CHAPTER 1

RONAN

“I need you to focus, Ron. This isn't one of your little social experiments.”

I press the phone to my ear, wincing as the bass from Club Ombra vibrates through the sidewalk and straight into my optic nerve. My mother’s voice is like a serrated blade—cold, sharp, and precise.

“Tess, please,” I mutter, leaning against the cold metal of my Porsche. “The night is young, and my head is currently being used as a structural drum for a construction crew. Can we do this later?”

“We do this now,” Theresa Nalila snaps. There is no warmth in her tone, only the weight of the Crimson Dragons’ legacy. “The Castellanos are breathing down my neck about the New York shipments. They think you’re too busy playing host to notice the leak in our finances.”

I pop the cap of my pill bottle with one hand, shaking out two white tablets. My vision swims for a second—a jagged halo of purple neon framing the entrance to the club. “I have everything under control. The ‘leak’ is being tracked. I’m a captain, Mother, not a clerk.”

“You are a Hwan by blood and a leader by my grace,” she counters. “But while you’re busy chasing headaches and hedonism, someone is systematically dismantling our shell companies. Director Hart at Camelot has a new dog on a leash—someone they’re calling ‘The Ledger.’ He’s already frozen three accounts in the Cayman Islands.”

I swallow the pills dry, the bitterness coating my tongue. “The Ledger? Sounds like a boring accountant.”

“He’s the man who is going to put a noose around your neck if you don’t find him first. He’s tactical, he’s invisible, and he’s angry. Don’t disappoint me again, Ronan. The family doesn’t have room for a son who can’t hold his own weight.”

The line goes dead. I stare at the screen for a moment, the throbbing in my skull reaching a crescendo. The Ledger. I’m pocketing my phone when Mike—no, Mike is the alias he’ll use later—when Julian Knox pulls up. In typical Julian fashion, he’s trying his hardest to be impressive. He slides his Lamborghini to the curb, the engine roaring like a wounded beast, neon underglow bleeding onto the asphalt.

Julian steps out, looking like he got dressed in a designer dumpster. A metallic bomber jacket, oversized shades, and high-tops that probably cost more than a mid-sized sedan. He runs a hand through his bleached-blonde hair, grinning like he hasn't a care in the world.

“Tell me I don’t look like a million bucks, Ron,” Julian says, adjusted his collar. “This look? Straight from a boutique in SoHo. Very ‘underground king,’ right?”

“You look like a highlighter that’s lost its mind,” I groan, rubbing my temples. “And what is that smell? Are you wearing cologne or did you bathe in gasoline?”

“It’s called ‘Midnight Vengeance.’ Limited release. The ladies love the musk.”

“The ladies are going to think you’re a fire hazard,” I retort, clapping him on the shoulder. “Face it, Julian. You’ve been swindled. Again.”

Julian scoffs, shrugging me off. “We’ll see. I’ll have a different girl on each arm by midnight. I’m surprised you aren’t already inside. The line is around the block for the opening of the Vesuvius Room tonight.”

“My mother called,” I say, the mood shifting instantly.

“Ah. The Matriarch. Let me guess—she wants more blood, and you’ve only got a headache?”

“She says there’s a ghost in the system. Someone from Camelot is digging into the Hudson Valley accounts. They’re calling him The Ledger.”

Julian whistles low. “Camelot doesn't play. If they’ve sent a specialist, we’re in for a long winter. Did she give you a name?”

“No name. Just a reputation for being a ghost.”

“Well,” Julian says, gesturing toward the pulsing entrance of Club Ombra. “Even ghosts need to get a drink somewhere. Let’s go find him.”

The club is a sensory assault. Purple and deep crimson lights spill over the floors, polished to look like liquid obsidian. The air is thick with the scent of expensive gin and sweat. Girls in cages dance above the crowd, their movements synchronized to a beat that feels like a physical punch to my chest.

“Am I right?” Julian shouts over the music, elbowing me. “Check out the blonde at ten o’clock. You think she’s into ‘Midnight Vengeance’?”

“She’s out of your league, Julian. Everyone in this room is out of your league.”

“Big talk from the guy who looks like he’s about to vomit,” Julian laughs.

But then, he stops. His elbow digs into my ribs again, harder this time. “Wait. Ron. Look at the bar. Who the hell is that?”

I follow his gaze, my eyes cutting through the haze of the dance floor. Seated at the far end of the marble bar is a man who looks like he was carved out of shadows.

He’s wearing a charcoal suit—no tie, top button undone. He isn't dancing. He isn't scanning the room for a hookup. He’s just sitting there, sipping a neat bourbon, watching the room with a terrifying, clinical precision. His hair is dark, styled with a sharp, military-adjacent neatness, and his jawline looks like it could cut glass.

He looks like a predator disguised as a businessman.

“He’s... different,” Julian whispers, his bravado momentarily failing. “Doesn't look like a tourist.”

My heart does a strange, violent thud against my ribs. The migraine doesn't disappear, but it retreats, shoved aside by a sudden, electric surge of adrenaline.

“He’s not a tourist,” I murmur, unable to look away.

As if he can feel my eyes on him, the man turns his head. His gaze is level, cold, and incredibly blue. For a heartbeat, the entire club falls silent. He looks at me—not with curiosity, but with a recognition that sends a chill down my spine. Then, the corner of his mouth twitches into the ghost of a smirk.

“He’s dangerous,” I say, my voice dropping an octave.

“You want me to go find out who he is?” Julian asks.

“No,” I say, already stepping forward into the crowd. “This one is mine.”

ZLLIOT

“It’s not safe, Zli.”

I meet Phoebe’s gaze in the hallway mirror of our Brooklyn brownstone. I’m adjusting the cufflink on my left sleeve, the silver catching the dim light of the foyer.

“Living in New York isn't safe, Phoebe. Eating street tacos isn't safe,” I say, my voice flat. “This is a job.”

Phoebe Clarke, my tactical partner and the only person I trust with my life, crosses her arms over her chest. She’s already dressed in her gear, a sleek tactical jacket over her frame. “This isn't just a job. This is the Crimson Dragons. This is the family that killed Gina.”

The mention of my sister’s name makes my hands still for a fraction of a second. I take a breath, centering myself. “That’s exactly why I’m the one going in. I’ve mapped their financial routing for six months. I know their pulse. I know where Tess hides the ledger.”

“And what happens if you get caught? You’re a forensic accountant, Zli. You’re ‘The Ledger,’ not a field agent.”

“I was CIA before I was FBI, Phoebe. I haven't forgotten how to throw a punch.”

“Director Hart is going to have my head if you end up in a ditch in Lower Manhattan,” she mutters, though she finally steps aside.

The brownstone is quiet, filled with the smell of old wood and the high-end coffee Phoebe insists on brewing. It’s a far cry from the life I lived in Cambridge, and an even further cry from the blood-stained streets of Naples where Gina was executed.

“I’m going in as ‘Mike,’” I remind her, grabbing my burner phone from the hall table. “Standard civilian profile. I’m just a guy looking for a high-stakes game and a drink.”

“Just be careful,” she says, her voice softening. “Ronan Hwan is going to be there tonight. He’s the son. He’s unpredictable. They say he’s the muscle, but he’s smarter than he looks.”

“I’ve studied his profile,” I say, pulling on my suit jacket. “He’s a hedonist with a migraine problem. He’s a distraction, nothing more.”

“Famous last words,” Phoebe sighs.

I exit the brownstone and descend the stone steps, the New York air crisp and smelling of rain. I take the subway into Lower Manhattan, blending into the sea of people. By the time I reach the neon-drenched entrance of Club Ombra, I am no longer Zlliot Lukeson, grieving brother and federal agent.

I am Mike.

The club is a temple to excess. The music is a physical weight, the bass vibrating in my marrow. I move through the crowd, my eyes constantly scanning, recording faces, identifying security personnel, and noting the exits.

I take a seat at the bar, ordering a bourbon. I don't need to look for him; I know he’s here. I can feel the shift in the room’s energy.

Ten minutes in, I feel it—a heavy, focused gaze on the side of my face. It’s not the casual glance of a club-goer. It’s a target lock.

I turn my head slowly, meeting the eyes of the man standing twenty feet away.

Ronan Hwan.

He’s taller than the files suggested, with a sharp, restless energy that makes the air around him feel thin. He’s handsome in a way that feels like a warning—dark hair, expensive clothes, and eyes that look like they’ve seen too much.

He’s staring at me like I’m a puzzle he’s desperate to solve.

I don't look away. I let a small, mocking smirk touch my lips. I want him to come over. I want him to think he’s the hunter.

Because while he’s looking at me, he isn't looking at the flash drive I’ve just slotted into the underside of the bar’s terminal.

“You’re a long way from home, aren't you?”

I don't even have to turn to know he’s standing right behind me. His voice is a low baritone, vibrating through the back of my chair.

“I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” I say, finally turning my stool to face him.

Up close, he looks even more dangerous. And even more haunted. There’s a tension in his jaw that speaks of a pain he’s trying to hide.

“Is that so?” Ronan leans one hand on the bar, effectively pinning me into my seat. He smells of expensive whiskey and something sharp, like ozone before a storm. “Because you don't look like you’re here for the music, Mike.”

“Maybe I’m just here for the company,” I reply, my voice steady.

He laughs, a short, dark sound. “I think you’re a liar. But you’re the most interesting liar I’ve met in a long time.”

I look him dead in the eye, my mind already calculating the quickest way to break his windpipe if this goes south. “You have no idea.”