Chapter 5

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.