen her ...