1 | STRANGER

1 |The Stranger

Laine

The evening air clung to my skin like melted wax—thick, heavy, reeking of damp concrete, gasoline, and cheap tobacco.

I drew it into my lungs, hoping it would calm the tremor in my hands.

It didn’t.

My heels clicked against cracked asphalt, the sound echoing down the empty alley. Too loud. Too sharp. As if someone were matching my steps just a second behind me.

Ava was supposed to meet me here. By the back entrance, she’d written.

Then—nothing.

Her messages stopped. My calls went unanswered. The navigation app froze, showing me as a blinking dot inside a gray block. No streets. No landmarks.

No way out.

I stopped.

The abandoned buildings loomed around me, their windows like black mouths, hollow and watching.

No people. No movement.

Too quiet. Even for a forgotten part of the city like this.

I exhaled, picked up my pace, turned the corner—

—and walked straight into someone.

My breath caught hard in my throat.

He stood half-swallowed by shadow, as if it belonged to him. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in black. Something dangerous rolled off him—predatory. The kind of threat you feel on your skin before your brain can catch up.

I staggered back. My heart slammed against my ribs.

“Lost, baby?” His voice was low, rough around the edges.

Not a question. A statement.

I swallowed, forcing myself to take another step back.

“I—I’m looking for a friend,” I said quietly, hating the way my voice shook.

He moved forward, into the weak glow of a streetlamp.

Sharp cheekbones. Dark eyes. No warmth. A man who didn’t smile unless it served a purpose. Even now, the curve of his mouth felt like a blade.

“A friend,” he repeated slowly, tasting the word. “Strange place to meet one.”

Cold sweat slid down my spine. I tried to explain—anything—but the words tangled and died in my throat.

He leaned closer.

His scent wrapped around me—wood, leather, bitterness. Strong. Enclosing. Like a trap snapping shut.

My fingers trembled. I pressed my hands to my sides, trying to hide it.

His hand brushed my chin, tilting my face up.

Almost gentle.

But beneath it—control. Real power. Dangerous power.

“Name,” he said.

An order.

“L-Laine,” I whispered.

“Laine.” He repeated it slowly, memorizing. “Good.”

A black car rolled up behind us without a sound. Polished metal swallowing neon reflections. A door opened.

Panic hit hard.

“I won’t get in—” I started.

He looked at me.

And I stopped.

There was no choice in his eyes. Only inevitability.

I stepped toward the car, as if guided by an invisible hand.

The interior smelled of leather, expensive wood, gasoline. Spacious—but it felt tight, saturated with someone else’s authority. I slid into the far corner, breathing shallow, making myself small.

He sat beside me.

The driver wore a dark suit. He didn’t turn around. Didn’t blink. Like he was part of the machine itself.

“Remi,” the man next to me said flatly. “So you know who’s asking the questions.”

The name lodged itself in my memory.

Remi rested his arm along the back of the seat, close to my face. Too close. Too certain. Then he brushed a loose strand of hair aside—the one I’d been hiding behind.

“Why were you there, Laine?” His voice stayed calm, each word pressing in. “In an alley where money usually changes hands.”

I blinked.

Money? What was he talking about?

“I was looking for Ava,” I said, breathless. “She stopped answering. I didn’t know where to go. I just… got lost.”

He leaned in, his breath scorching my ear.

“A friend,” he murmured. “In a place where people buy and sell goods. Interesting.”

My chest tightened. I didn’t understand what I’d stumbled into—but I knew this wasn’t random.

“I didn’t know anything!” The words tore out of me. “I swear.”

He studied me. For a long time.

His gaze felt like it was peeling me open, searching for lies under my skin.

“Baby,” his voice softened dangerously, “if you’re lying to me…”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

“…you’ll regret it.”

I clenched my fists.

“I’m not lying,” I said, steadier now.

A flicker crossed his eyes. Real interest. Gone just as fast.

He leaned back abruptly and slapped his palm against the seat—a signal.

“Let’s check.”

The driver accelerated.

The car surged forward. Lights from clubs and streets blurred past the window—another world. One where people laughed, danced, lived.

And I was being carried somewhere else.

I caught my reflection in the glass.

Wide, terrified eyes. Bloodless lips.

And I understood one thing with terrifying clarity.

My life had just been knocked off its familiar path.

And there was no way back.

Well, would you get into Remi’s car? 💫

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