𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚 I downed a shot of tequila, allowing the burning liquid to slide down my throat and settle in my stomach. I deserved to have some fun without boundaries. I poured a second glass and it disappeared as quickly as the first. Then came the third, fourth and fifth. Still I wasn't satisfied. My landlady was a bitch, I was fired and my boyfriend cheated on me. My nerves were shot to hell! My eyes lazily scanned the nightclub as I consecutively downed my sixth shot for the evening. Life's a bitch. 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐨 I sat in the VIP section of the club, a glass of vodka in my hand as I watched the woman several yards away drowning herself in tequila. My lips curled in amusement. The red dress she wore showed a generous amount of cleavage, her ass was ripe and full, begging to be groped. She looked to be eighteen. I wondered what a pretty thing like her was doing in a place like this, drinking like there was no tomorrow. Not that it was any of my business. Women came, got laid and wasted in this nightclub every night. Nothing special to see here. "Muori figlio di puttana." I pulled the trigger on my gun and shot the Mexican in the head after he was caught stealing coke from my warehouse. Blood splattered everywhere, staining the walls and my designer suit. I tucked my gun back in my pocket and left the ally. "He killed a guy!" I shrieked as I turned to run away from there as fast as possible. Just as I was about to run back inside, a large hand clamped around my neck and I was pressed up against a rock solid chest. My jaw was caressed by - a gun!? "Going somewhere piccola?" a deep voice whispered in my ear. "Let me go, you sick twisted bastard!" I growled. "Feisty and a foul mouth. I like it," he chuckled. "You killed someone! I'm calling the cops!" I shouted. "Princess I own the cops," he said, stroking my face, "and now I own you. Say goodbye to your ol

✧･ﾟ: ⚠︎ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 :･ﾟ✧ this story includes: • sexual themes ✧ • explicit intimate content ✧ • bdsm‑coded dynamics ✧ • mafia + organized crime elements ✧ • violence + death‑related themes ✧ read responsibly, stay hydrated, and enjoy the chaos ♡ ✦ ✧ ✦ Marriage comes with stress ❧ and Briar is already drowning in it. She just got married, her grandmother now lives close by full‑time, she's trying to settle into newlywed life, and she's designing an entirely new home from the ground up. Everything is shifting at once... and it's starting to take a toll. Then she's attacked by a group of strangers she can't even identify ❧ and everything changes. Nikolai reacts the only way he knows how: he locks the world out and takes her to Russia under one rule - ❧ no one sees her ❧ no one touches her ❧ no one even breathes near her without consequences He protects her fiercely while she navigates emotional and physical changes, and the only people allowed near her are family. Uncle Lucien stands beside Nikolai - but he isn't just watching. He's hunting. Every person involved in Briar's attack, and anyone who knew and stayed silent, is being found one by one ❧ Briar is rising. Her enemies are falling. And as usual, her family isn't forgiving.

•When is a monster not a monster?• •When you're in love with it• "Listen to me," he whispers, his voice clearly clouded with desire, "if you want me to stop, you will not hesitate to say it, understood?" He's the most dangerous thing she's ever known, and the rational part of her wants to stay away. He's brutal. He's scary. And he's someone she definitely should not be messing with. Yet, with every touch, every clench of his jaw and tensing of his muscles, she can't resist the urge to torment him. What she doesn't know: It goes both ways. She's bright. She's brilliant. And she's someone he can't help but be drawn to. Lucky for him, it doesn't look like she wants to stay away. And lucky for her, torment is in his job description. [Warning: Gore, violence and sexual themes] Author's note: This is a slowburn romance, and will probably have you pulling at your hair at times. If you don't like slowburn, I would suggest skipping this one. [CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR MELTING ZANE]

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡. 𝐇𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭. She hides behind bold boots and brighter dresses, yellow loud enough to drown out the cracks in her heart. It almost works. Until the man her papa crossed decides to collect what he's owed. He doesn't ask. He takes. Tattooed hands. A ruler of empires built on blood. He closes the distance. She tries to keep it. But he's always liked the chase.

She was sold to pay a debt. He was born to rule an empire built on blood. Sofia Marina has spent years surviving a life she never chose. By day, she works in a quiet Manhattan bakery, pretending she is normal. By night, she serves drinks in a luxury gentlemen's club owned by the man who bought her freedom before she was old enough to understand what it meant. She belongs to a contract. To a debt. To silence. Until the night Alessandro Valenti walks in. Twenty-seven. Italian. Untouchable. The most powerful Don in Italy doesn't believe in fate. He believes in control. But when his eyes meet hers under violet lights and expensive lies, something shifts. Not desire. Not lust. Recognition. And Alessandro Valenti does not ignore what he wants. What begins as curiosity turns into obsession. What begins as business turns into war. Because Sofia has a past that refuses to stay buried. A violent ex. A dangerous debt. And men who believe they own her. But they made one mistake. They let Valenti see her. This is not a fairytale. This is a dark empire colliding with a broken girl who refuses to stay broken. And when the Don decides something is his... He never lets it go.