1. Chapter 1

one

Clara

L eaves rusle above us. A quick shiver runs down my spine as I press tighter against the damp bark of the oak tree.

Jake’s breath is short and sharp next to me; every sound is a potential threat.

“Jake, what’s… going on?” My voice is barely a whisper, fear clutching my throat.

He didn’t answer.

Jake pulls his phone from his jacket, a stream of curses under his breath. Useless, no signal. His face is pale in the shadowed light, eyes scanning the dense green around us.

“Oh God, oh God!” My voice trembles, the words spilling out in a frantic rush. “Jake, what’s going on?” Tears prick my eyes, the fear bubbling over.

“Shhh.” Jake’s hand is sudden and firm over my mouth, his other arm pulling me down to squat beside him. His eyes are fierce, burning with something I can’t read.

“Listen, Clara.”

I nod, the terror mingling with a surge of curiosity.

“Those men… they’re our enemies. They’re trying to kill us.”

“What?” I whisper fiercely, my eyes wide. “Why? Who are they?”

“The truth is,” he continues, his grip tightening, “our family isn’t what it seems. We’re… part of something bigger. Dangerous.”

“What are you talking about, Jake?”

Jake’s jaw clenches, his gaze darting around the woods. “We’re the Irish crime family that runs New Orleans.”

I stare at him, my mouth hanging open. “The crime family? Are you shitting me?”

Before Jake can answer, a gunshot rips through the air, followed by a scream.

Mitch. Oh God, Mitch.

“Jake,” I whimper, clutching at his arm.

“Look at me, bug.” Jake grips my shoulders, his whisper fierce. “I need you to listen to me. Okay?”

I swallow hard, my throat tight with fear, and nod.

“I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?”

“Please, Jake,” I shake my head, my eyes locked on his. That look… I know that look. The look that says he’s about to do something crazy, something dangerous.

“I need you to run, Clara. Run as fast and as quiet as you can.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll hold them off. Make sure they don’t follow you.”

“No…” The word is a breathless plea, a desperate denial.

“Clara Caldwell, you are the heir to the Caldwell Mob. I’m sorry for not telling you the truth sooner, but…”

A twig snaps nearby, and a voice rings out, a mocking imitation of a bird call. “Ah, ah, ah.”

“Shit, it’s the fucking Ravens,” Jake hisses, his face paling.

“Ravens?” My mind reels, trying to make sense of it all.

The footsteps draw closer, leaves crunching under heavy boots. Jake shoves me hard against the tree, his body a shield in front of me. He reaches behind his back, pulls out a gun from the waistband of his jeans.

“Jake.” His name is a broken whisper on my lips.

He glances back at me, his eyes hard, determined. “Run, Clara.”

“No…”

“Now!” he shouts, and I flinch, my heart slamming against my ribs.

The footsteps are almost on top of us. I turn, my legs moving on their own, carrying me away from Jake, away from the danger. Gunshots explode behind me, a rapid staccato of pain and violence. Jake’s voice rises above the chaos, a string of vicious curses.

“Fuck you, you motherfucking pieces of shit! I’ll kill every last one of you cock-sucking bastards!”

Tears blur my vision, my lungs burning as I run. I’m almost to the highway, almost to safety, when I hear it—a cry of agony, a sound I’ll never forget.

Jake.

“No… no, no, no!” The words are a chant, a prayer, as I spin around, running back the way I came.

I stumble, my ankle twisting, pain shooting up my leg, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. Not when Jake needs me.

I burst into the clearing, and the scene before me steals the breath from my lungs. Four men in raven masks standing over Jake’s prone form, kicking him, laughing, their voices cruel and mocking.

“Not so tough now, are you , Caldwell ?”

“Where’s Daddy’s little princess, huh? We got a special treat for her.”

“Stop!” The scream tears from my throat, raw and desperate.

The men turn, their masks leering at me, their eyes cold and dead behind the dark holes.

“Well, well, well… look who it is.”

One of them steps toward me, his head cocked to the side. “Come to join the party, sweetheart?”

I back away, my heart pounding, my eyes darting to Jake. He’s not moving, his face bloody and bruised.

Oh God, is he…?

“Leave her alone, you son of a bitch.” Jake’s voice is a ragged whisper, his eyes fluttering open.

The man laughs, a harsh, grating sound. “Shut up, Caldwell. You’re in no position to be making demands.”

Rage boils up inside me, searing through the fear, the helplessness.

These bastards hurt Jake.

They’re laughing about it.

Laughing.

Something snaps inside me, a primal, feral thing. With a snarl, I launch myself at the nearest man, my hands clawing at his gun. He grunts in surprise, his grip faltering, and I wrench the weapon free.

I swing the gun around, pointing it at the men, my hands shaking. “Get back! Get the fuck back!”

The men step away from Jake, their hands raised, but their eyes are mocking behind their masks.

“You fucking idiot.” The biggest man of the group, tall and ripped, his muscles straining against his shirt, turns on the one I disarmed. “You let a little girl take your gun?”

He stalks toward me, his movements slow, predatory. “Give me the gun, little girl.”

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!” I shrill.

He ignores me, keeps coming, his eyes locked on mine.

Stop, please. Stop.

I squeeze my eyes shut, my finger spasming on the trigger.

Bang.

The gun bucks in my hands, the report deafening.

I open my eyes, see the man still standing there, blood dripping from his arm where the bullet grazed him. He doesn’t even flinch, just keeps coming.

My body jolts, heart slamming against my ribs like it’s trying to break free. My ears ring, every muscle tensed up tight.

I stagger forward, raising a trembling hand. “Stop,” I murmur weakly, then louder, my voice cracking. “I said STOP!”

The other men raise their guns, but he waves them off.

“Little girl’s got guts,” he says, stepping right in front of me, eyeing me close. Under his raven mask, his eyes are a deep, dark blue.

He reaches out, grabs my chin, and squeezes.

“Let her tell everyone the Ravens are taking over the whole damn city,” he tells the other guys, but his gaze doesn’t leave mine.

“Fuck you!” I scream, the gun swinging wildly in my grip. “Get away from us!”

He chuckles, a dark, sinister sound. “Well, well, well. We’ve got a feisty one here, boys.”

I pull the trigger again, desperate, but the gun just clicks.

Empty.

The man is right in front of me now, his hand shooting out, grabbing my wrist. I cry out in pain as he twists, the gun clattering to the ground.

“I like you, little girl. You’ve got spirit.” His breath is hot against my face, reeking of cigarettes and whiskey. “But spirit won’t save you. Not from us.”

He shoves me hard, and I stumble back, falling to the ground beside Jake. The man looms over us, his eyes glittering with malice.

“The Ravens are coming for you, Caldwell. And when we do, there’ll be nothing left but blood and ashes.”

With that, he turns, motioning to his men. They melt back into the trees, their laughter echoing in the sudden silence.

I crawl to Jake, my hands shaking as I touch his face. “Jake? Jake, please…”

Jake coughs, blood splattering his lips

“Please… Someone help!”

His eyes flutter open, unfocused and clouded with pain. “Bug…” His voice is a strangled whisper, each word a struggle. “I’m… sorry…”

“No, no, don’t apologize.” Tears stream down my face, mixing with the dirt and blood. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

I try to lift him, to pull him to his feet, but he’s too heavy, and he cries out in agony at the movement. Blood oozes from multiple bullet wounds, soaking his shirt, soaking into the forest floor.

“It’s too late… for that…” he gasps, his face pale, his lips tinged with blue.

“Don’t say that!” I’m sobbing now, my heart shattering with every labored breath he takes. “You can’t leave me, Jake. I need you.”

With a trembling hand, he reaches up and touches my face. His fingers are cold, slick with blood. “I love you… so much, Clara. More than… anything.”

I slide my legs under his head, pulling him onto my lap. The ground beneath us is cold and damp, but all I can feel is the warmth of his blood seeping through my jeans.

“I love you too, Jake.” I lean into his touch, my tears falling harder. “I’ll kill them for this. I’ll kill every last one of those bastards.”

He shakes his head weakly. “No… no, you can’t… be involved… Promise me…”

“I can’t, Jake. I can’t promise that. They have to pay for what they’ve done.”

His hand falls away from my face, his strength fading. “Please… Clara…”

I gather him into my arms, cradling his head against my chest. The coppery scent of blood fills my nose; Jake’s blood, too much blood.

“Look after yourself… and remember who you are, Clara, not what they made us.”

“I’m sorry, Jake, I can’t promise that. The Ravens—they must die.”

He coughs, a wet, gurgling sound, and more blood spills from his lips.

He tries to speak again, but all that comes is more blood. I hold him, feeling the life ebb from him with each passing second. His eyes fix on me, intense even as they fade. And then, they don’t close.

“Jake? Jake, no! No, no, no!” I’m screaming, shaking him, begging him to come back, to not leave me.

But he’s gone.

My brother, my protector, the only person who ever really loved me… gone .

Rage and grief war inside me, tearing me apart. The Ravens did this. They took him from me.

And they’ll pay. I’ll make them pay if it’s the last thing I do.

I press a kiss to Jake’s forehead, my tears mingling with his blood. “I love you, Jake. And I swear… I swear on your grave… the Ravens will fall. Every last one of them.”

And I won’t stop until they’re all dead… or I am.