“You shouldn’t have done that,” Bronwyn said, once the air in the room returned and we could all breathe again. She didn’t call me an idiot or make a crack about what I’d done. If anything, that only emphasized how serious the situation was.

Nico was looking at me like I had landed here from another planet. They both were. I shook my head. My throat felt clogged and sticky. Bronwyn was right. What had I been thinking? I couldn’t pay Officer Ting thirteen thousand or thirteen hundred or thirteen anything! But I’d promised him. I had two weeks to come up with this money and no clue how.

“Maggie,” Nico said. “I’m not asking for it, but do you even have thirteen thousand dollars?”

“No,” I replied. Nico drooped like a popped balloon. “But we’ll figure something out.”

“Don’t be so naïve,” Bronwyn snapped. “How are you going to get that kind of cash?”

I had no idea.

“You could’ve stayed out of it, but no. Now you’re mixed up in our problems.”

“What was I supposed to do, let Jay take you out back and beat the crap out of you, or worse? I mean, it didn’t sound like it was going to stop with a beating this time.” It’s not like Nico had defended his girlfriend. Even Bronwyn hadn’t stood up for herself—argued or begged or…or something.

“Jay wouldn’t have hurt Bron,” Nico said.

I tossed my head. “Now who’s being naïve?”

Bronwyn put her hand over Nico’s but she looked at me. “I could’ve taken it. Then we would’ve gotten more time and figured something out.”

“I got you more time, without anyone getting hurt.”

“But Maggie,” Bronwyn said, her eyes hard. “Next time, it won’t be Nico or me with the target on our backs. It’ll be you.”

I pushed my chair back. “I’m going home.”

“Maggie—” Nico began but he didn’t say anything else. What could he say? I’d saved his bacon, and Bronwyn’s, and he cared more about that than he did about me.

“It’s fine.” I slung my purse over my shoulder. “Maybe some time alone will help me figure out how to come up with thirteen grand.”

The corner of Nico’s mouth quirked but Bronwyn didn’t smile. “Let us know as soon as you do.”

Like it was that easy.

Darkness had settled over Vegas while we’d been inside the restaurant. Lights down the street flashed neon colors, making everything look almost pretty. Magical.

I sighed and started down the sidewalk. There was nothing magical about Vegas.

Someone stepped into my path. I gasped and jumped back.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

Jay Thornton’s mouth was set in a grim line, his hands buried in his pockets. Officer Ting and his other bodyguard were nowhere in sight.

“Leave me alone.” I tried to step around him.

He blocked my way. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”

“Saved my friend from getting hurt?”

His face loomed near mine. “Made yourself the mark.”

Threats, bullies, dirty cops, guys who beat people up for a living. What made this city so different from mine? What made its people do such awful things to one another? I’d been stupid to think Vegas would solve my problems. My problems had tripled since I’d moved here.

“Are you going to hurt me?”

He growled.

“Right. Not this week, then. I’ll pencil it on my calendar.”

“You have no idea what you got yourself into.” He rubbed a hand through his dark hair. “Do you even have the money?”

“Why? Are you going to lend it to me if I don’t?”

He let out a burst of laughter and then stifled it with pursed lips. He looked me up and down. “Never mind. You’ll probably borrow it from Daddy.”

I scowled. “You don’t know anything about me.” Truth was, my first thought had been asking Dad for help, not that my parents had thousands of dollars lying around. But there was no point anyway because no preacher, let alone my own father, would ever agree to pay off a loan shark.

“You think I don’t know the pampered princess type?” Jay fingered the sleeve of my dress and I yanked my arm away. “Never had to work a day in your life, never struggled for anything. Never lost anyone. Never had a problem aside from what to wear to prom or what purse matches your shoes.”

I gripped my purse strap. He looked down at my shoes and smirked. My purse and shoes were both red.

“I know your type. You have no idea what the real world is like because you’ve lived in a bubble your whole life. Then you come here thinking the world owes you something, or that you just have to snap your fingers to get what you want. And it doesn’t happen, but you still cling to that bubble as if it’ll protect you. It won’t. It’ll just pop.”

I could feel my cheeks burning. Angry tears stung my eyes. He’d hit on so many truths that the things he’d gotten wrong didn’t even matter. Something like regret flashed over his face and he took a step back but I closed the distance. He wouldn’t get away so easily.

“I know your type, too. Mean. Angry. Power hungry. You think because you never hear the word no that you’re strong. You think you matter because you can force people to do things. You probably plan on taking over for your boss one day, ruling this crappy city from whatever rock you live under. Is that why you teach at the gym? Building yourself a little army? Well, guess what? I’m not intimidated.”

He grabbed my arms with both hands. His eyes flashed. “You don’t know anything.”

“Let. Go. Of. Me.”

Jay’s hands jumped from my arms as if I burned him, but it was my skin on fire where his touch had been.

“Find a way to come up with that money,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Or else, right?”

“Please find a way, Maggie. I don’t want there to be an ‘or else.’”

Despite his pleading tone, I didn’t believe him. I twisted around him and walked away.