chapter 1

* 1 year before*

Lucus's pov

The sweat was practically pouring out of my skin and onto the cold cement ground. My fists shoved with the black leather bag, and it tossed and turned frantically before meeting my fist again. My breaths were panting as my chest rose and sunk in with each muscle I strained. The air filling the room was thick and heavy while I sucked in what I could before releasing it back out.

I visualised the bag as a person. A person who could murder an innocent woman and take her from her family. I imagined gripping that person by their neck and sucking the life out of them, so they could feel what it is my mother felt. I wished to seize that man and feel his whole world crumble like mine did when I found out what he did to the woman who fought and protected me. But now all I think is when she once needed my protection, I wasn't even there to give it to her. I blame myself for the passing of my mother because if I didn't let her go on that foolish run alone she would still be alive today.

My whole body was ailing with weariness by the time my anger was scarcely defused. I peeled off the leather hand wrap and grabbed the bottle of water sitting on the bench. The cool water grazed down my throat and left a sting while I devoured the liquid. My eyes were slowly shutting until a vision of my mother came into play.

"Lucus! sweetie be careful!" she yelled from across the yard. I let out a giggle as I ran to my swing set and sat on the black leather and gripped the chains that dangled above me.

"push me mommy " I call out to her. She walked over with a smile and stood behind me, giving me a small shove until I was high up in the air, swinging my feet until they touched the tree.

My eyes fastened back open when I heard the door open and slam shut. For just a second I thought about wanting to collapse on this floor and go be with my mother. But I wasn't weak. I couldn't be if I was going to be the next ruler of our mafia. My eyes locked on

Matt, as he walked with his head, held high and his arms crossed in front of his abdomen.

"The boss wants to see you", he cleared his throat. My eyes tossed back into my head at the thought of seeing his horrid face yet again. I placed the water bottle back down and picked up the black A T-shirt that hung loosely on my sticky skin.

"What else is new", I muttered low enough that Matt gave me a vague look before walking away with a tight nod. I walked in the opposite direction of him and swung the glass doors open and walked through the dimly lit corridor. My head held low as I walked past the pictures of me and my mother, our smiles hung off of our lips while we looked at each other. I made my way into the dining room where my father sat at the top and held a newspaper in his hands. His eyes

slowly studied the black and white paper before snapping up and meeting mine. His upper lip curled as I made my way to the seat beside him- not breaking eye contact.

"Nice of you to join me son", he spoke dryly while placing the paper on the black marbled table. My father was intimidating to most people but to me, I saw him as a broken person who was only loved by one- and that one was my mother. He tried to act like the bad wolf in the movie, but deep down he was always the pig who wanted to be left alone.

"Did I have a choice, father?"

"You know son", he breathed sending a nasty smirk to me. His eyebrow rose as he began to speak, his breath fanning my face,

"Now that your mother isn't here, I can finally show how Toronto is sucking man."

"You know, I'm sure mother would be disappointed in the person she fell in love with. Quite frankly father, I never understood what she saw in you. Your just a pathetic excuse for a leader", I taunted back. His hands slammed against the table and his chair creaked as he rose, standing before me. I could practically taste the venom coming off his body and seeping into my skin.

"You will not talk to me like that!" He roared sending a hand to my throat. My breathing hitched as his grip became tighter around my flesh- stopping the airflow. His face was red

and his eyes met mine for a couple of seconds before he quickly let go. He wobbled back and looked down at the floor- almost as if disappointment was in his burning green hues. I clenched the sore area and tried to get as much Oxygen in my body.

"Don't talk to me like that again."

He took a seat back down and gestured for me to do the same thing. Underneath the newspaper was a cream-coloured folder that he held in his hands, handing it to me.

My brows furrowed as I grabbed the thick folder and opened it. A girl sitting outside a Café- typing on her laptop was attached to the paper. Her brown curls were tied up in a ponytail and her eyes were deep in attention.

"What is this", I muttered to my father. He sent a nasty glare to the girl in the picture before speaking up.

"That is Davina Blackwell, age 18, who lives in New York, and the daughter of Theo Blackwell- who killed your mother." My eyes scanned her file and everything from where she was born to her daily routine was organized on the paper in bold. My face heated in wrath as I looked at her. So happy and honourable that her father killed the most good-hearted woman to ever walk this earth. "I have a mission for you, son."

"And what may this mission be?"

"You're going to get close to this girl.

Find out all the data you can about her father and their mafia. After you've completed that task." He slowly breathed and looked directly at me, "I want you to kill her."

"Why kill her? Why not you just go for the

piece of the shit father instead"

"Because son, I want that man to suffer an enormous amount of pain like we did when he took a wife and a mother from us. I want his happiness to be ripped away when he finds her cold body- as we did", he spoke with pain and fury. His voice cracked as he spoke the last part but quickly covered it up.

I find myself looking at her picture once more, before closing up the file and standing up from the chair. His eyes trailed my body while I walked out of the room.

"Your request will be completed."