Prologue
The Hit
Cain
G
et the money. Don’t get shot. Stay safe.
My two brothers and I prowled through the dark strip club with only the violet haze of ceiling lamps to guide us.
We kept our guns hidden for now.
Griff flanked my left.
West moved on my right.
The strip club was packed for a Sunday night.
Heart-pounding music drummed through the space.
Half-nude dancers gyrated everywhere with luscious curves and glittered skin. They bounced their asses on the laps of wealthy men. They wound their hips and did splits on the tiny stages propped in the corners of the rectangular club.
I caught a bastard copping a feel when the bouncer wasn’t looking.
Time to make some money.
My dick pressed against my pants—hard, long, and ready. But it wasn’t the dancing women that incited the erection. It was the hit. The money stuffing the pockets of drooling men. The hunger for action. The adrenaline pumping through my veins.
All those elements transformed me into an indestructible monster, ready to take care of my family by any means necessary.
I hadn’t been born into a life of crime.
Prior to Mom’s death and Dad’s mental demise, I’d been on a path to priesthood. I’d earned my bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and had just begun my master’s degree in Theology.
Then, God took a shit all over my life.
Our parents birthed ten kids. I was the oldest. Griff was next. Then, West. When our parents died, we became parents overnight.
This is for the twins.
I pictured their faces and opened my coat.
And this is for the triplets.
“Fewer bouncers tonight.” West nudged my shoulder. “The one by the door. Another near the DJ booth. And one sipping a beer at the bar.”
“West, stick to the plan and control the bar.” I checked the two big guys in the back, guarding the thick curtains that led to the Champagne Room. “Griff, are you ready?”
“I’ve got the ones by the champagne room.” Griff opened his coat, edged to the side, and then disappeared.
Short and dressed in all black, Griff hid in the darkened club with ease.
Lucky bastard.
I didn’t have the same good fortune. People saw my 6’5 ft frame coming a mile away. Plus, I’d bulked up in these recent years and found that my heavy muscle scared many well before I threatened them.
Meanwhile, most didn’t spot Griff until he jabbed his gun into their chest.
“For the family.” West opened his coat and headed off.
For the family.
A waitress winked at West as he walked by. We’d all been blessed with good looks, but West was the true pretty boy. On the weekends, one could find him brushing his short hair for hours.
Meanwhile, I kept my black hair short and face shaved, not wanting too much maintenance.
We’ll make it out with the money. We’ll be safe.
I continued forward, maneuvering through a crowded space of college frat boys tossing tons of bills onto five dancers. The women were bent over with their hands on the ground and their asses bouncing in the air.
I held no sympathy for these men I planned to rob tonight.
I pulled out my guns, but kept them low and at my side.
Who cares if we rob? Who cares if we die?
The DJ shifted to a new song.
My pulse merged with the bass.
There’s no point to life. It’s all shit. It’s all darkness.
The guns warmed in my hand.
It’s all blood and violence. It’s all racism and crime.
I headed to the center of the club.
It’s all pollution and gutter-human insanity.
I approached the mid-point of the club and took in the breathtaking woman dancing on the stage in front of me.
It’s all pain. . .
My thoughts paused for a second at the lovely vision of her.
There, a dark, brown-skinned woman danced on the main stage, rocking her thick, curvy hips from side to side with fluid motion. She had a voluptuous hourglass shape—the sort that might’ve made small dick bastards nervous. Midnight-black hair hung down to her waist and curled at the ends. A glowing band of gold fabric wrapped around her full breasts.
Amber gems dangled in long chains from her gold thong. With each flick of her hips, the gems gleamed and sparkled like flames.
My hard dick jerked in my pants.
She twisted around, giving me an awesome view of her fat ass.
She would be lovely covered in blood.
I gritted my teeth.
She lowered into a provocative squat and shifted into thrusting movements that made her hips, ass, and breasts bounce perfectly to the beat.
Focus on the job, Cain. Not that ass.
Still, I couldn’t look away.
A beautiful tattoo decorated her back. Scorching-red flames began at the center and licked up the sides. Feathers were drawn within the fire. A bird’s wings expanded at the top as if it were climbing out of the inferno. The tips of the wings’ edge were close to her shoulders. The beak pointed up as if the bird were targeting the sky.