(Sequel to Queen of Spades/King of Hearts stories) Nathaniel Vega grew up in a less than conventional family. His mother and father had once been student and teacher, his best friend was also his adoptive sister and his family seemed to include people who had no blood relations but shared a lot of love. Grace James has grown up with Nate playing at first big brother, now best friend and would be lover, but she is no fool to fall for his easy charms. She is trying to find where the line of friendship ends and where her independence from her best friend begins. Ophelia James is dying. Cancer is breaking her body down before she has even had a chance to live and do all the things she promised herself she would do when she had time. Bound by blood and love, Nathaniel, Grace and Ophelia inevitably get in the way of each other's lives, and somehow change the course of each other's fates. But when the happiness of all of them rests on a miracle, what sort of future can any one of them have?

A prequel to the rest of the House of Cards Series, this story tells of how the intelligent and good natured boy Malcolm was morphed into Reaper, a gangster that reached boogeyman legend status and whose whispered name would provoke instant fear. When the young Westley, a Cuban uprooted to Spanish soil, starts to idolize Reaper and mould himself in his image, Malcolm's faced with the task of looking his reflection in the mirror and battling the inner demons reflected there.