"Invisible Chains"

by J. A. Gallagher

The favor was small. The cost was everything.
A short story

Available in EPUB, MOBI, and PDF formats. Read on your Kindle, phone, tablet, computer and more

Before Jack McDermott was Tony D’Angelo’s enforcer, he was just a twelve-year-old boy trying to survive his father’s funeral. In the middle of his grief, Jack is approached by a powerful man with a kind smile and a dangerous offer: help your mother. Be the man of the house. Do one small favor. It starts with an envelope. A ride home. A pat on the shoulder. But with every errand, Jack steps further into a world where loyalty replaces love, silence is survival, and every favor chips away at who he used to be. This gripping short story prequel to Surface Lies reveals the chilling moment Jack took his first step into Tony D’Angelo’s world… and why it’s so hard to get out.