Book 1 in the Sacred Bonds series. In Texas, land is bought with money... or blood. Azad Martinez spent twenty years building a fortune on a single, cold purpose: to annihilate the uncle who stole his family's ranch and kidnapped his brother. His plan is ruthless, perfect, and leaves no room for weakness-especially not a wife. But when his cousin threatens an innocent woman, Azad makes an impulsive, strategic move. He marries her. Yasmin Garcia is a veterinarian who traded her freedom to save her family's land. She expected a gilded cage and a cold husband. She didn't expect a man whose silence speaks of old wounds, whose touch is a brand, and whose enemies are deadly. As a cartel-backed war ignites around them, Yasmin realizes her new husband isn't just a businessman; he's a king reclaiming his throne by any means necessary. As Malik Martinez and his cartel allies strike back, the battle for the Martinez legacy becomes a war for survival. Yasmin must decide if she is merely a pawn in Azad's game or the one person who can reach the wounded man behind the legend. And Azad must confront the terrifying truth: to win his war, he might have to surrender the fortress around his heart, making the woman he married the greatest target of all. A darkly romantic tale of revenge, resilience, and the ruthless fight for a place to call home.

"Touch me, Blaze... and you'll remember me every time something beautiful dies." -- She was the only sin he'd die to confess. So he destroyed his kingdom for her absolution. -- 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. Power built their world. Power destroyed it. She pulled the trigger that turned his hate into a kingdom of fire, and now fate binds them to the same war. Hate keeps them sharp. Hate keeps them alive. But hate is just another mask for power. And when it cracks, they'll both discover the cost of letting go. -- In a city ruled by blood and silence, some names are spoken only in whispers. New York breathes violence like smoke-its kings crowned in crime, its peace bought in bodies. Blaze Marino, heir to a fractured Italian empire, doesn't believe in myths. He believes in control. In power. In pain as currency. But when a woman with white hair and a scar like prophecy crashes a masquerade of monsters, everything changes. She moves like fire. Vanishes like smoke. Leaves no name, no trail-just destruction and desire. And with her, the game changes. As alliances crack and old ghosts crawl from the shadows, Blaze finds himself caught between revenge and something far more dangerous: curiosity. Obsession. A pull he can't explain. They say saints die young. But what if she was never a saint at all? And if she was- maybe she always knew how her story would end. 𝕿 𝖍 𝖎 𝖘 𝖎 𝖘 𝖆 𝖘 𝖙 𝖔 𝖗 𝖞 𝖆 𝖇 𝖔 𝖚 𝖙 𝖆 𝖘 𝖎 𝖓 𝖓 𝖊 𝖗 𝖆 𝖓 𝖉 𝖍 𝖊 𝖗 𝖈 𝖔 𝖓 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖘 𝖎 𝖔 𝖓 𝖊 𝖗 Tropes / Themes: ✦ Mafia · Enemies AND Lovers/Yearners · Don x Assassin ✦ Russian x Italian · Dark Romance · Slow Burn ✦ Antihero · Psychological Tension

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬-𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭? ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ┈ ཐི ❤︎ ‬ཋྀ Over the course of humanity's time on this earth, we often retreat into reflection of all that was. We tend to examine where we've gone wrong, what we've achieved, and what lessons we might have think we've learned. Some might even hope that by looking back, we can prevent ourselves from repeating the mistakes of the past. Yet... we contradict ourselves, giving rise to the familiar adage: history repeats itself. For centuries, two souls have been ensnared by a curse. Fates entwined in ways neither can escape. One must always betray. One must always kill. The Order has long hunted these two souls, for theirs is the only altered DNA capable of powering an ancient relic, which is an artifact born of an even older tale: the story of The River. And when these cursed souls meet again, unaware of the history they've shared, the cycle begins anew. Old wounds ache with fresh pain. Trust dissolves like smoke. Passion flares into pure chaos, threatening to consume them both. He's the curse. 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺. But together, they are the downfall of their own 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒. ཐི ❤︎ ‬ཋྀ #1 in interesting #2 in government

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆. · · ─ · ♡ · ─ · · Liliana Quinn was raised to be the perfect doll. In Ridgewood, a small town shrouded in secrecy, obedience was a way of life for girls like her. She followed the rules of The Solace Institute-a place that shaped girls into flawless women, loyal wives, and nothing more. But what Liliana didn't know was that The Solace Institute wasn't just a school. It was part of something far larger. She was part of something far larger. She was their project. A project she knew nothing about. But when her arranged marriage takes her to New York, Liliana's carefully constructed world turns upside down. Her fiancé isn't who he seems, and she falls into the hands of Ricco Russo-a devil who wants nothing more than to corrupt her perfect innocence. Trapped in his dangerous world, Liliana must confront the lies that shaped her life and decide if she'll remain their creation-or break free. · · ─ · ♡ · ─ · · 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 #1 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 - 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 - 𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 - 𝑴𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 - 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 - 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 - 𝑽𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏 - 𝑨𝒈𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒑

𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐌'𝐒 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍 𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱 She's the city's top model. Seen by everyone. Known by no one. She survives by keeping her past sealed tight- every bruise, every secret, every ugly truth locked behind elegance and restraint. Her life is a performance, and she never misses a step. Until she slips... ...and falls straight into the orbit of the man she was taught to despise most. One reckless act- done under the guise of a false persona- sets something irreversible in motion. A line is crossed. A fire is sparked. And the illusion of distance between them shatters. That night leaves her with a hangover, and a realization she can't escape. You don't have to die to go to hell. Some men bring it right to you. He is power without conscience. A presence felt more than seen. The devil everyone fears. She is a mess dressed in designer. A voice that refuses to be silenced. The angel everyone envies. Logic says they should never align. That their worlds, their loyalties, and their sins are fundamentally opposed. Nexum says there couldn't be a better fit. 𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐱 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 @xplicitlyvenus 2025, all rights reserved

"Look at me when you lie." His voice didn't rise. It didn't have to. "If you're gonna insult my intelligence, at least have the decency to look me in the fucking eye." Evangeline Summers wasn't made for this world- where silence is a weapon, and submission isn't requested. It's taken. She didn't volunteer. Her father handed her over like a signed debt. And Kenji Tanaka collected. He doesn't raise his voice. He doesn't repeat himself. He speaks in commands disguised as questions- and touches like he's confirming damage he already caused. Eva was never taught how to survive men like him. Only how to be polite while they take. "Tell me what you're hiding." She stayed silent. He smiled. Just enough teeth. "Don't make me drag it out of your skin." Now, she has two options: Play the part. Or get eaten alive by it. Because Kenji isn't just the devil in the room. He built it. "You keep fighting the knots like you got somewhere better to be." He growled, breath hot against her skin. "Go ahead. Make me tighten them." And he's about to teach her: Pain isn't punishment. It's permission.