Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
ORION
With vengeance stirring in my blood, I followed the attractive hostess wearing a fitted black skirt and a cream blouse through the luxurious Wellness Center. She walked up to a set of wooden doors with a metal sign that read Exclusive Members Only and pressed her thumb and index finger to the screen. The screen illuminated, signifying a match, and the doors opened.
“Your first time here?” The brunette raked her gaze down my body and flicked me a seductive look. “I’m Daniella.”
“Yes,” I replied, not in the mood to feed whatever she had on her mind. If it had been a month ago, I’d have taken her up on the offer. She had an attractive face and body. Those were perfect distractions to keep me relaxed.
But not today. Not when I was in search of my mentor’s killer. My mentor, Pablo Toledo, also known as The Condor, had been found dead in a street of Providence. The person who killed him made it seem like a bad robbery gone wrong, but I saw through the lies.
The Condor wasn’t your average man. He was the best thief I’d ever met, my hero. He taught me how to be a man. The Condor redefined thievery to me. He stole from those who had taken from him. I admired his ability to set the moral scale into balance.
Making the killer pay for the crime was my method of righting a wrong.
“Enjoy, Mr. Reimann.” Her voice interrupted my thoughts.
She gestured to the arched hallway that opened to a luxurious club entertaining the wealthy and powerful. “If you need anything, please let me know.” She took out her business card, flipped it over to the back, scribbled her phone number on it, and gave it to me.
“Thank you.” I tucked it into my pants pocket, intending to toss it out later.
I scanned the room surrounded by burgundy walls, gold sconces, crystal chandeliers, velvet lounge chairs, and elegant tables. The gentle music should have soothed me, but nothing could do that. I had to find the killer.
After a month of research, my team informed me a person of interest was in this city. His fingerprint had been found on a piece of paper inside my teacher’s pants pocket. I’d directed my team to run an international scan. They found a match when the club scanned in a new fingerprint as part of their membership signup requirement.
After today, my name and fingerprint would be deleted from their system without a trace.
I looked around the room, searching for a man who went by the name TR. The image I’d received showed a dark-haired man with hollow cheeks.
Men and women in designer clothing eyed me, gauging the size of my bank account, my status in the public arena, and how I could benefit them. This was how most elite clubs operated. Everyone in the club wanted something from somebody. Though the clubs were always full of people and conversation, I often felt alone. Like I didn’t belong anywhere.
In this glamorous arena, it was difficult to know who was friend or foe. To be safe, I viewed everyone as a foe.
As I scoured the area, cold eyes continued to stare at me. I stared back, colder, harder. If I wanted to, I could purchase this damn club—this entire block—and completely demolish it. Then where would these judgmental people go to meet their multiple mistresses? How would they hire an assassin to destroy their enemies or buy drugs to numb their pain? So many illicit transactions occurred in these clubs, but I didn’t have time for that kind of shit.
Especially today.
I had too many things on my plate. I needed to locate TR, then rush to an important meeting that couldn’t be rescheduled.
A sudden surge of panic rose in me, sending heat all over my body. The fear of losing control gripped around my throat, making it hard to breathe.
Fuck.
I slowed my steps, spotted an empty chair, and sat down. I took out my phone, pretending to look at it while I concentrated on my breathing. Then I looked around the room for two red things, two orange things, and then went through the colors of the rainbow. This was a method my mother had taught me.
I thought I had these panic attacks under control, but Pablo’s death had overwhelmed me with grief. The same grief I’d experienced when my mother died.
It had been a month since my teacher’s death, and grief was still a fucking monster devouring me from the inside out.
When the heat subsided, I took another breath, rose from the chair, and continued wandering around. The eyes kept following me, probably speculating about what I was up to.
Let their imagination go wild.
I wasn’t going to leave this room until I got answers. The Condor was more of a father to me than my biological father. He’d given me a thief name, The Roc, a mythological bird more powerful than a condor. I grew into a man because of him. The Condor was only a month from retiring when someone took that from him.
When I got the call about his death, I’d been in Paris preparing to join Arrow Holt in Monaco to take down members of The Trogyn, a dangerous crime organization that spanned multiple continents with elite members ranging from politicians to royalty. Uncle Ray and Aunt Madelyn both died in a car accident in Milan two months before The Condor. My uncle and aunt had their children, my father, me, and countless friends at their funeral. The Condor only had me.
Death had surrounded me the past few months, draining my energy. It needed to get away from me.
A man sat in the far corner of the room wearing a gray suit with his black hair tied back in a leather band. Could he be TR? His back was facing me, so I couldn’t see him.
This man either knew my mentor, was the last person to see him, or knew the killer. Excitement thrummed in me as I walked toward him.
A man with a white beard nodded to a blonde woman standing beside a tall table.
She sashayed over to me. “Can I help you with anything, sir?”
“No. Just browsing.”
Blondie gestured to the bar on the other side of the room. “You must be new here. Do you need me to show you around?”
“I have a friend waiting for me.” I jerked a chin toward the black-haired man.
Nodding, she smiled. “Wonderful. If you need anything, please let me know. My name is Yvonne, and I’m the manager here.”
“Thank you, Yvonne.”
I strode over, pulled out the empty chair, and folded myself into it. The man didn’t have a hollow face like the image I’d seen. He placed his cocktail down and considered me with brown eyes. I had expected him to look surprised and demand to know who I was. Instead, his expression told me otherwise. Who was he? Had I met him before and somehow forgotten?
“It’s about time you showed up,” said the man. “Want anything to drink?”
What the hell?
“No.” I studied him, trying hard to remember if I’d met him somewhere. He had a long scar on the side of his neck and a strong face that could maneuver the dark world. Sharp brown eyes studied me as I studied him. He appeared older than me, but younger than my mentor.
He sat back, looking relaxed. “Ask your questions.”
This turn of events threw me off, but I kept my composure. Remaining calm and cool ensured I had the upper hand. I came here expecting to interrogate a criminal, only to have him take charge of the conversation.
Leaning back in the chair, I asked, “Who are you? How did you know I’d be here?”
“Grief has clouded your judgment. I expected more from The Roc.”
The fuck? No one knew my thief name except my mentor . . .
“What’s your relationship to The Condor?” I asked.
He leaned into the table. “He was my mentor too.”
My mouth dropped. “You’re The Raven?”
The initials TR clicked in my head. The Condor had mentioned his student had retired to settle down with his woman.
He was right. My mind had been muddled and missed this important detail. What else had I missed?
“Nice to meet you, Orion Reimann. Though I’ve retired from that art, I still kept in contact with our teacher. He spoke highly of you. Said you were better at the art form than he was.”
Thievery was a work of art, indeed. It took skill, calculation, and craftiness to ensure a smooth undertaking without being caught.
I released a disbelieving laugh. “Impossible. He taught me everything I know.”
“According to him, the student surpassed the teacher years ago.” The amusement flickering in his eyes turned to seriousness. “He knew someone was after him, so he reached out to me a week before his death.”
Why didn’t he tell me ? I could’ve helped.
Maybe he thought I was still grieving for my uncle and aunt. He should’ve known I wasn’t close to them.
The Raven probably sensed my irritation and said, “You were swamped assisting your friends. He didn’t want to burden you. The Condor was going to share everything with you.” He paused and swallowed. “I wish he hadn’t delayed it.”
Me too.
“How did he know someone was after him?” I asked.
“He discovered something about The Trogyn. He said it’s a highly intricate scam that spans several continents. It would need careful unraveling. We were supposed to meet so he could share what he found out.” The Raven finished his cocktail and met my gaze. “When he didn’t show up at our scheduled meeting, I knew something was wrong. The Condor was someone you could depend on. He had saved my life years ago.”
“He had saved mine too,” I said.
“And we failed to save him.” The Raven’s jaw tightened. “He may have been a thief, but he was a better man than those who preach love and respect on the public stage.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “The killer made certain The Condor’s discovery died with him.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to absorb this information. Did The Trogyn kill my mentor?
What did he discover? This crime ring was a virus under my skin, and I vowed to destroy it.
“He left something for you—his treasure box.” The Raven smiled.
“He did?”
Like my treasure box, his probably contained important items like the first artifact he’d stolen and other important items. Though I was honored, I wasn’t ready to look through it yet. His death was still too raw for me.
“You deserve it. I guess he never told you that?”
“No.” Regret clawed at me. Apparently, I’d been too busy to make time for him. “Is the box in Sweden?”
“It’s in his Providence apartment,” said The Raven. “He wants you to take care of it.”
“How did you know I’d be here?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Educated guess. I left traces of myself because I knew you’d be ferocious at tracking down every person who had been in contact with him. So here we are.”
My phone buzzed, and I retrieved my phone to see a reminder for a meeting I couldn’t reschedule. “I have to go.”
“Me too. My wife and kids are waiting for me. If you need anything, call me.” He gave me a piece of paper with his number on it. “Don’t hesitate. I want the killer to pay.”
“Thank you.” I took the paper, shoved it into my pocket with no intention of involving a family man who had left the underworld to be with his family.
I had plenty to work with.