Sophia Reyes adjusted the stack of folders in her arms and took a slow, steady breath before stepping into the high-security wing of Blackthorn Correctional Facility. At twenty-four, she was one of the youngest counselors on staff, and definitely the only one who still got nervous walking these halls even after eight months on the job.

She was strikingly pretty in a soft, natural way, warm olive skin, big dark brown eyes, long wavy black hair usually pulled into a neat ponytail, and a gentle smile that made even some of the hardest inmates soften a little when she spoke to them. She wore simple professional clothes: a cream blouse...