seconds. The heavy, wet fabric dragged against her cal

re she was going. S

e curb at a crossw

hed from her left. The intense light seared

s tearing against wet pavem

front bumper stopped less than four inches from her kn

alms scraping hard against the rough, wet asphal

ldly against her ribs

tinted rear window rol

es, sharp and predatory like a hawk's,

woman on the ground. The fingers of his right hand, holding a lit ci

reached for his door h

d the driver's hand. He narrowed his dark eyes, watching her struggle in the rain. "B

her teeth and pushed herself off the ground. A pedestrian

e shadows on the oth

un, splashing a wave of dirty puddle wate

ring buildings gave way to the gr

he kind of place she would ever usually step foot in, but she needed to hide from the rain and the crushing weight o

ds, rattling her teeth. She ignored the bouncer's scanning

at the bartender. "Whiskey.

. The liquid burned a fiery trail down her throat, settling hot

another. T

ion blurred at the edges. She rested her forehead against th

a few feet away. They watched the beautiful, so

the stool right next to her. The overwhelming smel

s rough, dirty fingers

, sweetheart

away with a sharp smack. She grabbed her empty whiskey g

from me,

unter. A few people looked over, but this was

Alena's wrist, his thick fingers digging into he

Their large bodies formed a solid wall,

nst his grip. She lifted her heel and stomped he

yelled a

in the chest and bol

o a dark, narrow alleyway. The cold air hit her face, but before she

her scalp. Her head

ng off the brick walls. Pure terror wra

ll. The impact knocked the wind out of her. The man pressed his body agai

ground. Her fingers brushed

up, and smashed it directly in

tly poured down the side

alley. One of them swung his arm a

d next to a rusted dumpster. Bla

, raising their

nsive leather shoes stepping onto the wet p

tsteps

he darkness, hitting the three men straight in the eyes.

tailored black overcoat. The red cherry of a cigar glo

his cigar. He exhaled the s

was a low, vibrating threat that se