Galen (Savage Arrows #3)

Chapter One

Tangled vines clung to twisted trees of the overgrown garden of the Arrow estate, and shadows danced along the uneven cobblestone path.

The garden had always had an eerie ambiance, but to Galen, it was a sanctuary. A place where everything was muffled, including the screams and desperate pleas coming from the big house.

He never told anyone how much he liked it here, not even his brothers. The garden’s haunted feel didn’t bother him—it suited him. It felt like the one place that understood him, even if it was nothing more than a twisted mass of neglected greenery. Devlin had taken him aside after their usual Friday dinner, and now Galen understood why the women hadn’t been invited tonight.

The three of them stood in the garden, the night ’ s chill seeping into their bones as they spoke. Galen took a swig of his beer, the cold liquid sliding down his throat as he tried to ignore the growing tension in his chest.

“Do you know why I ’ m entrusting this difficult job to you, brother? ” Devlin ’ s voice cut through the silence, sharp and precise.

Galen finished his beer and handed the empty can to Carver, who wordlessly passed him another.

It was almost like old times—just the three of them against the monster who had raised them. But Galen knew that was just nostalgia, a bitter remnant of the past that refused to let go.

“I don’t consider this job difficult at all,” Galen replied, cracking open the new can and taking a long sip.

Carver, always the quiet one, watched the two of them for a moment.

“ I can do this job as well, ” Carver volunteered.

Galen chuckled. “ No offense, baby brother. You ’ re good with knives and taking answers, but leave this to me, ” he said.

He knew exactly why Devlin had assigned this task to him. It wasn’t just about getting the job done. It was a test, a way to gauge whether Galen was still the man he claimed to be.

Did Devlin think he was wavering? Was his brother expecting him to falter, to hesitate when it came time to pull the trigger? The very thought sent a surge of anger coiling inside his gut. Hadn’t he proven himself time and time again? He’d bled for this family, stood by his brothers through every trial, every battle.

He’d taken on the dirtiest jobs without complaint, making sure their enemies knew the Arrows were not to be trifled with. Yet here he was, being tested as if his loyalty was still in question. It was infuriating, insulting even. How many more times would he have to prove his worth, to show he was just as committed to the organization, to their legacy, as Devlin and Carver?

The anger simmered just beneath the surface. He would show Devlin, show them all, that he was still the same man who had carved a path for their family through blood and fire.

There would be no excuses, no hesitation. The traitor would pay for his betrayal, and Galen would be the one to deliver the judgment.

Devlin nodded, his expression unreadable in the dim light. “Then there’s nothing more to discuss,” Devlin said, sounding satisfied.

Galen was about to turn away, assuming their conversation was over, but Devlin wasn’t finished. Devlin’s next words struck like a blade.

“ You never got back to me regarding the marriage arrangement between you and Gustav Romanov’s youngest daughter, ” Devlin said, his tone measured, but with an undercurrent of insistence Galen knew all too well.

Galen couldn’t suppress the groan that escaped him, a deep, frustrated sound that echoed his thoughts. The last thing he wanted to discuss was marriage, especially to someone he had never met, someone whose only significance was tied to the strategic advantages she could offer the family.

He was in no mood for this kind of talk, not now, not ever. This was Devlin’s way—always planning, always thinking about the future, about alliances, power, and the Family’s position. But to Galen, the idea of being tied down, of sacrificing his freedom for the sake of an alliance, was suffocating. The mere thought of it made his skin crawl.

It wasn’t just the timing that grated on him, though that certainly didn’t help. It was the very notion of being pushed into something so personal, so life-altering, for the sake of business. He had spent his life proving himself, carving out his place in the family through his actions, his loyalty, his skill with a gun—not through some arranged marriage that felt more like a prison sentence than a partnership.

“ Devlin, ” Galen began, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. “ I’ve told you before—I’m not interested. ”

But as he spoke, he knew his brother wouldn’t let this go easily. Devlin was persistent, relentless when he thought something was for the good of the family. Galen could see it in his eyes—the calculation, the expectation that Galen would eventually fall in line, that he would do what was expected of him.

But that wasn’t who Galen was. He wasn’t the brother who followed orders without question, who sacrificed his own desires for the sake of the greater good. He was the one who forged his own path, who did what needed to be done on his own terms.

And no matter how many times Devlin brought up this marriage arrangement, no matter how beneficial it might seem, Galen knew one thing for certain: he wasn’t about to let anyone else dictate his life, not even his own brother.

“ No, you declined the match with Natalia Petrovic, ” Devlin corrected him. “ Both are good matches. ”

“ I ’ m not interested in finding a wife at the moment. How many times do I have to tell you this, Dev? ” Galen snapped, his patience thinning.

“ You have an obligation to the family, ” Devlin reminded him.

Galen clenched his jaw, feeling the anger simmer just beneath his skin. It would look bad if he punched the head of the Family in the face.

“You don’t need to remind me. Both of you made love matches, leaving me to make one that’s beneficial to us. Don’t you find that unfair?” Galen demanded.

Devlin ignored his protest. “I’ll tell Gustav we can arrange a meeting next Monday,” Devlin said.

Galen ’ s teeth ground together, the urge to lash out nearly overwhelming. But then Krista ’ s voice called out from the house.

“ The missus is calling, ” Devlin said with a smirk, sharing a knowing grin with Carver.

They turned to head back to the house, leaving Galen feeling excluded. As Devlin turned his back, Galen fought the urge to catch him unaware, to remind him he was still a force to be reckoned with. But he didn’t. Galen counted silently to ten in his head until his frustration returned to manageable levels.

“He just wants you to be as happy as he is,” Carver said softly, lingering behind.

“ And hopefully get an alliance with another family along the way? ” Galen asked dryly.

“If you found a woman you genuinely care for, then I think his mind could be swayed,” Carver added, but Galen didn’t believe him for one second. “Happy hunting.”

Galen didn’t reply. The unsavory task Devlin had set for him suddenly seemed like a welcome distraction, something to keep his mind off this nonsense about marriage.

He drained his beer and crushed the can in his hand, tossing in the nearby trash can before exiting the house. Galen wouldn’t think about wives, matches, or alliances. Not tonight.

****

Galen parked his car in the narrow back street behind Mario Bruno’s house, the engine cutting off with a quiet finality. He didn’t get out immediately. Instead, he reached into his shoulder holster and pulled out his favorite gun, the weight of it familiar in his hand. It was the same gun Mario had given him when he was eighteen—stupid, reckless, and eager to prove himself. Back then, the gun had felt like a symbol of his future, a path he’d have to carve out on his own with his brothers by his side.

No one had been there to guide them after their father’s demise, except for a few old allies. Mario had been one of them, one of their father’s oldest friends, an ally to the Family even before Galen and his brothers were born.

“ So why betray us now? ” Galen whispered, his thumb tracing the muzzle of the custom-made weapon.

He hadn’t bothered turning on the car’s interior lights, the dark suited him just fine. He thrived in it, relied on it to make his work easier. The shadows were his friends.

He shut his eyes, and unbidden memories flooded in—Mario taking him to the gun range for the first time, Mario helping him choose his first car, the old man ’ s gruff laugh whenever Galen made a rookie mistake.

Back at the Arrow estate, he’d pretended the job didn’t bother him. Devlin believed the act, but Carver had seen through it. Thankfully, Carver hadn’t brought it up, just believing Galen would pull through like he always did. An Arrow always did what was necessary, no matter the cost.

A knock on the glass pulled Galen out of his thoughts. He rolled down the window to see Benny, his second-in-command, standing there. Benny was a sharp guy, and Galen had brought him along just in case he couldn’t pull the trigger himself, although Benny didn’t know that.

Galen made a show of checking the bullets in his gun before stepping out of the car. The night air was cool, the street eerily quiet.

“ You okay, boss? ” Benny asked, his voice low.

“ Yeah, I think my stomach ’ s a little upset from dinner, ” Galen said, his tone making it clear that Benny should back off.

Benny, always attuned to Galen ’ s moods, nodded without another word.

“ Security? ” Galen asked, scanning the area.

“I’ve sent David ahead. He reported no guards standing by,” Benny said, sounding puzzled.

“ What if no one ’ s in the house? ” Galen murmured, his eyes narrowing as he studied the building. The light in Mario ’ s office was on, casting a dim glow through the curtains.

Another light flickered on in one of the bedrooms. A guest? Mario had lived alone as far as Galen knew. Then again, what did he really know about the man who had claimed to be an ally and friend to the family, only to turn his back on them when a bigger profit came his way? Selling his product to the Costas, Mario should have known better. The Arrow family had a long-standing feud with that clan.

“ He ’ s expecting us, ” Galen said, the certainty in his voice unshakable.

“Let us go ahead first, in case it’s a trap,” Benny suggested.

“ Very well, ” Galen agreed, but deep down, he had a sneaking suspicion that Mario had already accepted his fate.

He was a rat in a trap and knew it. Galen and his brothers had their resources spread wide throughout the city. Hell, this city belonged to them, and everyone knew it.

“Boss, it’s clear,” Benny reported back to him after a few minutes. “The old mafioso’s holed up in his office. He isn’t alone. He has a girl with him.”

“ A girl? ” Galen asked, furrowing his brows.

“A woman,” Benny corrected. “He wouldn’t tell us who she is. Seemed protective of her.”

“I’ll make him talk,” Galen said, his voice cold as he walked up to the garden gate that Benny and the others had already forced open.

It was time to have a chat with his old mentor. The garden, overgrown and wild, was eerily silent as Galen stepped through it. He kept his footsteps quiet, even though Mario was expecting him.

Memories of Mario ’ s betrayal still weighed heavily on his mind. But there was no room for sentimentality now. He had a job to do, and an Arrow never faltered.

As he approached the door, Galen’s grip tightened on his gun. He pushed it open and stepped inside, the darkened hallway welcoming him like an old comrade. It was time to confront the man who had once been his mentor and now was nothing more than a traitor.