To survive in a world full of chaos, one must learn to embrace it. It was hard— Callie knew that awfully well. She lived in a city where guns were easier to acquire than medicine, and where violence was the answer to everything. A place that the government has forgotten about and where the police worked for infamous crime lords. To survive amid chaos was hard, and Callie was only barely able to hold her head above water. And with each passing day, she feels herself sinking further and further, deeper into the filth. “Ugh, can you believe this?” Sienna asked with a sigh. She and Callie have been friends since they were teens. Now, they go to the same community college where the bulletin boards are riddled with dozens of warnings, curfew notices, and missing person posters. “You would think living so far away from the Ashen City would protect us from the scum that live there—” Sienna shook her head in disbelief. “But no, we still live in a nightmare.” Callie looked away from her beau

Soren let out an unhinged chuckle at Callie’s remark. As a debt collector for the mafia, he must have seen dozens of different reactions to the mention of Vincent Baros, but he somehow found Callie’s reaction the most fitting. “I knew I liked you. Sit tight.” He didn’t need to force Callie inside the waiting vehicle, she went without resistance. Soren followed inside. With only the two of them sitting in the spacious backseat, Callie sat as far away from Soren as she could. Callie didn’t know what to expect once the car started driving toward the Ashen City. She had only heard rumors about it, and some stories from her university buddies who have dared to sneak inside for a peep at what life in the city was like. All their stories were horrifying. For the first few miles, after the car drove past the border, Callie felt the anxiety grow in her chest. The place was extremely gray. Most of the buildings they passed were either destroyed or unlivable. And though the ashes from the gre

Callie barely registered the pain as her nails dug deeper into her forearm. Nothing registered anymore. Not the noise in the club, not the stench of blood, and not Vin’s voice that told her to stop. As soon as Vin noticed, his hand came lashing out to grab Callie’s to pry her hand away from herself. “Stop doing that,” the mafia boss barked out, but Callie only looked at him through her tear-filled eyes. It was like Callie was possessed as she struggled in Vin’s hold with nothing but pure adrenaline. Pained screams left her mouth when Vin accidentally gripped her injured wrist too tightly. Suddenly there was a sharp jab against her neck and Callie was out like a light. Panic filled Vin’s eyes as he watched the life drain out of Callie’s eyes. “What the fuck?” Vin was surprised, but he managed to catch Callie before she could fall to the floor. Behind her, Soren stood holding up a syringe muttering, “Sedative.” As if no other explanations were needed. Vin looked disgusted– offended

Vin was minding his business, scanning through yet another missing person’s case that landed on his desk, when Ella burst into his office. “Don’t hurt her.” The mafia boss looked up from the document and fixed the doctor with a hard stare. And when he spoke, there was a dangerous edge to his voice. “Ella, you know better than to barge in here unannounced.” Ella was used to being reprimanded. She wasn’t the type to bend to anyone’s will outside of the bedroom, so in this case, she wanted Vin to hear her. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, anyway. “I’ll take any punishment for speaking out about this. I know it’s not my business what you do with your women, but please don’t hurt Callie.” Vin didn’t plan on hurting her. He wouldn’t hurt a woman. But having Ella stand up for her, made him all the more curious about his new little pet. Shifting from foot to foot, Ella started becoming uneasy under Vin’s piercing gaze. “That’s all I came here to say. Oh, also! I know you like it rough in th

In the end, it was Vin who chose Callie’s outfit after she appeared in dark jeans, cropped tee, and a dark denim jacket. Vin shook his head in disappointment before he dragged her back into her room to change into a sleek black mini dress. He was careful to choose a dress that covered her injured arms, but the dip on the front hung low, exposing the tops of her ample breasts. And with the dress reaching only the tops of her thighs, Callie had to pull on the hem every now and then. Soren met them at the front of a club called, “The Tomb?” asked Callie, curious about the bright neon sign. A flash of annoyance crossed Vin’s features, before he replied defensively, “I didn’t name it. People started calling it that and it stuck.” Soren sidled up to Callie when Vin walked ahead to talk to one of the bouncers. “It’s called The Tomb because people have been buried here,” explained Soren in a low voice, careful not to be heard by the mafia boss. “Both figuratively and literally, I might ad