1. Chapter 1 #2
I plant my palms on the polished surface of the table, looking at each of my partners before I speak. “As you’re aware, Trinity Novak was shot while walking out of the attorney’s office with Lili, Hunter, and me today.”
Luke’s jaw clenches, and he unbuttons the top button of his dress shirt. “I’d heard but not details. How bad was it?”
“Bullet near her spine. She’s in surgery now, or was, last I heard. Outcome uncertain.”
“Fuck,” Matteo hisses. “I was hoping for better news.”
I continue. “Hunter Novak called me tonight. Not any of you, me specifically. He blames us for bringing this war to his doorstep. He blames me for kidnapping Draven’s wife and escalating a conflict that got Trinity caught in the crossfire.”
I let that sink in, watching their expressions shift from shock to calculation.
“He’s given me an ultimatum. Seven days to put Phineas Draven either in prison or in the ground. If I fail, he’s coming for all of us. He’ll ‘dismantle everything we’ve built’ and put me ‘in the ground beside Draven.’ Those were his exact words.”
Matteo slams his fist on the table, the sound ricocheting off concrete walls. “This is bullshit. This is an attack on all of us.”
“Yes. Which is why I called this meeting. Hunter specifically threatened me but made it clear he’d take all of you down too. The High Card. Sin City Subs. Everything we’ve built.”
Luke leans forward. “Did he specify what would satisfy him? Draven arrested on what charges?”
“He doesn’t care. Prison or dead. Those were his options. And if Trinity dies in surgery or ends up paralyzed, there’s no deal at all. He’s coming for me regardless.”
Tobias places coffee mugs in front of each of us. “And the women? Grace and Liliana?”
My jaw clenches. “He said he’d bury Lili between me and Draven if Trinity dies. Called her ‘Draven’s wife’ still. He acknowledged Grace is innocent but said he’d leave her to mourn us.”
Matteo’s expression darkens. “He won’t touch them.”
“No,” I agree. “He won’t.”
Owen steps forward, distributing folders he’s pulled from his briefcase. “There’s more. A second threat we need to address.”
I take a deep breath. “I’ve had my father put security on my house, but we need to handle this ourselves too. Owen, tell them about Sampson Lindon.”
Owen taps his folder. “Grace’s ex-boyfriend from her college days. Sampson Lindon committed suicide six months ago. His wife, Kara, is now a wealthy widow. And Grace’s name was in the suicide note.”
Luke opens his folder, scanning the contents. “What exactly did the note say?”
Owen pulls out a photocopy. “‘She stole my will to live,’” he reads. “According to my sources, Kara has been obsessed with finding Grace ever since. Blame and grief turned to revenge.”
I study the photograph in the file. Kara Lindon is smiling and holding a glass of champagne at a charity gala three months ago. Sleek blond hair, cold eyes, expensive jewelry. The kind of woman who knows how to weaponize her privilege.
“Grace has never mentioned anything about him killing himself,” I say. “I doubt she knows.”
“What exactly was their relationship?” Tobias asks. “I know they were in some kind of throuple in college, but details are sparse.”
I shake my head. “Grace doesn’t talk about it much.
Just that it ended badly. That they were controlling, manipulative.
She hid a lot of it from me, but I saw enough to know it was toxic, and I encouraged her to leave every time she came to me upset about something they’d done. That’s probably why she hid it.”
“So, we have two immediate threats,” Luke says. “Hunter Novak gave us a one-week deadline to neutralize Draven, and a potentially unhinged widow with resources who may be stalking Grace. Priorities?”
“Both,” I answer immediately. “We split the work. Matteo, I want you on Draven. You have the best connections to get inside information on his operations, his schedule, his weaknesses.”
Matteo nods once, sharp, and decisive. He’s usually in charge of these meetings, so I appreciate him letting me take the lead today. Not that he could have stopped me.
“Luke, Tobias, I need you on the club. Keep it running, keep our cover intact. We can’t afford to look like we’re circling the wagons. Business as usual.”
“And Kara Lindon?” Tobias asks.
“Owen and I will handle that,” I say. “We need surveillance on her, need to know if she’s already in Vegas, if she’s made contact with Grace without us knowing.”
“And Grace?” Owen asks. “Do we tell her?”
I hesitate, running a hand through my hair. “Not yet. Not about Sampson. We wait until we know more about what Kara’s doing. She’s got enough to worry about with Lili’s situation and her classes starting.”
Matteo frowns. “She deserves to know if she’s in danger.”
“I’ll increase security around her without explaining why,” I counter. “If we tell her about Sampson’s suicide note, she’ll blame herself. I won’t put that on her shoulders until we have to.”
The room falls silent. I can feel them weighing my decision, judging whether it’s protection or control. Maybe it’s both.
“One week to neutralize a man like Draven isn’t much time,” Luke finally says. “We’ll need every resource we have. And if we fail, we need contingency plans for the club, for our assets, for the women.”
“We won’t fail,” I say, with more confidence than I feel. “Hunter thinks I’m isolated, thinks threatening me separately will fracture us. He’s wrong.”
“Damn right he is,” Matteo growls.
Owen holds up a hand. “Let’s not forget that Hunter has been good to us.
Any one of us would be making the same threats if it were our partner lying on an operating table.
He may be trying to fracture us, but I think he’ll come to his senses eventually.
As long as Trinity doesn’t die.” He sounds more hopeful than any of the rest of us feel, but Owen has the best working relationship with Hunter, so it makes sense.
“I called my father tonight,” I continue. “To see what the Serrano cartel can offer.”
Owen raises an eyebrow. “Thought you’d left that life behind.”
“I did. But I’ll crawl back to the devil himself if it keeps Grace and Lili safe.” I look around the table. “Any other suggestions?”