"Running," he murmured, his voice low and dangerously close, "was not clever." His hand slid up her side, fingers creeping under her breast before he squeezed, eliciting a startled gasp. "What-don't touch me!" she snapped, struggling against him. "I expected you to follow one simple rule," he said coldly, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watched her squirm. "Stay where you were placed...." ........................... Dark Lord had perfected the art of fear. To the Ministry, he was a rising tyrant-brilliant, ruthless, and terrifyingly composed. They watched him from a distance, whispered his name behind warded doors, and convinced themselves that as long as they could still speak to him, control was possible. They were wrong. When diplomacy faltered, the Dark Lord took leverage. The daughter of Minister for Magic Harold Minchum vanished overnight. Elizabeth Minchum was never meant to be captured. Awake, she was unpredictable-a force of raw magic that twisted and turned beyond control, instinct eclipsing reason. Four seasoned wizards had fallen attempting to contain her, their spells breaking against her wild, untamed power. A sleeping spell was the only thing that held. When she woke, she was on her knees in the Dark Lord's study. And he was smiling. He had expected fear. He had expected tears. What he did not expect was the absence of terror-and the presence of something far worse. Elizabeth is a weapon no one knows how to wield. The Dark Lord is a man who believes everything can be controlled. But some chaos refuses to kneel. And some monsters don't intend to let go. Author's Note: This story is a collaborative creation. Special credit and appreciation to Damien Darkmier for inspiration, ideas, and creative contribution to this work. This book would not exist in its current form without that shared vision. - Bornfire

{TAKEN DOWN FOR PUBLISHING} Join the discord to know more/read the last chapter for the announcement. Discord link on my bio. +18 MATURE CONTENT "Even The Wicked Needs Love." ELIO MARINO, also known as IL MALVAGIO 'The Wicked' is a man whose presence alone is enough to evoke a silence more sinister than the one from a graveyard. Nothing could shake him, or so he believed. ZAHRA FAIZAN was trouble. Growing up with men who treated bullets like sugar cubes, she has risen from the streets and created the most notorious gang of thieves in the whole of Italy, but after a job gone wrong, she finds herself and her crew held captive by The Wicked, and she would do just about anything to take advantage of it. Even if it was as foolish as performing the biggest heist her gang has ever gotten to dream of. Little did she know she was about to be thrust right into a wicked world, wicked than the one she had once known. Could she tame the wicked and bring him to his ruin? Or tame him and keep him to herself? After all, even the wicked needs love.

Revenge. I'm familiar with it. You have to be when you're the firstborn son of a notorious mafia leader. Death and vengeance have been the very foundations of my life. So who in their fucking mind would be stupid enough to cross me? My brother and I have been wrongfully convicted of a crime we didn't commit. We know who is behind this. We bid our time behind bars, planned and prepared for the day we got out. Now we're free and hungry for redemption. I know what must be done. I know whose blood will be spilled. But before I go after him, I'll go after his daughter. I never said I play fair. *Book one in the Marino Brothers Duet. Rated 18+ due to explicit language, sex, and violence.*