In the opening of episode 3 of M.I.A, Etta is drawn into a nightmare where she witnesses her family committing another atrocity. The dream leaves her shaken, but as she awakens, she scrawls down every detail she can remember onto a piece of paper. It's not much, but it's all she has at the moment.
She shares her findings with Lovely, and they decide to track down Etta's aunt Carmen to learn more about the police's mention of the case. They think this might give them a lead.
Meanwhile, Mateo receives a call about someone encroaching on his territory. He joins forces with Elias, Sam, and their men to interrogate one of the captured individuals using a cattle prod. Under intense pressure, the suspect reveals that he's working for Pena. To send a message, Mateo orders his men to carve the guy's heart and deliver it to Pena.
Back in the city, Lovely's aunt initially refuses to let Etta stay in her backyard. However, after being convinced that no one is actively searching for her, she agrees to let Etta stay in Stanley's Chevy for $100 a week. The aunt orders Stanley to help the girls obtain the necessary documents to get a job.
The girls meet with a man who provides them with IDs of illegal immigrants who have died or are missing. Lovely selects an ID with a similar name, while Etta chooses Dani Cruz in honor of her father, Dan. Later, Stanley drops them off at a place where they can find employment.
Etta asks for a better-paying job, but the woman takes it as an insult and offers only Lovely a job as a cleaner at a hotel. Determined to be near Lovely, Etta steals a slip and decides to tag along with her to the hotel.
On the other hand, Kincaid speaks with Benita's housemate, who claims to have last seen Benita three days ago. Since she and Benita weren't close, Kincaid finds no new leads.
At the hotel, Etta spots a man who resembles Elias and follows him. It turns out to be a different guy.
Meanwhile, Mateo and Sam head over to their mother's place. She reprimands them for losing her shipment and the Pena incident, insisting that they need to grow and expand the business.
Elsewhere, Kincaid meets with Isabel, who is about to interrogate the women that Etta set free. One of them identifies Etta as the person who brought them to Miami. Later, the M.E. reveals that Benita is among the dead people found at the crime scene. Kincaid realizes that Etta may still be alive.
Back at the hotel, Etta sneaks into a client's safe to use their tablet to search for her aunt. She discovers that her aunt manages a local club. They're almost caught but manage to quickly return everything and lock the safe on time.
As they worked, Lovely shared that she once taught English in her hometown. Adjusting to life in America was a significant challenge for her. A guest, seeking towels for his hotel room, made an inappropriate advance on Etta. She bravely fought back and managed to escape. The man pursued her down the hallway, and together, Etta and Lovely barricaded themselves in a different room. Unfortunately, their actions led to their termination, and the manager threatened to call ICE and the police.
Meanwhile, Kincaid informed his client, Caroline, that Etta might still be alive, and her brothers had lied about their reasons for killing her family. She requested regular updates while pretending to be interested in purchasing property in the town for business purposes. She confronted her brothers, and Mateo insisted that if Etta came forward, they would kill her.
After being fired, Lovely reminded Etta that she was no longer the same girl she used to be. She couldn't confront management, and she needed to understand her new place in the world. Lovely wasn't willing to risk being sent back because Etta couldn't control herself. On their way out, they stole from the lost and found to buy dresses for the club. Stanley offered to drive them there and helped them sneak in through the back. He refused to join them and opted to wait outside.
Etta was shocked when she ran into her aunt Carmen, her mother's identical twin. She found it strange that her mother never mentioned having a twin. Carmen was displeased to see Etta and asked why she was there. She gave Etta money and asked her to stay away and never return to the Ocean 10 club. Etta left feeling hurt and broken.
With the Jonze family dead, Sam, Mateo, and Elias met with potential runners. Mateo chose Boon despite the fact that the female runner would have been a better choice. After the meeting, they killed her because they couldn't risk her leaking their routes.
In contrast, Kincaid called everyone on the Jonzes' marina log to gather information. Connie told him about Etta's attempt to bait an alligator and her desire to attend U.M. Miami.
After being dismissed from their previous employment, Lovely and Etta are assigned to work at a motel. Etta leverages her extraordinary eidetic memory to impress the woman in charge and secure jobs for both of them. When she mentions how Lena's necklace hints at her family's loss during the Holocaust, Lena is moved and agrees to hire them. Etta solemnly promises Lovely that she won't put her in harm's way again. In return, Lovely urges her to reconnect with Carmen. Following her advice, Etta sneaks up on Carmen and nearly gets shot. She begs her aunt to set aside any animosity she may hold towards her mother. Carmen asks how she's doing and offers a job at the club. Etta negotiates to get Lovely a job as well.
Later that night, Carmen meets with the girls at the club and explains the club's operations. Etta chooses to work as a barback, while Lovely becomes a bottle girl. Etta reveals that she's hoping one of the twelve gangsters will come to the club. While working, she meets Matt, a guy, and flirts with him. The bar manager scolds her for not focusing on her work and getting clean glasses. When she retrieves the glasses, she notices a girl selling synthetic drugs and later helps Carmen get rid of her. Etta is impressed by Carmen's ability to fight off a few gangsters and asks her to teach her how to fight.
Meanwhile, Kincaid meets with Isobel and shares his theory that Etta is alive and they might have a witness. He's worried that the wrong people will find Etta. Isabel gives him a police report detailing the next of kin for the Jonzes.
Etta impresses Carmen, and they end up having breakfast together. Carmen shares some details from her childhood with her sister, which prompts Etta to admit that looking at Carmen is difficult for her and she feels guilty. Carmen offers to listen to her.
On the other hand, Sam uses a teaching by Caravaggio to ask if Elias has faith in how Mateo is handling the business. Elias admits that the female runner would have been a better choice, but he promised their dad to keep the brothers together.
At the club, Etta spots one of the twelve gangsters dragging a woman outside. She follows but loses them outside the club. Lovely comes to check on her, and Etta tells her that one of the twelve was there.
