My date dragged me into a dark alley, unaware my boss was watching.

Part 1

My date dragged me into a dark alley, unaware that my ruthless boss was watching his every move.

I smoothed the fabric of my burgundy velvet dress.

It was the first time in years I had worn something so fitted.

Usually, I hid my curves behind loose cardigans and sensible black slacks.

Invisibility was my preferred survival tactic at the logistics firm where I worked.

But tonight was supposed to be different.

Tyler had asked me out, and his charming smile had completely disarmed me.

I thought he actually saw me.

I thought he actually wanted to get to know me.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

We met at a crowded, expensive steakhouse downtown.

At first, the conversation flowed easily over appetizers and expensive wine.

Tyler complimented my dress and laughed at my jokes.

But as the main course arrived, his questions began to shift.

He leaned across the table, his blue eyes suddenly sharp and calculating.

“Your firm handles a lot of shipping routes from the northern border,” he said casually.

“My boss, Craig, is very demanding,” I deflected smoothly.

I was trained to be vague about the company’s operations.

Because our logistics firm was a front for the most powerful underground syndicate in the city.

And Craig wasn’t just a CEO.

He was a man who ruled his empire with iron-fisted brutality.

“I’m just curious,” Tyler continued, his voice dropping.

“A friend of mine wants to know how Craig clears customs so quickly at the Canadian checkpoints.”

My blood ran cold.

Those specific routes were strictly off the books.

They were used to move untraceable cash.

No ordinary accountant would know about them.

I slowly reached for my purse under the table.

“I think I should go,” I whispered.

Tyler’s hand shot across the table, clamping down on my wrist like a vice.

His grip was punishingly tight, his fingers digging into my skin.

“Don’t be like that,” he hissed, the charming facade completely vanishing.

“We’re just making conversation.”

Across the dimly lit restaurant, a man lowered his newspaper.

It was Craig.

He was sitting alone in a corner booth, his gray eyes fixed entirely on us.

I hadn’t even realized he was there.

He didn’t blink.

He didn’t move toward us.

He simply reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his phone.

Tyler leaned closer, his breath hot and smelling of red wine.

“My employers are very interested in those schedules,” Tyler whispered menacingly.

“You’re going to open your laptop and show me the software.”

“If you do, you walk away.”

Tears of humiliation stung my eyes.

I had been targeted.

He didn’t want a date; he wanted access to Craig’s secrets.

“I don’t have my laptop,” I lied, my voice trembling.

“Then you’ll take me to the office,” Tyler snarled.

He stood up, pulling me roughly to my feet.

He forced me to smile and walk toward the exit.

My heart hammered wildly against my ribs.

We stepped out into the freezing city night.

Instead of hailing a cab, Tyler dragged me toward a narrow, poorly-lit alleyway behind the restaurant.

“My car is parked out back,” he ordered.

I anchored my heels onto the frosty pavement, refusing to move further.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I cried out.

Tyler spun around, his face contorting with ugly rage.

He reached under his jacket, revealing the metallic gleam of a suppressed pistol.

“You’re going to get in the car, or I’m going to put a bullet in your knee right now.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the blinding pain.

But the gunshot never came.

Instead, a deafening roar echoed through the narrow alley.

A massive, armored SUV tore around the corner, its headlights blindingly bright.

It slammed its brakes, skidding on the ice and stopping inches from Tyler.

Before Tyler could even raise his weapon, the heavy passenger door kicked open.

It struck Tyler square in the chest, sending him flying backward into a stack of empty steel kegs.

A giant of a man stepped out of the vehicle.

It was Greg, Craig’s most feared enforcer.

Greg kicked the gun out of Tyler’s hand so hard the metal shattered against the brick wall.

I stumbled backward, gasping for air.

The rear door of the SUV opened slowly.

Craig stepped out into the harsh glare of the headlights.

He had discarded his overcoat, revealing forearms corded with muscle.

His eyes held an aura of pure, unadulterated violence.

“Hold him up,” Craig commanded softly.

Greg hauled Tyler to his feet, pinning him against the icy bricks.

Craig slowly unbuttoned his cuffs, never taking his eyes off the man who had dared to touch me.