“I Only Want to Know What’s Left,” the Little Girl Said at the Bank—Then the Millionaires Laughed, the Crime Boss Heard Her Dead Mother’s Name, and One Black Card Exposed the Betrayal That Locked Down Chicago, Turned His Own People Against Him, and

That night, Lily lay in her grand bed, her worn stuffed rabbit tucked under her arm. Lucas sat on the edge of the mattress, finishing a chapter of a fantasy book he was reading to her. "So the king built a giant wall to keep the monsters out," Lucas read, his deep voice soothing. "But the king was a monster, wasn't he?" Lily interrupted sleepily. Lucas paused, closing the book. He looked at his daughter, seeing so much of Hannah in her eyes, but so much of himself in her spirit. "Sometimes, Lily," Lucas said softly, brushing her blonde hair back, "it takes a monster to keep the real evil away." "I know," she whispered, her eyes drifting shut. "I love my monster." Lucas’s breath hitched. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, little wolf. Forever." He turned off the bedside lamp and walked to the door. As he stepped out into the hallway, his face hardened, his posture shifting back into the King of Chicago. The city was his. The empire was secure. And anyone who ever dared to look twice at his daughter would find out exactly why Lucas Rourke was the most feared man in the dark.