I swim in a stream of blurred memories, distorted by intoxication.

I remember gliding through a lavish ballroom, mingling with dangerous guests in unfamiliar territory. My obsidian dress flitted around me, shimmering like a thousand dark gems. I’d dressed as extravagantly as possible, hoping to attract the company I desired. I had nearly finished my third glass of champagne when my vision began to tilt, gravity threatening to pull me to my knees. A sinister smile awaited me as darkness crept in.

“Rise and shine, sweetheart,” a sultry voice coaxes, just before a chilling splash of cold water shocks me out of the comforting darkness. My eyes snap open, despite the pounding headache that matches the beat of my heart. My fingers twitch as blood rushes back to them, but I quickly realize my movements are limited—my hands are bound behind me to a wooden chair. I scoff, rubbing my wrists against the coarse rope, eliciting a soft tut from my captor.

“Ah-ah! Don’t do that, darling. You’ll ruin your beautiful skin.” The voice calls again, and this time I can place the body attached to it. A young man, likely in his late twenties, with platinum blond hair pushed back and icy blue eyes that glint in the dim light. He leans casually against the wall, one hand resting in his pocket. Pushing off, he strolls toward me with a feline grace, stopping just before he reaches me, towering over me with a smirk.

“How was your beauty sleep, Selene?” He grins, reaching out to brush a stray lock of my raven hair behind my ear. “Or should I say, Agent Lenora?” His hand trails down to my chin, gripping it as he tilts my face up, my hazel eyes locking with his icy blue. “Your reputation for stunning beauty precedes you, though I expected you to be more cautious. Considering you’re one of the top elites at your agency, drinking three glasses of champagne was an awfully stupid choice.”

I glare up at him, recognition hitting me like a gunshot.

“Alexander Rovenoski.” The name rolls off my tongue as our eyes meet. “I should have known you were behind this. The drugs, the trafficking—all of it, your doing.”

He chuckles, clearly amused. “Did you really think those barons could pull off something like this? Sergeant Garrick doesn’t have half the brains or guts to orchestrate a scheme of this scale.” He leans in closer, his smile widening. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” My silence is all the confirmation he needs. He tilts my chin higher, stroking it lightly. “Such a smart girl.”

He releases me, taking a step back as he assesses me with a cold, analytical gaze. “It really is a shame I’ll have to kill you. Just think of the fun we could have had.” He sighs, shaking his head, then turns toward the far wall, now revealed to be covered with an array of sharp and deadly instruments.

My blood runs cold. It’s a torture room.

Fear sharpens my focus, spurring me to work faster on the knot binding my hands. I’m nearly there when his voice startles me again.

“Did you know there are 206 bones in the human body?” he calls, lifting a heavy hammer off the wall and testing its weight with a few swings. He turns back, an odd glimmer dancing in his eyes. “How long do you think it would take to break each and every one of them? I can’t say it’s been officially timed, but I bet it’s entertaining.” He laughs and continues his dark musings as he picks up a long, pointed instrument.

The second he turns away, I seize my opportunity. Gritting my teeth, I press on a pressure point in my thumb, dislocating it with a painful pop. My hand slips free of the binding, and I quickly pop my thumb back into place, biting back a hiss as I shake feeling back into my fingers.

While he continues rambling about bones and medical practices, I silently rise from the chair, the rope wrapped around my fist. I’m three steps away when he turns, his eyes widening as he realizes I’m loose. I lunge forward, sweeping his legs out from under him, and he crashes to the floor. Swiftly, I pull his arms behind his back, binding his wrists as I press my knee into his spine.

I grab the hidden gun strapped to my leg, pressing the cold steel against the back of his head. My voice is low, calm. “You didn’t really think you could kill me, did you?” I press my knee deeper, tightening my hold. “I didn’t take you for a fool.”

He twists his head slightly, meeting my gaze with a bored expression. Blood trickles from a cut on his lip, which he licks away before speaking in a strangely calm voice.

“Are you done yet?”

Alexander’s calm sends a shiver through me, the air between us heavy with tension. He’s lying on the ground, blood trickling from his lip, yet he looks as composed as if he were still the one in control. His smile only deepens, the predator waiting for the prey to make a mistake.

“Did you honestly think a few ropes and a gun would stop me?” he asks smoothly, his voice tainted with mockery. His icy blue eyes flick up, catching my gaze with a chilling intensity. “Sweetheart, I’m disappointed.”

A pulse of unease runs through me, though I keep my stance firm, pressing the gun harder against his head. “You underestimate me, Rovenoski. I’m not like your usual targets.”

He lets out a soft, amused chuckle. “Oh, I know, Agent Lenora.” With a quick, almost imperceptible movement, he shifts beneath me, his muscles tensing like a coiled spring. Before I can react, he surges up, throwing me off balance. The gun clatters to the floor, and I stumble back, just barely catching myself.

Alexander rises with an effortless grace, rubbing his wrists where the rope had been. “That little tussle was almost fun,” he remarks, his eyes gleaming with something dark and dangerous. He steps toward me, his posture relaxed but every inch of him radiating lethal intent.

I take a steadying breath, backing up to put distance between us. I’ve studied men like him before, and I know his arrogance will be his undoing.

“Oh, you’re right,” I say, slipping one hand subtly to the clasp on my belt. “This isn’t a game. But you’re wrong about one thing.”

He arches an eyebrow, amused. “And what’s that?”

A small smirk tugs at my lips. “You’re not the only one who knows how to set a trap.”

Before he can respond, I pull the pin on a small flash grenade hidden on my belt and toss it at his feet. In a blinding burst of light and deafening sound, he reels back, momentarily disoriented. I waste no time, darting forward to retrieve my gun and slipping it into my holster. As I slip around him and toward the door, his vision starts to clear, and he whips around to face me, fury blazing in his eyes.

But I’m already gone, slipping into the hallway, where I activate a secure line to my team. “Target in sight and contained. You’ve got ten minutes to pick up the package.”

The last thing I hear as I sprint down the corridor is Alexander’s enraged shout echoing from the room, realizing too late that he’s been outplayed.