Page 1

CHAPTER 1

Vince

Of course, he would have the lungs of a diver. Checking my watch.Fuck it. I pulled him out of the water and repeatedly hit his head on the corner of the kitchen bench. Nothing like blunt force trauma to speed up a death.

Finally, he went limp. What a fucking mess.

Immediately I fought back the urge to smash his head in again, when I saw the blood on my shirt. Great. Madeline would scold me for that. Even dead, this man caused me unnecessary problems.

I dropped his body and started to wash my hands.

The one thing she asked of me tonight and now, thanks to this fucker, I was breaking my word.

At least it is just on the shirt. The last thing I wanted was to upset her by ruining another suit.

Maybe she wouldn’t notice.

I stepped over his body, rolled my sleeves down, and grabbed my suit jacket. Leaving them to clean up that bloody mess.

Over an hour late.

I closed the side door to the industrial kitchen and walked through the busy casino. I’d rather trade places with that prick than face the hundreds of people in that nightclub.

Thank fuck it was the last eighteenth birthday party. Any relief that thought gave me disappeared when I walked down the stairs.

Goddamn Bastion, and his need to have the music so loud. The longer I looked around, the faster my blood rushed. I pushed through the thick crowd of people to the second lounge.

Practicing my breathing exercises as I walked towards Nikolai at the bar.

“I thought we agreed on not letting Cecilia remodel an entire fucking club for one night?” I pointed back upstairs. So that explained why so many of our subcontractors were unavailable last week.

Of course, he said yes to her. Behind my back. Like normal.

“She was upset after we said no to the yacht.” Nikolai shrugged as if he had any intention of not letting her have exactly what she wanted. Come tomorrow, when Sofia is upset with us about this, he can deal with it.

Shaking my head, I walked away from him. Unbelievable. Keep it even. He preaches to me daily and turns around and does this.

It was impossible to miss Madeline in a crowd. I hated how people found her so approachable. It took all my self-restraint to not glare or inflict pain at the random people always talking to her.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her back to me. Finally, I took my first easy breath since arriving here tonight. Until I realized who she was talking to.

My fucking luck.

“Vince, do you know Ivan?” She ran her fingers along my arm, not taking her eyes off him for a second.

Glaring at his extended hand. I barely tolerated his family. But for her. Don’t break his hand. Don’t break his fucking hand.

One hour late and this is what happens.

God, give me patience.

He went straight back to talking to her, and I wanted to choke that smile off his face.

Only Madeline could turn that man into a devoted pet.

I should have killed him when I was a teenager, instead of settling with only taking his kidney.

He was basically fucking her with his eyes. Over the years, I had gotten used to how men stared at her. How she dresses, moves, speaks. Everything about her drew them closer.