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 felt off. Wherever I went, Matteo was there—lurking in the dark, concealed in the shadows, even in broad daylight, always watching. I didn’t know what I’d done to capture his attention. I didn’t want it. Yet, I couldn’t stop my heart from trembling, like a bare soul caught in the icy grip of winter, whenever he came near. Nor could I ignore my body’s traitorous response to his voice, low and laced with wicked intent. I fought to resist him. I truly did. But it was useless. He knew it. And so did I. So I ran. But here’s the thing about the Vitales: they always give chase.

I was the dutiful daughter. Or, at least, that was what it looked like from the outside. Deep inside, I was suffocating. I longed for something I didn’t know how or where to find. But I kept my façade firmly in place while I searched for answers. Until one New Orleans’ night changed it all. Nikola Nikolaev—the heir to the Crescent City’s ruthless criminal empire—caught me in a club that was off limits. And just like that, my carefully constructed world began to crumble. We never saw it coming. The invisible force between us, the one that had a power far beyond anything we understood, pulling us closer, demanding what we couldn't give. But there was more to Nikola than the unhinged, reckless man everyone saw. I fell. Hard. He didn’t. I should've walked away. Instead, I was determined to peel back his layers and prove to him he’d met his match. I, Skye Leone, would rise to become his queen.

Marriage arrangements were nothing new in our world. Mine was sealed before I even took my first breath—an unbreakable pact forged to ensure peace between two powerful families. I, Penelope DiMauro, was to be wed to the ruthless heir to the Omertà criminal empire, Enzo Marchetti, on Christmas Day. We uttered our vows “Till death do us part…” and just like that, I became his. His wife. His possession. My husband was beautiful, his rough hands and filthy mouth commanding my body. He stole my firsts with seduction and deceit, drawing me into his world until resistance felt like a lie. Our days full of banter and resentment turned into blissful nights. Soon, it became painfully clear there was a razor-thin line between love and hate. And we were about to cross it. As secrets unraveled, one question remained: would my husband be my forever or would I be his end?

Gabriel and Amara—Blurb coming soon