Ariella Garcia is an 18-year-old girl who dreams of leaving her current situation behind and starting a new life. She's fiercely independent, and her love for nature and animals is unparalleled. She's always surrounded by people who care about her, but at home, Ariella faces a reality that no one should have to endure. Despite the challenges she faces, Ariella remains determined to achieve her dreams and create a better life for herself. Alexandro Valentino is the most feared man in the city. At only 23 years old, he commands power and respect from everyone around him. His mysterious aura and love for the color black only add to his enigmatic persona. Alexandro's thirst for control is insatiable, and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. But when a chance encounter with a certain woman threatens to upend his carefully crafted world, Alexandro finds himself facing a difficult choice. Will he choose his old ways, or will he risk everything for love? Follow them on their journey to find out. --- This is my first story so tips would be much appreciated. This story will contain materials that may be triggering for some readers.

A man claimed by the devil. A woman claimed by no one. Until him. 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎 is a monster. His family relies on him to torture and kill. It's his birthright, curse, and the most delicious punishment for a gluttonous sinner. He's no stranger to violence and depravity. Soldier of the Romano crime family, he might be stranger to everything else. 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐄 is an outcast, the hidden gem of the Genovese crime family, shunned by her father and forgotten by the world. She's utterly alone, until she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kidnapped by the man with dark eyes, tattoos, and a soul to match. And he isn't planning on letting her go. The deviant killer with the angelic name, her intended torturer, the devil of the underground. Santo is quickly becoming something to Nina that seems impossible, something that neither of them are ready for. She threatens to uproot everything he's always known and been, and when secrets are revealed, when demons come out to play, it's not only a matter of how willing Santo and Nina are to salvage something that seems to be the only beautiful corner of both their worlds. It's a matter of whether any kind of beauty can survive in a world so dark. ✚ Dark Saint is a slow burn, enemies to lovers, dark mafia romance with mature content and dark themes. Read at your own discretion. [ Book 1 in the Romano Brotherhood Series | COMPLETED ✔ ] Featured on @Romance Featured on @StoriesUndiscovered

Daniela O'Brien. Dani is the girl you would say has absolutely no luck going for her at all. Two dead parents, an estranged sister and an abusive, controlling boyfriend who's keeping one hell of a secret from her. At 21 years old she unknowingly finds herself thrown into the darkest life of them all - The Mob. Carson Agnello. The guy you would say, on the surface, has all the luck going for him. At 25 years old, he's the leader of the most powerful Italian mafia in America. He's busy fighting off the Irish Mob who are neighbouring him in New York. They're on opposite sides of the battle, he knows of her but she has no clue who he is, until one event intertwines their two lives together. They suddenly rely just on each other, they need each other. They're all each other has. ✨ "I felt sorry for you, when I saw you. I wanted to help you because you were being attacked by these men. But now, I'm starting to think that maybe you deserve it. Maybe...maybe you're just as bad as they are." He held my stare as I spoke and when I finished, he let out a humourless laugh, also standing up to his feet. I watched him carefully as he crossed the room coming towards me, giving me the same cold glare as before. He stopped right in front of me, close enough for me to smell the strong scent of his aftershave, before he leaned down a little bringing his face closer to mine. His next words came out barely above a whisper but were still powerful enough to cause my breath to catch in my throat. "Maybe I am just bad as them...or maybe I'm worse baby girl." ⚠️ Warning - this book contains explicit mentions and descriptions of abuse, rape, mental health issues and suicide. Read with caution please. ⚠️ Completed - 26.05.21

𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞. ❤︎︎❤︎︎❤︎︎❤︎︎❤︎︎❤︎︎ Living on Yakuza territory was never supposed to be her story. But debts don't forgive. And neither do the men who collect them. She was a loyalist to the rules until she unwittingly developed a taste for danger. She began to mistake recklessness for freedom, intoxication for strength, until the lines between caution and calamity dissolved altogether. And then there was him. The one they whispered about. The one with blood on his hands and shadows in his eyes. The one who looked at her like he had already decided how this would end. She did not want him, not until his cards came into play and she realized he had marked her as his ace, the piece he would use to topple the table and destroy the pot. She realized that falling back on the rules couldn't save her. It was already too late. He was going to ruin her, and she could feel the truth of it in her bones. He would twist her into a weapon, his own fire to ignite the empire. But one can forget how fickle the flames can be. Stoke them too much, and they no longer obey. They consume everything, even the hands that set them ablaze. ❥❥❥❥❥ ❣︎ 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. ❣︎ 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬. ❣︎ 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨.

She was mine long before she knew it. I had been raised in shadows, in a world where power was survival and choice was an illusion. But then there was her. She slipped into my life unexpectedly and defiantly, her eyes too bright for a town like this one. She was unafraid of what lay beneath the surface, thinking she could walk away and resist the pull. But every step she took only bound her tighter to me. She was delicate but stubborn, fierce enough to face what others ran from, even if she didn't fully see it yet. She was the only thing I had ever chosen. I would break anything to keep her, everything, even her illusions of freedom. Because in a world that offered no choices, she became my one certainty. I will carve that truth into the world, with blood, if I have to. R. Trigger Warning ⚠️: This story contains intense and graphic content, exploring dark and disturbing themes that may be triggering for some readers. Sensitive topics are depicted throughout. Reader discretion is strongly advised. Proceed with caution: after this point, no additional warnings will be provided.

There's this silence between us that stretches longer than it should, and it wraps around my chest like a weighted blanket. My throat tightens. I stare at him like I'm trying to memorise the face of someone who shouldn't exist. A dream made real. My lips part before I can stop myself. "Were you sent by my dad to take care of me?" The question hangs in the air, trembling like the last leaf in autumn. Aiden's gaze softens. His lips tug into the gentlest smile I've ever seen. It's the kind of smile that could mend broken wings. "No" he whispers. "I volunteered." The words hit harder than I expect. Like a punch wrapped in silk. I gasp, air leaves me in a rush I can't reclaim. But before I can fully process what he's just said, he takes a step closer. His fingers ghost over my cheek, brushing away a tear I didn't realise had fallen. And then-he kisses me painfully slow. His hand cups the back of my neck, anchoring me to a moment I never want to end. And just when I think it's over, he pulls away just enough to look at me. His thumb traces the damp trail of tears down my cheek. He doesn't say anything. He just leans in again, and kisses them away. One by one. My tears. My pain. My silence. All kissed away by a boy who didn't come to save me because someone sent him. He came because he chose to.

Perfect appearances, perfect grades, perfect manners. Anything less for Adelina Torres and her family kicks her to the streets until she can keep up with the family name. She never had a life of her own. Always studying, always going to business dinners with her parents, always seen as a failure to her family. Despite her bubbly personality, she has always struggled to make friends. What happens when she meets Aaron Hendrix, the leader of the most powerful mafia in the country? A moment to thank you beautiful readers for giving me these rankings among thousands/hundreds of thousands/millions of other stories with similar tags :) #1 in mafia #1 in protective #1 in abused #1 in sunshine #1 in grumpy #2 in innocent #2 in cold #2 in goodgirl #3 in cute #9 in badboy #42 in family #54 in love

"A innocent young girl, untouched by the cruel world, lives a simple life in a small town. Everything changes when a dangerous mafia boss moves into her neighborhood. His powerful presence darkens her doorstep, and soon she finds herself entangled in his dangerous world, becoming his forbidden obsession. She was the sunlight that pierced through the cracks of his dark, violent world-a pure, innocent girl who knew nothing of his bloody reign. Her laughter was a melody he had never heard before, her smile a sight he couldn't turn away from. She was everything he never knew he craved. Yet, he was her darkest nightmare personified - a criminal mastermind with a heart colder than the graves he'd filled. His dangerous allure drew her in like a moth to a flame, while his violent reputation whispered fears into her vulnerable soul. Their worlds should have never met until..."

PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS "The softest place to fall" "Who did this to you?" The question hangs in the air between us. I can't look at him. I stare at my hands instead. "Ella." His voice breaks on my name. "Please. Talk to me." "I- " The word comes out as barely a whisper. "I can't." "You can. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm not going anywhere."

Isaac pulls back, his eyes burning into mine. "Look at me after I kiss you" he says, voice low and rough, like he's fighting for control. I nod, breathless, cheeks flaming. "Are you shy?" he asks, a teasing lilt in his tone. I shrug, my voice barely a whisper. "I-I don't know what to do. It's my first time kissing someone." Isaac's eyes soften. He smiles-a slow, dangerous smile that sends another shiver through me. "It's also my first time, Mila" he says, voice warm and low. My head snaps up, eyes wide. No way. He's too good at this. "It can't be" I say, disbelief colouring my voice. He leans closer, lips brushing my ear. "Just because it's my first kiss doesn't mean I don't know exactly what I need to do to make you feel good, sweetheart." Heat blooms in my cheeks, spreading down my neck. My hands tremble as they rest on his chest.