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Chapter 1
Luke
“Whatthefuckwereyou thinking? Family doesn’t take out family without a direct order from me.” Jamie Bowden bellows.
I’ve been back in New York for half an hour, and I’m being dressed down in the back of my father’s limo. Even after all these years, the old man still looks out of place in a limo. Is it wrong that I would much rather be driving the car than riding in the luxurious backseat? I feel that way about all limos, but especially this one.
My father is understandably angry. I shot my cousin Donovan in the head for betraying me. He helped my father in a way that caused problems for my chosen family.
My brothers in Vegas mean more to me than my blood family ever will. But the Bowden’s are powerful, and whether I like it or not, they’ve let me live the life I want in Vegas. I know damn good and well if they really wanted me home working in the family business, they would make things much harder for me. Which is why I’m in New York. I’ll let my father yell at me. He might even pull a gun and threaten to kill me. He won’t pull the trigger, but I’ll pretend I’m worried. And then when everyone has had their chance to yell and threaten me, I’ll go back to Vegas and pick up where I left off.
“You’re lucky I don’t hand you over to the council. Shane is pissed and wants you to pay. Give me one good reason I shouldn’t give him what he wants.”
Shane is my uncle, Donovan’s father. My reasons will all sound trite to him. I took his youngest son. That makes me a bastard. But I’ve never claimed to be anything else.
“How about the quarter of a billion in illegal gambling money you’ve laundered through me in the last year? I’m sure that’s earned me a little leeway to do as I please. Donovan worked for me. And he betrayed me. You don’t survive betraying a Bowden. Aren’t you the one who taught me that?”
If there’s one language my father understands, it’s a large sum of money. He may not have a lot of class, but he’s got enough money to do as he pleases and not give a damn what others say about him. I have no doubt my contribution to the family—unconventional as it may be—will buy me out of the mess I currently find myself in. But not without him making me sweat about it first.
The limo pulls into a hotel parking lot, but my father doesn’t get out. “We’re picking someone up and going to the grand opening for the new nightclub,” he says at my questioning look. Looks like the old man is bored again. And whenever that happens, he starts a new venture. Usually, that looks like moving in on someone else’s territory and pissing someone off. But that’s not my problem. At least that’s what I tell myself. There have been no whisperings of rival organizations being angry with us and hopefully I’ll be long gone before anything of the sort happens.
The door opens, and a familiar face pops in. It’s my cousin, Oliver, Donovan’s brother.
“You’re lucky I have a lady friend with me, Luke, or you might find your brains splattered on that seat.”
I say nothing, knowing my father would never allow Oliver to kill me. He might let him take a swing at me, though, so I plan to keep my eye on him all night. My cousin climbs in and a long tan leg slides in after him, followed by the rest of the striking woman it’s attached to.
Oliver pulls her into his lap, and she smiles adoringly at him.
“Who’s this beautiful young lass?” my father asks, turning on the Irish charm.
She holds her hand out for him to shake. “I’m Zara, it’s nice to meet you Mr. Bowden.”
“Lovely name.”
I lean back and watch. She’s polished, definitely upper class. Her dress is custom and expensive and the diamonds dangling from her ears are real. But there’s something about her I can’t quite put my finger on. She doesn’t fit with Oliver. Maybe it’s their first date, and she’s not comfortable around him yet.
But that’s just it. She’s not the kind of woman my cousin usually brings home. He’s rough around the edges like most of my family, and he usually picks up women at the strip club. This woman is not a stripper.
She looks at me but doesn’t smile. I’m assuming based on Oliver’s greeting, she knows what I’ve done and isn’t too happy about it. But she must realize who the Bowden’s are. Everyone in New York with any kind of money knows who we are. They don’t all like us, but they know who we are.
“I’m Luke,” I say, offering my hand. She stares at it a moment before she finally leans over to extend hers. When our skin connects, something jolts through both of us. Like static electricity, but stronger. She jerks her hand away and stares at it. Then, as if remembering who she’s here with, she turns to face my cousin and cups his face.
“Oliver was so kind to invite me to the grand opening. I’m looking forward to tonight.”
A night out is not what I was expecting when I got off the plane. But it’s better than being locked in my father’s office while the council yells at me and tries to talk him into punishing me.
“Do you know who the Bowden’s are, Zara?” I ask.
“Only what I’ve read in the news.”
That’s a lie, but I don’t call her on it.
“And how’d a pretty thing like you end up on a date with the likes of one of us?”
She shrugs and gives me a wink. “People meet in all kinds of interesting ways, Luke.”
I like the sound of my name on her lips. A lot. If I were here under any other circumstance, I would make it my mission to steal her from my punk of a cousin. And Oliver is definitely a punk. He’ll wind up dead or in prison before he ever has the chance to take over from his father.
