Penny

Connor's hands are glued to my hips as I spin in his arms, his chest rises and falls against my back as I move against his body. I am slowly losing control in this moment, with the music and Connor's hands on my hips. We continue to grind to the music as I throw my head back and laugh at the pure euphoria of this place.

I feel his breath on the shell of my ear as he whispers, "You look so beautiful tonight," He nips the top of my ear before kissing just below, the sensation tingling down to my toes.

I smile as I arch my back and bend my head further up to capture his mouth onto mine. We begin to move in sync to the music, my whole body now flush against his, I feel his hands roaming all over me and weirdly enough I don't care, I like it. Maybe its this place, but all my cares seem to be out the window, I don't remember my troubles as I dance with Connor. All I feel is the happiness building inside me.

My hands slither up his back and into his sandy blonde hair, I tighten my grip on his roots and pull, causing a low rumble to come up the back of his throat as he nips my bottom lip. He kisses along my jaw, down my neck towards a sensitive spot between my neck and shoulder, I shudder as he nips and licks. He pressed more tiny kisses to my skin leading back up to the corner of my mouth.

"It's about time!" Brooke yells from behind us her voice carrying over the music.

I spin so quickly that it throws Connor off balance and he stumbles back a few steps.

Brooke laughs her eyes lighting up under the low light. She winks and wiggles her eyebrows at me, making me want to giggle and tell her everything. But before I can say anything she holds out her hands and two small blue pills sit in her palm.

I raise my eyebrows at her.

"I got them from over there" She nods her head towards a discreet counter that has a shady man sitting out front.

"Looks sketchy," I say.

Brooke laughs, her head falling backward, "This whole place is the definition of sketchy, just take them! Jules has been here plenty of times, says they help you have a good time, and really get lost in music. You know that groovy shit we see in the movies!"

I take the small pill between my fingers, bringing it closer to examine it, "who is Jules?"

"That cute girl with the bob," She points to where a petit girl is dancing, her head back eyes closed, she sways along to the music a satisfied smile gracing her lips.

"It must be similar to molly, you must've heard about that drug before," Connor shrugs and takes the pill out of Brooke's hand, quickly popping it onto his tongue, his eyes grow wide a few seconds later and he smiles lazily, "Feels like heaven."

Live a little, my subconscious tells me. What the fuck, I pop the pill swallowing it whole. Brooke's eyes light up as she grabs my hand and twirls me around. She lets go and I spin and spin out on the dance floor. the world falling away and all I can focus on is the heat shooting through my body and the music.

The music feels like it's a part of me, it runs through my blood, I twirl and lift my arms over my head shaking my hips to the rhythm.

We spend a good part of the night getting lost in the music and not even thinking about the crowds around us. Everyone seems together in this moment as one heartbeat.

-

The buzz is slowly fading as I stop by the side with a glass of water in my hands, I take small sips looking out at the crowd. Then I feel it, all of a sudden all I can think about is my bladder and the pressure of needing to pee.

I put my glass down and walk over to Brooke and the others.

Marlee comes with me to the bathroom, there was no way in hell I'd go to the bathroom alone. That's a sure way to end up with some creep, waiting to snatch girls walking alone. We go into one stall together and take turns on the toilette, I sigh at the release, there's nothing like a good pee after drinking.

"This place is crazy isn't it?" I say over my shoulder to Marlee, she nods her eyes twinkling.

"Its the most amazing place I think I have ever been too," her face is in awe as the last of the buzz of the blue pill is leaving her system.

Marlee is the cutest, with her wisps of long blond hair she looks like a golden goddess. Brooke and her became close friends on their swim team at NYU and soon they we're hanging out all the time. Then Marlee introduced Jack to Brooke and from there she met Connor and their friend group was made. Then of course I came along.

As we are leaving the bathroom I suddenly get very warm, my dress suddenly feels too tight and my throat begins to tighten. I notice a bright 'exit' sign flashing at the end of the hallway.

"Marlee?"

She spins around to face me, "Yeah?"

"I just need some air, I'll meet you back with the group."

She nods and hugs me, "k see you when you get back, you have your phone and wallet?"

I lift my purse and smile, she smiles before walking back to the group waving as she skips down the hall.

I turn and walk towards the exit, I push the door open slightly and peek my head around the corner, cool air sweeps in and I sigh. I leave my purse wedged into the door to keep it from locking and walk out into the silent alley.

The wind blows around me whipping my hair into my eyes, my skin still feels clammy and warm even though the night air is frigid.

As I'm about to turn back to go inside I hear shouting from further down the street.

My nerves are telling at me to go back in but my curiosity gets the best of me when the voices get progressively louder.

I walk down the street as quietly as I can and peer around the corner, into another alley, this one is darker so I can barely make out the group of men that are huddled by a wall.

I clearly see two men on their knees, with blindfolds over their eyes. They are facing three men who are standing in front of them.

An uneasy feeling churns in my gut as I watch one of the men standing move closer to the men who are kneeling.

"There are rules, and you men didn't follow them. Boss doesn't let people off, you fuck up and it's all over," One man yells, his voice low and gravelly.

The two men on the ground begin to cry, their sobs echoing down the small alley as they plead.

"you don't understand I was in a bad place, I have a family. I have to provide for my daughters." One man says, his voice breaking with each word, he raises his hands in prayer.

One of the men leans over to and whispers something I can't hear into another one's ear.

"He gave you a choice, you chose the wrong one," The man in the middle who I can't see clearly says. He holds out his hand, and in the dim lighting of the alley I swear I see the moon reflect off of something metal.

I move closer and to my horror realize that the man is holding a gun. A real live gun, all three are.

Just before I can move or do anything else, the middle man pulls the trigger while the man to his right holds out his hand and shoots the other at the same time.

The two men by the wall fall to the ground and slump onto one another. The sound of the shots echos loudly through the alley, sending me into a daze, and then a thick silence falls like a blanket over the dark streets, like my ears seem to be muffled from the blast of the gunfire, I've never heard anything so loud.

My scream comes out unexpectantly, my skin is now ice cold and all I can do is scream. I bring my hands up to my mouth as I stumble back down the alley back towards The Den and my friends.

Go, get them out of here, its not safe.

Whatever my thoughts seem to be in this moment, one thing is crystal clear, those men have to be somehow related to The Den. It's no coincidence that those two men were shot on this night behind this warehouse.

Blood rushes to my head and someone runs into me from behind right as I am about to reach for the exit door. My fingers brush the door handle before I fall face-first into the cold wet pavement.

My cheek connects first and a shot of pain rings out through my body. Someone is on top of me and the muffling in my ears stop, replaced by the sound of people shouting, It's the men from the alley, they definitely heard me scream.

One man flips me over onto my front, in the darkness, his face is cast in shadow, so I can't quite make out his features.

"Someones been a bad girl," He growls and hauls me up to my unsteady feet. As I stand my legs wobble slightly and it feels like I am about to collapse, my skin is so so cold.

The man's grip is iron tight on my bicep and he drags me back towards the two other men now standing by the entrance.

"What do we do with this?" He shakes me, making my head rattle.

they consider me for a second, I guess it wasn't their plan to have someone be witness to their awful crimes, sucks for them.

All the air leaves my chest as his next words sink in, my heart stops and I think I may pass out.

"We take her to him"

"Mr. Bridger."