Red light bled across the alley like a warning that no one obeyed.

Alyssa stepped out of the car without hesitation, the bass from underground vibrating through the soles of her boots. The entrance to the club was nothing more than a steel door smeared with graffiti, guarded by a man who didn’t ask for names—only intent. He looked her over once, then stepped aside.

Inside, the air was thick with smoke, heat, and secrets.

The club pulsed like a living organism. Red neon cut through darkness, strobes flashing over bodies pressed too close together. Music thudded hard and low, designed to drown out conversations that shouldn’t exist. This was...