Saudade- a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant, or has been loved, then lost; "the love that remains" Marlowe Wanless, just 11-years-old has spent the better part of her life that she can remember in the house of her abusive and drug addicted stepfather. After he has been arrested for possession of illicit substances, Marlowe's custody has been shifted to her 7 terrifying older brothers who are surrounded by rumors regarding their line of work. The Valente's now juggle healing a mentally destroyed child while simultaneously sheltering her from lurking rival business' that will stop at nothing to harm the littlest Valente. Have the rival businesses just brought more danger then her stepfather? Who can be trusted? Or the bigger question, who can't?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! This is a new story I came up with. Since I want to finish Mafia's Lost Princess book first, this story is going to have slow edits until I finish my first book since I want to prioritize the book I've already been working on. **** Nina was sitting in the dark, cold night, hugging her small body to get any sense of warmth. After four years of being homeless, she thought she would get used to the cold life, but she never did. The rats still scared her, and her only solace of feeling safe was hiding near the bar. The bar gave her light during the night, and luckily, nobody ever bothered her. She still struggled to find food, so day by day, she was getting weaker. Her fourteen-year-old self didn't know how she would make it another year alone and was constantly looking to see if there were dangers in the streets. One day, as she was sitting on the ground, trying to keep herself warm, she saw the Rucco mafia heading to the same street she was on. She made herself small, hid under the stairs to make herself invisible. She was no threat, but she was in their territory after all. If they didn't like her, they could beat her up, or worse, kill her. As she silently observed the Rucco siblings, suddenly, Adrian Rucco, the notorious leader, shot the rival French mafia. Nina just witnessed murder for the first time. Scared and anxious, she screamed. The Ruccos caught her, and as they observed the small, fourteen-year-old girl that just witnessed their kill, they had to decide what to do with her. Nina thought they would kill her. She was collateral damage after all. As she waited for her ill destiny, to her shock, the Ruccos decided to kidnap her and make her their little sister. How will Nina, an innocent homeless girl who knows nothing about family, survive with the notorious mafia?

Blaire. Kai. Jude. The world didn't exist outside of the three of them. Bound by blood, fear and the hope of leaving together. What happens when the trio decide to leave their foster home, find a home for themselves elsewhere? What happens when they stumble upon familiar men? What happens when these men hunt them down? Not to kill. To bring them home. Will Blaire learn to trust anyone other than the twins? Will the twins learn to give over control, allow themselves to live? Started: 4/12/25

When fourteen-year-old Emilia escapes the cold grip of foster care, she never expects to end up clinging to life on the doorstep of a powerful mafia family. Shot multiple times and broken in body and spirit, she is taken in by Matteo-the eldest of eight fiercely loyal brothers-who refuses to let her slip away, even as her survival hangs by a thread. In a house filled with quiet danger and unexpected tenderness, Emilia finds herself tethered to life by wires, tubes, and the steady hands of men who treat her like one of their own. As she battles pain, fear, and a past that left her scarred, she begins to discover something she's never known before: safety, family, and the unconditional care of those who see her not as a burden, but as a little sister worth protecting at all costs. Raw, emotional, and achingly human, Beneath the Blood and Silence is a story of survival, healing, and the found family that holds you up when the world has tried to tear you apart.

Noah Summers is nothing like the family he came from. Soft-hearted, gentle, sweet, and full of warmth, Noah only wants peace and happiness for everyone around him. But the rest of the Ravens family-his father and six older brothers-are known for being the exact opposite: powerful, cold, dominant, terrifyingly strong, and feared by nearly everyone outside their home. Noah is their youngest member... yet he has no idea who they really are. Fourteen years ago, the Ravens were a loving, whole family-until Angelica Summers discovered the secret that shattered everything: her husband Matthew Ravens and their six sons were part of a dangerous mafia organization known as The Shadows. Betrayed. Heartbroken. Terrified. Angelica made a decision that changed all of their lives. While her husband and sons were downstairs "handling" someone in the basement, she packed whatever she could, grabbed her four-year-old baby boy Noah, and disappeared into the night. A new city. New names. A new life built on lies and secrecy. But secrets don't stay buried forever. Now Noah is older-sweet, bubbly, stubborn, and unaware of the truth behind his family, unaware of the danger tied to his bloodline, and unaware of the people who have been searching for him for years. The Ravens want them back. The Shadows want answers. And Matthew Ravens will burn the world down for his youngest son. Angelica can only run for so long... Before the past catches up. Will they stay hidden? Or will the Ravens finally find the family that was stolen from them?

Emilia Morelli's world shatters when she's told her mother has died. Left with no family, well at least none that she knows of, she's pulled into a system that sees her as just another case. She's alone and unsure of herself. But far away, there are men who have been searching for her. Men who share her name. Men who are feared by the world. They've spent years looking for the little girl who was taken from them. Now that they've found her, they'll stop at nothing to bring her home. Emilia doesn't know them. She doesn't know the truth. And she has no idea that her life is about to change forever.

Verena Calloway is a young 16 year old girl who ran away from her family a year ago after finding out a terrible secret. Ever since, she has been on the run, living on her own in a foreign country and loving it. That is, until one day, she is finally discovered by her older brothers and forced to return home. With news of her parents' untimely death, Verena must learn to adjust to her new life, which is full of twists and turns and love and heartbreak.

Cleo Winters has learned to survive by staying quiet. At school, she's invisible, bullied and ignored. At home, she tiptoes around her mother's sharp moods and cruel words, never knowing when kindness will turn into punishment. But when her mother announces a sudden move to London to marry a wealthy businessman named Eric Westwood, Cleo's silent life is shattered. Thrown into a family she's never met, surrounded by strangers who live in luxury while she carries scars no one can see, Cleo must navigate a new house, a new country, and a new set of rules.

Céline is an expert at disappearing. After years of abuse, she has learned to make herself small, starving away the body that drew unwanted attention, hiding behind silence, perfecting invisibility. When her mother finally escapes and reunites with her first love-the Don of the Italian mafia and Céline's biological father-Céline is thrust into a world of impossible wealth, fiercely protective brothers, and power she doesn't yet understand. But she doesn't expect him. Perceptive, powerful, and devastatingly attractive, the heir to the Russian mafia sees past every defense she has built. Falling for the dangerous son of her father's ally means navigating a world where the greatest risk isn't being hurt again, it's finally letting herself be seen. Some loves are worth destroying yourself for. Some are worth learning to heal for instead.

Marley Stone has always been sheltered, kept close, quiet. Her five older brothers are everything she's not: powerful, brave, untouchable. In their world, loyalty is law, and secrets are better left buried. But when cracks begin to splinter the glossy surface of their world, Marley starts to notice things she was never meant to. Lies buried in protection. As the truth unravels, Marley must decide: protect the brothers who raised her, or confront the darkness they've tried so hard to hide. Highest rankings: #1 in dysfunctional family #1 in sibling rivalry #1 in thriller #1 in teen romance #1 in crime