She marched back to the front desk. The concierge scowled when she saw her but quickly replaced the expression with a professional smile.

"Excuse me," Catherine said, speaking in a high, girlish voice. "I'm so silly. My friend and I had plans to meet with another friend in his room. I totally forgot, but I've just remembered it now. The problem is, I can't remember the room number."

​​

"And?" the concierge asked.

"Well, if I give you the name of my friend can you remind me what room he's in?" she asked.

"That's very unusual, Miss," the concierge said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'd call them and ask them just to meet me down here, but I think their phones are dead."

"What's his name?" the concierge asked with a sigh.

"Adam Carroll," she answered. "And I think he said he was staying in room 4-something. But I'm just no good with numbers."

The concierge typed something into her computer, "He's in room 436."

"Thanks," Catherine said.

Outside the elevator, she noticed the quiet boy watching her. Shivers ran down her spine, and she stopped. What if she was walking into another trap? What if Sophia had another reason for leaving? Maybe she'd gone back to the hospital.

She grabbed her phone and called Maria.

"Hello?" Maria said.

"Hey," Catherine said. "Is Sophia with you?"

"What? No," Maria said. "I thought she was with you at a party."

"She was," she said. "But now I can't find her. I thought maybe she'd gone back to the hospital."

"Should I be worried?" Maria asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "I'll call you when I find her."

She ended the call and pressed the elevator call button. As the doors slid shut, her heart beat faster in her chest. They opened with a ding, and she heard a commotion on the floor. A girl screamed, and then a man cursed. She heard the pounding of running feet, another scream, and then silence.

Racing down the hall, she found door 436 and pounded it as hard as she could. Her fist got hurt, but she continued to beat the door.

"I know you're in there," she screamed. "Let her go, you pervert!"

The door flew open, and Adam grabbed her raised fist and pulled her into the dim room. Sophia lay on the bed. Her arms were tied with a tie, and another one was wrapped around her mouth, but she struggled and squirmed anyway.

"You bastard," Catherine screamed.

She raised her knee and slammed it hard into Adam's crotch. His face twisted in pain, and he doubled over. She slammed her foot into his chest and then aimed another kick at the side of his head. For the second time that day, she found herself missing her old combat boots. The elegant heels didn't do half as much damage as she wanted.

He grunted and fumbled for her leg, but she jabbed the spike of her heel into his arm, and he let her go. She leveled another kick at the side of his face and raced toward the bed. She pulled the tie from Sophia's mouth and began to work at the one binding her hands. She fumbled clumsily with the expert knots.

"Cathy, get out of here," Sophia said. "It's a trap. You have to go."

"Not without you," she panted.

"He's behind you," Sophia shouted.

Catherine turned in time to see Adam standing unsteadily behind her. She slammed her elbow into his gut, and he groaned but reached for her. His hands closed around her arm, and she felt a slight pinch and then a stinging sensation. She looked down to see a needle sticking out of her arm. He slowly pushed the syringe, and a clear liquid entered her body.

"What is that?" she shrieked.

"Just something to help you relax," he said.

His fingers tugged sharply on her hair, and she felt his hot breath on the back of her neck. She wanted to fight, but her arms and legs were heavy, and the air around her felt thick as water. The room slowly grew darker around her. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

As the room went fuzzy around her, Catherine focused on the sharp pain in her scalp. For a moment, her vision cleared, and the room took shape around her. She gritted her teeth and dug her fingernails into her palm as hard as she could. The pain helped her focus.

"Adam," she said slowly. "If you touch me, you'll be sorry."

Adam chuckled low and pressed his wet mouth to her ear. "You're feisty," he whispered. "I like that."

Her stomach churned, and she felt acid race up her throat. Her knees trembled, and the room flickered into darkness again. She bit down on her tongue and willed her body to stay upright.

"How are the drugs treating you?" Adam asked. "You've put up a nice little fight, but it's only a matter of time until they take over."

Catherine heard his words as if they were coming from far away, and she realized he'd let go of her hair and moved toward the bed. She blinked and tried to focus on the room—there had to be a way out. The window was too high, but if she could make it to the door, she might be able to find someone to help her. She took a step toward the door, and Adam laughed cruelly.

"Don't even think about it," he said. "You're not going anywhere. In fact, tonight, you're all mine."

Sophia's voice came from the bed. "I'm sorry, Catherine," she said between sobs. "This is all my fault. He used me as bait, and I was powerless to stop him."

"We can do this two ways, dear Catherine," Adam said, stalking toward her again. "I'm going to enjoy myself no matter what, but you might not like it as rough as I do."

"We're not doing anything at all," she spat.

"Oh, but we are," he said. "I'm going to enjoy everything your pretty little body has to offer me."

"You wish," she said.

"Oh, Catherine," he said, grabbing her upper arm in his hand. "You've changed so much. You used to be such a sweet, timid girl, but now you're fiery. I like that in a woman."