Chapter 2

Katia walked out of the glass double doors of the luxury building.

Her bare feet were shoved hastily back into her black heels. She stepped onto the Manhattan pavement.

A sharp gust of October wind hit her face.

A violent shiver ripped through her body, rattling her bones and making her teeth click together.

She raised her hand, ignoring the dull sting in her palm where her nails had broken the skin, and waved at a passing yellow taxi.

The cab screeched to a halt against the curb.

She pulled the heavy door open and slid onto the cracked, cold leather seat.

"Where to?" the driver asked, his eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror.

"Audrey Hale's lounge. SoHo," Katia said. Her voice was raspy, the words scratching against her dry throat.

She turned her head to look out the window.

A light drizzle began to fall, smearing the neon lights of the city into blurry, bleeding streaks across the glass.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, but her chest felt like it was wrapped in tight iron bands.

The taxi pulled up to an unmarked black door on a quiet street in SoHo.

Katia handed the driver a fifty-dollar bill and didn't wait for the change.

She pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold rain.

The drops hit her face, mixing with the cold sweat on her skin.

She walked up to the heavy steel door of the lounge and pushed it open.

A wall of deafening bass and electronic music slammed into her chest, vibrating against her ribs.

The air inside smelled of expensive perfume, sweat, and gin.

Katia pushed her way through the crowded, grinding bodies on the dance floor, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead.

She reached the mahogany bar.

The bartender, a tall guy with full tattoo sleeves, recognized her instantly. He slid a crisp white napkin across the polished wood.

"Katia. You look like hell."

"Dry martini. The strongest gin you have," she ordered, her voice cutting through the noise.

He placed the chilled glass in front of her.

Katia didn't bother with the olive. She picked up the glass and tipped her head back.

She swallowed the ice-cold liquid in one continuous, desperate gulp.

The alcohol burned a harsh, fiery trail down her throat. It hit her empty stomach like a lit match.

She coughed, her eyes watering, the edges of her vision blurring from the sharp sting.

"What the hell are you doing?" A voice cut through the heavy bass.

Audrey, wearing a skin-tight red dress, marched out of the VIP section, her heels clicking aggressively against the floor.

She reached Katia and immediately snatched the empty martini glass from her hand.

Audrey's dark eyes scanned Katia's pale face and rain-soaked clothes.

"Who did this? Who do I need to kill?" Audrey yelled over the music.

Katia turned her head. Her throat felt raw.

"Caleb," she whispered, the name tasting like ash and bile on her tongue.

Audrey's expression hardened instantly. The concern vanished, replaced by a cold, lethal fury.

She grabbed Katia's wrist and pulled her away from the bar, dragging her toward the back of the club.

Audrey pushed open the door to her private VIP room.

The heavy soundproof door clicked shut, instantly cutting off the thumping bass and the chaos of the club.

The silence in the room was heavy and suffocating.

Katia's knees buckled.

She collapsed onto the tufted leather sofa. She pulled off her damp blazer, letting it drop to the floor.

Audrey filled a glass with warm water from a pitcher and shoved it into Katia's hands.

"Drink. Now."

Katia took a sip. The warmth did nothing to thaw the ice in her veins.

She let out a dry, hollow laugh.

She stared at the blank wall and recounted the last thirty minutes. The red shoes. The open door. The white sheets.

Audrey grabbed a heavy crystal ashtray and slammed it onto the glass table.

The loud crack made Katia jump.

"That piece of shit," Audrey spat, her hands on her hips. "That absolute garbage human."

Katia leaned her head back against the leather. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably.

"I spent two years getting his startup funded, Audrey. I begged my contacts. I vouched for him."

Her voice cracked, the first sign of the dam breaking.

"I don't even feel heartbroken. I just feel... dirty. I feel sick."

Audrey moved to the sofa. She sat down and wrapped her arms tightly around Katia's thin shoulders.

She pulled Katia against her chest.

The physical contact shattered the last of Katia's control.

A sob tore out of her throat. It was an ugly, guttural sound that scraped against her vocal cords.

Tears spilled over her eyelashes, hot and fast, soaking into the fabric of Audrey's red dress.

Audrey stroked her hair, her eyes narrowing at the wall with a dark, calculating look.

"I know guys," Audrey said softly, her voice deadly serious. "I can have his office trashed by morning. His computers smashed. Everything."

Katia shook her head against Audrey's shoulder.

She pulled back, her chest heaving as she gasped for air.

She reached into her purse, pulled out a tissue, and wiped the wetness from her cheeks.

She pressed her thumb hard into her knuckle. "No."