Chapter 1

Ihave been standing in the concrete bunker for almost an hour watching Giulia torture some asshole. To anyone else they would think I was standing here unacknowledged, but that could be farther from the truth. I walked into her using a blowtorch on him and though she didn't look at me and still hasn't, I know she is aware of my presence. You don't get the reputation she has by being unaware.

"LB." She calls me by my organizational name, and I lift my head.

"Boss."

"Can you hand me my sword?" I am one of the strongest men in the industry. Not much can make me squirm. In my own right I am savage, untethered and relish the feeling of my enemies blood on my skin after I have ended them. To that point, there isn't much I haven't done or seen for that matter, but when she wields that fucking sword, my stomach does flapjacks. Have you seen a man"s head roll down a plank, freshly cut? No. Well I have had more times than I can count.

"Boss." I hand her the unforgiving weapon and move to step back, but she stops me.

"As you can see my husband is not here, shocking I know." She smiles when she talks about him and not for the first time I wonder how she does it all. "He usually sets up the plank for me so it can fall into the gator pit. Do you mind?" Damnit. Reluctantly, but only on the inside, I set up the plank with the side bars and open the gator pit. I make sure the ledge is in place and I step back. "Thank you."

Nodding my head I look around me and see all of her tough as shit soldiers covering their mouths slightly and turning their heads discreetly. I can't help but chuckle. Look at all of us big bad men being brought to our knees by a swift deliverance of justice. Me especially. My father was the death dealer for the DeSantis back in the day. He was the man they sent in when someone needed to be ended but also when a message needed to be sent.

I grew up watching him deal his version of punishment, at my very feet sometimes. I used to wonder, ‘surely they didn't mean for him to bring it home? ‘Of course now I know different, but as a kid, re-living death over and over, I couldn"t help but wonder.

I hear the swoosh of the blade when it moves up into the air and the quiet severance of the bone before it falls and takes its journey. "Shit." I growl low in my throat.

"Yeah. That takes a little getting used to." Her husband, Nico says, walking up beside me. I nod my head slightly, keeping my composure.

"You're late," Giulia says without turning around. Nico walks over to her, helps her remove her protective gear and wraps his arms around her stomach, proof that she is with child, again.

"I'm sorry my love. The squirrelly fucker was hiding deep." I turn my head out of respect for their private moment. I admire the love I see between them. I didn't grow up in a house where love was a staple. Especially not between my father and any of his many women. My mother included. To him, women were expendable and only good for two things: breeding heirs and bending over his bed. Yeah, a real prince charming. Little did I know he had plans for my little sister, Cyn St. Clair. Our name of origin is Santoro, but when my father left his family in Italy he changed it. According to him he wanted to forget the poor existence he was brought up in and blaze a new path. What a crock.

"Alright LB. Thanks for waiting," she says, turning to address me.

"Boss. What can I do for you?" She tosses a folder at me. I open it while listening to her speak.

"This girl, her name is Satine. She is a Coronado from Cuba." Fuck. Those pieces of shit. "She was kidnapped by the Popov's, and it is my thought that she is being trafficked. In that folder, you have an invitation to an auction. My inside guy says if the Popov's have her, it is likely she will turn up here."

"Is this what I think it is?" I ask her, picking up the invitation.

"Yes. The disgusting bastards. They hold some sort of sight unseen auction. Basically the only thing the man buying the girl knows are her assets. He doesn't know what she looks like or anything until he pays for her and retrieves her." Bile rises in my throat. To women with stars in their eyes this may seem romantic, but to me it speaks of how little consideration they have for the women. Of course they don't care what she looks like. She is simply an object, a possession for him to do with as he pleases. Anger burns in my gut.

"So I am retrieving the girl and then what?"

"Return her to her family."

"Those pigs? Quan doesn't want her?" I mean she is his blood after all. Distant, but his blood, nonetheless.

"He doesn't have much to do with them. They are distant cousins I guess, but they know nothing of one another. He simply got the call for help."

"I see. Did they send a photo?" That is the one thing missing from the folder.

"No. Seems Felicisimo doesn't like photos of his daughter to be public. He simply said her name is Satine, but she can also be called Iza or Belle."

"Alright. Well I will get started. Any leads on where the auction might be held?" She smiles and shakes her head.

"This is when you get to have fun finding out." Fuck yes. It means I get to snap a few heads and spill some blood. I crack my neck and shoulders.

"Consider it done, boss." Let's go see some pigs about a girl.