1 PROLOGUE

Love has its place, as does hate.

Peace has its place, as does war.

Mercy has its place, as do cruelty and revenge.

-Meir Kahane

Harvard University, Cambrigde Massachusetts, 2000

It hurt like her heart was literally being pulled into pieces.

Darkness met light.

Passion met compassion.

His crazy matched hers and it was a night of epic perfection.

She needed it to leave it like that. Never again would she find such an unmatched feeling of togetherness or being a part of someone, something bigger than herself.

Alex had changed something inside her, something irrevocably fundamental. But in fact, because of this change or even despite it, she had to do this.

She had to right the wrong and get revenge for those stolen from her way before their time. She had already lost so much in her young life. It was enough to drive anyone mad or chronically depressed. Sometimes, Cat struggled to wake up and face the day. But then she remembered the face of the monster who had stolen everything from her. A fiery sense of determination and blood-boiling fury would course through her being and sustain her enough to face reality.

She hurried across the quad with only a backpack containing the few precious possessions she had left in this world. In her new life, she would not need anything more. Snow fell in soft whispers and misty vapors of biting cold flew around her. A breath of icy wind slithered across her back and she shivered with foreboding. Struck by the desktop wallpaper-like beauty of Harvard's landscape, she looked around and thought about this being the last place she had felt...content.

So many memories, so much happiness.

So many losses and so many regrets.

It was time to focus though. She had to take back what was owed to her. Life had been cruel – yes, but she'd learn to cope with it. Nothing and no one could stand in her way of justice and redemption. She'd pay back those who'd dared to hurt her family with bloody tears and return the pain they'd caused a hundredfold.

If it was only the last thing she ever did.

She hurried on as a shadow detached itself from the wall and Cat turned to face him. The light cast from a nearby building revealed a lithe, sturdy figure a lot taller than her father, who had been nearly 6 feet with handsome features and a wide, smiling mouth that was always pulled up on one end. To her 8-year old self, it had always felt as if he had been in on some secret or laughing away at the world's absurdity. Her father had been open and always quick to tease and encourage her. His hazel eyes always shone with life and humor. But Max's wise and dark brown eyes held secrets of such depth that she didn't think anyone would ever be able to decipher.

"Little girl," Max nodded at her as his full lips pulled down in a grimace and gestured to the unmarked SUV parked across the road. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you having second thoughts, old man?"

He chuckled as the eerie sound swept by her.

"No, little girl. But I want to make sure that you're doing this for the right reasons." He looked into the distance and she wondered if he saw the same lush landscape that she saw or something else. "Though, I'm not a conscientious man...not really." He murmured under his breath as if to himself, "God knows I tried-"

"Don't waste my time. Are we leaving or not?" She didn't care if he had meant her to hear the last part or not. But she was done waiting, it was time.

"Please forgive an old man his momentary lapse of fancy."

Though she called him old man, Cat knew he was anything but. Razor-sharp with whip reflexes his black overcoat and dark pants disguised the lethally toned body he hid underneath. He moved to exit the entrance of the school when she suddenly halted behind him. Looking back to her, Max gazed at her impassively, "Before we go, do you think I'll ever be able to return?" She asked vulnerably. There was no point in feeling guilt...now, was there?

"A very famous Chinese proverb says that on the path of revenge dig two graves." He paused expectantly and raised an eyebrow, "One for yourself."

"Don't you think it's a little late in the game to convince me otherwise?"

"Cat, I promised your parents I would do everything to keep you safe." Max's lips pursed subtly, indicating his frustration with her. But she wasn't deterred. "But you wouldn't stop digging. I have tried to discourage you time and again but you're just as persistent and stubborn as your mother."

"I know, Max but if you hadn't told me the truth, I would have found out from someplace else."

"That's why I told you the truth in the first place to stop this. This is madness and you have no idea how much I want to tie you up and throw away the key or knock you out for doing something this inpulsive and stupid."

Her breaths grew heated and shallow as she lashed out angrily, "You shouldn't have sent me to those guerrilla training camps and you shouldn't have agreed to train me for espionage. I told you I'd find a way to get to that monster myself."

"Little girl, this isn't the way to go about it. We have been after Cam Navarr since before your parents infiltrated his crime ring years ago-"

"-And have you been able to catch him?"

"He's a high functioning psychopath who has eluded the authorities for far too long. His power grows day by day and with the support of high ranking officials of high-income countries, it can't remain unchecked for too long."

"I don't care about world politics and hidden agendas of corrupt souls. I want revenge for he shouldn't have fucked with mine."

"That's where you're going to make mistakes, Catrina. You just said you want revenge against Navarr. We deal in justice, little girl. Revenge and justice are two very different concepts to not know the difference between them. You're too close to this and I don't think you're ready for-"

"I'm not ready for facing a monster? Don't talk to me about justice, Max. Where was your justice when-" Her voice broke and she panted as she tried to control the tears and painful lump lodged in her throat. She hated feeling this...absolutely hated the fury and helplessness that arose in her whenever she thought about her past.

"Cat," She felt Max's large hands on her back rubbing and offering comfort. But she was not some weak, little girl who needed coddling. She was not the same vulnerable girl who'd stood by helplessly unable to change the winds of fate and time. She shook off the bout of weakness and negativity that had assailed her and stared determinedly at Max.

"No Max, enough. Cam Navarr is done. He doesn't get to whore out and snort snow anymore on his birthdays or deserve even a modicum of peaceful sleep. Not when his sins and cruelty have spread their darkness in my life. This ends now, his vicious era ends, right the fuck now." Her gloved forefinger stabbed the air to enunciate her point.

"What about you? What about your future, your plans, and him?"

Her heart stopped for a second as Max's whispered question pierced the red haze of her vision. "Who?"

"No need to pretend. I know everything there is to know about you."

"Not everything," She sassed back.

"Everything of importance then."

But of course, Max knew everything about her. She shouldn't be surprised that he had someone keeping an eye on her at school. "Leave him out of this. He has nothing to do with this. Not anymore. He deserves someone who is...whole and will bring him love, light, and happiness, not someone...like me."

"Someone trustworthy, kind, and beautiful like you?"

"Maybe," She looked sideways and sighed. "Once upon a time that was me."

Passion.

Heat.

She couldn't think of the glorious night she had spent with Alex. Not now. Not when the stakes were even higher than she could possibly imagine. What sort of life would that be for her...for them?

"It's best he doesn't know about any of this. I've taken precautions. Tomorrow he will find out that I have dropped out and my old life will...cease to be. It will be like I never existed."

"Very good. You are already learning then. C'mon, let's go. It's time."