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Prologue
Vander
It was raining on the day I fell in love.
Love.
I used to scoff at the notion. I certainly didn’t believe in it. Let alone in the idea of love at first sight.
Until I laid eyes on her.
* * *
Seven Years Ago
I could glance at my watch as I pulled my forearm tighter around the would-be assassin’s neck. I was late.
My mother would be furious that I was missing my brother’s engagement party. She would assume it was because I was mad at Mitchell. That I hated my brother because I kept a distance between us. I did to keep him safe from our uncle. Tonight would be just another log to the fire.
Everyone thought I coveted his position as the head of The Kent Crime Syndicate. When our uncle died, I should have been the natural choice because I was older. His son, Angelo, had also spent his life working towards it. But because of the incident, my uncle no longer saw him as an option.
I couldn’t take the position. It would be like spitting in Angelo’s face. And truthfully, I didn’t want it. For appearances, we made it seem like Mitchell took the position in a show of power. In reality, I abdicated to him. I liked the freedom of being a weapon. I didn’t want to deal with the politics of leading.
Rain pelted my face as we teetered on the edge of the roof. I’d seen the glint of his weapon from my penthouse across the street. I’d crept down the back stairs, crossed the road, and climbed up the ladder to the roof. Then, I’d stealthily walked up behind him as he lay on his stomach, ready to shoot me. He might be good, but I was better.
He threw his elbow back, aiming for my ribs in a failed attempt to break my hold. But it was weak at best. I wished I had more time to play with him, but I had to go. I twisted my body, snapping his neck in one quick movement.
I savored the sound. Taking a deep breath as he fell to the wet concrete. I lived in the chaos of his death for another moment. In the ecstasy of taking another wretched soul.
Not that mine was much better.
Then, I was climbing back down the ladder. Texting our clean-up crew once I’d reached the ground.
Water sloshed in my shoes as I hurried down the street. Luckily, Mitchell’s engagement party was only a few blocks away. I would’ve been on time without my minor interruption. Of course, killing a nameless attacker was more fun than what I had to do now.
I wiped the water from my slightly curly brown hair as I entered the hotel lobby. It was one of a few we owned. The big draw for tourists were the ceilings in the lobby and main hallways.
Gleaming tiles were made in designs featuring gold Greek gods and goddesses. There were even a few cherubs and animals. During the day, it glistened in the sunlight. Tonight, the chandeliers lit the space as I moved towards the ballroom directly ahead.
Male workers scurried out of my way while the women’s eyes lingered. Fucking Mitchell getting married. Now, I never got a break.
Women looked at me and saw the next in line to the throne. They saw money and power. Little did they know what we did to get that power.
We didn’t just own hotels. We sold weapons. Rented women’s time. But our most profitable business was lending money to the supposed rich and taking an enormous interest when they couldn’t pay it back.
Many of them filled the ballroom as I stepped inside. The ornate ceilings continued in here. The wallpaper was gold with red velvet touches. This space had once been a theater and still held the occasional concert.
My family blended into the crowd because we were everything Sayton City was. We pretended to be as bright and clean as the city. In reality, we were part of the criminal underworld that used its ports and proximity to Canada to smuggle our illicit goods. Like the clean sidewalks and tourist posters, we hid our true nature behind the glamour.
To evade the crowd and my mother, I veered right towards the upper level. Fewer people were walking around here. Maybe my mother would think I’d arrived earlier if I just mixed in with the well-dressed groups of party goers.
I grabbed a drink from a passing waiter’s tray. The burn of the alcohol was welcome as I rested my forearms on the railing. I’d much rather be back on that rooftop than in this fancy ballroom.
Men walked around in expensive suits and watches they couldn’t afford. Their arms wrapped around the waists of women who were equally out of their league. It was all a performance, but we had to play along if we wanted to keep our secrets. It left a sour taste in my mouth and was the reason I’d gladly let my brother play the role.
My eyes caught sight of Mitchell as he shook the mayor’s hand. No woman stood by his side, so I couldn’t glimpse my future sister-in-law.
