Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

C aroline

The rumble of thunder rocked the little apartment.

Shuddering, I grabbed my mug of coffee, loathing the darkness. Storms had been wicked and powerful the last few days given a strong cold front that had swept in from the great lakes of Chicago, swooping over New York with icy fingers. The dampness was raw, the thin windows and dilapidated weatherstripping allowing the frigid temperature to seep inside.

As I walked into the tiny living room, I glanced at the huge windows flanking the street, the address in Brooklyn not one of the best. Crime ridden, full of drug dealers, it had been all I could afford.

For now.

My father was incensed, doing his best to force me to live not only off his wealth but by his means. I wasn't that kind of girl. I was determined to make a name for myself on my own without succumbing to my father's money.

Granted, I had money in the bank, but I was trying to amass even more before considering moving. Plus, it served me well to live frugally given my second and more lucrative career. I was trained as a software engineer but the only job I'd been able to find was a lowly assistant.

"Caroline, get me some coffee."

"Caroline, don't forget the extra copies for my meeting."

"Caroline, tie my shoes."

Okay, so my boss had never issued the last command, but I had been required to pick up his dry cleaning more than once.

At least my second, less scrupulous career was providing a tidy nest egg. Plus, I was developing a reputation as the Pink Flamingo. It was a silly name in the world of hackers, but it worked for me and my quirky personality. The dark web was a fascinating place, people bragging about their accomplishments on one side while weirdos and stalkers lurked in the shadows. I'd learned to be careful, never to put myself out there. Still, there was always a chance someone would track down my IP address.

I headed to my bank of powerful computers, the one luxury I'd allowed myself. As I sat down on the chair, turning on the main computer, I noticed two flashes of neon lightning spiraling down on the tall buildings outside my window. The skyscrapers appeared ominous just before dark, more so given the storm.

As the system rocked into existence, I glanced at my notes. My handler, a glorified hacker himself, had given me the most lucrative job of all, but I had a timeline and the work was more dangerous. Not everyone would agree to break into the secure systems owned by the notorious Cosa Nostra. I had no idea the reason Joshua wanted the required information, but I wasn't allowed to ask questions.

My job was to get in, copy the required information, and get out before I was noticed. It was typical of my usual jobs, only the ante was increased this go-around. I was shifting money from one account to another. It was risky as hell, but the challenge made me salivate. I'd done everything I could to block my IP address, spinning it to several countries before anyone who could figure out I was worming my way through their system knew I existed.

I was a cautious girl.

To date, no one had ever even detected my presence or even come close.

I took a sip of hot java, thanking God for the caffeine and proceeded to continue. I'd almost cracked the system but needed a few additional tweaks. With my fingers flying, a little perspiration trickling down my nose, I finally managed to get in.

A perfect moment of utter satisfaction hit me, a smile the only celebration for the moment. I could drink wine later when I was out and safe. The jump drive was already in place, ready to copy the files. I easily hacked into the financial institutions, downloading copies of financials. Then I moved to the information Joshua had requested, including names of important people the mafia Don had met with and any emails and notes. The last task would be the transfer. Usually, the accounts were highly protected, which was what made the job so dangerous.

I was almost giddy, heedless of danger in my attempt as I easily found what I was looking for. The stupid man hadn't protected his system as well as he'd thought. Then again, he hadn't hired the best.

Me.

As I laughed, a name appeared that troubled me. Vadim Chernoff. Not only was he perhaps the most ruthless Russian leader of a crime syndicate in the country, but he was also my best girlfriend's father. I hadn't seen him in years, but he'd always been nice to me, even buying me Christmas gifts.

Sure, I knew he was a dangerous and vile man in his day job, but he adored Sofiya. And she loved her father unconditionally. So did his adopted daughter Daniella, who'd been given a nice life when he'd taken her in.

Who was I to judge?

My father had crossed more than a few lines in his time running his billion-dollar business. I continued scanning, suddenly sucking in my breath.

Oh, my God. It was a direct order to… assassinate Vadim. Really? I quickly downloaded it, noticing an audio file. It wasn't anything I was supposed to be bothering with, but I couldn't help myself.

"Yeah, I know what you want, Italian prick. But it's going to cost you."

A deep voice laughed. "How much?"

"Two million. I am betraying someone."

"You are a bastard, but I'll agree. However, the job better be done, or I'll come after you and your family."

There was more. Enough that my gut told me Vadim had a target on his back that was ready to explode. When I attempted to download it, something stopped me, a different kind of firewall. Shit. I clicked it off immediately, taking a deep breath. Just one more thing. Transfer five hundred thousand dollars from one of the accounts very few people supposedly paid attention to. Joshua had promised me ten percent on top of my regular fee but whew, I was sweating big time.

I did my job, able to transfer the money without a hitch. I took another deep breath, about to click out when the screen went black. Completely black.

Jerking back, I quickly glanced behind me. No, the single light I had on was still burning dimly. What the hell? As soon as I turned my head, a skull appeared. A laughing skull.

"Shit. Shit. Shit."

My presence had been discovered. I wasn't frantic but my fingers quickly shut down the program and the computer within seconds. I jerked up from my chair, almost knocking the mug of coffee to the floor.

What should I do? Were my firewalls enough? The blocking attempts?

I started to pace the floor, cognizant my throat was closing off. Seconds ticked by.

Minutes.

What seemed like hours.

Maybe everything was going to be okay.

Very slowly, I breathed out, tamping down the anxiety. I'd been quick enough. I was okay. Just fine. Several minutes ticked by and I continued pacing.

I had to back away from this. I'd call Joshua in the morning. Fuck him and his regular updates. As I started to walk away, my sixth sense kicked in. Or maybe my gut instinct. Was that a screech of tires? Very slowly I walked to the side of the window, holding my breath as I peered out. The darkness was oppressive. Even the lights of the city couldn't seem to brighten the skyline.

I stood right where I was, telling myself I needed to find a better regular job. Suddenly, I noticed two sets of headlights, both vehicles swinging around the corner. The moment they screeched to a stop directly in front of my building, four big monsters crawled out under the single streetlight.

I'd be damned if they didn't look up at my window, which was on the third floor. There was no time to be terrified. I didn't need my instinct to tell me I was a dead woman if they caught me. I raced into my bedroom, throwing open my closet door. Joshua had educated me on the importance of preparing a go bag just in case. I had some clothes and makeup, another pair of shoes, and an older laptop.

My heart thudding to the point echoes were bouncing in my ears, I grabbed my purse and keys, noticing the baseball bat I'd purchased for protection. It was all I had. I snagged it, trying to build additional anger.

Before I rushed to the door, I jerked my head toward my computer system. The jump drive. Without wasting any time, I grabbed it, heading to my apartment door. I had to get out and there was only one way. The bastards would likely cover the stairs and the shitty tin can of an elevator.

I closed my door softly, rushing down the hallway to the window at the end. But before I had a chance to open the rickety old thing, the elevator pinged. I pressed myself against one of my neighbor's doors, grateful there was more of an overhang than in most buildings.

Voices sounded in the hallway, at least three distinct ones. And they were speaking Italian. The moment they kicked in my door, rushing inside, I knew there wasn't a moment to lose. I returned to the window, forced to put the bag and bat on the floor as I struggled with the window. Fuck. Fuck. The damn thing was stuck.

I said another silent prayer and yanked upward, my arms aching. Thankfully, it budged, sliding open just enough for me to slip out onto the fire escape.

And not a moment too soon. The bastards were in the hallway.

One of them grunted and I didn't need to understand their language to know I'd been seen. I grabbed my things, barely able to breathe as I crawled through the window. One of the bastards almost grabbed my arm but I smashed the bat down on his fingers.

He howled, pulling away and I bounded to the metal stairs. The fire escape was old, so much so I was terrified it wouldn't hold my weight, but I had no other choice.

I made it to the ground, jumping the last two feet and almost got tangled up with my bag.

Voices were behind me, rounding the corner of the building. If I didn't make it to my car, there was no hope. I took off running, grateful I jogged in the mornings, refusing to look back even though it felt as if they were breathing down my neck.

I almost slid on the wet pavement as I rounded the corner to the tiny parking lot. Only then did I take a quick look. They hadn't gotten to me yet. I rushed to my car, trying to calm my nerves as I hit the key fob. Now I was grateful my father had purchased my little Miata for my college graduation, which meant I didn't need to fumble with keys.

The door was open and I tossed the bag when thug number one bounded around the corner. Fuck. He had a gun in his hand. I would try to figure out what came over me later, but I stepped away from the back of the car and closer to him, able to calm myself enough I could calculate his distance.

Come on, big boy. Come on.

I'd be damned if the bastard wasn't grinning. He shoved his weapon into his jacket and beckoned me with both hands.

"I won't hurt you, sweetheart."

Yeah, right. I was no fool. Instead of heeding his request, I swung the bat first at his kneecap, not waiting as he cried out in agony before cracking it against his jaw. Yep. I heard a sound indicating maybe, just maybe I'd broken several bones.

No time to celebrate small victories. I jumped into the car, slammed the door, and started the engine.

The asshole was just lucky he jumped out of the way before I ran him over. I floored it to the other side of the parking lot, not caring if I careened into traffic. In my rearview mirror, the light over the parking lot allowed me to see the other three, two raising their weapons. I spun the steering wheel of the car, jerking onto the road just as shots were fired.

A sound reminding me of a small explosion occurred, but I didn't stop, pressing down on the accelerator and narrowly avoiding hitting an oncoming car. With my heart in my throat, my hands white knuckled on the steering wheel, I sped down the busy road heading for the freeway.

Where the hell was I going to go? Who could help me?

I was frantic, almost hyperventilating.

Where? Where was I safe? Sofiya was out of the country, but I wouldn't put her life at risk anyway. Oh, God.

A light popped on in my brain. There was only one person who could help.

The question was, would he?