Chapter 1
P eering through the scope of my gun, I check my target again before breathing in the fragrance of pine and crisp wind. Letting my breath slowly flutter out, I fire.
I know what I'll see before I even glance out at the target Ethan set up earlier today on the outskirts of the forest around my home.
A kill shot.
Shooting is close to breathing for me, something I've been doing in secret for half of my life. The only thing that feels more natural? Using knives.
"We'll have to wrap up soon if we're going to make it to the meeting on time." Ethan's voice comes from beside me, like coarse sand rubbed over my skin.
There was a time when I craved that voice, longed to hear it whisper to me in the dark. But that was a long time ago.
As a child, I thought I was a princess, always in dresses and doted on. It wasn't until I approached adolescence that I begin to realize the differences in how folks treated my brother, Finn, and I. Our father took Finn hunting, taught him how to fight and use a gun and knife. When I asked for the same, Sean laughed at me. The second time I asked, he backhanded me and I tasted the copper tang of blood for the first time.
I began to sneak out of the house after that, usually at night when everyone was asleep. I would go into the woods with the knives stolen from Finn's bedroom and try throwing them at tree trunks.
One night, Ethan caught me. He was a young guard employed by my father, two years my older than my fifteen years. Ethan was the one that taught me how to fight and shoot. He was also the man I lost my virginity to. I thought I was in love with him then, that he was the white knight that was going to save me from being the princess in the tower. He was handsome, all caramel skin and umber eyes, with broad shoulders that could scoop me up and hold me tight. But as the years wore on, I realized I wasn't the only one trapped by these walls. Ethan was shackled just as much as I was, and my love for him was just a childhood wish that things could be different.
I still trust him, and I know he has my back, but now I understand the black and white truth. Ethan couldn't free me. He couldn't even free himself. The only way for me to have my freedom was to seize it with bloodshed by snatching the crown from my father's grasp.
I pack up my gear, knowing we have to get back to the house and I'll need to change into something more suitable than my training attire, all black with hidden pockets and built-in straps for my knives and guns. Wearing weapons makes folks nervous around me.
"I talked to your brother today," Ethan says while walking beside me, the last of the fallen autumn leaves crunching under our boots
"How is he doing?"
"Still weak from the blood infection, although he'll never admit it. But he looks better. He's gained some of the weight he lost."
"Good. He needs to keep resting so he can heal."
Ethan tosses a sideways glance in my direction. "And buy you some more time before all those sycophants waiting for you at the manor demand his return?"
I scoff. "You and I both know Finn isn't going to come back. He's done."
"He was done a long time ago."
Finn was being groomed by our father to take over the O'Neils. It always pissed me off that even though I was the oldest, I was not worthy of the crown. Instead, I was kept locked away in my tower room, a virginal mafia princess to be sold off to the highest bidder at any moment. A threat that always loomed to keep me small and frightened. In my place.
As we head back down the winding path through the forest towards the O'Neil manor, my mind wanders to everything that's brought me here to this point. It's been weeks since the transition and it still doesn't feel real. It still doesn't feel like the crown is mine.
Three weeks ago, my father, Sean O'Neil, captured the girlfriend of a rival family, the Calders. What my father didn't know was that Finn and I had been working with Kieran Calder for years to figure out how to bring my father down.
Sean was everything one should hate about organized crime and the families that ran everything behind the scenes. He didn't care about morals or ethics, didn't care who got hurt, as long as he got more money and power. That meant trafficking and dealing with stolen weapons, pushing drugs out on the streets and getting kids high and hooked. Sean was a racist, sexist pig who I never called Dad. He didn't deserve that title.
So I helped Calder by shooting the gun right out of my father's hand before he could execute Kieran's girlfriend on our front lawn.
That same night, Finn was shot, and he was just released from the hospital, first recovering from surgery and then the infection he developed afterwards. I immediately took over as family head because everything was in complete chaos after my father died .
Walking inside the manor, I pause, letting the cool breeze of the air conditioning rush over my sweaty skin, savoring the small moment before making my way to the staircase that leads to my tower room. I sigh as I make my way to my closet, tossing off my training gear and donning black dress pants and a cream silk top, slipping on my black pumps with silver spikes on the heels as I run a brush through my hair. I no longer have to worry about doing much with it. Sean always made me keep my light blonde tresses long and loose, ever the perpetual bride. The morning after he died, I took scissors and a clipper to my hair, shaving off one side and shaping the other into a choppy bob.
Finishing my look with a touch of makeup that includes ruby red lips, I stride through the hallway and down the stairs to my office. My stilettos click on the hardwood and every pair of eyes waiting turns to me as I make my way to the desk, ready to deal with whatever sloppy power grabs these sharks are trying to pull today.
As predicted, the wolves begin circling as soon as I sit down, eager to find a chink in my armor. What these made men have yet to learn is that I was born in this world and donned my sword and shield before I could walk. Weakness was beaten out of me long ago.
I have to resist rolling my eyes as the men begin all speaking up about the same thing, trying to outshout each other.
"We need to do something about the Calders," Lenny Boyle stands up as he speaks. "With Kieran stepping down, they might become a threat."
I do roll my eyes at this and wave my hand at Lenny to get him to sit the fuck back down.
"The Calders aren't going to be a problem. I've known Liam for years. We'll work together like we've always done."
"Working together is what got Sean killed!" George Malone shrieks. The room stills as I narrow my eyes at George. He's a middle-aged man with a balding head and growing belly, and his coal-black eyes dart to me in fear. I've always wondered if George supported my father, as I could never prove it one way or another. I guess I can prove it now.
My rule is tenuous as best, as much as I wish it were otherwise. A takeover where the ruler is the Queen no one expected is a hard pill for those like George to swallow. There are rumors, soft yet persistent, slithering through the undercurrents of our world. Whispers that doubt my place at the helm, not merely because I am a woman, but because my temper is as notorious as it is lethal. They say I rule with an iron fist wrapped in velvet, that my gaze alone can sentence a man to his end. They aren't wrong.
I glance at Ethan, who is standing in the shadows of a corner, and he nods. George will no longer be a problem after tonight.
"Silence." The command slips from me like smoke, quiet but suffocating. "Strength is not merely about numbers; it's about loyalty. And those who cannot pledge their undying fealty to our cause have no place amongst us."
Whispers slithered through the shadows, as eyes avoided mine, fearing the cold finality they might find. I purged the ranks after I took the reins, an unforgiving cull that left vacancies where treachery once festered.
"The Calders are not our focus right now. They are our allies. It's everyone else we have to monitor."
A murmur of agreement ripples across the room, the higher-ups exchanging glances that speak volumes of the unspoken fears—fears of other families who might see our momentary frailty as an opportunity.
"Remember," I continue, the sapphire of my eyes locking onto each member, "we are predators, not prey. And should anyone think to take advantage of this transition, they will find themselves clasped in the jaws of a beast far more formidable than they've ever imagined."
My gaze lingers on the faces of my council, searching for any flicker of hesitation, any shadow of betrayal. They know the cost of challenging my rule—a price paid in blood and silence. I will not lose my throne, not by man nor by fear .
"Are we understood?" I ask, the words slipping out like the caress of a lover, dangerous and enticing.
"We are," they answer, a chorus of subdued thunder, sealing their fate to mine.
"Good," I whisper, a smile playing on my lips, the kind that promised both pleasure and pain. "Then let us show the world the true strength of the O'Neil family."
The doors suddenly swing open and Liam Calder strides in, his piercing gaze immediately finding mine. A jolt of electricity sparks through me at the sight of his tattooed features and muscular frame. Though years have passed, the chemistry between us remains undeniable.
I keep my face an impassive mask, though my pulse quickens. What game is he playing by coming here unannounced?
Liam strides towards me with a smirk I know brings others to their knees, the charming sensuality of Eros himself. But I am no timid maid. I am Sloane O'Neil, and I bow to no man.
"To what do we owe the pleasure, Mr. Calder?" I ask coolly.
Liam's mouth twitches before he turns it into a full smile. In warmth or warning, I can't tell. "I'm simply paying a... social call." His eyes rake over me slowly. "It has been too long, Sloane. "
My subordinates shift uncomfortably, sensing the tension coiling between us.
I tilt my chin up, refusing to be intimidated. "Indeed. Perhaps you've forgotten you are on O'Neil territory uninvited."
Liam steps closer, leaning over my desk, his gaze burning, etching a path straight to my soul. "Oh, I haven't forgotten."
I hold Liam's gaze, keeping my expression neutral even as my pulse quickens. His nearness awakens memories I've tried hard to bury - stolen moments in shadowy corners, secret nights spent tangled in silken sheets. A flush threatens to rise in my cheeks and I clench my jaw. I cannot afford to be distracted by him. Not now, when I've finally claimed my rightful place as head of the O'Neils.
"If you have business with me, speak it plainly," I say crisply. "I'm a busy woman."
Amusement flickers in Liam's eyes as he sits on the edge of my desk, encroaching even more of my space. I resist the urge to push him off onto the floor. He knows I'm affected by his presence, no matter how I pretend otherwise.
"Oh, I'm well aware of how...occupied you are these days." His gaze sweeps over me again, lingers on my lips. "Ruling your empire with that iron fist of yours."
I bristle at his mocking tone. Does he think I'm weak, just because he can still stir my blood after all these years apart? My eyes flash with warning. "Careful, Mr. Calder. You forget yourself."
Liam leans even closer until only inches separate us. His voice drops to a murmur. "And you forget who I am, Sloane. Perhaps you need reminding."
My breath catches at his words, the promise they imply. With effort, I wrestle my desires under control. I cannot let him sway me from my course. Too much is at stake.
I meet his gaze directly, my voice like steel. "The only thing I need is for you to state your business, or remove yourself from my territory."
"Mr. Calder forgets we are no longer children, playing at rivalry," I say coolly. "His family poses no threat to our interests."
My lieutenants murmur assent, but I see the doubt in their eyes. The Calders have grown bold since Liam took over, expanding their territory.
I move to reassure them. "Mr. Calder blusters, but he will learn his place soon enough. The O'Neils bow to no one." My voice rings with conviction.
They nod, emboldened by my show of strength. But inwardly, my thoughts churn like the sea in a storm .
"This meeting is over." My voice gives no room for discussion, only agreement.
The room empties slowly as my lieutenants file out, their low voices echoing down the hallway. Soon only Liam and I remain, the tension hanging thick as fog.
Leaning back, I let my eyes slowly travel over Liam. "Well played. But you'll find your tricks won't work on me."
"No tricks, Sloane. Just a friendly visit between allies." His voice caressed my name softly.
I laugh without humor. "Allies? Is that what we are?"
Liam moves closer, his eyes burning into mine. "We could be so much more." His hand lifts as if to touch my face, then lowers again. "If only you'd let us."
My pulse quickens, but I hold myself still. "Careful, Liam. This is dangerous ground you walk."
His mouth quirks. "Danger has never stopped me before."
I tilt my head up, eyes narrowing. “How did you get in here, anyway? None of the guards should have let you pass, let alone get to my office. ”
Liam’s eyes crinkle at the corners with amusement, and I have to quickly tamp down on my rising irritation. “Liam, I’m being serious. If there is a weakness in my security, I should know about it.”
Shaking my concerns away as if they were no more than stray lint on a jacket, Liam just grins. “Your security is fine, Sloane. I’m just that good.” He leans in, lips barely brushing my ear. "I'll see you tonight."
Then he is gone, his whispered words hanging in the air. I sit frozen, heart racing. This is madness. I know it, even as my traitorous body thrilled at the thought of seeing him again.
With effort, I steady myself, straightening my sleeves and smoothing my hair. I have business to attend to, an empire to run. Liam Calder can wait.
But even as I stroll from the office, I feel the promise in his words. Tonight I will see him. The thought quickens my breath as I step out into the hallway.