Zariah Blackwood spent years escaping the family empire, building a prestigious legal career in Washington, D.C., far from her father's criminal world. But when Malcolm Blackwood summons her home, she has no choice but to return to Atlanta-a city she swore she'd never be trapped in again. She isn't the same girl who left. She's sharper, smarter, and refuses to be a pawn. But her father has other plans. The Blackwood empire is under threat, and Zariah is the only one who can protect their interests. There's just one problem-Cassian Wolfe. A ruthless cartel lawyer with a reputation as lethal as his name, Cassian is assigned to work with Zariah to secure an alliance that could tip the balance of power in Atlanta. He's cold, calculating, and impossible to read. He's also the only man who's ever truly challenged her. The longer they work together, the more dangerous the game becomes. Zariah knows Cassian is hiding something. He knows exactly who she is-but how much does he know about her past? And when an old flame reappears, backed by her father's influence, Zariah finds herself trapped between duty, deception, and a man who threatens to unravel everything she's built. Her father expects her to fall in line. The cartel expects her to bend. But Zariah Blackwood bows to no one.

An aspiring criminal lawyer navigates the dark crime world when she starts to date one of the biggest drug dealers in America, risking more than her sheltered life. The youngest in a family with strong roles and a longstanding history within LA's criminal justice system, prim and proper Italia James, is following in her family's footsteps on the verge of securing a degree as a criminal lawyer. But her pretty smile and intellectual accolades hide the dark truth of family secrets, lies, and trauma. She just wants to forget and have an easy college life, but of course, trouble has to follow her. The simple life she wishes for gets uprooted when she is forced by a bully to travel across town to pay for a party ticket. But simple stays clear of Italia and she is beaten up when the ticket money comes up short, and Sidiki has to step in to save her. Sidiki Berkeley is the epitome of love and patience. He's tall, dark, and mysterious, and he has captured italia's attention. But there is a problem-a big one. She has no idea what he does. To her, he's just a rich businessman but to others, he's the Viper-a merciless boss who spares no one who crosses him. Like a bad omen, Italia ignores all the warning signs that tell her that he is more than he lets on, and gets caught in the crossfire of gang rivalry. Her family is threatened and she is forced to betray him. This leads to Sid's disappearance, only for him to a year later, more brutal than ever. He kidnaps Italia, hell-bent on taking revenge on his enemies while showing her that this is the man she decided to love. ------------- This book is [18+] and is the first draft so it will not be without mistakes. Read at your own discretion.

-Book 1- The Normal Rules of Love Don't Always Apply, especially when the circumstances around those falling into it are far from normal. Matteo Leone is the head of the notorious Leone Family Dynasty of organized crime, he is cold, dominating, and the most wanted man in the country. There are debts to be paid, murders to be committed, and money to be made: the last thing on his mind is love. That is until he is left facing a life behind bars and he realizes that the best lawyer that money could buy was also a woman who,without much effort, was everything he never knew he needed. Kashera Daniels is one of the most gifted lawyers in the country. With a stellar track record, she is given a case that she quite literally can't refuse. Not knowing what to expect, Kashera leaps into the lions den without knowing that the decision will change her life forever. In the Lions Den time flows differently. Hearts beat stronger and faster. Love is shown, earned, and felt on a scale much larger than outsiders could comprehend. In this space, in this world, will Kashera and Matteo be able to find their way to survive? Or will they be unable to escape the piercing claws of The Lions Den with their souls and hearts unscathed?