If the weather was a reflection of her mood, the city was going to drown.

Luna Santiago wasn’t quite sure why she was so sullen as she sat alone on her bed, staring out the tall windows of her bedroom as the rain fell in sheets, nearly obscuring the view outside. A sharp crack of thunder had her blinking, tearing her gaze away as she tried to remind herself that she didn’t need to be upset.

She needed to focus.

All around her, multiple folders were left open, revealing scores of documents inside, including surveillance images, along with enough banking information that if she were so inclined, she could have them cleaned out in hours. But it wasn’t their money she was after.

She wanted to ruin them.

Them—her mother, her sister. The family she had grown up with.

It wasn’t often that one targeted their own family, especially in the singular way in which she wanted to ensure they went down, but not everyone had a family like hers, especially one that had been willing to offer her up as collateral if that meant achieving power and status.

Carmen Rivera was the same woman who had bandaged her scraped knees, made her soup when she was sick, and provided for her as only a mother could.

Ariana had acted as most older sisters did, but she was still there when Luna needed her, and hung out when she could find the time.

But after knowing what they had done, it was harder to think of those good times when she could now only remember the way her mother would lose her temper if things didn’t go exactly as she wanted, or how her sister had boldly proclaimed that she didn’t want a sister because she hated Luna.

It is far easier to remember the bad, she thought.

Ever since she had returned from New York—first to learn about the new assignment that Uilleam had assigned her to, then sticking around to help Celt, another mercenary in the Den, with a small problem, and finally to attend a marriage counseling session with her husband—she had been knee-deep in studying the files, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before Uilleam was sending her off to California to do his bidding.

It was the price she had to pay when she agreed to become a mercenary under his control.

Back then, the decision had been an easy one—one that she hadn’t needed to consider because she had only thought about the revenge she would get against Lawrence Kendall, her former captor and tormentor. It was easy to sign her name on the document that promised she would be giving up five years of her life for a man she really didn’t know, but one that had helped her all the same.

Eighteen months ago, that decision had come back to bite her on the ass.

Learning the truth about what had happened to her, and how she had ended up with the Kendall family in the first place had turned her world on its axis, and she hadn’t handled it well—not that anyone would have been able to had it happened to them.

Now, she wasn’t quite sure what to do.

It had all seemed rather simple when she had her anger to hold onto and she could push Kit away and pretend that he didn’t matter. But now, she wasn’t quite so angry.

Turning her attention back to the files in front of her, she tried to pay attention to what she was reading, but she had gone over these files dozens of times, and there was nothing within them she didn’t already know.

But a door closing had Luna jerking her head up, eyes going to her closed bedroom door a moment before she was pulling the Glock she kept from under her pillow, her thumb on the hammer.

Careful not to rustle the papers, she slid off her bed, staying on her toes as she started across the room and laid a hand on the door handle, easing it down before gradually opening the door.

Whoever had thought to break into her condo would have a rude awakening once she—Luna came to a stop in the open doorway as she got a good look at who had entered her place and made themselves at home on her sofa.

“Is this going to be a thing now?” she asked as she lowered her weapon. “When one of you leaves, the other takes his place?”

Uilleam Runehart was her handler and the man who signed her checks, but beyond his role as the Kingmaker, he was also her brother-in-law. Not many knew of the connection between them—it wasn’t as though she was going around broadcasting this fact to anyone—but then again, not many knew she was married either since she had stopped wearing her ring.

When Uilleam didn’t respond, Luna sighed, walking further into the room and circled the chair he sat in to finally face him.

What she saw in his face brought her up short.

He looked … haunted.

“Uilleam? What’s wrong?”

He was studying the chessboard in front of him, one he had to have brought himself since she was pretty sure she didn’t own one.

“Have you ever played chess, Luna?” he asked, his voice low, and his gaze still on the board in front of him.

“Once or twice with Kit,” she said, sinking into the seat opposite him.

“Would you like to play a game? It’s been ages since I’ve played.”

Not quite sure where this was going or why his mood seemed so somber, Luna sat forward a little. “Sure, Uilleam.”

It was rare that he asked for what he wanted, opposed to demanded, but his change in demeanor wasn’t something she was happy about—she was concerned.

They sat in silence as he maneuvered the glass pieces around the board—his movements methodical as his gaze was focused on what he was doing, giving her the opportunity to study him.

His tie was loosened, his jacket missing, and the front of his vest left undone.

Even haggard, Uilleam still looked more put together than most, but this was Uilleam, and anything out of the ordinary was concerning.

As he sat back with a sigh, he gestured to the board with a broad sweep of his hand. “Ladies first.”

Luna wasn’t thinking about trying to win or even what she was doing, so she just picked up a pawn and moved it forward two places.

“Has my brother ever told you about Karina Ashworth?” he asked a moment before he moved his own piece.

Luna froze. She knew the name, though she didn’t know much about the woman it was attached to. She knew Karina had been close to Uilleam, even knew that she was the only woman he had ever loved, but outside of that, nothing.

“A little—not very much,” she said, hoping her knowing anything wouldn’t be a problem. Kit had always said that Uilleam was sensitive when it came to talking about her.

“Outside of a select few, she was one of the only people—maybe even the only person—that I told about you,” Uilleam said.

“About me?”

“Right after it happened, when I sent a team down to take you, I told her of my plans—or at least about the contract I had agreed to. She never let me finish explaining the rest of it considering how furious she was with me.”

Luna didn’t respond but did take his pawn with her knight. Briefly glancing up to check his reaction, she noticed he didn’t seem particularly bothered by the move she made—almost as though he’d predicted it.

“It wasn’t our first fight, but it was memorable.”

“What was she like?” Luna asked, genuinely curious.

Not many, outside of Kit, were willing to challenge Uilleam on the decisions he made and the lives he disrupted, but Karina seemed to have been one of them.

She’d wondered, once upon a blue moon, what kind of woman would grab Uilleam’s attention long enough to keep it.

His smile was wistful as his gaze swept over the board. “Smart and resourceful. Kind but cunning. We easily matched wits and I don’t believe there has, or ever will be, a better companion for me.”

Luna was less interested in the game and more interested in what Uilleam was saying. “What happened to her?”

A myriad of expressions crossed his face until he settled on one that was a mix of anguish and fury. “She was taken from me.”

“By whom?”

He leveled a look on her that told her she already knew the answer to this.

“Elias.”

Uilleam nodded once. “It took me ages to even learn the man’s name. I’d been chasing a ghost for years, but when he’d had me shot, he made his first mistake. It was much easier to track him then. It was only a matter of time before he made another mistake that I could exploit.”

That mistake had been working with an Irish mobster who just so happened to be on Red’s bad side.

Sometimes, Luna wondered whether Uilleam’s skill as the Kingmaker was through sheer luck or whether he was just that good at predicting another’s move.

“And the painting you sent Celt after?”

“That was only because I was bored and wanted to elicit a reaction out of him. The mistress’ involvement was a welcome distraction.”

Luna had a sudden thought. “What makes you think Elias took her from you?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well … if you hadn’t known his name, or even how to find the man, how do you know it was even because of him that Karina died?”

Uilleam flinched.

It took her a moment to realize that over the course of the conversation, he had never said that Karina died or even that she was killed. Rather, he said she was taken from him.

For some reason, that made her sad for him.

“No, he didn’t immediately come out and claim responsibility, if that’s what you’re asking. For months, I knew … nothing. I couldn’t find anything, no matter who I sent. But Elias was eager to share his success once I was spiraling down into a black hole—the man who felled the Kingmaker. Even if temporary, it was enough for him to start an empire.”

Luna had a hard time imagining that Uilleam was anything less than the resilient man he was. The thought of him wasting away because of heartache … it just didn’t seem feasible.

“But you obviously got better,” Luna said quietly, plucking a knight of his from the board with a little more relish than necessary. He was making this too easy.

But again, whereas she thought he would have looked displeased at her move, he didn’t look bothered at all.

“I didn’t get better,” he said as his gaze scanned the board. “I got angry.”

In her eagerness to capture one of his pieces, she hadn’t paid attention to the greater picture—the strategy he was setting up. Once, she had never understood how someone could be good at chess.

One couldn’t possibly know each and every move to make, especially when playing against another person. There was too much room for chance, for error.

Uilleam made it look effortless as he moved his rook down the board. “Checkmate.”

She was baffled. “I obviously forgot how good you are at this.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself,” Uilleam said, standing and going over to the bar. “You’re not the only one who’s made this mistake.”

And the arrogance was back …

Uilleam picked up a frosted bottle of vodka, pouring a healthy amount into one of the crystal tumblers. Once he was seated again, it looked like whatever momentary satisfaction he got out of winning the game had faded.

For a moment, as he held that glass aloft in his hand, Uilleam looked … lost. “She was the best and worst thing that ever happened to me.”

Luna didn’t think she had ever heard any relationship described quite like that. “Why do you say that?”

He downed the last of his vodka. “Karina showed me what it meant to truly love someone without question … but she also showed me that love makes you weak.”

With those parting words, Uilleam climbed to his feet and crossed to her side. “I’m helping myself to your spare bedroom.” And once he placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead, he added, “Thank you for listening.”

He didn’t wait for a response as he disappeared behind the bedroom door, leaving her sitting there watching after him.

Luna didn’t have the slightest idea what to think.

---

The next morning, everything was back to normal.

When Luna ventured outside of her bedroom, Uilleam was already awake and dressed—unlike the night before, his navy suit was pressed, and the thin red tie he wore was held in place by a silver clip.

The vulnerability in his gaze was gone, as well as the fatigue that had seemed to weigh on his shoulders. He was the Kingmaker once more.

“I have another gift for you,” he said, with a gesture of his hand to the vacant seat across from him at the table where a domed tray waited.

“How long have you been awake?” she asked as she ventured closer hesitantly, not quite sure what had caused the change in his mood. Knowing him, it probably wasn’t anything good.

“A few hours.”

It was only nine in the morning … “Another surprise?” she asked as she took the seat opposite him. “I’m starting to feel special.”

“Oh, you’re very special,” he said as he retrieved a sleek black box from his breast pocket and slid it over to her. “More than you’ll ever know.”

There was no inflection to his words, no trace that he didn’t mean what he said. Sometimes, she forgot how sweet he could be.

“What is this?” she asked, running her fingers over the velvet case, almost a little afraid of what might be inside. “The last time I accepted a gift from a Runehart …” She didn’t have to finish that statement.

“Consider it a late wedding present.”

Luna pondered over it a moment longer before finally picking it up and flipping the top open to find a key fob inside, the pitchfork logo inscribed on the front of it gleaming silver and bright.

“A Maserati, Uilleam?” This was what he wanted to give her? “When did you even buy this?”

Removing his own tray covering, he scanned over the offerings. “This morning.”

Picking up the linen napkin off the table, he tucked it into the collar of his shirt before picking up his knife and fork and cutting into French toast.

“What kind of strings come attached to this … gift?”

Uilleam might have been prone to doing things in the heat of the moment, but there was always a benefit to himself with whatever favor or gift he extended.

“This one is freely given, I promise. Besides, you’re going to need a car where we’re going and better this one to blend in with the crowd.”

“Everyone drives expensive sports cars where we’re going?” she asked.

Uilleam smirked as he wiped his mouth. “Have you never been to Los Angeles?”

No, actually she hadn’t.

For the first thirteen years of her life, she had never stepped foot outside of San Jose, then the next three were spent as a captive, and after learning her mother and sister had reinvented themselves in Los Angeles, she had made sure never to visit.

She didn’t want to tempt herself.

Reading her expression, he said, “Then you’re in for an experience. Now, if you’d get dressed, we can be on our way.”

Luna didn’t waste time arguing, knowing that Uilleam wouldn’t reveal any part of his plan before he was ready. She used to think it was the thrill of knowing more than others, but she had learned there was a method to what he did—almost like he needed to control people’s reactions as well.

Showering rather quickly, she twisted wet hair up into a messy bun to dry. She pulled a rather large suitcase from the closet, packing only what she would need—more weapons than clothes. The latter she could always get while she was there, but finding high-quality weaponry on short notice was more work than she needed.

Despite it being only ten in the morning, men and women alike were swaying drunkenly through the lobby, heading upstairs to beds they were probably dying to get in, or off to the restaurant for something greasy.

Either way, Uilleam didn’t seem as conscious of showing his face as he usually did.

“I don’t understand how you can possibly enjoy this godforsaken heat,” Uilleam complained as they stepped outside, adjusting his already straightened tie.

“Most don’t wear three-piece suits out here unless it’s at night,” Luna said with a slight smile. And as a girl in glorified pasties and a thong walked by, she added, “Or nothing at all.”

Uilleam handed over a slip of paper to the valet, waiting until it was called up before turning his attention back to Luna. “At least you won’t have to worry about it anymore since you’ll be going home very soon.”

Luna’s brows shot up. “Sorry?”

“Marriage counseling went well, no? I’m sure you and my brother will find your way back to each other soon enough—perhaps after a little murder?”

“When did you start advocating for Kit?”

Some days, it was just a mild annoyance between the pair of them, but with each year that passed, it seemed that distaste had grown to a mild hatred.

“I’ve always been a supporter of your relationship. I’d hoped to spark a romance when I paired you two together.”

Luna rolled her eyes—she didn’t believe that for a second. “Do you just make up shit in your own head to fit your agenda?”

“It works well for me, no? But in this case, it’s true. I’ll admit that I had some negative intentions. I did hope to hurt him through you, after all.”

Only Uilleam would willingly admit to trying to manipulate people and not have a problem with it.

They were interrupted by the valet arriving in a pearly white Maserati. Luna had never considered herself much of a car buff—she had a better eye for motorcycles—but she had to admit that this one was a work of art.

“White for the innocent,” Uilleam murmured beside her.

To anyone else, those words might have been offensive. Uilleam knew all too well what she had been forced to do before he’d found her at the Kendall estate.

But, white white also signified purity, but in the context Uilleam was using, he meant she hadn’t deserved what happened to her.

She was innocent.

“Sometimes, you’re not so bad.”

“I aspire to grace when I’m in the mood.” Uilleam waved for her to go around to the other side. “You’re driving.”

“Seriously?” she asked as he took her bag and placed it in the trunk. “I would think a control freak like you would be adamant about being behind the wheel.”

“I much prefer being driven—it allows me the chance to think.”

Luna smirked as she slid into the driver’s seat, inhaling the new car smell mixed with leather. “Or rather because you’re high maintenance.”

“If you’re ready …” he said, looking a bit aggrieved.

Taking off, Luna turned right on the Sunset Strip, heading out of the city proper. “What airstrip are we going to?”

“I thought we would drive,” Uilleam said as he got comfortable, pulling his phone from his pocket. “We can take this time to catch up on all relevant information before we arrive. As I’ve said, plans have changed.”

“Changed how, exactly?”

When she had flown to New York weeks ago for her assignment, he had made it crystal clear that she was going to California whether she liked it or not, and that she would be protecting her mother when she was there.

She felt about it then as she did now—she didn’t want to do it.

In the years she’d spent with the Den, Luna had tried very hard to distance herself from her past. Not just because of what happened with Lawrence Kendall—her former jailer and tormentor—but also because of who she had once been.

That innocent girl had no place in a life like this and had she been anything like she was before, Luna didn’t think she would be able to stomach what she did.

And having to swallow her pride and accept a job that she didn’t want … it took more out of her than she realized.

In her case though, the choice had been less of a choice and more of a demand—the one and only time Uilleam had brought up the debt she owed him.

While most had come to the Den by their own volition, Luna had been bought by Uilleam then sent to Kit for training.

Her having fallen in love with his brother and ultimately marrying him had never been part of the plan.

“What do you know about a man named Elias?”

Not much at all.

There was only the brief question about him from Red and Celt and what little Kit had told her about him during their counseling session.

Like his threatening everyone Kit loved in a bid to get him to do what he wanted.

And the other thing …

“He was the one who hired the Jackal,” Luna said quietly, glancing over in his direction.

Some names just held a lot of meaning and this Elias … his conjured hate in more than just one person.

The Jackal … his inspired fear.

Uilleam nodded once. “He did. He’s also responsible for quite a few of the atrocities in my life—not to mention my business. His attempt to ruin me has cost me money, and that displeases me.”

“But he has a lot of leverage,” Luna said, shifting gears as the car picked up in speed. She was definitely going to love this car. “And that’s just what he has on Kit. I can only imagine what he might have on you.”

“I imagine it to be extensive, but there’s a lesson he hasn’t seemed to grasp from previous enemies of mine.”

“What’s that?”

Uilleam’s smile grew. “He won’t win.”

It was hard not to believe something Uilleam said.

He spoke with such a finality that it made it impossible to question him.

“But how can you do anything if he has people watching us at every turn?”

“Missions, like the one he took on, take time and patience—both of which our good friend, Elias, doesn’t seem to possess. After a year of my brother’s willful obedience, he downgraded his surveillance to you and Kit. Not to mention, his attention has been pulled in several directions.”

Because of him, Luna knew.

First, Red’s assignment had been to just learn the man’s name. Then Celt successfully stopped the sale of a painting that had once belonged to the Runehart family.

Both had torn apart deals Elias had intended to make.

Was that the same tactic Uilleam intended to use her for?

“Okay, so what do you need me to do?”

“Do what you do best, Calavera,” Uilleam said, using the name he rarely did. “Be the spider.”

“You want me to find information? What’s left to find that you don’t already have?”

“To topple an empire,” Uilleam said, “you don’t start with the queen—you start with her pawns.”

“Which of Carmen’s pawns are you trying to take out first?”

“We’ll start with Caesar then Ariana is next.”

Her sister.

Luna was sure she should have felt something more than grudging acceptance at the idea that she would be working with the Kingmaker to destroy her own family, but she couldn’t muster any sadness.

“How exactly do you expect us to accomplish this?”

“Caesar’s destruction has already been put into motion. Our friendly sniper is taking care of that.”

“Red?” Luna asked, surprise coloring her words.

She hadn’t talked to Red since she left New York, though she had heard his twins were born on Christmas. She couldn’t imagine what the Kingmaker had promised him to get him away from his newborns so soon.

“And once he’s out of the picture, we can move on to Ariana, but it will be much easier to show you how she’ll face her ruin rather than tell you.”

While she was dying to know what he intended, it was only a matter of time before she found out the truth.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, and as desert turned to lush palm trees, Luna tried to contain her wandering eyes as she tried to take in everything she was seeing.

She definitely saw what Uilleam had meant when it came to the cars in Los Angeles—though there were still a number of ‘regular’ cars as well.

“Turn off here,” Uilleam instructed as he signaled for her to get off the interstate.

Before long, she was pulling into the driveway of a house so close to the beach that she could smell the salt in the air. It reminded her of Skorpion’s beachside condo that she had only ever seen in pictures.

Unlike her condo in Vegas, with its sharp lines and dark palette, this bungalow was more open and airy with its light colors and subtle design—though a tap of her knuckles against the windows told her the glass was reinforced.

But as she walked around the living room, looking everything over, it felt almost … familiar, though she knew she had never been here before.

Putting it out of her mind, Luna headed for the master bedroom on the ground floor, and once she was inside, she realized all too quickly why it seemed so familiar.

From the crisp white sheets and duvet to the French doors that led out to a pool of gleaming water.

There were subtle variances, sure, but this room, and the house even, had been modeled after the bungalow in Bora Bora.

Kit and his gifts.

She had no doubt this was his doing. He liked his surprises, liked making her smile, and probably knowing that she was coming here, he had told Uilleam to gift this to her without saying a word.

“What are the two of you up to?” she asked as Uilleam ventured in after her, failing to keep the knowing look off his face.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean.”

“Of course not.”

“You would need somewhere to stay while you conduct business—this is far better than a hotel, no?”

“Sure.”

Though Luna didn’t mind hotels, she didn’t often like staying in them for long periods of time. Housekeeping had a tendency to want to clean when she wasn’t in the room, and that never boded well if she left her equipment lying around.

“While I’d love to stay, we both need to ready for tonight. I’ve left a dress for you in the closet. Make sure you look adequate for a night at the opera.”

The opera?

Luna didn’t have time to question him before he was back out the door.

---

Despite their years together, Kit had never taken her to the opera—not that she was complaining, she had never thought it sounded interesting—but she knew that when going to the theater, one was expected to look their best.

Uilleam wore a tuxedo, complete with a bowtie with his strawberry-blond hair styled—he looked every bit his moniker.

While Luna had gotten dressed for the evening, she hadn’t known what to expect, as was the case with her handler most of the time, but when she’d pulled the red satin dress from the black bag in the closet, she had to admit he had impeccable taste.

“Your job doesn’t officially begin until the end of this night,” Uilleam explained after he passed the attendant a pair of tickets before sweeping her through the private entrance and into the warmly lit interior of the building. “Let’s just consider this a token of my appreciation.”

Through a set of double doors at the end of the hall and up a private elevator that opened to the East wing of the theater, Luna wasn’t the least bit surprised that the balcony they entered was empty, but she was surprised at how open they were to the rest of the room.

Uilleam valued his anonymity, and she didn’t think he would ever put himself out there like this … especially after what happened with the Jackal.

“Thanks …” she offered, though she wasn’t quite sure what she was thanking him for just yet. “Did you actually pay for these tickets?”

“They were offered as an act of good faith from a potential client,” Uilleam explained as he guided her to her seat then ventured back to the small bar area where he poured two flutes of champagne. “But this isn’t the token, I assure you. I hate the opera.”

Uilleam was strange, and she had long since stopped trying to figure him out.

“Tell me,” he said as he claimed his seat, passing her one of the glasses. “How well can you see the balcony across from us?”

Without hesitation, her gaze turned in the direction he indicated, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of who she was seeing. After a moment, her gaze adjusted to the dim light, and she stiffened as she saw who was seated there.

“Ariana, and … I can’t really see the other person.”

He was distinctly male, however, but his face was shrouded in shadows.

Uilleam passed her a pair of glasses, ones that seemed rather ordinary at first glance, but once she had them on, she realized they made it far easier to see in the darkness.

Now, she could better see Ariana and the man she was seated next to.

Kit.

Luna didn’t think she would ever enjoy the sight of them together, of knowing what she did about her sister with the added knowledge that her husband was now protecting her.

Unbidden, she thought about their session with Dr. Marie, and the way he had so casually spoken about why he had needed to do this, but even as she knew there was no reason she should still be angry with him … it was hard letting that go.

Despite herself, jealousy reared its ugly head.

Ariana had always been the pretty one, the one everyone wanted to spoil because it was so easy for her to wrap people around her finger. She couldn’t help it had always been that way, but Luna didn’t like the idea of her trying to wrap Kit around her finger.

And she knew that was exactly what she was trying to do judging from that coy little smile on her face as she focused her undivided attention on him.

“So part of his job is taking her to the opera?”

An amused smile curled Uilleam’s mouth as he regarded her. “Feeling a bit territorial?”

“Just answer the question. You obviously know something I don’t.”

“Patience, Luna. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves when the night has just started.”

People were still filling in all around the theater, taking their seats as the murmurs grew in volume—at least, until the lights started to dim.

It was during the hush that she noticed the doors behind Kit and Ariana swinging open. Carmen entered first, then Caesar, and finally, another man who was only vaguely familiar because of the file she had on the rest of them.

Luna could just see the blurred edges of the black and gray tattoos that covered nearly every inch of the exposed skin on his hands and throat.

Agustín Contreras—The Saint. Rumors as to how he had acquired the name varied, with some speaking of his killing an enemy in the ruins of an old church, or another where he had murdered a man with a crucifix, but of all of them, they said the man said a prayer for each and every man that he put in the ground.

He also happened to be Ariana’s fiancé.

The first time Luna had seen him during her research into her family, he hadn’t seemed to be like anything she expected her sister to want in a man. The one boyfriend she could remember Ariana having had been blond, blue-eyed, and wore plaid shorts.

Agustín was definitely not that.

But then again, she didn’t really know her sister anymore. They might not have always gotten along—Ariana never enjoyed having her younger sister tag along for the things she wanted to do—but Luna had never thought her sister would have gladly gone along with her kidnapping and murder plot.

But she hadn’t expected it of her own mother either.

Ariana startled as the other guests of her booth entered, removing the wandering hand she had drifting over Kit’s shoulder. If Luna could see her doing it, she didn’t doubt that Agustín hadn’t missed it, but if he cared that his fiancée was obviously interested in another man, he didn’t seem to care.

As he took the seat opposite her, offering a nod of acknowledgment to Kit, he focused his bored gaze on the stage below. He didn’t look like he wanted to be there any more than Luna did.

“A whole family affair,” Luna mumbled as she looked over at Uilleam.

“It seems so. Tell me, how much do you know about the Contreras Cartel?” Uilleam asked, taking a sip of his champagne.

“They’re looking to expand,” Luna answered, reciting information she had memorized. “His father died seven months ago, right? Now, he’s the head of the cartel, and he wants to do more business stateside.”

“Good to see you’re paying attention.”

Luna rolled her eyes, refusing to even acknowledge that. “I know he wants the connections Carmen and Caesar have, but I can’t figure out why he would willingly get into a relationship with Ariana.”

“As you said—connections. You’re correct in thinking that he wants Caesar’s connections, but you’re missing that Carmen wants a number of his. She was willing to sacrifice one daughter—don’t think she’s above using the other for her own gain as well.”

She couldn’t decide who was more disgusting for that trade—her mother for offering it, or Agustín for accepting it.

“And so long as Ariana has Agustín’s ear, Carmen can have an inside man. Not a bad plan, really, but she didn’t account for the fact that her daughter spreads her legs for anyone, and a man, even one as desperate as Agustín, would get annoyed with that fact.”

Not sure what to say to that, Luna remained silent, more focused on the booth across from them rather than the show that was starting as a man in a powdered white wig came out from behind the curtains, a spotlight beaming down on him.

“You won’t be going to work for your mother,” Uilleam went on, his voice lower. “And if everything goes according to plan, the two of you won’t ever cross paths until the end where you can gloat after a job well done.”

“Then why are we here?” she asked, glancing at him.

“We’re here to watch a man die.” Even in the darkness, she could see the white of his teeth. “By the time you get home this evening, a new file will be waiting for you—Winter as well, since I’m sure you’ll be needing her assistance.”

“A new file?” she asked. “On who?”

She didn’t think anyone was left connected to Carmen or Ariana who she hadn’t investigated thoroughly.

“In due time, Luna.” Uilleam reached over to squeeze her hand, forcing her attention back to him. But he wasn’t looking at her. “My brother has always been a planner, you know. He’s quite talented that way. While I’m loathed to admit it, that talent coupled with his abilities as a master assassin … well, that makes him a bit of a formidable opponent, no?”

Luna nodded. She might not have known what he was getting at, but she knew his words were true.

“Now, I like to think that it’s not just in the planning. Variables change, and sometimes, you can’t account for human error. I have a vision, you understand, one that changes with each new opponent I face. In the end, I make sure that what I want comes to fruition no matter what.”

“Because of Karina?” Luna dared to ask.

She didn’t think she would ever forget the name now that he had shared it and the stories that went along with it. The anguish she had heard in his voice when he spoke of her … It felt like this ghost of a woman was the only thing capable of making Uilleam feel.

Uilleam’s gaze dropped to the glass in his hand then back at her for an uncomfortable moment. “Yes.”

She was surprised he had admitted as much. “Okay.”

“Now, imagine that a single individual manages to piss off these two people. If we’re this powerful as individuals, can you imagine what we’re capable of when we work together?”

Luna didn’t answer, though she knew the answer.

It didn’t spell good things for Elias.

As the singing grew in pitch, Uilleam sat up a little straighter, sliding on a pair of glasses of his own. “Ah, the crescendo. It’s time for the game to begin.”

Luna’s gaze shot over to the other balcony, and to her surprise, she found Kit looking in their direction—at her.

There was a curious expression on his face, one that made her wish she could read his thoughts, but it blanked over once he realized she was looking at him.

But not before a corner of his mouth turned up.

And with it came the sharp crack of a gunshot, the abrupt silencing of the signing on stage as screams reverberated around the room as people fled in terror.

Ariana’s startled wail dragged Luna’s attention back to the balcony and away from where she thought the shot had come from. By now, Red had probably gotten his rifle broken down, and he was already gone.

Caesar was collapsed back in his seat, a bullet hole in his forehead as a rivulet of blood rolled down his face.

Armed men had stormed into the booth, guns drawn, but they couldn’t do anything—he was already dead.

Carmen was on her feet, disbelief coloring her face as blood stained the front of her dress and the side of her face. Her eyes might have been wide, but she didn’t look surprised. Of course, she didn’t, she had known this was coming.

She’d arranged it.

As her security escorted her and Ariana from the box, Agustín not too far behind—and he didn’t look bothered in the slightest by Caesar’s death—Kit remained for a few moments longer.

Just long enough that he offered her a wink before he too was gone.

Yeah, the game was definitely on.