The Wolf and the Sheep (Wolf 1)

Martin eyed us both, wearing a collared shirt and tie that seemed wrinkled. The clothes also appeared too big, as if they belonged to someone several sizes larger. For a man dripping with wealth, he looked dirty and poor—as if he belonged on the street. “I can get Ramon for you.”

That name was cursed in our house.

The second the name was whispered across the dining table, my father and I turned abruptly still, our bodies shutting down but our hearts beating faster. There was no greater enemy to our family, no worse crime ever committed.

I turned to my father and saw the sickly expression on his face, the way his skin stretched over his skeleton as every muscle tightened to the most extensive degree. His eyes steamed like frothed coffee, and his hand immediately tightened into a fist.

Martin continued to watch our reactions, knowing he’d said the perfect words to entice us both.

“Your offer better be concrete.” My father forced the words out of his mouth, but his throat was so tight that his words were raspy. There was too much rage for him to hold back, too much anger that surged through his body like a current.

“It is.” Martin closed his eyes for a moment, like he was fighting a sudden bout of fatigue. “I can tell you exactly where he’s going to be in three weeks. I’ll give you everything you need to take him down.”

My father had never given up his search for Ramon—for the man who killed my mother. My father’s hand shook slightly on the table, like he was picturing Ramon’s death that very moment. Ever since my mother had been raped and killed, my father had been a ghost. Now he had no purpose for living, and all he cared about was burning Ramon alive. He breathed hard before he spoke his next words. “In exchange for what?” There was no price my father wouldn’t pay.

There was no price I wouldn’t pay either. We’d spent the last year trying to track down the man who murdered my mother, an innocent person who had nothing to do with business. He snatched her while she was out shopping and did terrible things to her. It made me sick every time I thought about it, and I was glad she was dead…just so she wasn’t suffering anymore.

When my father didn’t get his answer quickly enough, he repeated his question. “In exchange for what, Martin? If they find out you were the rat, you’ll be done. So, what could possibly be worth the risk?”

It didn’t matter what Martin asked for—we would give him anything. My father would never find peace until Ramon was tortured and killed. I needed it for vengeance. This man hurt my family—and I would kill his entire family line in retaliation.

Martin shifted his gaze to me. “I want Maverick to marry my daughter.”

I assumed he would ask for a fortune. Or ask us to kill some of his biggest enemies. The last thing I expected was a marriage proposal.

My father didn’t flinch. “Done.”

I did a double take, shocked my father had consented to this so easily. “I didn’t agree to that.”

“But you will.” My father challenged me with his gaze, telling me to be silent and accept the terms.

But I refused. “No.” I held his gaze and didn’t care about my appearance of disrespect. I was willing to lay down my life for his, to do whatever was necessary to avenge my mother, but marry someone? That was a ridiculous request. I turned back to Martin. “What kind of deal is that? Why would you even want me to marry her?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Father snapped. “If that’s what he wants, then fine.”

I turned to Martin. “Explain. Now.” I wasn’t the kind of man a father would want for his daughter. I wasn’t respectful or understanding. I’d killed people for little to no reason at all. I wasn’t romantic or gentle.

Martin looked me in the eye and blinked a few times. “Things are about to change around here… I’ve made a lot of bad deals, invested in stupid ideas, and pissed away more money than I could earn in a lifetime.”

The walls were still standing, but the house seemed empty. He probably didn’t offer us a drink because he couldn’t even afford that. This man had lost everything—and that was why he looked like shit.

“The crows will descend and take everything away. Then the hounds will take the carcasses. My daughter won’t be safe on her own. They’ll come for her next…and do terrible things to her.” He closed his eyes as if just saying the sentence was too much. He might have lost everything, but his love for his daughter was still alive. “The only way I can keep her safe is by marrying her to a strong man, a man who comes from a good foundation, a man that can protect her.”