Book 1 in the Sacred Bonds series. There are two kinds of scars on a man. The ones you can see, etched into skin by the Texas sun, and the ones you can't; the kind carved into a twelve-year-old boy watching his legacy get stolen at the barrel of a smile. For AZAD MARTINEZ, the memory is a film reel that never stops playing. The day his father was laid in the ground, his uncle, MALIK MARTINEZ, arrived to deliver his first lesson in family: it's a weakness. He threw Azad and his grieving mother out of their own home, the only home they'd ever known, the very dirt his father had sworn was a sacred trust. But Malik didn't just take the land. As a final, calculated act of cruelty, he took Azad's older brother, ZAYAN, dragging him away to be remade in his own corrupted image. Now, years later, the echoes of that day have become a relentless soundtrack. Azad has built a new empire from nothing, a legitimate agricultural powerhouse, but every success is shadowed by the ghost of what was stolen and the sound of his mother crying in the next room, her tears a silent prayer for the son she couldn't protect, begging for a forgiveness only God and his return can grant. But Malik isn't finished teaching lessons. He's back with a contract, wielding a forgotten debt from Azad's father like a holy writ. He offers a choice that is no choice at all, a move designed to break Azad's spirit completely and claim his hard-won empire. This is where the real war begins. This is a halal romance, a journey deep into the heart of what it means to love under the weight of duty, to seek revenge without losing your soul, and to find the impossible path to forgiveness when the wound is the only thing that reminds you you're still alive. This is a story of one man standing on the land he built, forced to choose between the vengeance that fuels him and the faith that could save him, all while the ghost of his brother and the cries of his mother threaten to pull his world apart at the seams.

"Time is up, I AM CLAIMING WHAT IS MINE!" His voiced shattered throughout the entire tower. He has found me and claiming what is his; me. "Sire please, she not even 21 yet. Please let her stay for the year!" My father pleaded for my life but it was no use. I belong to him. Silence crept through the house before loud banging from large footsteps crept from the staircase. The pleading did not work. He was coming for me. .... BOOM! The large sealed oak door broke down with a simple kick from the notorious beast. I ran to the corner for protection but to no avail. He was taking me to my new life. ------------ My destiny was written before I existed. My family bloodline held much respect throughout generations, we were a perfect fit to be married off to the Vincenzo family. The largest mafia group to rule all of Europe and parts of America. They controlled everything since the beginning of time. So when my ancestor agreed to marry off his 8th grandchild off to the leader of the Vincenzo clan; it was a victory for the family. I am the 8th grandchild. My life now belongs to the Vincenzo clan.

WARNING: HIGHLY EXPLICIT NATURE //He approached me slowly, beginning to leisurely take of his belt. His body pressed against mine once more, confining me to the wall. "You want this?" He breathed into my ear. I closed my eyes, his warm breath pleasuring me in indescribable ways. "Saige, it'll kill me if you regret this in the morning." His eyes once again resumed their position against mine. "I need to know." I met his stare with surety. I did want this, I had wanted this for a very long time. I couldn't hide my emotions, and he couldn't mask his. "Shut up." I smirked, before pushing my lips against his once more.\\ LONG CHAPTERS Saige is a 23 year old woman, beautiful in the eyes of most, if not all. Damon, the 25 year old gang leader sees this beauty. She once loved him, but he broke her heart coldly when she was only 17. Ever since he has watched her, protecting her in the shadows. Occasionally he shows affection, but soon enough returns to his cold self, reminding her of his 'distaste'. Will they end up together in the end? When Damon's rival gang begins causing trouble, who will be at risk? Find out in Possession of a Gangster. Updates as much as possible every week.