The gates of North Pole Tartarus Penitentiary opened with a grumbling, grinding moan that echoed across the frozen yard.Damon Huntley stepped through them into the sharp Alaskan weather, his raven-black hair whipping in the wind.Damon walked with the terrifying grace of an apex predator who never needs to hurry.He did not look back, and he did not look up. Eight years of prison had taught him that stolen glances were a luxury a man like him could not afford.Dozens of figures stood along the fence, their heads bowed in reverence. These were not ordinary men, but the most powerful villains the world had ever seen.Artemis was at the front, his face lean and weathered from a lifetime behind sniper crosshairs. He was infamous for an unregistered world record—assassination of a head of state, one shot, from three miles out."Damon the Phantom," Artemis said with a low, humorless chuckle. "You raised hell in here long enough. Now it's time the rest of the world had a turn. Good riddance

Damon stepped into Room 256 and let the door close behind him. The woman stepped back gracefully and half-reclined on the edge of the king-size bed, giving him a long moment to take in her appearance.Her thin-strapped top had slipped lower, barely covering the upper curves of her breasts. A warm, teasing smile curved her full lips as she spoke in a honeyed, inviting voice."Finally, you're here. I was starting to think you'd changed your mind. I'm Lila.""I'm Damon," he replied without acknowledging her flirtation. "Let's get on with it."Lila's glance swept over him approvingly. "I like a man who doesn't waste time. You look better than I'd hoped, though. Tall, strong, and healthy."She patted the spot beside her on the bed, crossing her legs so the skirt inched higher. "Come sit down right here, close to me, handsome. We can talk about how this is going to work."Damon pulled the chair over instead and sat facing her, keeping a careful distance. "Why don't you call your husband in

Vanessa pushed through the heavy front doors of the Quinn mansion with Damon right behind her.The place already buzzed with relatives gathered for Elias's seventieth birthday. Yet the old man stood near the entrance like a sentinel, his walking stick planted on the floor.His eyes locked on the tall stranger at her side. Could it be that his granddaughter actually found Periander Fox's disciple? Had he been worrying needlessly?"The young man with you," Elias said, his voice tight with anticipation and nerves. "Who is he?"Vanessa kept her chin up. "His name is Damon Huntley, Grandpa. A friend set us up. We instantly clicked, so we went to the courthouse this morning and signed the nuptial papers."Vanessa frowned lightly and added, "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I can't honor your old marriage contract anymore."Elias went rigid. The walking stick creaked under his grip.His granddaughter had bound herself to some stranger instead of waiting for Periander Fox's disciple—the one man who could

The Quinn family nodded along, their relief turning into excited chatter that filled the hall."So it was Shane all along who saved the day.""That ex-con nearly got us all killed by offending the Iceman with his big mouth. What was he thinking?""In any case, this Dutton boy is worth ten of some mountain hermit or prison stray.""Our young heiress could do far worse than marrying into the Dutton family. It's the smart alliance we need."Vanessa glanced at Damon, irritation flickering across her face like a storm cloud gathering. Her voice was a sharp whisper."I don't mind if you're useless, but this crosses a line. First, the ridiculous claim of pregnancy, and now it turns out you're an ex-convict? You didn't even think of the consequences before offending the Iceman? How reckless can you be?"Damon met her look without flinching, his expression unreadable. He had no interest in explaining himself to any of them. Neither did he intend to claim credit for scaring off the Iceman.The

Damon's voice remained steady, unbothered by the panicking woman waving her blade around."Put the weapon down, take a breath," he said, giving a small, reassuring shake of his head. "That little thing can't even scratch me. But you're making a really strange choice here by threatening the guy who just saved you." The woman kept the dagger pointed at his throat for several long seconds. Her breathing was ragged, tears still wet on her cheeks. Finally, she lowered the blade a fraction, though she did not put it away.Damon swung his legs off the bed, walked to a side table as if nothing unusual had happened, and picked up a red apple from a fruit bowl. He took a clean bite. The crisp sound filled the quiet bedroom."What are you talking about?" she demanded. "Saved me from what?"The young man took another bite of his apple. "Someone planted a rampage energy time bomb inside you. It was set to go off at a specific moment. I got it out just in time and handled the explosion."She stare