Chapter 1

Destiny

"Six months. That is all the time you have to get in the mindset and shape for this fight, this is your last chance to take her down, Dest." I crack my neck from side to side and allow the fire inside me to burn hot. This is my shot, Dad's right. Six months isn't long, but it's what we have, and I'm going to win this.

I have to!

If I lose this fight she won't let me continue to chase my dream, fighting is in my DNA. The very freaking gym I train in, my father used to run until he handed it over to my uncle. I shake out my arms and bounce on the balls of my feet as I crack my neck side to side. My skin is slick with sweat from sparring for hours but I still have pent up energy I need to release. I normally hang out with my friends and go dancing or have a few drinks but thanks to some fuckers making threats against my family once again, I'm on house arrest.

Growing up with the last name Murdoch a lot of people think everything is easy for me. The outside world thinks my family is rich because they own hotels, casinos and a bunch of other businesses but they're wrong. My family is the mafia. My dad has tried his best to shield me from that but it's pretty hard when your mother is the drug lord for the Bratva and is the only person alive with the formula that can liquidize cocaine and then reform it. For years people have tried coming after my mom, but my uncles and dad have always protected her, not that she needs it because my mom is a fucking badass.

"Hit the showers, take tomorrow off to rest." I spit my mouth guard into my gloved hand and glare at my dad.

"I'm not taking a day off, I need to train?—"

He pins me with a look that has me clamping my mouth closed. "Destiny, you are going to burn out before you even get the title fight, you have another two to win before the main event. Rest." He turns his back on me and climbs out of the ring. I stare after him wanting to say more, but don't. He's taken the time to step in and train me while I look for another trainer thanks to my last one quitting because he couldn't handle my attitude.

"You look like a sack of shit." I spin around and glare at the little shit.

"Aren't you supposed to be back in Greece?" London smirks and shoots me one of her no one tells me what the fuck to do looks. London is my cousin Royal's daughter and she may only be nineteen, six years younger than me, but she is fucking ruthless and has faced the trials of the Greeks and lived to tell the story. No one, and I mean no one, fucks with her. Everyone except for Uncle Bishop and Aunt Kiara are weary of her because she has a tendency to stab first and ask questions later.

"I want to be back there getting railed seven ways to hell by Artemis but my bitch ass dad sent me here to learn ." I fight my smirk from breaking free, she is the heiress to the Memento Mori and will be the one to take over the Murdoch family, but she is also engaged to the Don of the Godfathers Of The Night, thus making her the most powerful woman in the world. But she doesn't allow that power to go to her head, she's still just London.

"Sucks having a dad that doesn't give a shit about what you want, doesn't it?"

"My dad can eat rotten assholes for all I care. I'm only here willingly because Grandpa promised to help me fuck with my dad and we all know that fucking with him is my favorite pastime." I smile and shake my head. The shit she does to my poor cousin would have me committed. If he didn't love her as much as he does, I know he would have dropped her in a hole years ago. I jump out of the ring and begin to unglove my hands, London surprisingly helps, which is odd because this girl never helps anyone. "Stop looking at me like that, it's fucking creepy."

"You helping me is creepy. " I still and eye her cautiously for a long minute, she doesn't cower or even twitch under the pressure of my gaze. "Why are you really here, London, and don't spit some bullshit about your dad because you and I both know he doesn't have any pull over you."

She presses her tongue into her cheek to keep from smiling. "Your mom called me after Nytress and Unique said no."

I grind my teeth and try to tamper the anger rising inside me. " No to what?"

"Convincing you to give up fighting and go to law school." I narrow my eyes at the little shit.

"You think you are the one to convince me to do that?"

She shakes her head and smirks. "Fuck no! I'm here to help you loosen the fuck up and get your head in the game. Cronos is back from being away with Amelia. He is here with me and is also willing to help you. You know I never do as I'm told, the fact Aunt Anya thinks I would fly here to convince you to give up and take the pussy route is fucking nuts. She should know me better than that."

"You're a devious little shit, aren't you?" This bitch beams and nods like a crazy person. We fall into easy conversation as I pack my bag and get ready to head out, my muscles tense and burn but it's a delicious feeling. I long to feel this burn daily. London and I exit the gym side by side, and neither of us feel the need to fill the silence with mundane chit-chat. Much like me, she isn't a talker. Nytress and Unique are the opposite, they never shut up. London's father, Royal, is a few years older than me. He, Chanel, Chaos and Havoc were always together. They formed their own crew, Memento Mori.

We were never really close or talked much until Havoc was murdered. Amelia, our oldest cousin, never kept in contact either until Havoc died. His death seemed to spark something in all of us cousins and the need to check in with each other weekly became a thing. We all realized we had lost so much time never getting to know our own family because of our age gap. Royal and Chanel are thirty. Chaos is thirty-one and Amelia is turning thirty-six this year. Nytress, Unique and me are the youngest at twenty-five, twenty-four and twenty-three.

We all may talk once a week through text message but that's it as Chaos, Chanel and Royal still stick to themselves, Amelia lives in Chicago still pretending that she isn't a Murdoch while me, Unique and Nytress are the ones left here in New York with our families. Actually, soon it will be just me since the two girls are planning a round-the-world trip and Uncle Rook isn't happy about his babies flying the coop.

Once we reach my car I feel a little lighter and not so wound up, so I turn to London and smirk. "So, how about a night out?"

Her eyes darken and I fight not to groan, this girl is Lucifer's greatest creation.

"What did you have in mind? I'm down to cause mayhem and make my fiancé squirm a bit."

Shaking my head I chuckle at her antics. "What did Artemis do this time?"

She shrugs. "Nothing, I'm just keeping him on his toes and reminding him that being with me is a gift he should cherish because I'm a fucking prize."

Artemis has to be one of the most courageous men I know in order to put up with London and all the shit she puts him through.

"Get in, I have to go back to my apartment and shower, then we'll head out."

"I'll call Nos and tell him where to meet us," she answers.

Much like me, London isn't a girly girl type. She and I are similar in that aspect but I don't harbor a sour attitude like she does. The Lift drops us off out front of the new club that opened a few weeks back. I found out from Nytress that this is the it place in the city to be, she and Unique have been here almost every weekend since it opened. Unique's boyfriend and his cousin own it so I know London will have no issue getting in, plus her last name alone will grant her entry into any place she likes.

We walk by patrons who are lined up waiting to be granted access to the inside. Some of the girls send us snotty looks, clearly not impressed by our appearance. London is wearing a simple tube top paired with skin tight skinny jeans while I'm wearing jeans, Converse and a white crop tee that falls off one shoulder. I don't spend a lot of time worrying over how I look, I don't even wear makeup. The most effort I put into myself tonight was washing my hair and wearing it down. London has her brown hair tied in a high ponytail, it's getting longer now since those fuckers cut it when they kidnapped her.

I shudder at the thought of what she went through. I may be training to fight in the octagon and be able to beat the shit out of men twice my size, but that is my choice. Being taken and forced to submit to the will of someone else is my worst nightmare. My phone vibrating in my pocket pulls me from those dark thoughts. I tap London on the shoulder, halting her. She rolls her eyes and waits as I retrieve my phone and groan at the sight of my father's name on the screen. I show London who it is before I answer.

"You said to take the night off and now you're bugging me, why?" I say with an irritated edge to my voice.

"Where are you?" I note the hint of worry in his tone but choose to ignore it.

"Out." I dart my gaze to the line of people when some guys start catcalling us. I shake my head at London, hoping she heeds my warning and doesn't kill them.

"It's not safe—" Before he can finish, London snatches the phone out of my grasp and ends the call, pocketing my phone while I glare at her.

"I did you a favor, now let's go before I break their noses." I don't argue as I follow after her, knowing that threat wasn't idle and she really would break those assholes noses. Unlike her, I can't be caught fighting out of the ring or else I will be barred from entering the octagon and that is not something I will ever risk. The bouncer takes one look at us before nodding his head and waving us through. I shudder in disgust at the hungry looks he shoots our way.

Men are pigs!

The bass from the music reverberates through my body. London grabs my hand and shoulders her way through the crowd of people. I have no idea how the hell she knows where to go but I don't protest. A guy tries to reach for me but I shove him back with my free hand. I had assumed she would lead us to a VIP area or something, where I know Unique and Nytress hangout when they come here, but nope, she shocks the shit out of me when we stop in the middle of the packed dance floor.

Frowning I lean forward and shout. "What are we doing?"

I pull and see the devilish glint in her eyes and fight not to groan, she's up to something. "My man is up there watching." She flicks her gaze behind me discreetly. I play along and pretend to feel the beat as I dance around her with my arms above my head and swaying my hips as I look up and see Artemis, Cronos, Unique's boyfriend Kelly and the two girls themselves who wiggle their fingers in a wave. "Is Artemis about to lose his shit?" London shouts. I turn my gaze back to her and smile.

"He's shouldering people out of his way to get to you." She throws her head back and laughs. I marvel at her for a moment loving the way she is so confident within herself. Artemis is head over heels in love with her and anyone with eyes can see that man would die for her without thought. I think that's the only reason Royal hasn't killed him. It takes him two minutes tops before he is barging his way through partygoers and wrapping his arms around London from behind, then burying his face in the crook of her neck.

I turn away from them the moment her eyes turn hazy, that shit is gross and I don't need to hear what he is saying in order to know it's going to end with them fucking in a public restroom. I come to a halt at the sight of the guy standing in front of me. I cock my head to the side at the familiarity of him, then it dawns on me.

He's the guy from Wave's party that hit on me. I narrow my eyes at the cocky bastard as he runs his gaze down the length of my body like he has a right. The moment he sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, I give up on fighting the eye roll and allow it to break free.

"You don't seem happy to see me, Slayer ." I inhale a sharp intake of air at the sound of him calling me by my fighting name. Every fighter has a nickname or a name they go by in the ring. Mine is Havoc Slayer. I chose to incorporate Havoc's name as a tribute to my cousin. The fact he tried to turn my fighting name into a pet name is cheesy as fuck. I attempt to brush past him and head upstairs, but the bastard wraps an arm around my waist and spins me so my back is flush against his chest. I draw my arm forward, ready to elbow him in the ribs but the moment his lips graze the shell of my ear I hesitate. It's his words that have me turning to stone.

"Russian hitmen are in this club right now and they are coming for you."