Chapter 1

One

Bastian

I stare at my phone, the image of a green-eyed, raven-haired beauty with a kind smile looking back at me.

Lili Bellemore.

Untouched. Kind-hearted. Twenty years old and so damn inexperienced. The poor girl doesn't know what to fear in life. She is too innocent for the world her mother dropped her in the middle of before disappearing.

I trace the soft slope of her jawline and wish there was an easier way to end the crime wave gripping Chicago. But doesn't it always come down to the innocent paying for the wicked?

Lili deserves better than what I can offer her.

All that said, ruining Lili is my darkest fantasy. Seeing her soft body beneath mine, her virgin sex taking everything I have to give her while wearing my diamonds in her beautiful pink nipples is all I see when I close my eyes at night.

Seeing her belly grow round with my child is another fantasy.

And that is all either will ever be. Some twisted fantasy that lives in my head. I'm not a man who gets everything I want. There are rules in my world—and hers—that keep us apart. It is probably for the best, too. A man my age should already have a family, a wife, and his life planned out until death comes. At forty-five my father had his plot picked out and probably had the fucking suit he wanted to go under in.

I don't have a wife, children, or a gravesite.

None of those things are on the table for me. Not until I settle the blood feud between the Accandis and my family. Love, kids, and the whole death bit will have to take a back seat for now. I refuse to give in until I can stop the bodies from piling up around me. What wife would want to be amongst the rot and the violence? No sane person would knowingly bring children into this world with death sitting at the front door.

I scrape a hand over my face, exhaustion seeping bone deep.

"Sir, are you alright?"

I nod at my driver and flick a hand of dismissal.

"Yeah, same shit, different day is all."

"Right, sir."

My father's last words string across my mind.

"Kill them all or die trying."

It's tempting. But my answer then, and still is today, is there has to be a better way. Much to his consternation, I vowed I would find peace and not rest until I did.

"God, let that day be today." Or we might all be needing headstones.

"Sir?"

"Nothing, James. Just me being a fool."

I rest my head against the back of the seat and let my eyes fall closed. Sleep fights to take over and pull me into my nightmares, but I refuse to give in. I want to keep Lili in my mind's eye a little longer. Cool air fills my lungs and I swear I can smell her vanilla and coconut scent.

"Mr. Irons. We've arrived."

I slowly lift my head and open my eyes.

Ominous clouds linger over the city. Hints of rain cling to the air.

If I were a superstitious type, I would call off the meeting and take my chances at fighting my way to the top. I love a challenge, but I don't have a death wish either.

I shove Lili's sweetness from my mind and compartmentalize pleasure from work. It's time to focus on the business at hand. Tonight is about uniting families and making alliances that can benefit not only my crew, but a family I've considered an enemy for decades. If we can come to an agreement, generations to come will thrive instead of die in the streets over petty territory disputes and arrogance. If I can get the old man to agree to my terms, great. But I have one ace up my sleeve that I know will seal the deal.

Acid mixes with blood in my veins. It's not what I want, but my father made sure I knew the good of the family comes before personal desires.

My eyes connect with my driver's through the rearview. "Have my men arrived with my stepdaughter, James?"

Worry flows off my driver. "Yes, sir. She waits for your arrival inside. Don't worry. My brothers are at her side until the deal is done and you give the word to release her."

"Good. After the meeting, instruct your brothers to follow the Accandis sons. I want to know where they go after they sign with me."

Large brows pull together over dark eyes.

"For fuck's sake, James. Stop acting like I'm signing her death certificate." My stepdaughter has everyone she meets wrapped around her fucking pinky. She's made mushy stuffed bears out of my enforcers and now even my damn driver has fallen under her spell.

Apparently deaf, James ignores my outburst and wraps his hands around the wheel in a death grip of worry. "You think they will accept your terms, sir? Will she…will she be okay after this?"

"She's getting married, not buried," I deadpan.

"But to an Accandis, sir. What's the difference?"

He has a point. "We lost one of your brothers. If we want this shit to end, this is the best way to do it. Agreed?"

A beefy shoulder lifts under a heavy leather jacket. "If you say so, sir. I know Maddox wouldn't want your stepdaughter a part of this, if that is what you are asking."

"I'm not."

I scrape my fingers over my jaw and consider the options if they don't. "I won't give them a choice, James. They will sign and we will stop this ridiculous bloodshed. Period."

His tight expression and silence tell me volumes as he guides the car through traffic. A few minutes later he pulls the Rolls up to the curb.

We sit in silence for a long moment before I offer, "This is the right thing to do, James. We both know it is."

James sighs loudly. "Yes, sir."

I step from my car and greet the aging doorman wearing a wary expression and carrying a heavy air about him. What is it with everyone tonight? The slouching man wearing the Irons black and red uniform extends his arm and pulls the large glass door open for me.

"Mr. Gray. Thank you."

The older man tilts his head respectfully and offers, "Mr. Irons. Always a pleasure."

I push deeper into the empty lobby and punch the up button on the elevator wall. I'm tempted to ask what the hell has gotten into everyone, but I already know the answer.

I step into the elevator. Thirty-two floors up I have the view of nearly all of Chicago. My city of birth. The energy of this place flows through my blood. My heartbeat links with the city's pulse. I thrive and everyone around me does. But the leech stuck to my vein is bleeding me and this whole fucking city dry. Accandis does not know how to end the fighting so I will. Too much longer and we will all die. I share its rule with other families, but where this building stands and as far as my eye can see is Irons' territory.

I step into my foyer, immediately greeted by James' brothers, Arthur and Con. My enforcers nod in greeting and silently lead me into my sprawling penthouse.

"Are they here?"

"Yes, sir."

"And my stepdaughter?"

"She's, uh, in her room." Arthur jerks his chin in the direction of her suite.

Two men I've seen drop men larger than them without sweating both exchange a worried look. I swear I watch them shake at the mention of a girl half their size.

I send him a questioning look. "And?"

"She threatens to kill anyone who comes close to her door, and I believe her."

To my surprise, Con the Beast—as he's known by the crew because of his size and less-than-stellar anger management abilities—rubs at the side of his jaw and that is when I see the tiny red handprint across his left cheek.

"Did you touch her?"

Con looks at his shoes. "I might have pushed her into her room when the Accandis men arrived, as you instructed."

"And then she bitch slapped him." Arthur looks amused at his brother's misfortune.

I crack a smirk. "I see. I'll gather her when it's time," I instruct calmly. I forced her out of school and demanded she remain in the penthouse until I arrived. The girl is pissed and showing it. If anything, tonight should prove to be entertaining.

"Yes, sir." Relief floods both men's faces and this one time I don't blame them for not wanting to face my stepdaughter's wrath.

I hand my briefcase to Arthur and work my tie loose. It's been a long day and the worst part of it hasn't even started. I mentally run through my plan one last time.

I remove my suit jacket and lock down my emotions before I turn from my foyer. Years of being forced to hide my true thoughts makes shutting down feel like second nature to me.

A head of black hair turns in my direction when I walk through the archway and make my presence known. Waves of irritation slam into me and I brush them off. This war has cost both of us the lives of our men, personal property damage, and ultimately earning the law's bitter touch. We can't afford to let emotions take over here.

"Mr. Irons. I was about to leave if you had us waiting any longer. I'm being told you like to leave people waiting. I'm not into games, Irons."

Accandis hasn't learned that lesson yet it seems.

I wave off his icy tone. "Don't believe every rumor you hear, Accandis. You know how it is. There were a few unhappy customers at the casino is all," I lie. Keeping the other side off-kilter and wondering makes for easier negotiating, I've found.

A man a couple of inches shorter and about a decade younger stands from a leather chair in the middle of my spacious penthouse. There are couches scattered here and there. A dining table and through the sliding doors is a covered stairway to my expansive terrace. But instead of enjoying the view from up there, the mafia man with a large chip on his shoulder opted for the most uncomfortable chair in the middle of the room. He wants me to know he isn't afraid. His arrogance will get me what I want tonight.

My lips peel back into a welcoming smile he thinks is genuine.

What a fool.

Accandis senior extends a hand, and I do the same. He has a tight grip that matches mine. He has a flair for the dramatic if his 50s sideburns and Elvis Presley pompadour are anything to measure him by. His sons seem to have better taste at least. Their sharkskin suits and polished shoes go well with the fresh haircuts and shaved chins.

"Is the girl here?"

I turn my hard gaze on the boys pushing off the couch to stand at their father's side. They look the part of powerful mafia men, but their baby faces and lack of patience give away their inexperience. Maybe James is right about this all being a bad idea.

"Your sons, I presume?" I say stiffly.

"They are tired of waiting as I am, Irons. Let's get this done with."

I gesture toward Con who places a contract on the table. "You've read over my terms?" I had three lawyers work for as many months to draw up something that would lock us both in once our names are on the paper. Neither of us can do a single deal without the other knowing nor can we forge alliances that make the other stronger without the deal including us both.

I've lost one too many men to the Accandis doing dirty deals in my territory. That ends today.

He nods. "I have."

"It doesn't matter what Father has to say here." The Accandis son with black hair, blue eyes, and looks to be the older one stands. The little shit lifts his chin like I'm supposed to be intimidated. "I want to see the girl I'm going to marry. If she's not worth being by my side, I'm walking. Whatever is on the contract doesn't matter if I don't want the girl it's tied to. We can all stop wasting our time already. I don't see why Father thinks we need a truce to begin with."

"You'll do as you're told." The boy's father looks as tired as I feel. I know why he wants this truce as much as I do. Death is coming for us, and we would like some years of peace before that happens.

But part of me isn't bothered by the mental flashes of the man-child dead in a dumpster by the end of the night. By my hands.

Instead of furthering this war, I raise a hand and gesture for my guests to join me at the table.

"Oh, I'm worthy. In fact, you are the one who doesn't deserve to be at my side."

We all turn to see a raging beauty snarling in our direction. I say nothing at first. I merely stare back at her. Livid emerald eyes connect with mine. If she could kill me where I stand, my twisted heart would already be a lump of dead muscle on the floor.

I'd die happily, too. Fuck, she's beautiful in ways no man deserves to own.

A hand comes up and an accusatory finger jabs in our direction. "You four don't have the balls to include me in your little negotiations, I see. Rude. The least you can do when you want to pawn someone off for the benefit of your purse strings, is let them know the terms and conditions."

She takes a step in our direction. Accandis' son murmurs something about breaking angel wings and my vision turns red. He puts a hand on her in violence and I'll cut it off with a dull butter knife. Watching him suffer would be a great pleasure in my life.

"Stop making a scene." I gesture for Con to help my stepdaughter to a seat, but he shakes his head like I am giving him a choice.

"Lili," I drawl out, keeping emotion out of my tone and expression. I hate to sound like an asshole, but I can't risk the Accandis walking before signing. This deal has to go through, or the bloodshed will never end. I can't have Lili living in a world where she isn't safe.

Her spine goes rigid. "Daddy," she mocks me with a side tilt to her head and a green, narrowed-eyed glare.

That one word has invisible fingers wrapping around my heart and squeezing at the sound of a sweet voice dripping with venom.