Excerpt:

Chapter One
Trespassing

It was three in the morning and Ian Cassat, of The Cassat Family, stared calmly at a thin sheet of paper occupying the center of his desk. Blank, save for the letter heading – the family crest of a crossed dagger and sword – and four words scratched into the empty space under the heading. The recessed lighting in his office had been dimmed and the main pool of light in the room came from the small desk lamp perched near the corner of the writing surface. The angle of the light made the dark red ink of the letter heading shine like it had been freshly scored into the fibers of the paper. Carefully, the man reached for the paper. It read:

“We have your daughter.”

Ian’s hand moved to the pen resting in the small inkwell to his side. His hand shook slightly as it hovered over the instrument, caught by the weight of the words. When he regained control of his writing hand, he dipped the sharp, silver tip of the pen deeper into the small ink well. He completed the letter;

“We will be in touch regarding the conditions of her release.”

Again, Ian placed the pen aside and watched as the ink dried, locking the words into place. A slow smile pulled at his lips and he leaned back to open a drawer to his left, removing an envelope. With speed and precision, he penned a New York state address on the front, folded the sheet of paper and slipped it into the envelope fold.
A moment later, a wax seal appeared, a scarlet red candle was lit and the Family crest appeared on the reverse of the envelope.

After the wax hardened, Ian lifted his head and cleared his throat, “You can come in, Edgar.”

Soundlessly, a tall, thin man slipped into the office. The desk light did not reach him, and he appeared to blend in with the larger shadows nearer to the edges of the room. “Yes, sir?”

“Have this delivered,” Ian stretched his arm out, the letter held between his fore and middle fingers.

“Of course.” Edgar slipped forward, took the letter from Ian and hesitated before turning to leave. “And sir? What of the girl? The men are asking.”

Ian pretended to think on this. In reality, he knew exactly what he planned for the girl. “Have them take her out of state. Do not tell me where, not until I inquire.” He paused for a beat, and then smiled. “Tell Alex and Daryl I trust their judgment implicitly.”

Edgar laughed. It was instinctual. Nobody trusted Alex and Daryl’s judgment. He knew then that this poor girl was in for a rough stay while her family bargained for her return. “Very well, Sir. I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear that.”

Ian nodded and gestured for Edgar to leave. When he heard the door slip quietly closed, his gaze traveled to the phone next to the rolodex on his desk. He thought he really ought to call his sister, Maura, and inform her of the situation. He almost did, but stopped himself just as he was about to push the last number. Maura would want to take over the negotiation – she always did. Once again, she would be seen as the head of the Family, and Ian would only be viewed as the facilitator. Replacing the receiver more forcefully than strictly necessary, Ian ran a hand through his short, chestnut brown hair. It was peppered with grey now, and he hated that.

He could handle this on his own – and the end result would be his doing alone. With some luck, he’d be able to increase his territory, up the funding for some of his own research and prove a point in the process. Nobody trespasses in Lancaster without consequences.
From the next room, Ian heard a muffled shout and thuds. A clear scuffle. It didn’t last long, and became quieter as the noises moved further and further away from the office and to the garage.

He’d made the first move; it was up to the Nicolai family to respond, now.