Chapter One

Jack

April 2013

The meeting drones on longer as the sun begins to settle over the Chicago skyline. The two men I'm focused on sit in my office pretending to be respectable, concerned businessmen until it's time for the actual city officials to leave. What started as an early morning conference turned into a four-hour meeting.

Finally, I was able to wrap it up, standing I addressed the men who had other pressing engagements with their constituents. "Thank you for joining me today. I'll go over your offer and make a decision later on this evening and have an answer to your people by tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mr. MacNamara," Councilman Mason says.

I walk the two councilmen and their assistants out toward the bank of elevators.

As I do, I address Miss St. James. "Please serve more coffee in the conference room. I'll be in there momentarily." My assistant nods and does as I ask, pushing the cart inside with a hint of hesitation.

"Thank you again, gentlemen. It's been a pleasure." After shaking hands, I push the down button and wait for the elevator.

"Please think about our offer, Mr. MacNamara. It's a truly good deal, and we could truthfully use the investment," Councilman Ward says. That's the most honest thing that man has ever said to me, but I have to decide if I need the deal more.

"I will. I'll get back to you soon with my decision." The doors open, and they depart. My assistant is back at her desk, sorting mail, refusing to look up at me. She's been on edge since they walked in, and I can't say I blame her. As soon as they're gone, I check the weapon in my suit jacket before returning to my meeting with the two assholes in suits. Thugs masquerading as businessmen.

Both Fieri and Espinosa are menacing to the average person, drawing on their years of intimidation and brutality to get what they want and keep others at bay. I could give two shits what they think because I've dealt with a much more fucked-up man who was willing to let his wife suffer until she died just to have another son to neglect, so these pussies don't scare me.

The second I take a seat in my chair at the head of the table, Espinosa barks out, "MacNamara, have you considered the ramifications of going against the other families if you move forward with this deal on the waterfront?" My blood pressure rises higher than fucking building were in. I could shoot this fucker right between the eyes for daring to challenge me.

My hand slams against the wooden table as I stand, staring down at the other two families' heads. "Are you fucking threatening me?" My actions might be violent, but my voice comes out cool and deadly calm.

The head of the Mexican Mafia shifts in his chair. "No, no. We're just saying," he stammers like a little bitch, and I want to pull out my gun and shove it in his mouth. Who the fuck does he think he is? I just saved his ass from embarrassment last month, and he comes in here with the idea that he can talk to me like that. I gave them a chance to change their minds, and this is what I get?

"I hear what the fuck you're saying, Ernesto. You're saying that we're of opposing opinions, and that my choices only work if they align with yours. If they don't, I'll regret it. Is that correct?"

"I'm just…" He's at a loss for words like a damn coward.

"Either speak with your chest, or get out of my face. Next time, send a man to do business with me instead of a little bitch. I will do as I please. Until today, I hadn't been certain about the contract on the building on Lake Shore Drive, but now I believe the deal is a must. Now, both of you can excuse yourselves from my office, or I'll be forced to show my employees that you're not actually upstanding businessmen."

"Are they aware you're not either?" the other faux suit questions me. At least he has bigger balls, but I don't care for his challenge.

"They are aware that I'm not to be tested, Fieri. Are you?" The words exit my mouth through clenched teeth even though my voice doesn't raise a single decibel.

"Yes."

I stand up straight and tug on the edge of my suit, adjusting it calmly. "So, gentlemen, are we going to have a problem?"

"No. No, we won't," Fieri insists. The look in his eyes tells me that I'm dealing with a man of honor. Espinosa has never been one I could trust, but then again, they're both my rivals, so they can't really be trusted.

"Good. I would like us to move forward in this endeavor peacefully." I tip my chin, and they nod. Standing, each man grabs their things and then shakes my hand before exiting my conference room. Fieri passes my assistant, Molly St. James, and gives her a lingering look, one that screams he'd like to pin her to the nearest surface and do unspeakable things to her. It's an intensity that unnerves her. I almost want to laugh and punch him at the same time, because she has a job to do and I don't have time for a flighty assistant.

My assistant comes into the room in their wake, holding her notepad against her chest like a shield. She's a petite blonde who has worked for the company for two years. I don't run my illegal operations here; however, there are times when they cross paths. "Mr. MacNamara, your brother called and asked that you call him immediately."

"Which brother?" My brow raises, and she takes a step back. The men that were here had definitely intimidated her. She was used to scum in suits, except these ones were deadly. The others just threw their money around.

"Forgive me, sir," she stammers. Fixing her glasses, she bites her lip. "Ian, sir."

"Very well. I'll call him now. Make sure my guests exit the building."

"Yes, Mr. MacNamara." She shimmies back to her desk in a hurry. I almost feel bad that she's nervous, but that skittish behavior worries me. Can she be trusted? Is she just afraid of Fieri because he'd been looking at her like a meal, or is there more that she's apprehensive about? Employees understand my name is synonymous with danger, but that shouldn't make her skittish around me since I haven't given her a reason.

Instead of turning to my office, I slowly approach her desk without drawing attention to myself, and she nearly jumps out of her skin. "Sorry, Miss St. James, I didn't mean to startle you. May I ask why you seem so jumpy today?"

"Forgive me. It's just that I'm acquainted with the man that left." That doesn't sit well with me.

"Which one?" I ask, already knowing the answer after that brief exchange.

"Um…Massimo Fieri," she admits with a stammer, looking at her shoes.

"Why would he put you on edge?" She bites down on her bottom lip again, ready to gnaw it off. "Don't lie to me. Your job depends on the truth."

"Because she's been trying to deny our relationship. Right, Amore?" he says, stepping off the elevator.

I turn back to him and glare. "In my office now, Fieri."

He slides up to her side, cupping her elbow. "Molly, you try to run, and I won't let you get far." I watch as he makes his seductive threat, seeing my capable assistant try to fight the attraction that she obviously wants to deny.

He winks at her before following me into my office. The second the door is closed, I move to stand behind my desk. "You brought your woman in to spy on my company?" I questioned.

"Hardly. I only noticed her recently. My dealings with Molly have nothing to do with you or any of your matters. Rest assured, you'll be looking for a new assistant soon."

"She's not interested in you," I antagonize him.

"How long has it been for you? Molly is more than interested. She's just scared because she knows who I am and what I do." That's obvious.

"Your relationship is a conflict of interest for me."

"That's easy. She quits. Excuse me." He smirks and walks out to the lobby and directly to Molly. "Amore, grab your purse and coat."

"I'm not going with you," she huffs, crossing her arms.

"I'm afraid you are. You've just been fired. That night you spent with my dick wrapped in those pouty lips just cost you your job. Sorry." He doesn't sound the least bit sorry or conflicted about costing her job. In fact, his words and posture scream control and pride.

"Put me down," she squeals. I watch from my office door as he flips her over his shoulder.

I'm grateful that the sound echoes from her desk because I don't miss an ounce of their discussion. "The second you agree to behave."

"I'll behave." He slides her down his shoulder, and they leave the building. I almost feel bad about losing her, but I can't have my rival's woman as my administrative assistant. There's just too much shit on the line.

As I slip back into my office, I remember that my brother called. I dial up Ian's number and wait for him to answer. "Jack, hey, are you in your office or at home?"

"At the office. Why?" I'm here most days, so I'm not sure why he'd ask, but then again, he wouldn't call me for no reason either.

"I got a strange feeling when I left the compound this morning. It's been bothering me, and I just landed in Phoenix." The tension laced in his voice bothers me. It screams trouble, and I don't care for it.

My brows lift as I tilt back in my black leather chair, staring at the small picture frame on my desk. "What do you mean, a bad feeling?"

"It was too quiet."

"It's always quiet unless we're visiting John," I teased. Our youngest brother, who is only five, has been known to have massive tantrums. He's an adorable little guy with wavy brown hair and light brown eyes. Although you couldn't tell by looking at them because he'd never look you in the eye. It's one of the many quirks he has.

"I'll call over there shortly. Connor is in a meeting with my dealers at the docks this morning, so the compound should be low key." It's the way I preferred it. With my hands in so many pots, I didn't have time to borrow problems, so if the MacNamara estate remained peaceful, I was happy fucker.

"I'm talking about the guards as well." A knot forms in my gut. "They weren't around no matter where I went except at the front gate."

My brother isn't prone to panic or concern, so the hairs on the back of my neck raise at his words. His fears become mine, even though I refuse to show it. It's my job to remain in control and tough, showing no signs of weakness.

"I promise that I'll look into your concerns, Brother."

"Thank you. I worry about John." We all worry about him, me more than anyone, but pulling him from my father's grasp was harder than it looked. I didn't have the time to raise a young boy who was mentally slow and required a lot of care. I didn't even have time to find a wife. Fuck, maybe I should have taken the arranged marriage offer all those years ago. Then I would have had someone to watch John.

"Have you seen him today?" I asked my little brother.

"I said goodbye lastnight since I had to leave early this morning and I wasn't sure he'd be awake. Still, he was moody."

"Ha. What's new?" I chuckled. I wish things were different, but it doesn't stop us from loving John any less. Despite our little hiccups with our baby brother, he's a good boy with a sweet and gentle soul. Thinking anything could happen to him, sends my body into a frenzied panic.

As soon as I get off the phone with him, I call my father, checking in with him. "Jack, to what do I owe the pleasure of a call from you on a Monday morning?" he asks, sounding surprised, which I would expect because I wouldn't call him normally. "Are you checking on John?"

"It's the afternoon and yes, I'm checking on John."

He scoffs his annoyance with me, but I'm used to it. Ever since he was forced to turn over the empire to me shortly after my mother died, he's been resentful. If he hadn't fucking lost his mind and let deals slip, killed random people, and nearly cost us millions of dollars he would still be the head of the family. "John's fine. He's getting changed for the day a little later than usual. He was throwing a fit after waking up in the middle of the night."

"So, you all just got a late start this morning?"

"Yes, Jack. What's up?"

"Nothing. Just a bad feeling. Had a meeting with the councilmen over the LSD properties, and I'm about to sign the contracts."

"Tensions from the other families?"

"Yes, but they'll deal with it. I've got to let you go."

"Okay."

I pull up my call log and dial Ian back. "Hey. I spoke with Dad, and there was nothing unusual at the house. They had a late morning because John didn't sleep well last night." Before I finish the last syllable, my phone goes wild with alarms for the estate. My blood runs cold.

"Hold up, Ian." Looking at my alert it reads: Front Gate Damage.

I turn on the home security cameras only to see them cut out.

"Son of a bitch. You were right. There's an attack on the grounds." I grab two things from my office and rush to the elevator, jabbing the fucker as fast as I can. "Gotta go. Need to call reinforcements," I say, ending the call with him because he can't help me from where he's at.

I'm rushing out of the building. My phone rang as soon as the metal doors opened. "Connor, someone's on the compound," I bark out. He must have gotten the alert as well.

"I'm on the way now. I got the alert. So far, I have six guys with me. Are you at the office?" Of course, he was on a job so he had a small team ready to pounce.

"Yes, I'm on my way out now. Damn it, Ian said something didn't seem right when he left this morning, but he couldn't explain it."

"Damn it. He messaged me too, but I blew him off." I try to remain calm and keep my head clear but all I can think of is John.

"Whoever it is—is going to pay."

My security flies to my side as I reach the main lobby. "Boss, what is going on?"

"We need the vehicles, and I need all available at the estate. There's been an attack. I don't know the details, but John and my father are there."

I call my father's phone, but it just continues to ring unanswered. "Son of a bitch." I hop into my armored SUV, and my driver with two of my men ride with me and we speed off into Chicago traffic. Damn it—our family compound is still forty minutes away at this time of day. There's no way to get there more quickly without a police escort, and that shit won't happen.

My phone rings as I get closer to the property. It's my father's phone. "Dad, what's going on?"

"It's Sam. We've been hit. Ten masked men came in with guns, rammed the front gate. Your father's unconscious." Sam's breathing heavy.

"We're on our way now."

"I don't know. I'll find him." A shot rings out, and the line goes dead.

"Sam, Sam," I call out to the dead line. Fuck.

"Fuck, fuck, fucking hell. Speed up," I roar at my driver, as if he can control the assholes in front of us. I'm about to shoot these bastards if they don't open up a lane for me. The expressway isn't as bad as it could be, but the ninety is crowded enough that we can't speed.

As we approach the manor, a sense of dread fills me. The line of trees that lead to the property is ablaze. I called the police department, and they've already been alerted that there has been an incident. Thank goodness, because all that matters is my little brother. Frankly, I don't give two fucks what happens to my father. After all that he's done, he can rot in the ground where he lays, but my brother is everything to me.

When I arrive, there are medics and police along with fire trucks blaring toward the blazing trees. The houses aren't burning, but my front gate is. The massive compound holds four mansions: one for each of us, and several smaller homes for some of our staff members. The grounds are extensive, but the security is tight.

The cops are at the front, stopping the vehicles. I jump out and immediately present my ID. "Whoa, whoa. No entry yet."

"I'm the fucking owner of this entire estate. Where are my father and brother?"

"You father and brother?"

"Yes, Jack and John MacNamara."

"Jack has been taken to the hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound and several injuries, and we haven't located John. How old is John?"

"He's five. He should be with his nanny. Her name is Joanne."

"There's no female on the premises." What the fuck? Did she get John to safety? Where are they?

I look around and see several dead bodies covered by tarps. Rushing past the police, I lift up the first one and find the remains of my guards in pieces. It must have been from the explosion. One by one, I look for them. My chest burns with rage. There are so many buildings to search, but I don't want the police on my property.

"I'll pull up the surveillance footage and see if they can be found." The only house that seems to have been attacked is my father's. His is the closest to the entrance. Had this been deliberate, or was it because of the distance to the entrance?

"Maybe they fled because they didn't make it that far," a man in a suit with a police badge says, answering my unspoken question.

"Jack," Connor shouts from the entrance.

"Connor, come here. John's missing," I snarl, wanting to tear this place apart.

"What the fuck are they doing here if they aren't finding our brother? Fucking useless fucks," he snaps, glaring at the cops.

"We just arrived. We need permission to search the premises."

"You can search the grounds, but we'll check the house. Our security shows they didn't get farther than the main house here."

"Mr. MacNamara, it wouldn't be wise to hinder our investigation when it comes to your brother's location."

"Do you know something, Detective?" I snarl, getting in his face. He backs up a step.

"No, but you aren't being fully cooperative."

"I just had my home invaded. Forgive me if I don't trust anyone to look for my brother. Anyone. We will look for him. You can look for him outside of our estate. Clean up this mess, and we'll check out the surveillance to the gate that was demolished on my damn property."

"Don't scrub the footage."

"I won't." I want these assholes off my property now. The first thing I need to do is go into my father's house and look for John. "Connor. We need to search the old man's home first. According to the logs, it's the only one where the sensors were accessed. The rest of the homes have been locked down." When there is a break-in, the houses go into full lockdown unless we use special exits. Our men used them, but I fucking see them lying dead on the ground. Whoever these pricks were, they waited until we had the least amount of security on the estate and the least of us here. This was a setup and a half, but to what motherfucking end?

We search the entirety of my father's mansion with all of our men, and not a trace of our brother is found and it looks like they ransacked the place and left. "Where is John?" I mutter to myself.

Just as I exit his front door, my phone rings. "Mr. MacNamara?"

"Yes, this is him. Is my father dead?" I ask, wondering if he didn't survive his injuries.

"No, we're calling to let you know your father is out of surgery."

"Thank you. What were the extent of his injuries?"

"A bullet wound to his arm and one to his calf. Several bruised ribs and a black eye."

"When will he be released?"

"We can release him tomorrow."

"Thank you. Don't release him until I arrive personally to pick him up. Understand?" I informed the woman on the phone.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." I end the call and then find the fucking detective up my ass. "Excuse the fuck out of you. Are you here to fuck me, or is there a reason you're breathing down my neck?"

"Who were you talking to?"

"None of your damn business. Are you done here? I need everyone off my property already."

"You don't tell me what you need done. This is a major crime scene, Mr. MacNamara. It seems you don't give a shit what happens to your little brother. Did you have something to do with his kidn…" He can't get the words out because my hand is around his throat, cutting off his air supply as I lift him off the ground.

"Jack, drop him. Fuck, he's a cop."

"I don't give a fuck. He's trespassing. He's a piece of shit who's probably working with the kidnappers, and he dared to insult me." I glare at the fuck. "Getting hard to breathe?" The other cops don't move in even though they reach for their guns, but my men all have their hands on their weapons as well. I'll have everyone laid out in seconds.

"Do try something, and this place will be a round motherfucking two bloodbath. Don't come back on my fucking property again, you useless piece of shit in a cheap suit," I snarl, dropping the fuck on the ground. "I'll find my brother myself, and if I find out that any cops helped in getting my brother kidnapped, I'll make sure there will be hell to pay."

I turn to Johnny B. "Get these assholes off my land. I have to find my brother." There was a lot to discuss, and I couldn't do it with cops around being nosy. I had an idea of who was involved, but it wasn't the time or the place to have that conversation. "Connor, we need to speak in private." He nods and follows me alone.