Criminal Minds Conflicted

Amidst the dimly lit room, the tension was palpable as Clyde's vice-like grip closed around Isabella's neck. She struggled to gasp for air, her defiance clear in her eyes. "You are no one for me, do you understand?" Clyde hissed, his fingers digging into her skin. Isabella, her voice trembling but unwavering, met his intense gaze. "And you are the most darkly comedic and nightmarish chapter of my life." Clyde, cruel laughter in his eyes, flung her onto the bed with a brutal force that left her breathless. "Then let's make this chapter even more nightmarish," he taunted, a twisted grin dancing upon his lips. The story takes an electrifying turn when Isabella, longing for a peaceful visit to her grandmother, finds herself back in her home country. However, fate has other plans as Isabella's suitcase, filled with her belongings, gets exchanged with Clyde's bag - full of illicit weapons. Clyde, a dangerous figure entangled in the criminal underworld, cannot allow Isabella to simply walk away after discovering the dangerous secrets within the swapped bag. As the noose tightens, he's left with a limited choices: kill her or hold her captive, forever altering the course of both their lives. Amidst this high-stakes power struggle, a relentless battle for survival and freedom unfolds, painting the pages of this thrilling tale with suspense and danger.

After I'm abducted, I call my mother, a policewoman, for help. However, she hangs up on me and stays by my adoptive sister's side. "Go to hell if you're so keen on it!" she snaps. I calmly watch as the abductors pluck my nails and torment me until none of my skin is left unharmed. In my past life, my mother actually came to my rescue. She left my adoptive sister by the roadside, and the latter ended up being violated and murdered. From then on, I became a criminal in my mother's eyes. She received an anonymous text on my adoptive sister's death anniversary. "I bet a good girl like you wouldn't want your mother to know you hired us to abduct you, right?" She thought I orchestrated the abduction because I wanted to vie for her attention. She thought that was the cause of my adoptive sister's death. "I've saved people all my life. I never would've expected my flesh and blood to be such a shameless monster! You should go to hell as atonement for killing Charlene!" She sewed my mouth shut, shattered every bone in my body, and threw my ashes into a junkyard. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back to the day my mother makes her choice.

A chain of Events causes a drift in the Gustavo Family that leads to the death of their mother and the exile of Diego the eldest son. The tragedy leaves the family in shambles but they manage to survive, rebuild and climb up the ladder in the criminal underworld. Six years later and the eldest son who has been living in New York decides it is time to return home and face the responsibilities he ran away from head on, it is time for everybody to know the truth for he harbors a great secret that very few know; a girl that should be dead. Irene is the love of Diego’s life and the object of Alejandro’s desires but due to an accident that leaves her for dead and causes her to lose her memory she doesn’t remember either of them. Diego in order to keep her safe must keep his distance from the woman he loves , watching and protecting her from the shadows waiting patiently for the day she remembers who he is and hoping that when she eventually does he has not become too much of a monster for her to recognize him. This decision to return begins a war between him and his twin brother Alejandro who hates and blames him for the events that led to the death of their mother. Alejandro fears that the return of his brother will threaten his place of succession to their family’s business and thus a power struggle begins between two brothers who once loved each other but now consider themselves as mortal enemies. A war for money, status and most importantly for love.

Clara James is nineteen years old. From the outside, her life looks rich and perfect. Inside, it is a silk wrapped hell. When she was ten, her world fell apart after her father cheated on her mother. Six years ago, her mother died in a car accident, forcing Clara to move in with her father… and that was where the real nightmare began. After her father married Emilia Cole, Clara’s life turned into an open war. Emilia did not only destroy her childhood, or leave her scarred by the trauma of harassment attempts. She made abuse and humiliation a daily routine. Still, Clara did not break. She did not bow. Everything changed when the wrong man entered her life at the worst possible time. Adrian Cole, Emilia’s brother. He is older. Cold. Distant. A criminal investigator hunting a serial killer roaming the city streets. Dangerous to get close to. Forbidden to touch. Yet he was the only one who held Clara when she collapsed, cleaned her wounds with his own hands, and gave her a sense of safety she had never known. But how can she trust a man who belongs to the family that tried to destroy her? Especially after Adrian uncovers a deadly betrayal inside his case… one that could drag them both into the abyss. Clara loves him to the edge of ruin. But when the enemy is closer than anyone imagines… Does love save, or does it kill?

The day Seraphina Lovelace steps out of prison is also the day her boyfriend dumps her. For him, she has been imprisoned for three years, but he betrays her, getting engaged with another wealthy girl. What's worse? He even sends killers to kidnap Seraphina to prevent her from divulging secrets. To avoid the killers, Seraphina serves as a waitress in an underworld criminal bar. One night, she happens to save a seriously injured young man. His name is Alfred, and the surname he conceals from Seraphina is Vanderwood. Vanderwood, the Alpha King Family. When Seraphina is about to be killed by the bar's boss, Alfred saves her. Finally, she knows his identity. The new Alpha King, also the most powerful were-wolf in the world. Seraphina thinks he will kill her as well since she once tied his wrists, pressed him against the pillow, and almost had a forced kiss with him. But he doesn't. The only thing he asks Seraphina to do is pretend to be his cousin. Excuse me? What the hell is he saying? Seraphina finds it ridiculous, but Alfred is serious. It seems like Seraphina has no better choice but to agree with his requirement. However, she has no idea that when she says "yes" to Alfred, she also selects a path that she is unable to turn back. Become Alpha King's Faked Cousin is created by Cara TaleSmith, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Palermo is a feared Mafia boss, commanding respect throughout the criminal underworld. He's a strikingly handsome and heavily tattooed man who exudes charisma, leaving women enraptured. As a wealthy and ruthless leader of the Mafia, he's unflinchingly willing to take lives. He's a figure who cares not for the concept of sin, but even he couldn't believe he'd fall in love at first sight with a woman he had only just laid eyes on. She was stunningly beautiful, and in his eyes, Ysabel was the only woman who truly held his attention. She was the first woman he wished to protect and cherish, and he never anticipated developing an interest in her, an interest that compelled him to know her, to draw close to her, and to become a part of her life. However, it was beyond belief that in the midst of violence, near-death experiences, and imminent peril, he found and came to know the captivating Ysabel. To his surprise, she even managed to steal his heart. It may sound peculiar and humorous, doesn't it? He was on the brink of death, yet he still managed to fall in love at first sight with this woman of extraordinary beauty whom he had just met. But he is Palermo Lazarus, a Mafia leader who would stop at nothing to possess and claim the woman who had entranced him and breathed life into a heart he once believed was as cold as stone. He became possessively infatuated with her and was resolute in making her his own.

Blurb for Four Heirs Claimed On My Babies Elena Romano has been a ghost for five years, vanishing from the brutal mafia world to protect her unborn children. As the daughter of the notorious Romano Don, she knew the dangers that awaited them—three heirs to the most powerful mafia kings. She disappeared without a trace, leaving behind chaos, betrayal, and a deadly secret that could destroy everything. But no one escapes the mafia. A fateful accident reveals Elena's location, drawing back the three men she once loved—each with a claim on her heart and her children. Dante Valenti, the ruthless Italian kingpin; Sasha Ivanov, the cold Bratva lord; and Luca Greco, the shadowy Sicilian enforcer. Each wants their child, each wants her, and all three are willing to tear the world apart to claim what’s theirs. As Elena navigates the deadly game of mafia politics, dangerous secrets from her past resurface. Her children are not just heirs—they are the key to a massive fortune, and whoever controls them, controls the entire criminal underworld. But as the mafia kings close in, a far deadlier enemy reveals himself—a fourth man, more dangerous than them all. The true father of her children, and the mastermind behind her father’s death, has been pulling the strings all along. With the mafia world on the brink of war, Elena must align with the men she’s been running from. But in the end, only one can be king. And this time, the queen will decide.

It is recommended to read Bound by Blood and Wrath before embarking on this next journey of the Vittori family. Sent to Briarwood, Pennsylvania, to establish a new seat of power for the Vittori Crime Family, Saint Vittori is tasked by his father, Dominic, with stepping out of the shadows after two decades of quiet survival. To secure his position, Saint is expected to marry strategically—choosing a woman who can strengthen the family’s influence. Instead, he falls in love with someone who offers no power, no connections, and everything he was warned against. When her unknowing betrayal shatters his trust and she later reveals she is pregnant, Saint is bound by ironclad family law: no Vittori heir will be born a bastard, and no Vittori marriage will end in divorce. Forced into a union forged by duty rather than certainty, Saint tightens his grip on Briarwood just as old enemies resurface. An attack by the Han family—ghosts from Dominic’s violent past—forces Saint to act decisively or be seen as weak. Alongside his loyal best friend, Wilder, he wages a brutal campaign to cleanse Briarwood, expanding into legitimate enterprises while silencing threats both criminal and political. As Senator Bryce Winthorpe learns too late, Saint Vittori always moves with a plan. Through bloodshed, loss, and calculated violence, Saint carves his place among Pennsylvania’s elite—knowing that every inch of power comes at a cost, and the Vittori family always collects in blood.

Elena Hart once had everything, money, beauty, and a kind heart that trusted too easily. But her perfect marriage to the charming Liam Blackwood ended in betrayal and even murder, planned by him and her best friend, Serena Cole. Her whole world fell apart. Yet death wasn't the end for her. One day, Elena woke up in her 22 year old body, seven years before the day she was meant to die. Her memories were broken, but she was filled with a strong will: this time, she would write her own ending. Reborn, Elena was no helpless princess. With the knowledge of what was to come and a clever, quick mind, she stepped into a world of secret business deals, hidden family stories, and a love triangle that made her quest for revenge even more complicated. There was Adrian Voss, the mysterious rival CEO whose cold look hid a past linked to hers, and Noah Grant, her childhood friend whose quiet loyalty showed deep, unspoken love. As Elena fought against Liam and Serena's evil plans, she uncovered even darker secrets, Hart Industries was really a front for a criminal empire, her mother's death was no accident, and maybe her second chance at life was part of a strange, bigger bargain. With every twist and turn, Elena had to choose between seeking revenge or forgiving, between following love or standing on her own. But in a game where enemies wear smiles and allies hide daggers, trust could be her downfall... or her redemption.

As a child, Elena Carter witnessed the brutal murder of her father, a decorated detective, at the hands of men she believed to be part of the Mafia. That night, her world shattered, and she vowed to dedicate her life to avenging his death. Years later, she becomes a detective, determined to bring down the very criminal empire she holds responsible. Her mission leads her deep into the city’s underworld, where she goes undercover to get close to the ruthless and enigmatic Adrian Moretti, a powerful Mafia boss feared by many. Cold, calculated, and untouchable, Adrian is a man who trusts no one—but when he crosses paths with Elena, something shifts. She intrigues him. She challenges him. And, against all logic, he lets her in. As Elena gets closer to him, her resolve wavers. The man she was sent to destroy is not the monster she expected. But the deeper she falls, the more dangerous her web of lies becomes. And when the truth is revealed—that Elena is not only a cop but the daughter of the detective who was killed that night—Adrian’s world comes crashing down. But the truth runs even deeper than Elena ever imagined. The police force she serves is not as righteous as she believed. Her own agency orchestrated her father’s murder, framing the Mafia to cover up their own corruption. Now, the people she trusted want her dead, and the only person who might be able to protect her… is the man she betrayed. With enemies closing in from all sides, will Elena and Adrian fight for love, or will the past destroy them both?