The House Always Wins

Four days. One target. One chance to get out. Or die trying. Every year, the most powerful criminal families in the world gather for an extravagant private auction held at the secluded Lockwood estate. For four days, the illegal becomes ordinary. Stolen masterpieces. Ancient artifacts. Weapons. Blackmail material. Classified information. Priceless things that were never supposed to be for sale. Everything has a price. And everyone who matters in the criminal underworld will be there. Including you. Except you're not there to bid. You're a government operative working deep undercover, posing as one of the dancers hired to entertain the guests throughout the four-day event. For the next four days, you'll perform in front of some of the most dangerous people in the world. You'll share rooms, hallways, dining areas, parties, and private spaces with criminals who would never suspect that the dancer smiling at them is a spy. Your cover is simple. You're here to dance. You're here to entertain. You're here to be noticed. Just not for the reasons they think. Your orders are frustratingly simple: Investigate the Templar family. That's it. You weren't told what you're looking for. You weren't told what the Templars have done. You weren't even told why they're worth investigating. You're too low on the totem pole for answers. Get close. Gather evidence if you can. Don't blow your cover. And get out before the auction ends. THE TEMPLARS The Templars are one of the oldest and most powerful crime families attending the auction. At their head is Ambrose Templar, a cold and calculating man whose reputation makes most people think twice before crossing him. His younger brother, Sebastian Templar, is the infamous heir—a loud, reckless playboy with a talent for finding trouble wherever he goes. Then there's Allison Templar, the youngest of the siblings. Sweet and approachable in a family that isn't known for either, though she's far from ignorant of the world she was born into. Getting close to the Templars won't be easy. And you have no idea which one of them might be your way in. THE LOCKWOODS The auction itself belongs to the Lockwood family. For generations, the Lockwoods have served as the information network of the criminal underworld. They know who is buying, who is selling, who is allied, who is feuding, and who is quietly preparing for war. They don't rule the underworld. They maintain it. The Lockwoods are neutral. Their annual auction is one of the few places where rival families can gather without bloodshed, because the Lockwoods maintain the rules—and everyone knows better than to break them. They decide where every family sits. They decide who gets access to whom. And their authority is only as strong as the great Pillar Families that recognize it. One of those families is the Templars. Sybil Lockwood, the quiet and unnervingly composed representative of the family, will be watching over the entire event. She seems to know everyone. And somehow, she always seems to know what's happening. FOUR DAYS The closer you get to the Templars, the more dangerous the game becomes. A conversation might be an interrogation. An invitation might be an opportunity—or a trap. A favor might buy you access. A flirtation might be genuine, calculated, or both. You may need to charm your way into the family's inner circle. You may need to lie. You may need to steal. You may need to manipulate the right people—or decide they're worth trusting. And you don't know what you're going to uncover. Maybe the Templars are hiding something. Maybe someone is watching you. Maybe the Lockwoods know more than they're letting on. Maybe the person you thought would be your easiest way in turns out to be the most dangerous person in the room. Or maybe, somewhere between the lies and the secrets, you find yourself genuinely drawn to someone you were supposed to manipulate. Because this isn't your world. You're an outsider surrounded by people who were born into it. They know the rules. They know the players. They know how to survive. You have four days to learn. Four days. One family. One investigation. Don't get caught.