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“It’s fine. I came to terms with that years ago. Anyway, her reputation was destroyed and my grandfather was angry. He never believed in abortion and was a very honorable man himself, so he arranged a marriage with my father, who was only too glad to help out because it was his golden ticket to a future he would never possibly achieve without my grandfather’s help. He married mom and secured an executive position in the family business as payback. Mom was made to live with her mistake for the rest of her life and to say she was bitter was an understatement.”
“So, she took it out on you.”
He takes a swig of brandy and nods. “She never let me forget it either, telling me countless times that she couldn’t stand the sight of me because I reminded her of him. The man who deserted her when she needed him the most. She called him a vile man, a coward and a man with zero principles.”
“Did you ever meet him?”
I hang onto his every word because I can’t believe how painful this story is. “No, he moved overseas and not long after was killed in a horrific car accident. He died at the scene, so that, as my mother called it, was Karma.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“You’ve met her, she is.”
He sighs heavily. “So, as it turned out, my grandfather received a letter one day from my real father’s family. They wanted to meet me, to be involved in my life because I was part of them.”
“What happened?” I think I hold my breath as Hunter says blankly, “Request denied. They were told they had abandoned me once and now, when it suits them, they wanted to reverse that decision. I was not part of their family and never would be. They denied me that right because my mom took great pleasure in telling me that little story on the day of my grandmother’s funeral. She was the last of the family and I never got to meet them. Mom took away a part of me out of revenge and I will never forgive her for that.”
I lay my head on his shoulder and feel my heart breaking in two. Poor Hunter, he has battled all his life to belong and if anyone knows what that feels like, it’s me.
He says with a hint of pride, “They never forgot me, though. When I turned 21, I learned I had inherited the whole empire. Investment banking would you believe.”
“You don’t say.”
He laughs as I shake my head and then says with a more serious tone to his voice, “I must have inherited my grandfather’s business sense, because I soon discovered I was good at it. I quickly left our own family business where I was working as an intern and started there instead.”
“That must have hurt your parents.”
“It caused many arguments, but they couldn’t stop me. I worked my way to the top of my grandfather’s company and when I reached it, I found a different kind of destiny waiting.”
“Go on.”
I think I hold my breath as he opens his soul to me and he reaches inside his pocket and pulls out a gold coin from his wallet and hands it to me. As I turn the coin in the palm of my hand, I see a bespoke coin with the wording, Five Kings, engraved in the center. A crown is etched on the reverse and I say with a whisper, “What is this?”
“The reason you’re here, Lexi. The reason this is so serious and the reason the markets are shaking. There are only five of these coins in existence and I received mine from a man who needs no introduction.”
“Who?”
“Ryder.”
“My Ryder–Ryder King.”
I expect my eyes are wide in disbelief as he nods. “Ryder has one himself, and we belong to the same organization. Five men who settle the foundations of democracy when politicians come and go. These coins cannot be bought, only inherited, and only when the recipient proves their worth. Ryder informed me of my obligation and I joined an elite club that has no consequences.”
It’s such a lot to take in and he has confused the hell out of me and yet as I stare down at the coin in my hand, things start to make a lot more sense. The Reapers, the way we clean up shit with no questions asked. The money we earn that has no limits. The fact we get away with murder—literally. The laws don’t apply to us and now I know why. Honor is our code and protection our motto. We enforce what’s right when others get it wrong.
“So, your job is to…” I falter and he says firmly, “To keep the economy afloat. To make sure nobody corrupts the system and keep our country free.”
I stare at him in awe, as he lightly strokes my face. “Maybe now you can see how important this is because it appears that somebody is out to bring the organization down. First Ryder, then Lucas. I could be next and what we want to know is, who? It’s possible I will be a target, removed from life and…”
He breaks off and I see I have lost him. As he jumps up, he says quickly, “Hold that position, I’ll be right back.”
