Chapter 1

A chilling sweat drenches my trembling body, sickness swirling inside me. I jolt upright, my heart pounding like a wild drum. My nightdress clings to my skin, a soggy blend of sweat and silk. I inhale jagged breaths, attempting to rein in my panic. But it’s no use. Frantically, I scan my surroundings for an escape.

It’s not real, Harley, I try to convince myself. I was trapped in the middle of a torturous nightmare. But as I glance down at where I’m sleeping, I realize I’m sprawled on a worn, leather sofa, the dim lighting overhead throwing a warm glow across the room that blurs my eyes. As I swivel my head, I find a sleek bar lined with high-top leather stools. Empty shelves where the liquor bottles should be highlighted under the fancy neon lights.

I wipe my hand over my sweaty face, trying to remember where I am, but the last thing I can see is Dani, her face a blur as she caught me so I didn’t faceplant on the floor. I was about to get dressed and marry Alessandro. I run a hand over my body; I’m in just the silky slip I had on while we got our hair and make-up done .

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I have no fucking clue where I am. The roar of a cheering crowd fills my ears, like a tidal wave of sound. That must have been what woke me.

In a panic I jump to my feet, my legs wobbling terribly under the sudden weight of my achy body. My head is pounding. This isn’t Alessandro’s four-poster or the bed I woke up in yesterday at the swanky wedding venue. It’s a big, empty room. Four walls, three in a soft white and one floor-to-ceiling glass. A chill runs down my spine as I detect motion from the corner of my eye, and swiftly I turn my fearful gaze toward its source. My heart is racing out of my chest because I have no clue where I am or even when. How fucking long was I passed out for?

I find myself enclosed in what I can only assume is a skybox. As I peer down through the glass, I make out the movement I saw. It’s two people knocking fists on a stage of sorts way below me. This place looks like a rundown basketball arena. The floor surrounding the opponents is teeming with people, standing shoulder to shoulder, cheering on the fighters.

My heart sinks when I notice who the two men are. Maddox and Geovani. What the actual living hell is going on here? The last thing I remember from before I blacked out was Dani handing me a glass of champagne to celebrate, right before I was supposed to put on my wedding dress to marry Alessandro. My stomach rolls at the thought. I brace my hands on my thighs, sucking in deep breaths to stop the bile from escaping. What the fuck was in that champagne?

I can worry about that stuff later; right now, I need to work out an escape.

How long have I been out of it? From the look of the windows surrounding the stadium, it looks like it’s the dead of night. My guess is a few hours if the wedding didn’t go ahead. Am I free? With my heart racing out of control, I rush to the door of the skybox, checking the handle, but it’s locked shut. My sudden burst of excitement immediately extinguishes. Not as free as I thought. With my fists clenched, I bang on the heavy door, hoping someone will be there to respond and release me. Explain to me what hell I’ve woken up in this time. But no one comes to my rescue. I find a stray chair, picking it up and smashing it against the door in an attempt to make it budge, but it’s no use. All it does is hurt my arms when the damn thing crashes into the solid wood.

“Fuck,” I curse out loud.

Cheers from the audience fill my ears, and I rush over to the glass hastily, finding the cold glass with both hands as tears well in my weary eyes. The boys square off against each other, before Maddox runs at Geovani. Fists collide with flesh, and blood flies across the stage. They go at each other like feral animals ready to kill, and from the deathly look in their enraged faces, I’m pretty sure that’s the aim. I’m helpless, forced to witness the violence between two men I once cared about more than I would like to admit.

Blood whooshes through my ears, blurring out the screams and hollers of the excited spectators. I shout at the top of my lungs until my voice is hoarse, calling for them to stop the madness as I bang on the glass. But they can’t hear me. No one can. They’re so far away, and I’m trapped and helpless. Why is no one stopping them from tearing each other apart? Where are Alessandro, Ricky, and Marco? Even they would put a stop to this madness. But a sick realization dawns on me: Geovani is the violent man they all told me he was. Not the sweet caring friend I had a crush on.

The two of them plummet to the unforgiving floor and wrestle, struggling against each other’s powerful body. Maddox’s hands come around Geovani’s neck, squeezing tightly. But Geovani’s trained for this kind of fight and somehow twists out of his choke hold, pinning Maddox below him and thumping him relentlessly with his fists as Maddox fights back.

In a panic, I scan the crowd, trying to find anyone that might help, but I can’t see anyone else I recognize. Just a sea of sadistic people who think this madness is entertainment.

Tears wet my cheeks. I’m utterly petrified Geovani’s going to kill Maddox. My Maddox… I can’t watch any more of this torture. My head thumps with the beat of the crowd’s cheers, making me feel woozy. I take hold of the wall for stability, trying not to pass out. I was so angry with Maddox the last time I saw him. Everything was all messed up, and I didn’t get to tell him what he means to me. Right now, in this very moment, I know it’s a fucking lot. I don’t want to imagine a world where he’s not… My heart lurches in my chest, suffocating me.

The recognizable sound of gunshots rings out through the air, breaking my spiraling thoughts, and my attention is drawn to the chaotic scene unfolding below me. The crowd scatters in every direction like ants caught in a storm, creating a scene of utter mayhem. Oblivious to the surrounding bedlam, two men wearing masks that look distinctly like the ones the boys wore when they broke into my papa’s house, move through the crowd, firing their guns with determination.

All I can do is watch on in absolute horror. This is like a bad dream, except I know there is no waking up from it. I pinch myself to make sure, and the sting resonates down my arm. I’m fucking awake. The nightmare playing out in front of me is real. When I examine the stage again, both men are gone. All that’s left behind is a splattering of blood. Panic floods through my veins. Where the fuck are they ?

The fluorescent lights above me flicker out, and I scream bloody murder when the door violently swings open, a flashlight shining brightly in my face. “Lana, I have to get you out of here,” my brother yells in a panic.

“Marco, thank God,” I cry as I frantically run toward him. “Dani?”

He has Dani tucked under one arm; she looks as petrified as I feel, her bridesmaid make-up now in watery streaks down her cheeks, the dress Alessandro got for her a torn, bloody mess. “There’s no time to explain.” He wraps an arm around my shoulders, leading me out of the room and shielding me with his body. “Stay close, okay?” he warns. “I’m going to get you both out of here alive.”

I nod, completely overwhelmed with confusion and panic. But he’s right. I don’t have time to ask why he’s here with Dani or what’s going on in this place tonight. He shields me with his body as the three of us bolt down a long concrete corridor, my bare feet slapping on the cold, hard surface below. When we make it to a set of stairs, I reel back. A man’s body lies lifeless, blood pooling around it. Marco’s eyes find mine; sickness washes over me as I feel the blood drain from my face.

Despite his tugging, my body remains rooted to the cold concrete. A strange sensation washes over me. I know this guy, he worked for my papa. Ivan Venality.

More shots ring out behind us, but they sound far away.

“Lana, come on,” Dani cries, her voice filled with panic.

But I just keep staring at him. “Marco, you know who this is, right? Who did this?”

“Lana,” Marco calls my name, exasperated with me. Giving up on getting me to co-operate in my current state, he picks me up and carries me down the stairs, with Dani hanging close beside us.

My head spins as he moves with speed. When we make it to the bottom, he shoves heavily on the emergency exit, and we escape out of the arena to what looks like a back parking lot. As he lifts me up, I draw in a sharp breath, craving the cold night air to invigorate my senses and shake me out of my fog. The cool breeze caresses my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

In a frenzy, a group of people brush past us, causing me to stumble to the side. “That’s her,” I hear one of them say, but I have no idea what they’re talking about.

With Marco’s powerful arm wrapped around me, I instantly feel relieved and cocooned in his comforting warmth. “You’re okay. I’ve got you, Sis,” he tries to reassure me, but what can he do if they come for us?

The parking lot around us is filling up quickly with scared patrons running for their lives, cars speeding in every direction to escape the total riot inside the stadium. As we move through the chaos, Marco is searching for something. We dodge moving vehicles and scared onlookers with the call of sirens filling the air, their constant whoop, whoop causing me to keep forging ahead, even though I have no idea where we’re moving to.

“Over there,” Marco calls to us, and I see what he’s talking about. A stretch Hummer in matte black with dark tinted windows sits parked on a side street. “Lana. I’m so sorry for all this,” he mutters, but it’s the pain in his eyes that haunts me more than his words. I get a sinking feeling, a falling feeling. Like I’m being dropped down a rabbit hole headfirst, and I’m not going to like the outcome of this chaos tonight.

But with no other choice, I hurry toward the car alongside them both. Whatever is in there can’t be as bad as the havoc going on out here. The door flies open when we’re close, and Marco shoves me inside first. Dani follows, then Marco, pulling the door shut behind us, blocking out the noise and utter anarchy we left behind .

My heart pounds out of control in my chest, its rapid rhythm echoing in my ears. Adrenaline surges through my veins, electrifying my every nerve. The coarse pavement has cut up my feet, sending sharp jolts of pain radiating through them, and my muscles feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, throbbing in a way I’ve never experienced. Gasping for air, each breath feels like a desperate struggle to fill my lungs. Waves of nausea churn in my stomach, a sickening reminder of the horrors I’ve witnessed tonight.

But nothing can match the sheer terror that consumes me when I meet Geovani’s haunting green eyes from across the vehicle. What is he doing in here with us?