Novels by Phanie O'Neri

The night was long, but the war was over.Carrick Gale stood at the window of his penthouse, staring at the city that now belonged to him. The Gale Family was finished. His father, Zachary, had been exposed, abandoned, and stripped of power.But victory didn’t feel the way he expected.The weight of his actions settled in his chest. He had fought, plotted, and won, but there was no celebration, no moment of relief. Because now, the real work began.Behind him, Victor Alistair poured himself a drink. “You’re too quiet,” he said. “I figured you’d be enjoying this.”Carrick turned slightly, his face unreadable. “What’s there to enjoy?”Victor raised an eyebrow. “You crushed Zachary. His allies turned against him. His own men left him to rot. His empire is in flames. That’s exactly what you wanted.”Carrick exhaled. “And yet, he’s still breathing.”Victor chuckled. “Barely. Word is, he’s been trying to cut deals with anyone who’ll listen, but no one trusts him anymore. He’s got nothing le

The night was silent, but Carrick knew it wouldn’t last.The storm was coming.Zachary had made his move, attacking their businesses and setting up an ambush. Now, it was Carrick’s turn to respond.But this time, he wasn’t just going to fight.He was going to cripple Zachary Gale.Carrick leaned against the desk, his fingers drumming against the wood as he studied the information Elias had pulled from Zachary’s private ledger. The room was dimly lit, and the tension in the air was thick.Victor, standing with his arms crossed, broke the silence first.“So, let me get this straight...Zachary’s been stealing from his own people?”Elias nodded, his expression smug. “Yep. Skimming profits from his allies, running deals under the table, and...oh, this is the best part...he’s been making side agreements with rival families.”Darius let out a low whistle. “That’s suicide.”Carrick smirked. “It is. Once his allies find out, they’ll tear him apart.”Victor leaned forward. “How do we make sure

The dim light of the safe house cast elongated shadows across the room, adding to the weight of the tense silence. Carrick paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back, his mind racing through the next steps. Every second they wasted was another opportunity for Zachary to strike first. He refused to let that happen. His mother was resting in the adjacent room, exhaustion clear on her face. She had endured enough suffering at the hands of the Gale family. Carrick had sworn to end that. Victor leaned against the table, arms crossed, watching Carrick. “We need to move fast. That attack wasn’t just a warning...it was a declaration of war.” Darius, seated in the corner, methodically checked his gun, his movements smooth, almost mechanical. “We should have seen this coming. Zachary doesn’t sit back and lick his wounds. He strikes back...hard.” Carrick stopped pacing and turned to Elias, who was glued to his laptop. “What’s the status of the bank accounts?” Elias didn’t look

The black SUV sped down the highway, its tires cutting through the night as Carrick sat in the backseat, his mother’s hand gripped tightly in his. His heart was still hammering in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins from the firefight they had barely escaped. His mother, pale but composed, turned to him. “Carrick, you shouldn’t have come for me.” Carrick’s eyes flashed with anger. “How could I not? Zachary was using you to get to me.” She shook her head. “And now he will be furious. You’ve just declared war.” Victor, who sat in the front passenger seat, let out a dry chuckle. “War was inevitable. We just fired the first real shot.” Darius, behind the wheel, glanced in the rearview mirror. “No tails so far, but we should still move fast. Zachary won’t let this slide.” Carrick turned back to his mother. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head. “No, but... I saw Marco before we left.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Carrick, he won’t stop. He will come after you. He ha

The tension in the room was suffocating. Carrick’s words had settled like a death sentence over his men.“We go to war.”Victor LaGraine leaned back against the table, his arms crossed, his sharp eyes assessing Carrick. “War isn’t cheap. We hit Zachary hard at the casino, but he still has resources. If we go head-to-head now, we’re taking a big risk.”Elias nodded. “Victor’s right. If we make the wrong move, we lose everything.”Carrick’s jaw clenched. He already knew that. But this wasn’t just about strategy. This was personal.Darius Kane stepped forward. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. “If Zachary plans to use your mother as leverage, he won’t kill her immediately. He’ll use her to lure you out.”Carrick’s fists tightened. His mother had suffered enough under the Gale name. He wouldn’t let Zachary hurt her again.“So, what’s the plan?” Elias asked.Carrick exhaled slowly. “We get to her before he does.”Victor frowned. “And how exactly do we do that? The Gale estat

Darius Kane leaned back against the bar, his sharp eyes scanning the casino floor. The chaos had begun to settle as security tried to calm the furious high rollers, but the tension was still thick in the air. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass before downing it in one go.Carrick watched him closely, reading every flicker of emotion that crossed his face. Darius was a man who had spent years working for ruthless employers, men like Zachary Gale, who valued loyalty only as long as it served their interests. Now, he had been backed into a corner, and he knew it.“Why should I trust you?” Darius finally asked, placing the empty glass on the bar. His gaze was sharp, but there was a hint of curiosity beneath it.Carrick smirked, sliding onto the stool beside him. “Because I didn’t have to offer you anything. I could’ve just left you to deal with Zachary’s wrath. But instead, I’m giving you a way out.”Darius chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ve got some nerve, kid.”Carrick’s smirk di