Chapter 1

"Let me out, let me out

Wake up in a wasteland…

Time's wasting

How much longer

Till I get myself free

Of these hurricane streets?"

~ "Hurricane Streets" by Hey Monday

The first thing she became aware of was the dry, thickness that coated her mouth. Like cotton had been shoved into ever crevasse and left to disintegrate over time. Her tongue was swollen, touching every tooth, and feeling the layer of grime that coated them.

Swallowing roughly, Maxie opened her eyes slowly. She winced against the harsh fluorescence of the lights above. Thousands of tiny pinpricks stabbed at her eyes and she rolled to her side to block the light. Sucking in a hard breath, she forced her eyes open again and looked around.

She was on a bed, more specifically a mattress, that had been shoved into one corner of the small room. There were no sheets on it, just the mattress on a cement floor. The walls looked to be made of cinderblocks that had been painted to an offensive, pale green color. Her nose wrinkled with distaste.

She shivered. The air was still cool for late April, and she was regretting the thin tailored pants and matching sleeveless shirt she had worn earlier that day. The white shirt was too dirty for even industrial strength bleach to clean it now.

Grimacing, she pushed herself up on one elbow and she thought back, trying to remember how she came to be here. Had she been drinking last night? She frowned, thinking, but unable to come up with a viable excuse.

She had been on the docks with Johnny, telling him again to reconsider being with Lulu. The last few months had forged an unlikely friendship between the two girls, filling a small section of the void Georgie had left behind when she was murdered. Not nearly the same as having her little sister around, but Lulu had proven to be a fairly decent friend.

Until Johnny admitted to liking Maxie during his break up speech to Lulu. And then the truth about their kisses had come to light. Maxie still flinched when she thought of the betrayal in Lulu's eyes. The two girls hadn't spoken in the last three weeks, and Kate was threatening to fire one of them if they didn't get it together.

Maxie sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress and scooping her feet under her body so she could stand. She didn't make it far before she was jerked back down, unable to stand fully erect.

Dumbfounded, she looked down at her wrist and saw the handcuff. She was shackled to a ring that had been drilled into the wall. Amazed, and growing more worried by the moment, she looked back down at the bed and felt her legs buckle.

She touched his back hesitantly, seeing the crimson smear on the back of his neck, staining his gray t-shirt. "Johnny?" she shook his shoulder gently. "Johnny, wake up!"

She held her breath, contemplating checking for a pulse when she heard him moan, the sound muffled by the mattress he was face down on.

"Thank God," she muttered, her hand still on his shoulder. "Are you OK?"

He turned his face to see her, his expression puzzled. "Maxie? What the hell—" He started to sit up and realized her, too, was handcuffed. He gave the restraint a sharp tug, wincing as the metal cut into his wrist. He wrapped his hand around the chain and pulled harder, the muscles in his forearm cording with effort.

"It won't budge," Maxie said softly, trying to keep the edge of panic from her voice. She bit her lower lip, fighting the instinct to burst into tears. Crying would solve nothing at this point.

Johnny looked up at her, his expression grim. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered quickly. "What about you? Your head …"

Johnny reached behind his head with his free hand, his expression twisting with pain when he touched the sensitive area. When he pulled his hand away there were only a few spots of blood. The cut was healing.

"Where are we?" he demanded, his eyes flashing murderously as he looked around the small room before landing on her.

"I don't know," she replied, eyes wide. "I woke up a minute ago …" Her breath left her in a rush and her eyes drifted shut. "I saw the blood, and I thought you were …" She couldn't finish.

Johnny sighed quietly and reached for her hand, holding it tight. "I'm fine."

Maxie opened her eyes and blinked slowly. She licked her lips nervously. "So, where are we?"

Johnny twisted, letting her hand go. There was a window in the adjacent corner, but all he could see was sky. There were two doors, but both were closed and one had several deadbolts on it.

"I don't know," he finally admitted.

"Is this … is this some sort of mob thing?" she stage whispered to him, her eyes slanting to the door. She looked back at him, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

He could have laughed had the situation not be dire. "I really don't know."

She pressed her lips into a thin line, her expression screwing up with concentration. "I think it is. Why would someone want to kidnap me? It has to be because I was with you."

He couldn't stop the smirk that spread across his face. "It couldn't have anything to do with the fact you're the Commissioner's daughter?"

Her expression dulled. "Oh, yeah." She drew in a long breath and leaned back against the wall, stretching her legs out in front of her.

Johnny started to settle in beside her, his arm twisted at an odd angle because of the cuffs. He closed his eyes, trying to think.

"Oh, no!" Maxie wailed suddenly, doubling over as she grabbed her ankle.

His eyes snapped open, his free hand going to her back. "What? Are you hurt?"

She lifted horror-filled eyes to his. "They're ruined!"

He blinked, not getting it. He followed her line of vision and looked at her feet. He watched as she twisted her legs around to show him the inch long scuff on her left shoe.

He clamped down the impulse to yell at her. Instead, he took a deep breath and ground out, "You're upset about a shoe?"

She glared at him, instantly defensive. "These are Jimmy Choos, buddy. They cost over five hundred dollars and now they're completely ruined!"

Johnny sighed loudly. He had long since stopped trying to guess why women spent so much money on footwear that brought nothing but pain and bitching. Years of being dragged on shopping excursions with Claudia had taught him not to question cost when it came to fashion.

"Dammit!" Maxie muttered harshly, rubbing at the spot with her thumb. After a moment, she threw her hand up in the air, giving up. "Perfect."

He snorted, trying not to outright laugh at her.

Maxie turned on him, her look glacial. "If my only pair of Jimmy Choos got ruined because I got caught up in some dumb mob thing—"

"I'll buy you ten new pairs, your choice," he interrupted, his tone flat. He snuck a look at her, amused that she seemed placated by his offer.

Maxie studied him and nodded finally. "OK. Deal."

Now he laughed. "But what if I got kidnapped because you're Mac Scorpio's daughter? What do I get?"

She frowned, thinking. "The pleasure of my company?"

"Ha, ha," he deadpanned. He leaned forward, his dark eyes glittering. "Ten kisses."

Maxie's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide.

He grinned, completely shameless. "It's win-win for you."

"Deal," Maxie agreed slowly, biting her lower lip to stop the grin that threatened to split her face.

The word was no sooner out of her mouth than they heard a key being slipped into one of the deadbolts. She swallowed hard, looking nervously at Johnny. His shrugged in response, his jaw locking as the door opened slowly.

The first man who came in was slightly overweight, old enough to be her father, and had small gray eyes that seemed to be in a perpetual state of squinting. He carried a large, brown paper bag in one hand. The second man was younger, maybe a few years older than Johnny, with short blond hair and dark eyes that made her shiver. Both had guns holstered at their hips.

"Who the hell are you?" Johnny found his voice first, his tone surprisingly level and just as lethal.

The younger man rolled his eyes and rocked back on his heels, clicking his tongue against his teeth.

The older man tossed the bag at the base of the mattress. "Food. Clothes. Blanket." The answers were short and succinct, not giving anything away. He hooked a thumb at the opposite door. "Bathroom."

Johnny's eyes narrowed. "Who—"

"Don't try anything stupid," he went on. He stabbed a finger towards the corner where a security camera had been mounted into the wall, covered with a glass shield that would keep them from disabling it. "We'll be watching."

The younger man smirked and started backing towards the door with his partner. "Signor Calitri sends his regards."

The older man flicked something at them that landed by Maxie's foot. He turned and walked away, following the younger man. The door slammed shut and they heard the locks sliding back into place.

Maxie reached down slowly, picking up the key to the handcuffs that had been tossed to them. She handed to Johnny, her hand shaking.

He took it from her, undoing her restraints and then his own. He rubbed his wrist where the metal had dug in and got to his feet.

She cleared her throat and tossed her hair back, sucking in a sharp breath. She glanced up at him, offering a weak smile. "Does this mean I get my shoes?"