Chapter 1 - The Last Laugh at Sterling's Bistro

The laughter died in Arthur Sterling’s throat the moment he saw the heavy oak doors of the private dining room swing wider.

To anyone else in Chicago, Vincent Kane was a ghost story whispered over scotch in high-end lounges—a syndicate kingpin who owned half the shipping docks, a third of the Loop's real estate, and more judges than the mayor could count. To Sterling, who owned a mid-tier upscale bistro and fancied himself a clever middleman for local gambling debts, Kane was supposed to be a business partner tonight. A man he could impress with premium steaks, expensive imported wine, and a kickback scheme siphoned right out of the payroll ledger.

Instead, the most dangerous man in the Midwest was standing up from his chair.