Haruki Murakami Burning Barn

I grew up in a glass tower—protected by badges, blinded by lies. My father, the Commissioner, built walls around me so high I never saw the darkness creeping through the cracks. Not until one reckless night led me into the Inferno Club… and straight into the arms of Chicago’s most dangerous men. Three kings rule the shadows. Each more lethal than the last. Each is determined to claim me. Jaxon shatters me and puts me back together with his hands and his hunger. Maddox weaves riddles and seduction until I forget my own name. Ronan strips away every mask I wear and demands surrender I never knew I could give. They think I’m just another spoiled rich girl playing with fire. But I’ve been burning since the day my mother died—and now I’m ready to show them exactly how dangerous a caged viper can be. In Chicago’s underworld, love is a weapon. And I’m learning to wield it like a queen.

For two passionate years, Bella Black's marriage was everything she dreamed of, a connection built on love, trust, and an undeniable chemistry that kept their flame burning bright. But in one devastating moment, a tragic accident steals away the intimacy that once defined their relationship, leaving her husband broken and their marriage hanging by a thread. When her husband's three closest friends move in to help during his recovery, Bella finds herself sharing a home with three dangerously attractive men who remind her of everything she's lost. As days turn into weeks, the tension becomes unbearable. Their lingering glances, their easy charm, their proximity, it all awakens desires she's been desperately trying to suppress. Caught between her vows to the man she loves and the magnetic pull of forbidden temptation, Bella must navigate an impossible choice. Will she honor her marriage through the darkness, or will the heat of forbidden desire consume everything she holds sacred? In a house where loyalty, lust, and love collide, Bella Black is about to discover just how far temptation can push a faithful heart.

Vasilios was just as quick, his hand gripping my arm and pulling me into his arms quicker than I could blink.  “You ran away from me once, Cassandra, you won't be doing so again.” “What are you going to do? Chain me up? Stick me in a tower and throw away the key? I don't belong to you, Vasilios,” I raged, pushing against his chest. “You may not belong to me, but you're still my mate and my wife!” he threw back, anger burning in his ice blue eyes. ~~~ Three years ago, Cassie ran away from her family and her life as the newly married bride and future Luna of the ruthless Vasilios Kythira. Making a new life for herself wasn't easy, but she did it. Will this life be torn to pieces when Vasilios finds her? Or will she find that he was what had been missing all along... ~~~ This is the second book in the My Mafia series, and while it is a continuation of My Mafia Master, it can be read as a standalone book.

His breath heated her bare skin. "You. . . shouldn’t be. . . here.” She shivered.“But now I am.”He placed his first finger on the knot of the towel, and slightly dragged it out of position, letting it fall to the ground. Now she was standing naked before him, she couldn’t do a thing, not even to hide her pride.His gaze fell on her breast, slowly down to her V spot. A smirk played on his lips, as if staring right at that junction was heaven. The power to resist the urge burning in her was gone, rather her body responded positive to it.“Kiss me, Luci. Please. . .kiss me.”A Bargain Must Be Fulfilled.My rules.A life is needed.That was the deal.The night started as it should. It was supposed to be a meeting. But then something happened.Something I was wholly unprepared for. And what I saw changed everything.Sonia. I wanted her at all cost.I broke my own rules after that. And I didn’t keep my end of the bargain.Because walking away was no longer an option I would grant either of us, no matter the cost.

“Sign the divorce papers, Elena. You were never enough for me.” Her world shattered with those words. Caught between betrayal and heartbreak, Elena walked in on her billionaire husband tangled with her best friend of ten years, on his office desk. Humiliated. Broken. Cast aside. But the wife Adrian thought he could discard so easily isn’t the same woman who will rise from the ashes. Elena has secrets he can’t erase… a child he doesn’t know exists… and a fire burning inside her for revenge. Now, with every move she makes, the tables begin to turn. His icy arrogance, his cruel dismissal, his shameless betrayal, he’ll pay for it all. Yet, what Adrian didn’t expect was that losing her would be the greatest mistake of his life… because he’s not ready to let her go. In a war of love, lies, and vengeance, hearts will break, empires will fall, and only one truth will remain: Hell hath no fury like a billionaire’s ex-wife..

Scarlet Underwood had always fancied herself in love with Alpha Alex, she always knew he would be the one she would get married to. It was a dream come true to finally walk down the aisle and become not only his mate but the Luna of the pack. However, everything came crashing down when Kayla, Scarlet's best friend, claimed she was pregnant with Alpha Alex's child. Hurt, betrayed, and angry, Scarlet runs away. She gets attacked by rogues but is saved by Damien, the feared Lycan King, and it is painfully obvious by the sparks flying that they are mates. Damien, the reclusive Lycan King, is unsure what to do with his mate. He harbors a dark secret that may threaten to harm her if she chooses to stay with him, but he can't deny the burning attraction and pull he feels to her. Will Scarlet open up her heart to the possibility of love after having been burned once? And will Damien find a way around the curse and claim his mate? Join Damien and Scarlet on their journey of love, sacrifice, and betrayals!!!

The moon goddess had a sense of humor for pairing Fiona with the devilish alpha behind all her struggles. Worst still, the devilish Alpha rejects her And just when she thinks her hopes of a fairytale love is crushed and she would live alone in her misery The powerful rival of her mate swoops into her life with sexy blue eyes and an unwavering interest and a burning passion for her. She is torn between the teeth of two powerful Alphas The one who refuses to claim her and the one who wants to consume her. But now Fiona has learned to fight dirty and would do anything to get the attention of her mate including getting her fingers into the deep and becoming a pawn for her so called mate. What she doesn't realize is that all along she is on the wrong side of the battle She is tangled in a steamy twist of betrayal, secrets, revenge, and love. With only one thing she on her mind; love. When the truth reveals can she forgive? Can true love triumph over revenge? And can one love the devil?

"You are mine. And no one can own you except me," Dimitri commanded, his voice cold as ice. "I am not your property," Natasha shot back, her eyes burning with defiance. "You have no right to own me." But in the dark underworld of the mafia, rights don't exist. Only power. Dimitri Volkov is a ruthless Mafia billionaire who controls everything- his empire, his enemies, and now her. When he takes Natasha captive after a violent warehouse massacre, he expects her to break like everyone else. She refuses. She fights. She challenges him in ways that ignite an obsession he can't control. Natasha is trapped in a golden cage, caught between two impossible choices. She came to his world for a reason- to access secrets that could destroy him completely. But as Dimitri's possessive love deepens and his obsession consumes them both, staying becomes harder. Leaving becomes impossible. Some prisons are built with steel. Others are built with desire. In the end, love might be the most dangerous cage of all.

Marianne Fairmount's world shattered when she discovered her fiance in bed with her half-sister. The cruel revelation that she had always been alone hit her hard. Her father turned his back on her, blessing the marriage between her ex-fiance and her younger sister, even celebrating the announcement of their expected baby. Left with no partner, no place to live, dwindling savings, and a job hanging by a thread, Marianne decided to drown her sorrows in one too many drinks. In a moment of reckless abandon, she spent the night with a handsome stranger, surrendering her virginity. Though the night was filled with passionate and sensual moments, Marianne was filled with regret when she discovered that the stranger was none other than Lucius Brown, her new boss and the majority shareholder of the company she worked for. The situation worsened, and with a burning desire for revenge against her family, Marianne found herself drawn to the enigmatic and secretive Lucius. She decided to propose a marriage contract that would not only put her heart at risk but possibly her very life.

They called him the Mafia King, but I knew him as the devil who ripped my sister from this world. My mission was sacred; vengeance. My method; Seduce the beast, then plunge the knife deep when he least expects it. I stepped into his world and offered him my supposed innocence, and like all devils, he took the bait. ​Dominic Sokolov didn’t just want me; he claimed me. Every possessive stare, every burning touch, every depraved whisper chipped away at the vengeance that once fueled my soul. He was a poison I craved, a sin I embraced, and with every scorching kiss, the bullet meant for his heart began to feel like my own. But a devil always finds his due. And when he discovers the assassin hidden beneath the lover, I know what waits. ​A hell far worse than death itself. CONTENT WARNING: This book contains mature themes, including dark romance, morally complex characters and situations that might be intense for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.