Chapter 1 : The Molton Family

*Audry*

“Do you have anything to add, Audry?” Dominic Molton asked me.

Everyone at the table turned to look at me. The man at the head of the table, Mr. Molton, was the leader of the Molton Family, a prominent gang here in Detroit.

“Yes, I’ve noticed that there is no guard at the gate between one-thirty and two since Jerry is taking his lunch break. We need to have someone cover for him during that time or else, anyone who knows the passcode could get through,” I explained to Mr. Molton.

The older man looked impressed by my catch and his gray eyebrows shot up.

“What a smart idea, Audry,” Mr. Molton pointed out. Then, he addressed everyone else in the room. “You see, this is why Audry has risen to such a high rank in the short amount of time that she’s been with us. It’s her attention to detail that sets her apart from everyone else. Matthew.” Mr. Molton turned to the man on the right side of him. “Will you please make sure that is dealt with immediately?”

“Of course, sir.” Matthew, the leader’s second in command, nodded and made a note on the computer before him.

“Once again, Audry, good job,” Mr. Molton said and gave me a rare smile.

To the leader’s left-hand side, I saw Daniel, the leader’s son, roll his eyes.

I suppressed a smile at Daniel’s reaction. He hated when his father praised me. Daniel was the next in line for being the leader—technically, he could take over any day now—but it seemed like his father didn’t think he was ready yet. I hadn’t been a part of the gang for very long, but Mr. Molton trusted me and that pissed his son off.

While Mr. Molton ended the meeting, I looked around at the other people sitting at the table. Jace, Daniel’s best friend, wore his usual frown. I’d been here for six months and I’d never seen that guy smile once. Gabriel sat right across from me—he was Mr. Molton’s younger brother and Daniel’s uncle. The rest of the people sitting at the table had been with the family for at least ten years and had proven their loyalty to them countless times.

All except for me. It was unheard of for someone to be only part of the gang for six months and already be sitting in during the top-secret meetings.

I heard the whispers that followed me around the house. I knew what people said about me. They thought that Mr. Molton was making a mistake in trusting the young, doe-eyed girl. But in the short time I’d been here, I’d proven how much my street and book smarts could help Mr. Molton and his businesses.

Daniel was spearheading the ‘Don’t Trust Audry’ campaign. As long as his father kept me around, I honestly didn’t care what his son thought.

The funny thing was that Daniel was one-hundred percent correct. No one in the Molton Family should trust me.

Soon, I would take them all down and slit Mr. Molton’s throat with a smile on my face.

After the meeting was over, I was in the grand entryway, grabbing my jacket off the coat hanger. As I put on my burnt orange jacket, I glared around at all the expensive things in the Molton’s mansion, from the crystal ball on the wooden table to the white porcelain tile I was standing on.

I could never live on their property like most of the members. The Molton’s liked to pretend they weren’t corrupt like the rest of the gangs on the streets of Detroit, but I knew deep down they were.

They bought all these possessions with blood money.

I walked over to the wooden front door, but before I could open it, a voice came from behind me.

“Leaving so soon, Audry?”

Daniel Molton. I would recognize that deep, silky voice anywhere.

I turned around and fixed a small smile on my face. I walked to where he was leaning against the staircase banister. I studied him, gauging his mood. The leader’s son was undeniably handsome. He had dark brown eyes, short black hair, and a bit of facial hair that made him look more manly, if that was even possible. Daniel spent a lot of his time in the home gym and it showed. He had a muscular yet lean frame. I had to incline my head to talk to him because he was freaking tall, a fact that pissed me off.

I stood closer to him than a conversation warranted because I wanted him to know I wasn’t intimidated by his presence.

“Some of us aren’t lucky enough to live in this beautiful home, Daniel. I do have to go home at some point,” I told him sweetly.

His eyes tightened, but he controlled his expression. “If I’m not mistaken, my father has offered you a room in the manor, has he not?”

Damn it, how did he know about that?

“My lease on my apartment isn’t up until next year,” I responded with a shrug.

That was a complete lie.

Daniel’s expressive eyes trailed up and down my body until they stopped on my lips. “What a shame,” he said in a low voice, his eyes finally returning to mine.

His reaction pissed me off. I knew that he wasn’t actually attracted to me; he could have any girl he wanted. This was just part of the silent game we played. Daniel didn’t trust me, with good reason, so he tried to use his good looks to see what I was really up to. Even though I was attracted to him, to my complete annoyance, I would never let a pretty face ruin my plan.

“Wish I could stand here and chat, but I have to go feed my cat,” I said and turned around.

I didn’t have a cat or any pets for that matter. This was my go-to excuse when I wanted to leave the Molton Family’s estate.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll see you soon,” Daniel said to my back.

It didn’t sound like a casual goodbye. No, he meant it as a warning. He was watching me. I didn’t respond, but merely waved and walked out the front door.

I could finally relax when I made it outside. The crisp, fall-fresh air allowed me to think clearly. As I walked to the bus station, I thought about Daniel, something I often did, which was a problem in itself. Why did I have to be attracted to the person who trusted me the least in the house? It just made my situation more complicated and I couldn’t let it get in the way of my overall goal.

I rode the bus to my apartment and thought about Daniel’s eyes traveling down my body…

Cut it out, Audry!

I couldn't allow myself to be distracted by anything. No, this was too important. My plan was too personal to be ruined because I had the hots for some handsome boy.

When I got off the bus, the sun was setting. I walked down the sidewalk with my hand in my purse, gripping my stun gun. The neighborhood my apartment was in was shitty for even Detroit standards. But I picked it because it was close to the Molton’s house and the rent was cheap. Mr. Molton paid me decently, but prices kept going up.

I let myself into my tiny residence and threw my purse on the kitchen table. The difference between my place and the Molton’s was laughable. It was like comparing the sun and the moon—it was impossible. But I was comfortable here. This was the only place I could truly be myself.

I ate a quick dinner of the cheapest frozen meal I found at the grocery store, then took a shower. As I was drying off, I stared at my reflection; my long blonde hair, blue eyes, a nose that was too small for my face, and a small frame. These features have been a part of me my whole life, but the dark circles and pale face were a new addition.

I dressed in my favorite loungewear, my father’s old college sweatshirt and black shorts. I had to keep all of my clothes hanging up in a closet in the hallway or a storage bin. The closet in my room was being used for something else. Something much more important.

With my hair still wet, I entered my tiny bedroom. I opened the closet door and stared at the thing I’d been working on for the past year and a half. I started it the day after my father was shot and killed in a gang shoot-out. Then, it had only been three words on a white piece of paper.

The Molton Family.

That night, I swore to get revenge on the gang that took away the only family I had left. I dropped out of the police academy, even though I was almost finished. I had been following in my father’s footsteps. He had been so proud of me when I said I wanted to become a cop just like him.

But then he was shot and my whole world stopped turning.

So, I started my theory board, which I hid away in my closet. I used my old connections on the streets to get in with the Moltons. I’d been collecting information on them and everything was detailed on the board in front of me. I used red yarn to connect details and information, creating what appeared to be a chaotic map, but to me, it was well organized and showed the progress I made.

I became obsessed.

Finding the gang who shot my father, who was responsible for taking away the only parent I had left, quickly became my only reason for living.

Even though I was now part of the Molton Family’s inner circle, I hadn’t acted yet because I wasn’t one hundred percent sure they were responsible for my father’s death. I needed irrefutable evidence that it was them. I wouldn’t compromise my morals and ruin the lives of people who didn’t deserve it.

But if I found out they were the ones who pulled the trigger, I would not hesitate to take down their gang from the inside. I had enough information collected to ruin everything they had worked for.

I would also kill whoever shot my father. If it turned out it was Daniel, I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him directly in his handsome head.

Because the people who killed him deserved to pay for their sins. They took away a good, honest man. A man who changed my life and gave me a future when I thought I was destined for the streets. They not only took away my father’s life, they took away mine too. I was just the shell of the girl I used to be.

With a sigh, I sat in front of my theory board and added the information I’d learned today.

I was one step closer to finding my father’s killer. Which meant I was one step closer to becoming a murderer myself.