The blizzard howled through the streets. June's lips turned a pale shade of blue. She dragged her suitcase down a set of concrete stairs into a dimly lit pedestrian underpass. The air smelled strongly of urine and damp trash.
She pushed her back against the cold tile wall. She rubbed her stiff hands over her frozen cheeks. Her legs shook violently. She had nothing left.
The sound of scuffing boots echoed from the far end of the tunnel. Two men in dirty, oversized hoodies walked into the light. Their eyes were glassy and erratic.
They spotted June. More importantly, they spotted the expensive brand logo on her suitcase. They looked at each other and split up, walking toward her from both sides.
June's heart slammed against her ribs. She gripped the handle of her suitcase and tried to back away toward the stairs. Her worn heels slipped on the icy concrete.
The man on the right lunged forward. He grabbed the handle of the suitcase, yanking it hard, spitting a foul curse at her.
June held on with everything she had. She threw her weight backward and slammed her elbow directly into the man's ribs.
The second man rushed in. He pulled his hand from his pocket. A rusty switchblade clicked open. The dull metal caught the flickering overhead light.
He swung the blade down. The metal sliced deep across the back of June's hand. Warm blood instantly poured from the wound, dripping onto the dirty snow.
The sharp pain forced June's fingers to open. The first man ripped the suitcase away. He raised his heavy boot and kicked June squarely in the stomach.
The force threw her backward. She hit the icy ground hard, splashing into a puddle of freezing slush.
The two men turned and sprinted up the stairs, vanishing into the blizzard with everything she owned. June curled into a tight ball. She gasped for air, the pain in her stomach and hand making black spots dance in her vision.
She tried to push herself up, but her arms gave out. She laid her cheek on the freezing concrete. She closed her eyes, waiting for the cold to take her.
Twin beams of blinding white light swept across the entrance of the underpass.
A massive, armored black Maybach rolled to a stop at the curb. The heavy tires crunched loudly against the packed snow.
The rear door swung open. A bodyguard stepped out and opened a large black umbrella. Gage Becker stepped out from the backseat. He wore a long, black cashmere coat. He looked like the devil stepping out of the shadows.
Gage ignored the puddles. He walked down stairs and stopped right in front of June's curled body. He looked down at her.
June blinked through the icy water dripping from her eyelashes. She saw his face. A violent tremor ripped through her spine.
Gage crouched down. He reached out and hooked his index finger under her chin, lifting her face out of the mud. He sneered, telling her she looked like a stray dog.
He told her this was what happened when she fought him. He said the world would watch her freeze to death and do nothing.
The absolute humiliation and the threat of death snapped something deep inside June's brain. A surge of wild, feral energy flooded her veins. She threw herself forward.
Before the bodyguards could even blink, June opened her mouth and clamped her teeth down hard onto Gage's extended forearm.
She bit down with every ounce of strength she had left. Her teeth tore through the expensive cashmere, ripped through his cotton shirt, and sank deep into his flesh. The hot, metallic taste of his blood flooded her mouth.
Gage let out a sharp grunt. His jaw clenched tight. But he did not pull away. He stayed perfectly still. His black eyes darkened, turning entirely pitch.
The bodyguard behind him drew his gun, aiming it at June's head. Gage raised his free hand and gave a sharp, immediate signal to stand down.
June held on until her jaw cramped. Her energy faded rapidly. Her teeth slowly slipped from his arm, and she fell back onto the ice, panting heavily.
Gage looked down at his arm. A deep, bleeding bite mark ruined his coat. Blood dripped from his sleeve. Slowly, a twisted, dark smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
He reached down with his good arm. He grabbed the collar of her soaked jacket and hauled her up from the ground like she weighed nothing.
June kicked her legs. She hit his chest with her bleeding hand, but she had no strength left.
Gage dragged her up the stairs. He shoved her violently into the back of the Maybach. She fell across the heated leather seats.
The heavy door slammed shut, cutting off the howling wind. Gage slid in next to her. He stared straight ahead and ordered the driver to take them to the Long Island estate.
The engine roared. June pressed herself against the far door, trapped in the moving cage with him.
