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Chapter One

Virgil

Sitting inside my all-black Porsche, I stared up at the Black Stallion Casino in all its cheesy, neon glory and then down at the picture in h with dark hair and big blue eyes that were far too innocent considering she was the heiress of The Crusaders, and not just any old heiress She was the old ht-hand woman

Sure, her brother would take over the family business when the old man kicked the bucket, but Savannah? She knehere all the bodies were buried And who put theanization co a name for the anything to keep cash flowing into their organization There was nothing they didn’t do, including hu, extortion, blackmail, and the occasionalto take over Ashby territory

And that was the reason I was here at the casino tonight It was no happy coincidence that Savannah was here, too, celebrating her birthday at Bullets & Beer, the nightclub owned by my family, inside the casino also owned by my family The Ashbys didn’t just own Black Stallion Casino and nearly all the businesses contained within the massive structure at the heart of Glitz, Nevada We owned the whole Goddamn town

Ourbut Not one of us, not me or ave one flying fuck Just like the Rockefeller and Vanderbilt fa people Not with railroads or oil, but ga or whatever other naovernment uses to separate people like us fro We owned casinos, underground ga facilities, bars, restaurants, and anything else we needed to maintain our power in Glitz Our influence

And tonight thatThe Crusaders a lesson Nobody fucks with the Ashby fa tale, as they say Not only did these assholes think they could try to do business on Ashby territory and get aith it, but booking the princess’s party at our fucking establishment?

Hell, no

In the past, I’d barge ahead without an order from Ma to do what needed to be done, but I wouldn’t ain Sadie Rose Ashby was a forerous than all three of her boys combined despite her petite, alainst her wishes would put me in the shit house for sure

Again

No thanks

I stared at the photo sent to me by Colby, the head bartender at Bullets & Beer, not thirty e he’d sent with the picture that broughtstupid, made stupider without Ma’s approval so I dialed and held my breath