Chapter 1 1

The bass of the music vibrated through the sticky floor of the Queens bar, traveling up Elinor's legs and settling in her chest. The clock on the neon-lit wall struck midnight.

She was eighteen. Legally an adult.

"To the birthday girl!" Jack yelled over the noise. He was a linebacker on the college football team, his shoulders taking up too much space at the small, crowded table. He slid a shot glass filled to the brim with cheap tequila across the scratched wood. "To being a real adult, Elinor!"

Elinor stared at the amber liquid. Her phone, sitting face-up next to the glass, lit up. The screen displayed a single text message. Not a 'Happy Birthday'. Just four words from Boyd Walker.

Back by ten. Now.

Her stomach tightened. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, a nervous habit she couldn't break, until the faint, metallic taste of copper coated her tongue. She looked at the time. It was exactly midnight. She was two hours late.

A sudden, reckless heat flared in her chest. For four years, she had breathed only when Boyd allowed it. She reached out, her fingers wrapping around the sticky glass. She ignored the glowing screen, tipped her head back, and swallowed the tequila in one gulp.

The alcohol burned a violent path down her throat. She coughed, her eyes watering, but a harsh, broken laugh tore from her lips. A bitter smile twisted her mouth, tears of defiance and fear mixing in her eyes. It felt like fire. It felt like a fleeting, desperate illusion of freedom.

Jack leaned in closer. The smell of stale beer and cheap cologne washed over her. "You are so beautiful, Elinor," he murmured, his breath hot against her ear.

Elinor's spine went rigid. Her instinct screamed at her to pull away, to create distance. But another part of her-the part that just wanted to be a normal college freshman celebrating her birthday-forced her to stay still. She offered him a small, tight smile.

The phone vibrated violently against the table.

She glanced down. The screen flashed with an incoming call. Boyd.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. The tequila soured in her stomach. Her trembling finger hit the red button. She declined the call.

Jack's heavy arm draped tentatively over her shoulders. Elinor's breath hitched. Her muscles locked completely.

Then, the heavy wooden doors of the bar swung open.

The cold winter air rushed in, cutting through the sweat and heat of the room. Two men in immaculate black suits stepped inside. The loud chatter near the entrance died instantly. The silence spread like a virus through the crowd until only the thumping bass remained.

Elinor recognized them immediately. Boyd's personal security. The blood drained from her face, leaving her skin ice-cold.

The crowd parted. A tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped through the doorway. Boyd Walker.

He wore a custom-tailored black wool overcoat that seemed to absorb the neon lights of the bar. He brought the freezing temperature of the New York night in with him. His jaw was locked tight.

Boyd didn't look at the crowd. His dark, predatory eyes scanned the room and locked onto Elinor. Then, his gaze dropped to the heavy arm resting on her shoulder.

Jack felt the shift in the room. He followed Elinor's terrified stare. Under the crushing weight of Boyd's glare, Jack's face paled. He quickly pulled his arm back, letting it drop to his side.

Boyd walked toward their table. His expensive leather shoes made no sound on the sticky floor, but every step felt like a hammer striking against Elinor's racing heart.

He stopped at the edge of the table. He didn't look at Jack. He didn't look at anyone else.

"Ten o'clock," Boyd said. His voice was dangerously low, a smooth baritone that offered no warmth. "It is twelve-o-seven."

Elinor scrambled to her feet. Her knees shook so badly she had to grip the edge of the table to stay upright. "Boyd... I just..."

Boyd cut her off by reaching across the table. He picked up the half-empty bottle of tequila. "It seems you have developed a taste for this."

He grabbed an empty water glass and poured the tequila until it reached the rim. He slid it across the table until it touched Elinor's fingertips.

"Drink it," he commanded.

The college students around them held their breath. Jack shrank back into his chair, his eyes wide with fear.

Elinor shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring the harsh lights. "I can't drink anymore..."

Boyd let out a short, humorless laugh. He reached up and slowly adjusted his left platinum cufflink. "You can drink with a strange man, but you cannot drink when I tell you to?"

His hand shot out. His long fingers clamped around her jaw, his grip bruising. He forced her head up, making her look into his eyes.

"Or do you think," Boyd whispered, his thumb pressing into her cheekbone, "that because you are eighteen today, your wings are strong enough to fly away from me?"

Elinor saw the raw, unhinged fury swirling in his dark pupils. Her lungs stopped working. She was trembling so hard her teeth chattered.

She reached out with both hands, her fingers wrapping around the large glass. Under the dead silence of the bar, under the terrified stares of her friends, she closed her eyes and forced the burning liquid down her throat.

She didn't make it halfway. She choked. The tequila spilled down her chin and soaked the front of her shirt. She doubled over, coughing violently as tears streamed down her face.

Boyd grabbed her upper arm and yanked her upright. He pulled a white silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the wetness from her face with rough, punishing strokes.

"Now," he said, dropping the ruined silk onto the table. "You are coming home."

He didn't wait for her to walk. He dragged her by the arm, half-carrying, half-pulling her through the crowd. No one moved to stop him. Jack stared at the floor.

The freezing wind hit Elinor's wet face as they stepped outside. Boyd shoved her into the back of the waiting black Bentley. He slid in next to her, bringing the scent of expensive cedar and pure rage.

The heavy doors slammed shut, sealing them in. The car pulled away from the curb.

Boyd stared straight ahead at the partition. "Elinor," he said, his voice devoid of all emotion. "Starting today, you will learn how to fulfill the duties of an adult woman."

Elinor turned her head. Her vision was blurry from the tears and the alcohol. She looked at the sharp, unforgiving lines of his profile. She didn't understand what he meant, but a deep, primal panic settled in her gut.

The Bentley glided into the underground garage of the Walker Group tower in Manhattan. The private elevator shot up to the penthouse.

Boyd dragged her out of the elevator and down the long, silent hallway. He pushed open the double doors to his master bedroom. The room was massive, dark, and suffocating.

He let go of her arm. Elinor stumbled and fell onto the edge of the massive king-sized bed.

Boyd stood in front of her. He reached up to his collar and slowly pulled the silk tie from his neck, letting it drop to the floor.