What Happens In Viva La Raza: A History Of Chicano Identity And Resistance?

My grandfather was a thief. He stole my grandmother’s name and her identity. He used them to escape a poor, forgotten corner of the rural West, then ran off with another woman. He became a law professor, standing at podiums and lecturing about justice. She became a famous painter, giving interviews about integrity. My grandmother spent her whole life trapped in that same dying farmland. Everyone called her an old maid. She never stopped waiting for him. Not even on her deathbed. Fifty years later, I clawed my way out of that godforsaken place on the strength of two generations, my grandmother and my mother. I made partner at a top law firm. It was graduation season. I sat in the lead interviewer’s chair. Across from me sat a girl. Polished. Confident. The most outstanding graduate from the best law school in the state. I opened her résumé and flipped through it page by page. Then I stopped at the family information section. I stared at that name for a very long time. I looked up at her and said quietly, “You didn’t get the job.”

“I know you want me in jail, but I want you in my bed.” Every man and woman Ángel meets disappears. Their severed finger arrives first, like a pretty little Christmas gift, wrapped in silk and presented in box filled with silent promises from his stalker. Castle, Mafia heir. Executioner. Obsessed beyond reason. He doesn’t send threats. He sends bodies. Because no one touches what belongs to him. No one tastes what he’s claimed. And if they try? They bleed for it. At sixteen, Ángel Di Cristina lost everything. His father—an FBI agent—was closing in on the Mafia when a brutal massacre left his parents dead. But that night, one masked man went rogue. He killed his own allies, marked Ángel with a scar, and disappeared. For years, Ángel hunted him. And now, he’s closer than ever. But Castle doesn’t play by rules. He never had. What he wanted, he got. He bends Ángel, fills his whole life with the thought of him. He whispers filthy things against his throat while pressing a knife to his pulse. Run? Hide? Fight? Useless. Because Castillo doesn’t just want to own Ángel. He wants to ruin him. And the worst part? Ángel is ready to let him.

The contractions were ripping me in two. My vision was going dark. My husband, Don Vittorio, the man who ruled Chicago, squeezed my hand. His dark eyes burned with love. "Just a little longer, mia cara. You'll meet our baby soon." Sweat poured down my face. I still found the strength to smile for him. Then a nurse walked in. She held a syringe. I thought it was to stop the pain. But Vittorio’s hand fell away. He took a single step back. The needle sank into my arm. I heard Vittorio’s voice. It was cold steel. "Dose her carefully. She holds on until midnight. Not a minute sooner. Not until after Ornella delivers." And then I knew. He thought I married him for the money. He was stopping my labor. All for a sick Falcone family rule: the first son born is the next heir. Pain tore through me. I reached for him. Tears streamed down my face. I begged him to stop. He bit his lip. His voice was pure ice. "My brother is dead. Ornella carries his only heir. You will do as you are told. You and your child will not steal his birthright." The drug hit my veins. The violent squeeze in my belly, like some invisible hand, just… stopped.

“$100,000!” yelled a man with a golden tooth and a scar that looked like it had been carved by a bear. “$200,000!” “$300,000!” The numbers climbed, each one a nail on my coffin. “$1 million.” The entire room froze and practically everyone turned towards the deep commanding voice. "Going once... The Princess of Sinaloa, Sold for $1 million!" *************************** Lola Volcan lived as the princess of Sinaloa believing her family’s wealth came from tequila exports. Her life falls apart when her father is murdered. She is sold by family to the Cali Cartel, led by the merciless Ramon Cali. A man whose name alone silences entire cities. Everyone expects the sheltered princesa to break. But under her delicate innocence burns a volcano of cunning mischief, defiance and rage that is fueled by betrayal. Ramon is enchanted by her wits, courage and beauty as he drags her into his world of luxury, danger and violence. As Lola plots her revenge against the family that betrayed her, she is also working against the Cali Cartel. She finds herself caught in an erotic entanglement with the man who now owns her. Their twisted game of manipulation grows into dangerous obsession and passion. He realizes her sabotage but is already head over heels for her. When the rival Gomez Cartel declares war, Ramon does the unexpected. Lola Volcan rises from the ashes of betrayal, daring to rewrite her destiny. In her vengeance will she spare the man who not only owns her body but now her heart too. Or will she crush him along side all who betrayed her?

Warning: This is an erotic/ mature piece and it's rated for solely mature audiences. Reading with discretion is advised. "Do you feel that?" The leather crop landed on my thigh, I held onto his shoulders, unable to breathe or stop my hips from grinding out their release. "Every inch of you," his mouth latched onto my throat. "Mine." ______ Arlari Marquez thought returning to Mexico after college would mean fresh beginnings. But instead of thriving, she is barely surviving, until her anxiety comes crashing down one night. Her younger brother, Danny, makes the mistake of his life, stealing from Severiano Cortez, the most feared mafia kingpin in Mexico. Everyone knows Cortez shows no mercy. Especially when it came to his prized possessions. Arlari knows her brother’s life is already forfeit… but she intervenes. When she finds Cortez, she discovers he doesn’t want ransom. He doesn’t want money. What he wants…is a perfect sub. Ninety days. That is the deal. She will submit to him, body, mind, and soul, for three months. In return, Danny’s life will be spared. But what happens when the man who demands submission becomes addicted to the submissive? Severiano Cortez finds himself unable to wield the same brutality he has shown countless others. Instead, he unravels under the weight of a desire he never planned for, one that threatens to turn the predator into a captive. And she? The more she stays, the more she sees the shadows lurking in his world. Because Mexico is a dark place. And his dominion? Even darker.

Adriana Hayes never knew the true nature of her father’s dangerous life until he sold her. Now, she’s been handed over to Hunter Rivers, one of the most feared and powerful gang leaders in the city. Cold, ruthless, and determined to keep control over everything around him, Hunter doesn’t hesitate to claim Adriana as his own. What he doesn’t expect is the spark between them a spark that challenges everything he’s built his empire on. Adriana, caught between fear and attraction, finds herself torn between wanting to escape and the undeniable pull she feels toward the man who now holds her captive. As the days pass, their dangerous dance of power, control, and desire grows more complicated. Adriana discovers that beneath Hunter’s cold exterior lies a man who may have his own demons and the more she learns, the harder it becomes to keep her distance. But in a world where trust is a luxury and betrayal is always lurking, falling for the enemy could be the most dangerous choice of all. Will Adriana remain strong and fight for her freedom, or will she surrender to the passion that threatens to consume them both?