Fitzgerald Shield

Five days before my wedding, a group of MadeMen drag me to an underground casino. "I'm the fiancé of Lorenzo Gambino, Don of the Gambino family and Gambino Corporation! Think of the consequences you'll face if you dare touch a hair on my head!" My stern warning is met by mocking laughter. I curl up in agony under the brutal blows of their baseball bats; they pierce my ankles with sharp blades, severing my tendons. I gather the remnants of my consciousness to shield my abdomen, where my and Lorenzo's child grows. Lorenzo finally arrives with hired mercenaries. He razes the underground casino to the ground and saves me. I lie on the hospital bed and force myself to hang on. I don't want to end up in a coma. Unexpectedly, I overhear Lorenzo's conversation with a doctor. "It's not too late to operate, Boss. If we delay this any longer, Ms. Jones won't be able to stand anymore! There are many other ways for you to marry Ms. Valente—why did you have to do this to Ms. Jones?" "Being crippled is the only way Renee will obediently accept my and Kelly's child. I can keep a cripple by my side but not a troublemaker. Kelly values ceremony more than anything—I promised her I would give her a perfect wedding," Lorenzo says coldly. "But… Ms. Jones is pregnant. She's four months along…" "Make her miscarry, then." Tears stream down my face without anyone noticing. It turns out no one wants to bless the wedding I've been looking forward to. If so, any woman who wants to be Lorenzo's wife can have him. He's just a small mafia boss, anyway. I'm going back to being the heiress of the East Coast mafia's Don. I'll be the queen of my own life.

Adrian Wells just wants to be left alone. Quiet nights, warm tea, and his sketchpad are all he needs to survive in a world that has taken too much from him already. Scarred by the fire that claimed his family and plagued by anxiety that keeps him from truly living, Adrian has grown used to solitude. But someone else has been watching—and waiting. When a black box appears at his doorstep, filled with unsettlingly personal gifts, Adrian brushes it off as a prank. But the messages grow bolder. The intrusions into his life become impossible to ignore. Someone knows him. Someone sees him. And that someone is Evan Thorn. Evan isn’t just a stalker—he’s a protector in his own twisted way. Rich, intelligent, and obsessive, he believes Adrian is his to love, to shield, to possess. From anonymous letters to watching from the shadows, Evan orchestrates a careful descent into Adrian’s world, eliminating anyone who gets too close. But he isn’t the only one watching. When a more violent rival stalker emerges, Adrian finds himself caught between two versions of danger: the chaos of the unknown and the devil he’s slowly come to understand. As the walls close in, Adrian is forced to rely on Evan—the very man who shattered his sense of safety. What begins as fear turns into something darker: a toxic intimacy that blurs the line between captor and comfort. As Adrian starts to feel seen for the first time in his life, he questions whether love can grow in the shadows—or if it’s just another kind of cage. In a story about obsession, trauma, what, If someone breaks you just to put you back together, is that still love? And when you finally escape them, do they ever really leave?

All Annabelle Gracia wanted was a quiet life. But after losing Mama—the only mother she knew, she poured herself into running their flower shop (the legacy Mama left behind), selling flowers and wrapping them into powerful portrait designs and around her aching heart. Sold into an arranged marriage to Antonioni D’Angélo, a ruthless billionaire mafia king known as “The Shadow King” A man who sees love as a weakness and betrayal as inevitable. Now, Annabelle is the price of a deadly deal, thrown into a world of power and shadows. She becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of secrets and betrayal all because of her father's accumulated debts from gambling, causing her to be trapped in a world of danger. But then, amidst Antonioni's ruthlessness, lies a feeling he has for Annabelle that he fought hard to control. Antonioni didn’t expect Annabelle’s fire, her defiance, or the way her quiet strength drew him in. Their nights are an intoxicating mix of pain, raw pleasure, and control. Yet, in her innocence and softness, she tries to shield herself from his cruelty. Antonioni finds something he thought the world had beaten out of him long ago—hope. As enemies and hurt close in from all sides—old rivals, betrayals, and hidden threats, Annabelle becomes more than a pawn in Antonioni’s world; she becomes his unexpected ally, and her courage steadies him. In protecting her, he learns how to protect himself from the deadly shadows within. Together, they must navigate a battlefield of purpose, blood and trust. Each battle forges them into something stronger. And when the truth about her past threatens to burn everything down, he must choose—will he cling to the darkness he's known forever? Or fight for the one he never deserved? Find out in the story.

He, Arius Accardo the mafia lord of entire Italy came in front of me as my boss willing to steal my heart to use for his benefits, to save a girl he unknowingly loved from his childhood. He crumbled my life for her better future, but reality crashed him down finding the girl he wanted to protect was none other than the girl he used as a shield for her, then he dragged me into that blood bathed church, decorated with dead bodies and bullet shells instead of flowers forcing me to become his bride, I knew my life was torn apart because of my love for him. The man holding a machine gun in his hand, pinning her to his chest to declare her as his queen stepping over the dead body dressed in white who was waiting to become his a moment ago, she knew she shouldn't have loved this man, the man who killed his love without a blink of an eye. One revelation, one secret brought my life to a high cliff. The hidden past came crashing down on my beliefs. The truth no one was supposed to find out, but he was searching for it his whole life, which has the power to the earthquake in my life, which bound me to fall for him. Will Elena be willing to become his Aria and accept her dark past which she had forgotten? Or does her resistance become fatal for both of their hearts and let them bleed until the end of them? "Congratulations my Snowflake, you became the mafia queen of Italy. She smirks and says, let's take over the entire mafia Business of earth. Glad, I tinted you enough to let you forget your divinity. " There may be some adult things in the novel.

All her life Gia had known she would be married off to the oldest heir of the Armani family but when he suddenly dies weeks before the wedding, she is handed over to his youngest brother, Vito Armani. Vito Armani is the next head of the Italian Mafia after his brother dies. He's cold, unfeeling and completely emotionless. When Gia comes into his life he can't resist her. She's delicate and innocent and he wants to ruin her and taint every inch of her. However there are obstacles in their ways; the truth about Gia threatens to break their relationship. Gia's arrangement to marry into the Armani family was calculated by Giovanni, Vito's father. He wants to use her to hurt her family and to destroy them for a crime her father committed against the Armanis, but Vito wants to protect her and shield her from everything. Vito is Gia's sexual awakening, pleasuring her in ways she didn't know existed. She is a virgin, and her innocence and purity is what draws Vito to her. Beyond her body and the intense pleasure she gives him, he falls in love with the shy little girl inside. Massimo Armani, Vito's older brother falls in love with Gia as well, finding her at her weakest moments and giving her the care she desperately needs. When Vito's mistress finds out she's pregnant with the first grandson of the Armani Clan, everything comes crumbling down. Gia finds comfort and consolidation in Massimo's arms again. Will she give up on Vito, or stand by him like he stood by her? . . . Vito's eyes rover all over my body. "Strip." His voice was a command, dominant, rough and it made my panties dampen a little more when I thought I couldn't possibly get wetter.

Ofelia Rosario - I take pride in being smart, careful, and independent. Fostering a pregnant cat was supposed to be the one soft thing in my life—until the fire. I stayed too long trying to save Spitfire, and I nearly didn’t make it out. But Zach Dayton pulled me from the flames—calm, strong, and way too charming. He’s everything I shouldn’t want. Everything that scares me. But he keeps showing up, helping, and making me laugh when I want to cry. And Spitfire? She seems convinced we belong together. Maybe love isn’t something you can logic your way around. Maybe it’s something you lean into. Zach Dayton - Falling in love isn’t supposed to feel more dangerous than running into a burning building. But then there’s Ofelia—stubborn, guarded, beautiful Ofelia. I was just doing my job when I found her trying to shield a pregnant cat from the smoke. But the second I saw her, something shifted. I’ve always believed I’m not built for love—too much loss, too many close calls. But she makes me want to try anyway. The way she looks at me, the way she fights for that cat, for herself… she doesn’t need a hero. But maybe she’ll let me be hers anyway. Book 8 in the Ravenwood Series. It can be read as a standalone. However, to learn about the characters and past events that may be referenced, you should check out the rest of the series. Book 1 - The Princes of Ravenwood (Zach's first appearance) Book 2 - Chasing Kitsune Book 3 - Expect the Unexpected Book 4 - Out of My League Book 5 - Man's Best Wingman (Ofelia's first appearance) Book 6 - Troubled Heart Book 7 - A Bark in the Park

Life is something unprecedented. Family is a gift which I'm certain any individual would need. At the point when you're a kid, your parents should shield you from whatever might hurt or scare you. They should give you love and let you in on that you have them. As far back as I can recollect, my folks have given me the direct opposite. To be more exact... my mom and stepfather. Rather than wishing me wonderful dreams, they reviled me with bad dreams. As opposed to much love, I got punches and kicks. I don't know what I did wrong for them to give me that treatment and disdain me so much, however I had figured out how to simply manage it. Particularly when a wonderful green-peered child was born into the family. Indeed, on the off chance that you might call us that. At last, I figured out how to move us away from those terrible individuals I called parents. All was great and we were happy, yet happiness doesn't keep going long. He was the beginning of my nightmares. I simply wish somebody would've let me know what my life would come to. Perhaps then I could never have decided to trust him. I wouldn't be hauling my seven-year-old girl out at 2am simply to move away from him... "Come on, bubbles. Rush!" I briskly shout as I pull Daisy towards the vehicle by her hand. "Mom…I dropped Tom!" She cries back to me while I put her in the backseat and immediately lock her in. I would have rather not returned in, terrified of what could occur however she adored Tom. Since I got him for her, she has become very attached to him. So without another thought, I ran once again into the house.

Alpha Terrence and I had been pup-less mates for five years. But one day, Terrence had accidentally ingested wolfsbane, leading to a diagnosis of severe poisoned decay. His agonized whimpers shredding the silence of every night, plunged our pack into despair. It was then that a mysterious witch whispered a prophecy to his parents: only a she-wolf bearing the "scent of silverfern and cold moonlight" could save him. So, in order to pull him back from the brink of death, he slept with the she-wolf his parents arranged for him. After every time they mated, he would frantically slap himself, then kneel before me in tears, confessing everything. Later, the she-wolf, Rebecca, succeeded in getting pregnant. Terrence hugged me and cried bitterly, "Lila, my Luna," he choked, his golden Alpha eyes dimmed with grief, "I've fulfilled my parents' dreams, so from now on, I'll live for myself. My heart, my wolf... they belong only to you." But two years later, I saw Rebecca was being fawned over by everyone in Twilight Pack. A pup stood beside her, as her belly was swollen high with another one. Terrence instinctively shifted to shield her, explaining, "Luna, my parents... they just wish for a son and daughter to complete my family. Once Rebecca safely delivers this pup, I'll send her away. Right away." "You didn't want pups with me, so Rebecca carries this burden for you. It will be yours. I did this... because I love you too much to leave you alone in this world, these pups are the gifts I leave behind. They will carry on my love for you, even after I'm gone." I nodded without crying. Terrence didn't know. I came today to share joyful news because I was pregnant. But this pup... would never draw breath under the moon. When the truth crashed upon him, that very night, under the full moon's indifferent gaze, his desolate howl became a tangible cry for my pardon.

"You've found a better kisser. You never used to pull away from our kisses. At least let me enjoy a moment since we separated. No one has ever touched me the way you did. If I had known you were married, I would have settled for Dennis and never compared you in my mind." ************************ When Marian, Aurora's husband's childhood sweetheart, entered their home, their once-loving marriage faced an immediate threat. Marian implied that Lucas had made Aurora a full-time housewife due to her appearance, denying her the opportunity to work in his company. Aurora, upon discovering her pregnancy, believed it was a chance to prove Marian wrong and convince Lucas to give her a position in his company. Unbeknownst to her, Lucas was grappling with his past and wanted to shield his wife from the pain his late mother had endured. Aurora was shocked when her blood tests revealed traces of abortion pills, resulting in a devastating miscarriage. Lucas suspected that Aurora had intentionally taken the pills after he denied her request. This breach of trust led to an irreparable divorce. To escape the aftermath, Aurora reinvented herself as Daisy, a confident and strong-willed accountant unrecognizable from her former self. However, her past resurfaced when she received a surprising business proposition: to audit her ex-husband's now-billionaire company. Could she face the haunting shadows of her past? What would happen when she confronted the person who tore her marriage apart? And how would her ex-husband react when he couldn't take his eyes off her? "Miss Daisy, I would love to go on a date with you. You resemble the woman I lost," Lucas expressed. "Mr. Lucas, with all due respect, my purpose here is to audit your company, not go on a date," Daisy firmly responded.

"So many promises, so many dreams. They all broke today," his voice resonated. "Your promise of loving me till the last breath of your life, your dream of becoming my wife and giving birth to my children….they all are shattering today, princesa," tears rolled down from her eyes at his words which made him wrap his arm around her waist. "Ssh …. don't cry. Maybe not love but I do feel sympathy for your tears as I had been living with you for so many days," he uttered while wiping her tears with his knuckles. "Besides, I am not that heartless so let's ease up your heartbreak a bit. Okay?" He uttered. "So not in front of this world but I can please you like a husband pleases his wife behind closed doors and…." He thrusted his face closer to hers. "On my bed…. just like last night where you let me devour every inch of your skin, princesa," She teared up more because that was the truth. She had actually surrendered her everything to him last night. Her heart, her soul, her body…. everything to him with no shield last night. She gave him the virtue of her body but only to let him taint it with his sin which she was believing as his love. Feeling him wrapping his arm more firmly around her waist, she found him untying the knot of her night robe. "So, how about I make you forget about your heartbreak by taking you to my bed?" he rasped in her ear, completely untying her night robe and his next words crushed her soul cruelly. "As I am sure that would be the best way to cure the pain of a prostitute's daughter and her deceitful love,"