My stomach growled as I peeked through the bakery window on Prescott. The bakers were in the back, getting ready for the morning rush, so no one was there to shoo my dirty, messy self away. I wondered absently what I could do to earn enough for a croissant or a muffin. What I wouldn't give for a warm, fresh, blueberry muffin right then. Sighing, I turned and headed for the other end of town. It was rougher, but I could occasionally scare up the buck fifty it took to buy a cup of coffee and a two-day-old doughnut from the corner diner.

Morning was taking forever to break and still it would be another two hours before the sunlight made its way down through the city skyline. It had been the coldest night I could remember on the streets and I had spent more time shivering than sleeping as I huddled behind a Dumpster in an alley. I had used the clothes I was able to steal from a street shop to form a makeshift lean-to, which had always worked before but this night it had done nothing to stop the constant flow of icy wind over my malnourished body. Before the sun had even broke through the city's buildings, I gave in, packed up my things, and started my day of foraging.

I had been on the streets for nearly a full year. It was all I could remember. My past went back exactly to the moment I woke up one night behind another Dumpster on the other end of town. I had been naked, alone, and afraid and was convinced that first night that I was going to die. Actually, it almost came down to that when a couple drunk guys found me in that state. We all discovered something new about me that night.

I was a fighter.

It took all of two minutes to take them both out. And by "take them out", I mean I killed them. It was natural in a terrifying way, but it had earned me some clothes, the backpack I still carried, and enough cash to get me through that first week. I felt bad about killing them until I overheard a news story about them being wanted in connection with some other rapes around town. After that, I decided I'd inadvertently granted some women justice and peace of mind.

The streets were just starting to fill with cars and pedestrians off to start their days at jobs and school. I didn't have enough money to make it off the ground level, so I was forced to stay on the crime-riddled streets fighting for every breath I took.

Oh, how I had tried to find a job in those first months, but nobody was going to hire a girl without a name or a barcode, no matter how pretty she was. I'd picked the name Morgan after seeing it in a financial advertisement and Smith because it was the most common, and invisible, last name possible for a white girl. But a made-up name wasn't enough to land me a job that didn't require me to be on my back. I'd tried stripping, but it turned out that I didn't like being touched by men and being a bitchy fighter was apparently "bad for business". Which also meant hooking was not an option.

The sun was up in earnest by then and reflecting brilliantly off the TechGlass windows of the high rises around me. I watched as, level by level, the solar-activated holographic adverts shut off. I hadn't come into any money yet so I climbed up the fire escape of the old tuna packing warehouse and watched the sun burn off the last of the morning haze. If I sat up there long enough, maybe it would warm my fingers and toes enough that I could feel them again.

Movement below caught my attention. I was sitting on the edge of the roof with my legs drawn up to my chest. It was a low building among giants, and I didn't want to be seen, so I slid back and moved onto my stomach so I could see over the edge while keeping a low profile.

I suddenly thought my luck for the day had shifted. A black SUV had pulled up to the side of the abandoned warehouse and a man got out. Not just any man, though. I had seen this guy at this location many times. He was tall and slim, but the way his clothes hung on him suggested strength and muscles. His pale, shaggy hair fell in his eyes, though sometimes he wore a wide band to hold it back. That day he was in full black. I liked the days he wore black.

There was a dangerous, chaotic quality about the man that piqued my curiosity. He rarely smiled, that I saw, but when he did... holy fuck. It took over his whole face, showing off his perfect teeth and reaching all the way into his eyes. I didn't see smiles much on the streets, so I had come to live for that one. Sometimes I would climb down and sneak around the corner just to look at him.

The thing that was so fortuitous on that day, though, was that he had driven the SUV. I had been watching the man come and go for weeks and on the days he drove the SUV, he would go inside the warehouse for a few hours and leave in another car. I had no idea what he was doing inside, but he would leave the SUV for a couple days before coming back. No one ever bothered to mess with it, but I had watched him enough that I was sure I could find a way inside. If I could find a way inside, maybe I could find some cash for food. If nothing else, it would be a warm place to hide out for a day or two.

As soon as the beautiful man was inside the building, I made my way down the rusty stairs. He had parked in the shadow of the next building over, and it was almost ten degrees cooler in the shade. My fingers and toes ached. I stuck close to the far building, staying low to the ground, and popped up on the driver's side. I didn't see anyone around so I tried my luck. I pulled out some tools the previous owners of the backpack had so graciously donated to my cause and set to work.

Click. I had to work to suppress my squeal of delight. Sliding onto the leather seats, I felt a twinge of guilt for getting the car dirty. The car was so clean! There wasn't anything as big as a gum wrapper in that car, much less any change.

Oh well. At least I can get some rest.

I was just about to crawl in the back and take a nap when the door flew open and two strong hands gripped me tight around the arm. The handsome man pulled me out of the SUV and slammed me against the side of it so hard it rocked on its wheels. He pressed himself against me, pinning me in place. My heart was a rocket about to blast off into the morning sky.

"You trying to steal my car," he demanded with a voice so deep, it vibrated in my bones. His face was barely an inch from mine, his eyes moving over me. He flicked his tongue over his bottom lip like he was considering biting me.

I turned my face to the side, suddenly scared of him. Nothing had given me the indication that he would be violent. I'd heard some sounds from the warehouse before that suggested something bad was going on in there, but I guess part of me didn't want to believe that someone so beautiful could be capable of that. "N-No! I was just-"

"Don't fucking lie to me!" He shook me, slamming my head against the window again.

"I'm not lying! I was just looking for a place to sleep."

He smirked, his mouth hanging open just slightly like a predator about to strike. "You couldn't find a box to sleep in like everyone else out here?"

"I-I was cold."

"Aww...little lamb was cold, huh?" His fingers were digging into my arms, his body pressing tighter against mine. I could barely breathe between the weight of him against me and my fear. I was scrappy, but I wasn't stupid. He had height and weight on me. He was as solid and immovable as stone.

"Well, I could just take you home with me. Give you a warm place to sleep." He nuzzled against my neck, rooting his nose through my hair like a cat. I tried to push him away, terrified of his erratic behavior, but he was too strong.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and jerked to the side, making me cry out. "Nobody fucks with my stuff without paying for it." He looked over me again, his black eyes alight with something disturbingly close to glee. "So how are you going to?"

All those weeks watching him, I had wondered what it would be like for him to take me to his bed, but in that moment, the only thing I could think about was getting away. It was easy to find the bad boy hot until he had you in his sights. I knew I couldn't win in a straight fight, but I had another ace up my sleeve. It wasn't much, but it might work.

My hands were already on his chest, trying to keep him back, so I just focused on the points of contact, allowing a little 'pop' of energy to pass through to him. He stumbled back, looking down at his chest where I'd hit him. My powers were still new and it was all I could do. It usually worked, though. While he was stunned, I took my chance and ran to my left, but the man was fast. Too fast. He reached out and grabbed my wrist, jerking me back and slamming me against his car again. He pulled out his knife and held it to my throat.

"Don't even think about moving or I'll slice you." He pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hyung? I have something down at the warehouse you're going to want to see."

Within five minutes two sleek, black vehicles pulled up. I groaned. I'd seen these guys before, too, just not as often. They had brought everyone. The man gave his crew a wide, boxy grin, showing all of his teeth. It was both unnervingly attractive and terrifying.

The first guy stepped out of the lead car and straightened his suit jacket. His blond hair was shaved on the side and the longer part on top was styled backward. His eyes were hard and calculating. He looked like the wealthy CEO of a multinational company, not someone who would be slumming it down in the warehouse district. Several other men filed around, but my eyes were on the first. I hadn't seen him so close before.

He looked me over, taking in my dirty clothes and knotted hair. "Catching pets on the street now, Taehyung? Surely you aren't that bored."

Taehyung. So that was his name.

Taehyung gave me that predatory lip-lick again as he stepped away from me slightly. "Something like that. Caught her trying to steal my car, hyung."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"She's a kinetic."

The well-dressed man's eyes widened as his mouth parted, rounded by full, puffy lips. Lips that full on anyone else would be painfully seductive. Okay, who was I kidding? He was gorgeous. Scary, but hot as sin.

"Oh, well that is interesting." Moving only his eyes, he looked me up and down. "You're not what I would expect."

"Sorry to disappoint," I said sarcastically. My odds weren't good, especially since they were all obviously armed. Especially with the way the black-headed guy on the other side of the boss was looking at me. He was wearing all black like Taehyung and his arms were covered in tattoos that crept out from under his shirt collar and up the side of his neck. He looked at me from the tops of his eyes like he was daring me to run. His sharp jaw set in anticipation.

The boss smirked, revealing dimples that made him look younger and much more intimidating at the same time. "What level are you?"

I couldn't hide my confusion. Everything I knew about kinetics came from overheard conversations and news stories in diners I couldn't afford. "Level?"

He narrowed his eyes, "Yes. Level. Don't play coy with me, kitten. I don't have time to mess around with some child."

Child? Excuse the fuck outta me? My eyes flashed hot as I pushed off the car. I stepped right up in the boss' face and put my hand on his stomach, ignoring the hard edges of his muscles. He didn't even flinch.

"I am not a child."

Apparently, I am a hot head, though.

What I'd released on Taehyung was just enough to get him off me, but this guy had pissed me off with that child comment. I shot him with enough energy to fling him back ten feet, dropping him on his ass. Taehyung and the tattooed guy had their guns drawn and pointed at my head before he even touched the ground. My anger fell away instantly.

"Namjoon-hyung, you okay," the tattooed guy asked cautiously over his shoulder without taking his eyes off me. A couple of the other guys moved to help, but Namjoon (so that was his name) waved them off, laughing. A tall guy with shoulders broad enough to land an airplane on glared at me dangerously. Instead of coming after me, though, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the bigger vehicle.

Namjoon stood, laughing and dusting himself off. "Nice!" He patted Tattoos on the shoulder. "Stand down Jungkook, it's okay. Put your gun away, Tae. We aren't going to need that today."

I breathed a sigh of relief as both guns lowered. Namjoon stepped closer, biting his lip as he looked down his nose at me.

"So I take it from the state you're in that you live out here on the streets."

I nodded and looked around at the other guys. There were seven of them in all. My powers were getting stronger by the day, but my understanding of how to use them was tenuous at best. There was no way I could take on all seven at once. Even with my hand-to-hand skills.

"Then how about I propose a business opportunity?" My eyes fluttered up to Namjoon's. Surely I hadn't heard that right.

"Uh...excuse me?"

His smile widened. "You come live with us and in exchange for food and shelter, you work with our company."

Their company? What kind of company? What would I have to do? I had no friends, no family, no ID. No memories. They were all strong enough to hurt me if it came to that, but the biggest threat to my life was the cold and lack of food. They were fine as hell and obviously had money to spare. Surely they couldn't ask me to do anything worse than I'd already had to do, could they?

I looked back into Namjoon's deep brown eyes. The dimples were there again as he smiled, trying to make himself look less dangerous than I now knew him to be. I nodded my agreement. Anything had to be better than starving or freezing to death on the street like a discarded dog.

He grabbed me by the shoulders. "Excellent! Taehyung will bring you to your new home." He looked pointedly at Tae who looked back at me like he was about to eat me. And not in the good way. As he pushed me into the back of his SUV, I wondered if I was helping myself or making my life worse.