The Black Directive: Blood TiesAaron Birch thought he had buried his past-until it came back with a hit list.In the explosive sequel to The Shadows We Keep, the ancient Order of Vesta is crumbling. Its most powerful members are being executed one by one.A phantom is systematically dismantling the Order from within. A killer who knows its secrets better than anyone leaves a cryptic message for Isabelle: "We're hunting the same ghosts. But your blood runs deeper than you know."Aaron Birch makes unexpected alliances to save the woman he never stopped loving, but every step drags him deeper into revelations that will rewrite everything he knows about Isabelle-and Edward Thorne, the enigmatic Vesta insider who once offered them sanctuary.Who is the merciless ghost from Aaron's past-the man he once left for dead? What devastating truth does he hold about Isabelle's bloodline? And when the final Council member falls, whose world will collapse?Vengeance has a face. Family has a price.Jack Sturgis returns with a heart-pounding thriller of vengeance, betrayal, and hidden legacy.