1
KEIRA
I'm sitting at the long mahogany table in the private study of the Killaney estate, flanked by my twin brother, Declan, to my right and Callum, the eldest, Don-in-waiting, to my left. A laptop sits in front of us, open to a secure video feed. On screen are Enzo Bonventi and Ares Kastaris.
The Bonventi and Kastaris families run Chicago. Enzo I've met a few times in my life; Ares and his siblings are like extended family, especially his sister, Calli. She's my rock.
"You're telling me you're being hunted by a fucking bird cult," Ares says with a slight smile. "It sounds too mythological if you ask me. Being Greeks, we're the ones that normally deal with shit like this."
"Yeah, well," Callum says and sighs, "the Irish has them too, and it seems someone's decided to make it a reality."
He pulls a feather out of his pocket and holds it up for them to see. "Another one this morning. This one nailed to the door of our warehouse."
Enzo leans back in his chair, arms crossed, face tight.
My stomach clenches at the sight of the feather. The black feathers only started recently, but it feels like it's been years.
Declan’s fighters, our drivers, ships, and warehouses. They’re everywhere. Even on that son of a bitch who tried to kill my twin.
And they haven't stopped. They're escalating, which is why Callum decided to loop in Ares and Enzo. I'm thankful for it. Every time I see a feather on the ground, it's like a fucking omen or prophecy and freaks me out.
"Are they called The Morrígans? Like a goddess of war?" Enzo asks.
"Yes," Callum says. "Apparently made of people whose lives we've ruined or family of men we've killed."
"What a fucking vendetta, to round up people like that. And you have no idea why?" Enzo asks.
"No, not yet. Like I mentioned, we think they're tied to a larger organization, Shadowharbor. We're going to be looking into it. Keira especially," Callum stops and nods to me. "It's all hands on deck here as we try to resolve this."
"On that note," Ares says and leans forward in his chair toward the camera, "Calli would kill me if I didn't bring this up. With everything escalating, maybe Keira needs some extra protection."
That gets me to sit up straight.
"Excuse me?"
"I agree," Callum says, looking at the screen, his voice calm. "It's something Declan and I were discussing."
My eyes narrow. "Umm, hello. I'm sitting right here, Callum."
He ignores me and keeps his gaze on the screen. "We thought someone with no ties to Boston, no loyalties that can be bought or leveraged. Someone who can't be compromised. We worry this order may have a mole somewhere in our organization. Hence this call."
I lean forward. "Ares, thank you, but I'm okay. I have Callum and Declan here."
"This isn't about if you can or can't handle yourself," Callum’s voice doesn't rise, but it fills the room anyway. "This is about people who've been planning this for years, who've already proven they can get close enough to leave warnings on our property. Drive a knife through Declan. If you want to help, then you need someone watching your back."
"Again, I've got you two."
"We're spread too thin." Callum says, and there's something in his eyes. Fear, maybe, or guilt. "We can't be everywhere at once. And I'm not losing you because you're too stubborn to accept help."
The heat rises in my chest, crawling up my throat. I brush my red hair out of my face. I hate that they are talking about me like I'm a liability. Like I'm some porcelain doll that needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap and locked away.
Before I can respond, Enzo clears his throat. "I have someone in mind," he says.
Oh, here we go.
"As you mentioned, he's not tied to Boston. No baggage, no entanglements. Former special forces. Romanian."
"That supposed to impress me?" I ask, arching a brow.
