My sisters were always destined to hold positions within our father’s organization. The woman who never quite grew up, the one who values her personal freedom above all else. I don’t want to be here, walking into the devil’s den. I have to close my eyes against the cascade of emotion. Cancer took him and there’s no getting him back. He was fond of saying he’d like to spend his last days surrounded by dogs and grandchildren. My father was supposed to live for decades yet, to pass power to his daughters and retire to do whatever powerful men do when they’re no longer running a territory. During my darkest days, I wonder if it won’t cling forever. It’s been months, and the grief still clings to me like a second skin. My eldest sister has been here a few times, but I’m strictly forbidden from attending. Every territory leader has an open invitation to come and go-for a price, of course. No, this place arguably holds the most power Carver City has to offer. It looks nearly identical to those around it: a nondescript gray square reaching into the sky as if it has every right to be there. I stand on the curb and stare up at the building before me. My sisters’ voices ring in my ears, even hours after our conversation. This book contains the aftermath of a parental death by cancer (it happens before the beginning of the book), which may be upsetting for some readers. To readers who prefer their love triangles to end happily for everyone involved. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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Katee robert wicked villains