Chapter 1

Riley Murphy

Tricking Gregor Orlov was simple.

Honestly, he was just a six-foot-five Russian troglodyte that saw a little cleavage and lost his fucking mind.

Like I said. Simple.

Men were so easy to figure out. Show a little boob and they follow you around like a donkey running along to catch a damn carrot on a string. It was always truly something to behold.

I wasn't going to give him anything, not even a little nip, but he didn't know that. I wasn't going to take away his hope. If I did that, it would be a catastrophe.

I needed to get to America, and he was going to help me do it. There was nothing for me here in Dublin. Fuck, there hadn't been anything for me in more than ten years, not when the Gallaghers killed my parents back in the turf war that decimated the Irish branch of the Murphy family and everything that I held dear.

I'd been only eight at the time, but I remembered every bloody moment from my mother screaming at me to hide as the enemy dragged her away to the bullet between the eyes that ended my father. My aunt Nora and my uncle Cormac had come to a similar end, but I'd been lucky enough not to witness that too.

My whole world changed that day.

Ever since my cousins left the country, there had been nothing but orphanages and foster homes for me. I'd become a ward of the state, but I had just turned eighteen and now I had a taste of sweet, sweet freedom.

I wasn't going to waste it in Ireland. There was too much history for me here. I'd gotten in more than my fair share of trouble over the years, and I needed a clean slate. I wanted nothing more than to leave my past behind.

That was where Gregor came in. It wasn't the first time that I'd had to trick a man into giving me what I wanted. It probably wouldn't be the last time either.

I was just the kind of girl that did what was needed to get the job done.

Some might call me a hustler. I just called myself an entrepreneur. Sometimes that meant I had to be a little tease to get what I wanted, but a girl needed to do what she needed to do, right?

Either way, my resourcefulness had gotten me out of several hellish situations and now, I was ready to move forward with my life.

Away from Dublin. Away from my past and all the bad memories that plagued my nightmares.

I shook my head, trying to shake off whatever bad juju was lingering over me today and focused on the man in front of me. With a smile, I softened my features and cocked my head.

Gregor passed me a very full glass of vodka and I traced my fingers around the rim.

"To our success," I said.

He grinned down at me, his dark eyes roving over my body like he hadn't had a drop of water to drink in weeks. His fingers brushed against mine as he lifted his glass and drank down his vodka. I did the same, barely suppressing the grimace that wanted to paint my lips at both his touch and the god-awful taste of the alcohol.

Vodka was gross. Whiskey was so much better. Truly, nothing beat a glass of good ole Irish whiskey, but he'd bought me a drink and I wanted him to think he was getting somewhere.

He wasn't, not ever, but he didn't need to know that.

"I knew we were going to be great together," he said. "I told my associates you were going to make us a lot of money."

I bit my lip and batted my eyelashes, trying to play the seductress all while feeling like a fraud, which I was, but I wasn't going to let him know that either.

"When we get to America, we'll make a killing. Pairing up with you was the best decision I ever made, Riley. We're going to make so much money together."

His gray eyes searched mine, greedy and wanting and far too probing for my liking. I leaned back, putting a little bit of distance between us.

"When do we leave for Boston?" I asked demurely, remembering myself and reaching for his hand. With a coy smile, I traced my finger along his and his smile expanded exponentially.

I couldn't wait to be free of this creepy bastard.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, dumb usually played hand in hand with creepy and Gregor had both of those down pat.

"Soon," he answered, his gaze never wavering from mine. "Soon, you'll be right by my side, ruling Boston with me. You're so beautiful, Riley. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

I swallowed back a grimace and threw another shot of vodka down my throat. When I looked back at him, his smile had grown. Apparently, he liked what he saw.

I was playing with fire, and I knew it.

I just hoped I didn't get burned.

His breath was laced with vodka, heavy enough to paint the air between us. As he leaned in, I met his gaze, my own feigned interest hiding the calculations running through my mind.

I wanted to vomit.

"So, about our plan for Boston…" I started, tracing the rim of my glass with a finger, watching his eyes follow my every subtle movement. "I've been putting in some thought as to how we can really make our mark."

Gregor perked up, his bulky frame edging closer. "Yes? I'm all ears."

"Well," I paused, ensuring I had his undivided attention, "I believe we could expand beyond just traditional routes. We're in a digital age now, right? Money laundering doesn't have to be all grimy cash and shady backroom deals. What about cryptocurrency?"

"Crypto?" he echoed, his thick accent wrapping around the word strangely. His confusion was almost comical.

I held back a laugh and covered it up with another sip of vodka.

Fuck. I hated this stuff, but I swallowed it down because I had to.

"Yes, crypto," I confirmed with a nod. "It's perfect for us. Untraceable, fast, and it crosses borders without any fuss. We could set up an entire operation, funneling money through digital currencies and washing it clean as spring water."

Gregor's eyes narrowed, not with suspicion, but with the monumental effort he was making to try to understand me. "And you know how to set this up?" he asked, his interest now piqued. I imagined that he was envisioning the possibilities.

As far as I knew, Gregor was a nobody in something like a gang. He'd been vying for leverage for a long time and through me, he hoped to get an in with someone in Boston to strengthen both his name and his reputation.

I'd convinced him that money was power.

Which was probably one of the only true things I'd told him.

Fuck it. I had no regrets.

"Absolutely," I lied smoothly. The truth was I knew just enough to be dangerous, but that was more than Gregor knew, and it was enough to keep him hooked. "I have contacts in New York. Tech geniuses who eat this kind of work for breakfast."

He was practically salivating at the idea, the scent of power and money too intoxicating for him to ignore. "And what do you need from me?"

"With the right initial funding, I can get us the tech we need, pay off the right people, and ensure the infrastructure is set up. You'll just watch the money roll in. You won't regret this."

He would. Eventually.

Gregor leaned back, his gaze assessing, then softened into a smile that was meant to be charming.

It missed the mark.

"I knew there was something special about you, Riley. From the first moment I laid eyes on you."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes and throw up in my mouth.

"And I know a good opportunity when I see one, Gregor. We're going to change the game," I piped up.

"To us." He raised his glass, toasting to our ‘bright future.'

"To us," I echoed, clinking his glass with mine.

I was playing him for a fool, but I just needed him until we got to Boston.

Then I was going to disappear.

It was a simple plan, but the best ones always were.

The only problem was plans were rarely simple when they came to fruition.

Especially when they involved a man like Gregor.