Of two things I'm certain: When something sounds too good to be true, it is; and when Alexius Del Rossa makes you a deal, you run far away and never look back. Me? I didn't run. I stayed. I opened that envelope, and I accepted his offer. Why? Because my life was a mess and on a downward spiral to a big, fat nothing. And he just offered me everything in exchange for six months of my life. It was supposed to be a simple arrangement, but I learned the hard way that nothing is simple when it comes to Alexius.

He's a killer. A monster. A thief. He stole me; ripped me from a life I thought was mine, and forced me into his. There was no negotiating. No choice to be made. No way out. He says once I give him what he wants, he'll let me go. But I don't believe him. Taunting me, humiliating me, hunting me...it thrills him. He's addicted to my tears, and amused by my suffering. I know he won't stop until he breaks me. But I won't go down without a fight.

It was a one-night stand with a bratva boss. I never expected to end up pregnant. Or run into him again three years later at my friend’s wedding. He knows I’m hiding something, but he has no idea that 'something' is his son. Before he can question me, the wedding is ambushed. He forces me to go with him so he can keep me safe. I need to escape so I can get home to my son. Whatever happens, I can’t let him find out about Sasha.

Semyon Kopolov. Gorgeous and formidable. My childhood crush and brother’s best friend. They call him the Ice King—cold, ruthless, unforgiving. He’s the reason my mother’s dead. Now he’s my husband. Once he was my protector. The boy who carried me when I fell and swore to shield me from monsters. Until he became one.

From the moment my twin sister set her eyes on Matteo, she decided he was the one. We were just kids, but that didn’t matter to her. In her heart, she believed they were destined to be together. So when their arranged engagement was announced, no one was surprised. At least, that’s what I thought. But lately, something had felt off. Wherever I went, Matteo was there. Lurking in the dark, concealed in the shadows, always watching.

My entire life changed when he walked into my father’s café in Tuscany…Il Mostro. The monster. The devilishly handsome mafia don Dario Rosolini. He and his brothers run this region… and they take everything they want. Including me. Although Dario has made clear that I am his and ONLY his. But I’ll fight back, no matter how hard it is. Not just because I’m afraid of him (although I am)… But because, deep down, I WANT him… And I know that giving in to him will ruin me forever.

No one knows the real me. The ruined girl. The scarred woman. Not even Sebastian knows how many broken pieces I have to keep together. But he does. The stranger who doesn't pry or care about my past. The masked man who helps me escape my troubled mind by taking me down a forbidden path. A dark path. Just when I think my life can't get any more complicated, I meet Gabriel King. My future father-in-law. That's when a truly twisted journey begins, and the consequences are darker than I ever imagined.

Kane Romano is the most handsome, powerful man I’ve ever met. He’s also the man holding me captive. My asshole of a step-dad found himself on the wrong side of the mafia, and then offered me up in exchange for his life. How does he have the right? I’m 18 years old, and my step-dad doesn’t own me. The problem is, Kane Romano agrees. Everyone knows you don't fight with a Romano, unless you want to end up in an unmarked grave. I should be scared, but every time I look into those dark eyes, I feel safe and protected.

I was never a beloved daughter. Only a prized possession to be kept in a gilded cage until my father was ready to trade. It was my duty, carved in stone and written in my blood that one day my virtue would be exchanged for an alliance. And now, that day has come. Gian Silvestro, heir to the Silvestro empire, will accept me as his wife. He will seal my fate with a kiss that holds a thousand promises. But to him, our vows only mean one thing: I am bound to him...and shackled to his hate.

I thought I was late for my cousin’s wedding, but the wedding turned out to be for me... If I’d known the sexy arrogant guy in the elevator was my future husband, I probably would have turned and ran. My own father sold me out, promising my hand in marriage to Alexei Koslov, a sexy, arrogant bratva boss. The last thing I want to do is get married, but nobody says no to the Koslov bratva.

Sold to the mob. Four words I never thought I'd utter. Worse, it was my father who did the unthinkable. When the creditors come to collect, I'm handed over to the most ruthless man in New York City—Luca Valentino. The head of the notorious Kings is as gorgeous as he is lethal. Dark, possessive, and violent. Nothing like the boy I grew up with, my dead brother's best friend.

I've always shot for the moon, but if you'd told me I'd be earning seven figures at twenty-four, I would never have believed you. And if you'd told me that I'd earn every penny of that success by selling my body and my soul, I'd have laughed in your face. Still. Here I am at Seraph, an elite agency that recruits only the most well-educated, accomplished and discreet women. Our area of expertise? "Full service" executive assistants to the most powerful men in the world.

Capo to the Luciano Famiglia was my birthright. The cruelty needed to succeed in this life has been beaten into me since I was a young boy. My father, Vincent Luciano, taught by example and with the slap of his hand. My independent streak took me down paths my father would never have gone. With our enemies gaining strength, it is my idea to attempt an alliance with an unlikely bedfellow. The Roríguez Cartel and the Luciano Famiglia are improbable partners, yet even Vincent Luciano can’t deny the possible benefits. The only way to solidify the deal is for me to marry Catalina Ruiz.

When Caroline Randall showed up at my door with the Italian mob after her and nowhere else to go, I took her in. Then I took off my belt and taught her what happens to naughty girls who get themselves in over their heads and need their best friend's dad to bail them out.

My name is Madelaine Moneta and I am a survivor. I fought my way up from the streets of Chicago to claim a spot at one of the top-tier criminal defense practices in the city, but when the looming shadow of the local mob threatens to engulf the firm, I make a life-altering decision. Carrying my mother’s ashes, I escape to Ireland, intent on starting anew in my mother’s homeland.

Of two things I'm certain: When something sounds too good to be true, it is; and when Alexius Del Rossa makes you a deal, you run far away and never look back. Me? I didn't run. I stayed. I opened that envelope, and I accepted his offer. Why? Because my life was a mess and on a downward spiral to a big, fat nothing. And he just offered me everything in exchange for six months of my life. It was supposed to be a simple arrangement, but I learned the hard way that nothing is simple when it comes to Alexius.

No one knows the real me. The ruined girl. The scarred woman. Not even Sebastian knows how many broken pieces I have to keep together. But he does. The stranger who doesn't pry or care about my past. The masked man who helps me escape my troubled mind by taking me down a forbidden path. A dark path. Just when I think my life can't get any more complicated, I meet Gabriel King. My future father-in-law. That's when a truly twisted journey begins, and the consequences are darker than I ever imagined.

He's a killer. A monster. A thief. He stole me; ripped me from a life I thought was mine, and forced me into his. There was no negotiating. No choice to be made. No way out. He says once I give him what he wants, he'll let me go. But I don't believe him. Taunting me, humiliating me, hunting me...it thrills him. He's addicted to my tears, and amused by my suffering. I know he won't stop until he breaks me. But I won't go down without a fight.

I hate Dante Moretti. He is cold, calculating, and vicious. It’s no secret that he wiped out his former fiancée and her entire family on the eve of their wedding. He’s the kind of evil that makes even devils cry. But that’s not why I hate him.

It's the dog's fault, really. If this untrained Great Dane I'm walking had any manners at all, I never would've ended up here: With my leash wrapped around the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. Lucky for me, the guy is a good sport about it. (Although his joke that “Dogs take after their owners” hits a little too close to home when Rufus starts humping his leg.) He leaves me with his business card and a smile that makes my knees weak.