Fire And Blood Chapter 1

Kingdom of Ash and Blood Book one of the Sicilian Ruin Series She was the fire he thought he had extinguished. He was the ruin she barely escaped. Three years ago Amara Varela vanished without a trace --- betrayed, broken, and hunted by the man who once owned her heart. Now she's back in Sicily, not as the naive girl he left behind, but as a woman forged by survival and secrets. She has a score to settle and Luca Moretti is at the top of her list Luca, the heir to the brutal Moretti empire, never forgives himself for losing her. When he finally finds her alive, everything he buried erupts --- lust, rage, obsession. But the Kingdom he now rules is built on blood, and his bride-to-be is not the one who haunts his dreams. Torn between a crown he never wanted and a woman who could destroy it all, Luca must choose loyalty or desire, power or love. In a world of violent cartels, arranged alliances, and ruthless vendettas, Amara and Luca's reunion is anything but tender. It's a war. And their passion? It could burn Sicily to the ground. Dark. Obsessive. Addictive. This is not a love story. This is a Sicilian ruin.

Epperly Wakes is your typical good girl, she feeds the homeless, volunteers at animal shelters, and reads to the elderly. Hack Hyland is your typical mafia Don, he murders his enemies, keeps his family close, and has billions of dollars. What happens when these two opposites come together? Will the old saying be correct, will opposites attract? Or will it be too much for both?

She shouldn't have existed. But out of love, her Aunt Lily stashed Maridelle to the human community where she lives like a human. But one unfortunate night turned everything she knows about her own identity upside down. She fled the authority and took shelter under the care of the mateless Alpha Lachlan Caruso. They both felt the spark of the mate bond, but will he be able to love her when he witnesses her true identity being uncovered by unfortunate events? Will Alpha Lachlan be able to accept her as his hybrid luna? Will he choose to protect her?

Coming to Brytin wasn't all bad. I met him, even though I didn't recognize him at first. He was the one in my dreams. Yes, I could perfectly see that, but I had to hide from everyone for me to be close to him. He doesn't want me near him. He despises me no matter how hard I try to please him. He warns me to stay far away from him. They also warned me too, but my heart and soul does not listen, and I'm a curious girl who follows her heart. She's a witch, he's a vampire, they are enemies but she's his mate. That's an abomination, but she doesn't give a damn. She wants him to mark her and claim her, but that's formidable. He disagrees but she isn't going to stop until he acknowledges her. Find out what happens when she realizes the real reason behind the clash of witches and vampires, will she be forced to leave him or will she stay with him no matter what happens?

“You don’t know the pit you’ve dug yourself in, Ms. Elena Lubov. Can you honestly tell me that if I slit your neck right now, you can still love me?” Michael asked as the knife on Elena’s neck began to cut slowly and draw a bit of blood. Their gazes never wavered. “I’ll cut my throat on your behalf, Michael, if it would make you believe in every word that I say” she said without fear, “I have nothing to lose.” she whispered. When the most powerful mafia boss finds out his past never existed, how can he keep his madness from destroying the future he created? When power and money is useless, what can the words of the dead do for those left behind? “You don’t know the pit you’ve dug yourself in, Ms. Elena Lubov. Can you honestly tell me that if I slit your neck right now, you can still love me?” Michael asked as the knife on Elena’s neck began to cut slowly and draw a bit of blood. Their gazes never wavered. “I’ll cut my throat on your behalf, Michael, if it would make you believe in every word that I say” she said without fear, “I have nothing to lose.” she whispered. When the most powerful mafia boss finds out his past never existed, how can he keep his madness from destroying the future he created? When power and money is useless, what can the words of the dead do for those left behind?

In a world where power is currency and women are pawns, Ava Campelli has just been sold to the highest bidder through a wedding veil. Born into a legacy of blood and quiet obedience, Ava knew her fate was sealed long before she could dream of escape. When she’s forced to marry Nico Moretti, the cold, ruthless heir to a criminal empire, her life becomes a performance of silence and survival. From the outside, she’s a vision in white. On the inside, she’s breaking. Nico is everything she feared: calculated, controlling, and obsessed with ownership. What begins with a diamond ring and a kiss in front of hundreds quickly descends into possession, manipulation, and brutal expectations behind closed doors. His touch is demanding, his love conditional, and Ava is expected to be the perfect wife—seen, not heard. But behind the carefully painted smile and submissive posture, something dangerous is beginning to stir in Ava. Each cruel word, every forced touch, is a spark. And one day soon, she may burn the whole kingdom down. A story of power, pain, and the quiet beginnings of rebellion—Bound By Blood and Vows is a haunting tale of a girl who learns that surviving is only the beginning and if she can't win his heart, then she will steal it when she leaves.

Grace Turner was the picture of suburban perfection—devoted wife, PTA president, and quiet survivor of a loveless marriage. But when her husband’s financial collapse drags her family into ruin, she teams up with her two closest friends for one desperate, reckless act: robbing a neighborhood grocery store. What they didn’t know? The store is a front for a brutal crime syndicate. Now, with the gang’s blood money in their hands, the women are given two choices—work off the debt, or disappear. For Grace, survival means submission to their mysterious leader, Cain Russo—a man as dangerous as he is magnetic. Cold-blooded and commanding, Cain makes it clear: she belongs to him until the debt is paid. But lines blur when power games turn into obsession, and desire burns hotter than fear. As Grace is pulled deeper into Cain’s violent world—and his bed—she’ll have to decide what’s more dangerous: the gang that owns her… or the man who’s claimed her.

When small town girl, Rosette, finally leaves her little town to study at Seattle, she realizes that life outside is much different from her sheltered life and family complete with romance novels. But when between juggling schoolwork and her job, she falls in love with the perfect man, she soon discovers that even love is different in the outside world, and what she believed from her novels was a far cry from the reality of love.

What's that saying about never looking a gift horse in the mouth? Well, I did. I looked it straight in the eyes, after I called it a moron, drooled a little, remembered I hate the oposite sex and then I ran. The life I have had changed the moment my mother passed. The life I struggled to adapt to after college tore me apart emotionally. I thought he was my saviour. He helped me grieve. He was there when I didn't want him to be, when I didn't know I needed him to be. He was everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. He fought my demons with me and for me, he watched me and over me. He creeped me out, but made me feel safe in many ways, so tell me why this specific gift came with only one stipulation. Who hurt me? The gift horse would be Lorenzo Russo. Empire builder and underground Mafia man. He's a smart man with good charms and psychopathic tendencies who ensures he gets what he wants, so he doesn't take kindly to being told no. By me.

Liam thought the vampire parade was just a stupid tradition...until a vampire attacks his mother and the woman he loves. Left with unanswered questions about who he is and the town he was raised in, Liam finds himself left with a choice: Does he become who he was destined to be, save the town and his family; or does he hunt and kill the woman he loves...after she becomes the one thing he was born to hunt.