The Uber stopped in front of a massive black door.

Adelynn pushed herself out of the car. The stilettos pinched her toes. The freezing Manhattan wind hit her bare shoulders. The skin on her arms broke out in goosebumps. She pulled her arms tightly across her chest.

She looked at the building. There was no sign. Just two massive men in black suits standing by the door.

"This place looks like a high-end money laundering front."

Kindra slapped a hand over Adelynn's mouth. She looked around with wide eyes.

"Shut up."

Adelynn walked toward the back of the long line on the sidewalk. Kindra grabbed her elbow and pulled her toward the VIP entrance.

The bouncer's eyes dragged over Adelynn, assessing her worth and finding it lacking. He held up a thick arm.

"Invitation or membership."

Kindra stuttered. "My boyfriend. Gilbert."

The bouncer didn't even look at his tablet. "Everyone's boyfriend is Gilbert tonight. Back of the line."

Adelynn felt her stomach turn. She hated that look. She turned around to walk away.

Just then, the heavy black doors pushed open. A man in a tailored charcoal suit walked out.

Kindra squealed. She threw herself into his arms.

Gilbert caught her. He smiled. Then he looked over Kindra's shoulder. His eyes locked onto Adelynn.

Gilbert's smile faded slightly. A deep crease formed between his eyebrows. He stared at her face. He tilted his head, a look of pure confusion crossing his features.

Adelynn crossed her arms over her chest. She glared back at him.

Gilbert blinked. He forced a perfect, polite smile onto his face. He held out his hand.

"I'm Gilbert."

Adelynn stared at his hand. She reached out and tapped his fingers with hers before pulling away. Her skin was freezing.

Gilbert didn't react to her rudeness. He turned to the bouncer and nodded.

The bouncer stepped aside. The heavy doors opened all the way.

A wall of heavy bass and hot air hit Adelynn in the face. The smell of expensive cologne and sweat made her throat close up.

She took a step back. Her stomach rolled. She was starving, but the smell made her want to throw up.

Kindra held Gilbert's arm and walked inside. Adelynn followed them.

They walked down a dark hallway. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The bright light stabbed at Adelynn's eyes. She calculated how many months of rent one of those crystals could pay for.

Gilbert looked back at her. He slowed his pace.

"Is it too loud for you?"

"The noise is perfect for covering up the sound of capitalists sucking blood."

Kindra let out a loud, fake laugh. She squeezed Gilbert's arm.

Gilbert didn't get angry. A low laugh rumbled in his chest.

"That's a new metaphor."

Adelynn stared at him. She decided he was insane.

They walked into the main room. Hundreds of bodies jumped and pushed against each other. The air was thick.

A waiter rushed past them with a tray of drinks. His shoulder slammed into Adelynn's back.

Adelynn's ankle rolled in the stiletto. She fell sideways.

Gilbert reached out. His large hand grabbed her bare arm. He pulled her upright.

Adelynn gasped. She looked up at him. Her eyes were wide with shock.

Gilbert looked down into her eyes. His breath caught. His fingers tightened on her arm for a fraction of a second. An inexplicable feeling of familiarity, sharp and unsettling, struck him.

A manager ran up to Gilbert and whispered in his ear. Gilbert frowned and walked toward the front desk. Kindra followed him without looking back.

Adelynn stood on the edge of the dance floor. A group of girls pushed past her, knocking her backward.

When she caught her balance, Kindra and Gilbert were gone.

Adelynn let out a breath. Her chest felt lighter. She just needed to find a corner and wait for the food.

She pressed her back against the wall and started walking. She dodged men holding glasses of amber liquid.

A hand slammed down on her shoulder.

Adelynn spun around. Her heart jumped into her throat.

Beatrice stood there. She wore a silver fringe dress and held a martini glass.

"Oh my god! I almost didn't recognize you in that dress!" Beatrice screamed over the music.

Adelynn pushed Beatrice's hand off her shoulder.

"When do we eat?"

Beatrice rolled her eyes. She grabbed Adelynn's wrist and pulled her away from the wall.

They walked through a velvet rope into a raised seating area. The couches were black leather. It was quieter here.

A man sat in the center of the largest couch. He had a dark beard and cold eyes. Jax. The owner of the club.

Beatrice pulled Adelynn forward.

"Look who I found."

Jax leaned back against the leather. His eyes started at Adelynn's feet and moved slowly up to her face. He looked at her like she was a car he was thinking about buying.

The muscles in Adelynn's neck tightened. The nausea returned. This was how Festus Callahan looked at her before deciding which business partner to sell her to.

Jax lifted his chin. "Sit down. Drinks are on me tonight."

Adelynn didn't move. She looked down at him. A bitter smile formed on her lips.

"Trading other people's liver health for your own ego. What a great business model."

The people on the couches stopped talking. The silence in the booth was heavy. Everyone stared at Adelynn.

Jax's smile vanished. His jaw clenched.

Beatrice turned pale. She grabbed the fabric of Adelynn's dress and pulled it.

"Shut up," Beatrice hissed.

Adelynn ripped her dress out of Beatrice's grip. She stared straight into Jax's eyes. She didn't blink.

Jax let out a harsh laugh. He opened his mouth to speak.

A green laser light from the second-floor balcony flashed across Jax's face.

Adelynn looked up. The second floor was enclosed in one-way glass. She couldn't see anything. But the hairs on her arms stood up. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Someone was watching her.

The feeling was suffocating. She needed to get out of this booth.

She looked at Beatrice. "I'm going to the bar to find food."

Beatrice reached for her again, but Adelynn turned around. She pushed her way past the velvet rope and walked into the crowd.

Jax stared at her back. He slammed his glass down on the table. Ice spilled over the edge.

Beatrice sat down next to him and touched his chest.

Adelynn kept walking. She headed straight for the most crowded part of the room. The bar.

Adelynn pushed her way to the wooden bar. A man stood up from a stool. She quickly sat down on the warm leather.

She tapped her knuckles against the wood. She looked at the bartender.

"I need an order of fries. The cheapest ones."

The bartender looked at her dress, then looked away. He started mixing a drink for a man wearing a Rolex.

Adelynn ground her teeth together. She opened her mouth to yell at him.

A heavy smell of stale beer and sweat hit her nose.

A massive man pushed his way next to her. His face was red. Ray Kowalski. He leaned against the bar, his arm pressing against hers.

Ray looked down at her chest. He whistled.

Adelynn's stomach churned. She slid her stool to the left.

Ray moved with her. He reached out and put his thick, rough hand on her bare shoulder.

Adelynn flinched. She slapped his hand away. Her eyes burned with pure rage.

"Touch me again and I will break your fingers."

Ray laughed. He turned to his friends standing behind him and pointed at her.

Upstairs, behind the one-way glass, Axel Carrillo stood perfectly still. He held a crystal glass of whiskey.

Axel's dark eyes were locked onto the woman in the black velvet dress.

He remembered the first time he saw her. A dark jazz club in Brooklyn. She was drinking cheap beer and typing furiously on a laptop.

A man next to Axel held out a piece of paper.

"Here's the check. Let's see if you can tame that one downstairs."

Axel didn't look at the check. He tapped his index finger against the side of his glass. His jaw ticked. The bet was a convenient excuse. He had been looking for a reason to get close to her for months.

Downstairs, Ray stopped laughing. He reached out to grab Adelynn's chin.

Adelynn grabbed a half-empty glass of ice water from the bar. She threw the water directly into Ray's face.

The ice hit his cheek. The water dripped down his chin. The people around them went silent. Then, someone laughed.

Ray's face turned purple. He let out a roar. He shoved both of his hands hard against Adelynn's chest.

The force pushed her backward. Her stilettos slipped on the wet floor.

Adelynn fell. Her back hit the hard ground. Her elbow slammed into the tiles. A sharp crack of pain shot up her arm.

In the VIP room, Axel's hand crushed the crystal glass. The glass shattered. Liquor dripped down his fingers. His eyes turned black. He made a sharp, almost imperceptible gesture to Silas, his head of security, who stood in the shadows behind him. Silas tapped his earpiece and spoke a single word into his cuff microphone.

Adelynn gasped for air. She tried to push herself up. The heel of her right shoe was stuck in the gap between the floor tiles. She couldn't move her leg.

Ray stepped forward. He raised his heavy boot.

Adelynn closed her eyes. She pulled her arms over her head and curled her knees to her chest.

Two massive bouncers crashed through the crowd.

They grabbed Ray's arms. They slammed him face-first onto the wooden bar.

Adelynn opened her eyes. Her chest heaved. She stared at the bouncers holding the man down.

The crowd stepped back. A path cleared through the bodies.

Heavy, slow footsteps echoed over the music. The air in the room suddenly felt freezing cold.