They Killed My Sister. I Buried Their Empire.

Illinois. Chicago.

Oak Woods Cemetery.

The sun was out.

Ares McKay stood in front of a gravestone in a sharp black suit and sunglasses, silent for a long time.

Behind him stood five tall men, all in black suits and dark glasses, each wearing the same grave expression.

"Evelyn, I'm late."

Ares murmured to himself, his voice so low it seemed to drain the warmth from the air around him.

Buried beneath the gravestone bearing the name "Evelyn McKay" was his little sister.

The two of them had been abandoned by their parents as children and grew up together in a group home.

Five years ago, Ares came home after leaving the Navy SEALs and stumbled upon Evelyn being sexually assaulted by her ex-boyfriend in a park. In a rage, he beat the man to death.

Not willing to spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing a drug dealer, Ares fled to Mexico.

Then, five days ago, he got a call from Evelyn. She told him someone was following her.

At the time, Ares was leading his team on a critical mission in the EU and couldn't get back in time.

He came home today. Evelyn was already in the ground.

"Evelyn, I swear the people responsible for your death will pay for it."

Ares took off his sunglasses and bowed deeply.

Just then, a tall woman in a black fitted leather jacket and oversized sunglasses that covered most of her face walked over, pushing a heavyset middle-aged man who looked visibly shaken.

"This is the cemetery groundskeeper. Doug."

Monica Knight said it, then drove her foot into the back of Doug's knees without warning.

Doug cried out and dropped to the ground.

"Please, I don't know anything!"

Ares didn't turn around. He pointed at Evelyn's gravestone.

"Who buried my sister?"

"Sir, I really don't know, I—"

"Cut off one of his ears." Ares said it without emotion.

Monica pulled out a knife and moved fast.

A bloody ear hit the ground.

Doug collapsed, clutching the side of his head, screaming.

"Shut up."

Ares spun around and grabbed Doug by the hair, forcing his head back so he had no choice but to look up.

"Who buried my sister?"

"This is the last time I'm asking."

"Think carefully before you answer."

Doug choked back the pain, his voice shaking. "It was... it was Alyssa Wilson."

Ares let go of his hair and looked at Monica, his face unreadable.

"I want everything there is to know about Alyssa Wilson. Three minutes."

"Yes, boss."

Ares walked away.

The five men fell in behind him.

Monica looked down at Doug, her expression cold.

"If you want your daughter to finish school at Greyson Academy, and your wife to keep her job at Mart Stores, don't call the police."

Then she pulled out her phone and dialed.

"I need you to look someone up. A woman named Alyssa Wilson..."

At the same time.

On the rooftop of a building roughly a thousand feet from Oak Woods Cemetery, a well-built man chewing gum was breaking down a Barrett sniper rifle with practiced ease.

His name was Andre. He was a member of Viper, an internationally known assassin organization.

He was also the best sniper Ares had.

Code name: Cobra.

Viper was built by Ares himself.

His code name was: Viper.

Monica climbed into the SUV and held up her phone toward Ares.

"Got it. Alyssa Wilson is a well-known socialite in Chicago. Apparently she has close ties to the Chaykos family, the most powerful family in Illinois."

"And today she's getting married to Paul Antonelli, the youngest son of the Antonelli family, at the Chicago Hilton."

"The Antonellis are one of the most powerful families in Chicago..."

Ares listened without a word, then said flatly,"Take me to the Hilton."

Outside the Chicago Hilton.

Ares stepped out of the car.

"Go buy a hundred coffins."

"Bring them to the Hilton."

"If Evelyn's death has anything to do with Alyssa—"

"I'll turn their wedding into a funeral."

"Yes, boss."

Monica moved quickly.

"Andre, find the high ground and set up a sniper position."

"The rest of you wait outside. Don't move until I give the order."

Andre grinned. "Boss, is all this caution really necessary?"

Ares shook his head.

"Five years ago, I killed a man in Chicago and ran to Mexico."

"I'm Viper now. But in this city, I'm still just Ares — the one who killed someone and ran."

"Until I find out who's responsible for Evelyn's death, my identity stays quiet. I don't want to spook anyone."

"You follow me?"

Andre snapped his fingers.

"Got it."

Ares took off his sunglasses and walked into the Hilton.

Simon Greer's voice came through his earpiece, steady and rapid.

Simon was the best hacker in Viper Corps and the nosiest person Ares had ever met.

"Boss, go straight to the fifth floor, turn right, room 509. Alyssa Wilson is in there."

"Boss, what do you want with this Alyssa anyway? She's gorgeous. Want me to send you a photo—"

"Shut up."

Ares cut the line and moved fast to room 509, knocked twice, then stepped to the side.

The door opened a crack.

Ares wedged his foot in and pushed his way through.

His right hand dropped to his waist, ready to draw.

But in the moment just before he pulled the gun—

Ares stopped cold.

He could see her face now.

"It's you?"

He couldn't hide the shock.

The woman standing in front of him was strikingly beautiful. She was the same woman who had found him two years ago during a mission, badly wounded and unconscious, and saved his life.

He had been out cold at the time. All he held onto was the memory of a face.

By the time he came around, she was already gone.

But that face had stayed with him ever since.

He had made himself a promise: if he ever saw her again, and she was free, he would spend his life with her. If she was already with someone, he would spend his life watching over her from the shadows.

He never expected this.

"Who are you?"

Tears streaked her face. She stared at him in fear, backing away.

Ares slowly lowered his right hand and made himself smile.

"Two years ago, in Egypt, you helped a man who was badly hurt and unconscious. Do you remember?"

The woman went still. Then something seemed to surface in her memory, and her expression shifted to disbelief.

"You're..."

"Yes." Ares raised both hands and smiled gently. "Don't be scared. I'm looking for a woman named Alyssa Wilson. Do you know her?"

"I'm Alyssa Wilson."

The words came out slowly.

The smile on Ares's face froze.