Lucas, a disgruntled former CIA agent in his late thirties, had always been one of the best. He thrived in the chaos, the rush of violence, the cold satisfaction of inflicting pain. In those moments, he felt alive—everything else faded into the background.

But one mission, one moment of reckless abandon, pushed him too far. It cost him everything. Kicked out, disgraced, stripped of the life he’d known. Now, he was a mercenary, selling his expertise to the highest bidder—mostly the filthy rich with their dirty secrets. The pay was damn good, and that was the only thing that kept him going.

He was a loner, through and through, and that suited him just fine. No ties, no attachments. Just the job, the violence, and the paycheck. That’s all he needed.