Chapter 1

                                    

                                          
Off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
                          
It was an unusually cool summer day as a breeze wafted from the sea and onto the rooftop of a building occupied by a group of men. Walking the perimeter of the roof, several heavily armed men scanned the area for any potential threats as three men spoke to one another. Seated at a table in the middle of the roof, two dark haired men with heavily accented English sat across Han Solo, a powerful don of the mafia. Ben, his son, stood several feet behind him as he spoke about a deal the men in front of him had to offer.
                          
"We have all sorts of girls ready for transport. Some as young as 12. This is a good opportunity that could make you lots of money if you can help us smuggle these girls into the country."
                          
Han glared at the men in front of him as he leaned back in his chair, disgust written all over his face as his deep voice filled the air. "You have wasted my time with this garbage. You know my associates and I do not do that sort of thing."
                          
"Please, you are the only one we know who can handle this sort of package at the volume we need. There must be something we can do or give you to change your mind! What if we gave you one of the girls as a gift?"
                          
Bored with the conversation, Ben made his way to the side of the roof where he could see the beach in the distance. One of his father's guards handed him a pair of binoculars and pointed toward an area a few people lingered about. Raising the binoculars to his eyes, his body tensed as he watched the most beautiful woman he had ever seen smiling and slashing in the water. Her smiled mesmerized him, and he couldn't look away as he took in her features and her body.
                          
Ben felt himself stir as he contemplated on leaving his father to make his way down to the beach, needing to know the woman's name and the taste of her lips.
                          
Turning to hand the binoculars back to the guard, he found his father beside him instead.
                          
"Shit, this was a waste of a trip."
                          
"You mean we aren't going to take the deal to transport the girls into this country?" Ben asked sarcastically. 
                          
"We may be part of the mafia, but we are not monsters." Han chuckled as he took the binoculars from his son to see what interested him for so long. "Beautiful girl down there."
                          
Ben wanted another look at the brunette beauty, but his father raised his hand to cup his cheek.
                          
"You should think more with your head now and less with your cock, son. I am glad you are following in my footsteps, but I think it is time you take on more responsibilities because one day, everything I've worked so hard to achieve will be yours."
                          
Ben was about to agree when a loud bang rang the air, a bullet flying through his father's heart and into his lower belly. Struggling to keep his father up with his injury, they slowly fell to the floor of the roof as their guards surrounded them to find the threat.
                          
Disoriented, Ben stared at his father's lifeless body as his second in command, Obi-Wan Kenobi, searched for a pulse, tears falling from his eyes when he didn't find one.
                          
His vision spotting with black dots, Ben tried to stay awake, but failed as his blood poured out of him. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a woman, smiling brightly at him.
                          
5 years later...
                          
New York
                          
"I am sorry, Mr. Solo, but it seems we were able to only recover 20% of your family's asset. We highly recommend a different type of investment next time."
                          
"This investment was highly recommended by you and your company." Ben chuckled, his voice deepening as his anger rose. "I expect a full refund of my money, plus 10% interest for this inconvenience."
                          
"That's impossible."
                          
The door slammed open as several of Ben's men walked in, all wearing impeccable black suits, to stand intimidatingly behind each person.
                          
"20% interest and now, I want it by the end of the month."
                          
The investors seated in front of him stared at each other with panic before one spoke up loudly. "You can't do this. This is America."
                          
Ben made shushing noises as he stood, large black envelopes handed to him from Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he placed each one in front of the investors.
                          
"I think you will refund all of my money to me with interest or all of your dirty little secrets will be mysteriously shared with the public, your families, your friends, and your shareholders. What would they think of some of the vile things you are into like some of your disgusting sexual preferences, your special habits, or your addictions to some very illegal substances?"
                          
One by one, the investors opened their envelopes and gasped at the photos within of them in the act of some of the things Ben had mentioned.
                          
"Once word reaches the public and your shareholders of your little hobbies, your stocks will go down and that is when I will buy this company for next to nothing. And do you know what the best part will be in this scenario?"
                          
The investor who spoke for the group asked, "What?"
                          
"I will fire you all."
                          
*****
                          
London
                          
Rey sat at a table across the man she loathed the most in the world, DJ the douche, as they waited for their CEO. She loved her job as a marketing specialist for the Resistance Luxury Hotel chain, but DJ made her work life a living hell sometimes.
                          
"You're totally fired after this, Johnson. This is a man's world, baby girl, and you don't have the balls to be in it."
                          
Rey only smirked at DJ as their CEO made his way to sit at the head of the conference table. "What the fuck happened?!"
                          
"You should ask Ms. Johnson," DJ smirked. "This was all her doing."
                          
The CEO turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Well?"
                          
"I would like to preface by saying this is not my fault," she turned her head to stare at DJ. "I didn't know there would only be two security guards that night for the entire hotel because that was someone else's job, which he failed to do correctly."
                          
DJ gritted his teeth and tried to retort, but the CEO silenced him as a smug look came across Rey's face.
                          
"Yes, I was the one to check in the band, The Knights of Ren, on purpose, and because of their incident with some of our guests, who we accommodated extravagantly for the inconvenience with free stays, we are now trending all over the world."
                          
"But this could ruin the image of the hotel!" DJ tried to rebut.
                          
"No, it won't. Our hotel has made so many reservations after the incident, we are overbooked for the next four months."
                          
The CEO stood glaring at DJ as he made his way out. "DJ, come to my office immediately. We need to discuss your future with our hotel."
                          
Smirking, Rey leaned forward to whisper. "This may be a man's world, baby boy, but I don't need any balls to be in it."