After a couple of minutes thumping on that damn black door, I give up and rush back into the club.

I’ve got to find help.

I don’t know what the hell those guys were doing with her uncle, but it didn’t look good…and Max ran straight into the thick of it.

My heart’s thundering as I muscle my way through the crowd, looking for help. The place is jam-packed and it’s hard to see through the strobe lights. The next band is up and their set is loud and intense. I’d usually love it.

Right now it’s only intensifying my panicked confusion.

“Hey, gorgeous.” Some girl trails her hand down my arm.

I shake her off me and push through the crowd until I reach the door.

Two bouncers are standing guard at the entrance. I race over and start yelling at them, “I need your help! My girlfriend’s in trouble.”

They glance at each other and the taller of the two turns to face me. “Where is she?”

“Out back.” I point behind me. “She went through this black door and—”

“Can’t help you.” He cuts me off.

The guy goes to turn away but I grab his arm to stop him.

He glares down at me and I feel smaller than I ever have in my life.

My nostrils flare as I resist the urge to take a step back.

“Aren’t you supposed to be security?”

Flicking my hand off his arm, he bends down and gets in my face. “Not behind that black door. That’s Mr. Santiago’s domain, and no one goes in there.”

“Well, my girlfriend just did.”

The guy’s barely there eyebrows slowly rise as he snickers and shakes his head. “I’m sorry, man. But I really can’t help you.”

“Useless,” I mutter darkly as he turns away from me.

I could spend the next ten minutes standing here arguing, but I can already tell it’ll be a waste of time.

With an irate huff, I head into the center of the chaos. I’ll find Dad and see if he can do anything.

My nerves are frayed, my irritation only mounting as I struggle through the gyrating bodies. I see Austin up ahead. He’s having a laugh with my mom as she whoops and dances to the music.

I strain against the pull of the crowd and spot Luisa to my left.

My breath hitches and I veer towards her.

“Luisa! Luisa!” I holler until she looks my way.

I raise my arm and surge towards her, the crowd propelling me forward.

“Are you okay?” She laughs as I come to an undignified stop in front of her.

“It’s my girlfriend. She’s chased after her uncle. He was taken out back by these guys and…” The more I keep talking, the more Luisa’s friendly smile drops away and is replaced with a frown of guilty concern.

I grab her shoulders and force her to look me in the eye. “You gotta help me.”

“I’m sorry, Cairo, but I cannot get involved with my brother’s affairs.”

A lick of fear flashes across her face, dousing my anxiety.

“What is your brother into? Is he going to hurt her?” My voice rises.

Luisa looks to the ground. “She shouldn’t have gone back there.”

“Take me in there right now!”

A tendon in her neck strains tight before she looks up with a tense smile. “I can’t do that, but I will find my husband and see if he can go and get her for us.”

“And her uncle.” I nod emphatically, but she kills my power with a pained frown.

“I cannot help her uncle right now, but I’ll do what I can for the girl.”

She walks off as I rake my fingers through my hair and struggle to inhale a full breath.

This cannot be happening.

Swallowing past the boulder in my throat is impossible, as is waiting around to see if Luisa is successful or not.

With a string of muttered expletives, I push through the crowd again, heading backstage to wait by the black door.

As soon as there’s enough room to move properly, I wrench out my phone and go to dial the police. I don’t know what the hell is going on back there, but a little backup’s not going to do any harm.

Punching in 9-1-1, I glance over my shoulder and freeze.

Thundering through the club is the first and last person I want to see.

Chief Barlow.

He’s accompanied by one of the bouncers and he looks ready to kill something.

I step towards him and catch his eye.

He glares at me, his eyes skimming me from head to toe before some kind of realization dawns.

Stepping right up to my face, he stabs a finger into my shoulder and growls, “Are you him? Are you the guy that’s dragged my daughter into this?”

“Uh, no, sir…” I wince. “I mean, yes. She’s here because of me, but she’s back there because of your brother.”

Okay, that was absolutely the wrong thing to say.

The guy’s icy glare turns glacial and as much as I hate myself for it, I shrink away before finding the courage to stand tall again.

His jaw juts out as he fights whatever rage is surging through him.

“I know where she is. I’m coming with you.”

“No,” he barks. “You are staying right here, and I will deal with you later.”

He shunts me away but I follow after him, still hoping to argue my case. When we reach backstage and that freaking black door, the bouncer spins to stop me.

“You can’t go back there.”

“I’m going with him.”

“No you’re not, kid.” Fisting my shirt, he drags me back to the main club while Max’s father disappears.

“No! Hey! Wait!”

But the bouncer just keeps pulling me away.

My fight has to be verbal—there’s no point trying to take him on physically since he’s twice my size. But my words go unheeded and I’m soon shoved back into the main area.

“You stay in here or I’m kicking you out,” he warns before brushing past me and speaking into his radio.

I spot another security guy near the backstage entrance perk up and look my way.

Shit. So now I just have to wait.

Slumping back against the table, my jelly legs finally give out.

Nausea spikes through me as I picture Chief Barlow and wonder what he’s going to find on the other side of that black door.