Rico didn’t get to be a mafia capo by trusting easily, but he never expected his newest employee, Kick, to be a threat. The meat shop he runs is a perfect front to launder the family’s money, but when a violent robbery leaves Kick hurt and shaken, Rico’s control begins to slip. Drawn by a need to protect her, he finds himself opening up in ways he’s never dared—and growing close to the one person who could ruin everything. Kick just wanted a fresh start, a simple job far from the shadows of her past. But the night of the robbery changes everything. Because she couldn’t tell Rico every detail. Like when she realized the tattoo on the arm of one of the robbers connects him to her own troubled past, pulling her into a dark web of secrets and danger. The more she uncovers, the more she’s forced to make an impossible turn on Rico to protect herself or stay loyal to the man she’s coming to love, even if it means risking everything. In a world where betrayal is survival and love is weakness, giving her heart could cost her everything… * each book in this series can be read as a standalone *