Loyalty Lisa Scottoline

Sinora learned early that survival meant obedience. For several years, she endured humiliation, violence, and betrayal at the hands of her foster family and the Belmont family—the elite dynasty that owned her loyalty, her love, and her silence. She was a fiancée in name, a servant in truth, and a woman erased for the comfort of others. When their cruelty leaves her fighting for her life, Sinora wakes with a vow — she would Live this time. Sold into marriage to Cassian Blackwood, the cold and infamous heir of a criminal empire, Sinora expects another cage, but prepares to fight back. However, what she finds instead is a man as ruthless as he is unreadable, in a world where power is taken, not given, and loyalty is a valuable currency. His family, surprisingly accepts her like family. Cassian expects a broken, obedient wife. Instead, he gets a woman who has been to hell, and whose life is about to change on a totally different level. When the dying patriarch of the Belmont family leaves Sinora a shocking share of their empire, the Belmonts turn on her and the Blackwood family, reeling in enemies from all around, and a decades-old crime begins to surface. A dead man’s switch unleashes secrets that ignite wars between elite families and criminal syndicates. Assassinations, betrayals, and hidden bloodlines threaten to destroy everything. They chase after Sin as if she holds the key to their very destruction. Pulled between her abusive ex fiancé and the dangerous husband who awakens something dark and intoxicating in her, Sinora must decide who she will become in a world that only respects monsters. Because her birth was a crime, and her existence is a threat, Sinora must do everything to find the truth and survive.

Princess Zeina, sister of the Alpha King, was the revered Alpha of the West, strong, wise, and unmatched. A born leader, she ruled with honor and strength, earning the unwavering loyalty of her pack. But everything changed when she welcomed a mysterious new wolf into her ranks, unaware he was destined to be her fated mate. Under her guidance, he rose in power, and she gave him everything, her trust, her knowledge, and ultimately, her heart. When he voiced his desire to lead, the sacred bond they shared compelled her to step aside, crowning him Alpha. At first, they ruled together in harmony. But his hunger for power soon eclipsed the love they once shared. He brought another she-wolf into his den and branded her as his own, betraying the very bond that had once united them. Heartbroken and cast aside, Zeina watched as the wolves she had once led with pride turned their backs on her, forgetting the leader she had once been. Now, consumed by a storm of grief and vengeance, she seeks to reclaim her place, and shatter the mate bond that ties her to the traitor who destroyed her. But such a bond is not easily broken. Legends say it's impossible. Still, Zeina is willing to risk everything, even her soul, to be free. Her only hope lies with a rogue Alpha, a feared monster living beyond the borders of the West. Desperate, she seeks his aid... only to find that the tales may be not untrue. He's dangerous, yes but also clever, powerful, and bound by a code of his own. And he agrees to help her, but not for free. The price he demands is steep, and it forces Zeina to question everything she thought she knew about loyalty, power, and love.

In a world where loyalty and power reign supreme, Adriana Santoro a fiery and determined young woman, finds herself caught in the crossfire of the ruthless Mafia world when she crosses paths with Lorenzo Russo, the devil himself. The city was plagued by a mysterious epidemic of young women vanishing, only to return with no recollection of their ordeal. The Lorenzo gang, notorious for their brutal tactics, was behind this operation. Adriana, a fiery and determined young woman, found herself caught in their web during one of their ruthless hunts. Her sharp tongue and quick wit often put her at odds with her captors, but she managed to escape their paws time after time. Lorenzo, the gang's leader, was driven by a dark past. Enslaved by the Mafia godfather who had murdered his family, he was trapped in a world of violence and loyalty. His mantra was simple: if you can't beat them, join them. But everything changed when he met Adriana. As they clashed, he began to see her in a different light, and his icy exterior started to crack. Meanwhile Adriana's parents who she had believed were just pure business moguls, had secrets of their own, and Adriana's relationship with Lorenzo threatened to expose them. Things got a lot more messier when the mob princess obsession with Lorenzo had to play out. To make matters worse Lorenzo's rival was also in love with the mob princess. As tensions escalated, Adriana found herself trapped between her loyalty to her family and her growing feelings for Lorenzo. The truth about her parents' past was about to be revealed, and it would change everything. The secrets they had kept hidden for so long would soon come to light, threatening to destroy everything they had built.

Elena believed that her life was simple. She had a career she loved. A boyfriend she could trust and a future that felt safe. Not until she met Valeria Moretti. Cold, powerful and dangerous. A billionaire queen who ruled from the shadows, where money bought loyalty and betrayal was paid in blood. When her boyfriend, Marcus made a deal he couldn’t afford to keep. Elena became the collateral he never expected to lose. Taken into Valeria’s world of steel dominance and threats, Elena found herself trapped in a cage where luxury had teeth. Valeria claimed she wanted only what she was owed, but that was far from the truth. Her gaze lingered, her words cut too precisely and the line between punishment and desire began to blur. Elena had never questioned her heart. She never questioned her sexuality. Until Valeria began to dismantle her certainty, slowly and deliberately, without laying a hand on her skin. Because to Valeria, she didn’t need to conquer with force. She conquered with presence. As danger and intimacy coil together, Elena must face the truth she had never truly allowed herself to see: some forms of captivity felt like freedom, and some queens didn’t ask for loyalty; they claimed it. In a world of ruled silk temptation, steel authority and sinfully forbidden desire, love may be the most dangerous debt of all. This story contains themes, including power imbalance, captivity, psychological manipulation, emotional intensity and morally grey characters. Reader's discretion is advised. When power demands surrender, and desire refuses to be denied, how far would you fall before you stop fighting it?

Torn between duty and desire, Tiana’s life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her fated mates are two estranged Alpha brothers. Forced into an arranged bond with the cold and calculating Alpha Zayden to secure her pack’s survival, Tiana resigns herself to a loveless future. But when his fiery twin, Alphonso , returns after years of exile, her dormant soul awakens to the shocking truth: Alphonsois her true mate. Now trapped between the ruthless ambition of Zayden and the fiery passion of Alphonso , Tiana must navigate a dangerous path of love, loyalty, and betrayal. Will she follow her heart, or will the weight of destiny shatter them all?

Amara Benson believed her mother loved her until she was traded to a powerful man for profit. On her engagement night, she gets dragged and ends up waking up in the bed of Damien Kane, a cold billionaire who is feared by many. The scandal spreads and the engagement is called off. Weeks later, Amara realizes she's pregnant. She is taken by Damien under a contract marriage meant to end after childbirth. But Damien hides a past filled with danger and lies. As a kind doctor offers her safety and truth, Amara must choose between forced loyalty and real love. When she learns she is the true heiress, the fight for her heart and fortune begins.

Lips meet; Bodies tangle. It should never have happened. Opposites, who could never attract. Enemies, who were never able to coexist. That was what Ariana and Cross were to each other. She was the city’s most famous detective, known for her crackdown on gang activity that once plagued the cityscape day and night. And Cross? He was THE most powerful Mafia Don. Everything was at his disposal: money, loyalty, sex. But when night falls and enemies become lovers, the line begins to blur between love and hate. Ariana feels like a traitor to her city. But Cross is relentless and unwilling to let go of her after a taste and Ariana is willing to let him own her.

Forbidden love sparks... Secrets threaten to destroy everything... The ultimate choice that will change lives forever. When a devastating car accident erases Quincy’s memories, he’s left with only one constant: Samantha, the nurse, who becomes his everything. As they fall deeply in love, his past remains a mystery, threatening to shatter their fragile happiness. When his memory resurfaces, the truth about his identity tears her between loyalty, desire, and protection. She must choose between the man who holds her heart and the one who loves her unconditionally. Will she risk everything for the enigmatic stranger who awakened her heart, or the one she finds solace in the arms of another?

Léa was living a peaceful life with Thomas, a gentle and predictable man she was about to marry. But the unexpected return of Nathan, her twin brother with devastating charm and a free spirit, shatters her well-ordered world. At a party held in his honor, Nathan makes a striking entrance, and a crack opens in Léa's heart. His burning gaze, his words filled with passion, his way of living without limits… everything about him destabilizes her and draws her in irresistibly. Between reason and desire, loyalty and temptation, Léa wavers. What if true love wasn't where she had always believed it to be? When two hearts beat out of sync… which one should be listened to?

In the shadowy underbelly of Chicago, where loyalty is currency and power is everything, 18-year-old Kylie Santos finds herself at the center of a dangerous game she never asked to play. What happens when duty collides with desire? When the price of family loyalty is your own heart? Born into the notorious Santos crime family, Kylie has always known her life would be different. But nothing could have prepared her for the bombshell her father drops one fateful evening. As rival gangs close in, threatening to destroy everything the Santos family has built over generations, Kylie learns that she is to be the linchpin in a desperate plan for survival. "You will marry his oldest son, Lysander," her father declares, his voice as cold and unyielding as steel. In an instant, Kylie's world shatters. She's to wed Lysander Vincenzo, heir to the New York Familia — their longtime enemies turned reluctant allies. can decades of bloodshed and mistrust truly be erased by a single union? Suddenly, Kylie is thrust into a world of high-stakes politics and deadly power plays. Every move she makes could tip the delicate balance between peace and all-out war. As she navigates this treacherous new reality, Kylie must grapple with her own desires and ambitions. Can she sacrifice her dreams for the greater good of her family or find a way to forge her own path amidst the chaos? But Lysander Vincenzo is no mere pawn in this game of chess. Rumored to be as ruthless as he is handsome, he harbors his own secrets and ambitions. As Kylie and Lysander circle each other warily, an unexpected spark ignites between them. Could their arranged union blossom into something real or will the weight of family expectations and old grudges snuff out any chance at true love?