loyalty lisa scottoline

Cara Wylder is the last female in the prestigious Wylder lineage, a family blessed with a rare and powerful she-wolf known as the Golden Luna. This ancient blessing grants her lineage immense power, as any Alpha bonded to her is destined to rule with unmatched strength. However, Cara’s legacy is threatened by a secret—she cannot shift into her wolf form. As rumors of her wolflessness begin to spread, her father, Alpha Roy Wylder, offers her hand in marriage to Darius Wrent, the powerful Lycan King, in an effort to preserve her reputation and the family's standing. On their wedding day, Darius, suspicious of her lack of a wolf’s presence, demands that Cara shift in front of the gathered wolves. When she fails to do so, he publicly rejects her, leaving her disgraced and humiliated. As the other powerful Alphas look on, uninterested in a wolfless bride, Darius mockingly asks if any would dare take her hand. To everyone’s surprise, Lucien Valen, a weakened Alpha who lost most of his power after the death of his fated mate, steps forward to claim her. Lucien, once a contender for Alpha King, has been ridiculed for years, holding onto his title solely due to the loyalty of his people. Ignoring the scorn of the other Alphas, Lucien marries Cara and takes her to his castle. Though she expects a life of shame, Cara soon discovers that Lucien is not cruel, neither is he weak Alpha the others believe him to be. His power remains but is locked under the grief from the loss that haunts him and his inability to enact revenge even after all this years. As they get closer, unsettling truths about Lucien's past and the mastermind behind the fall of the once legendary Alpha is exposed.

“Marry him or forget that you were ever part of this family” “So I’m just a pawn now?” “No zara,you are the price we pay for peace “ Zara Tunde had one dream: to model for the world’s biggest fashion houses and one day walk the runway in Paris. She was ready to chase that dream—until her father shattered everything with a single demand: marry Regan Kareem, the son of a man she despised, or lose everything, including her family. But Zara wasn’t going down without a fight. On one condition, she agreed: the marriage would last only one year. If love didn’t happen by the end of the year, they would walk away. No strings, no regrets. Regan Kareem, the enigmatic son of the powerful Chief Kareem, wasn’t looking for love either. He had his secrets—some dark, some dangerous. He saw the marriage as a means to an end, a way to fulfill family expectations and cover truths that could destroy his father’s empire. What started as cold tolerance slowly ignited into something neither expected. Beneath the mansion walls, deals were made, lies unraveled, and eyes watched from the shadows. When Zara begins to uncover a past linked to her own pain—the disappearance of her baby sister years ago—everything she thought she knew crumbles. In a world where loyalty is tested and betrayal hides behind perfect smiles, Zara must decide what matters more—revenge or love.u Because in this vow, someone’s not making it out unscathed.

When I was a kid my entire family committed suicide. Weird, I know. Unfortunately, they thought themselves as unfit to live and ended their life. They had gotten themselves stuck in something deep and dark with a couple of the demons around our neighborhood and their contract was coming due. So at the age of only 13, I was left to fend for myself and survive in a world full of werewolves and demons. ~ I am Lisa Summers and my family was once one of the most powerful werewolf packs in North America. That is, however, only because of a contract made by a demon. After their deaths, the pack diminished to almost nothing. The spell cast upon the pack members had been lifted and they saw no reason to stick around. I was left with no one to support me and I was f****d to find my own way through life. My title as the Alpha's daughter slowly slipped back to Omega in a matter of hours. Nobody wanted anything to do with me. I was a freak in their eyes. They were embarrassed of me, I humiliated them. I was supposed to be strong and lead the pack when her parents couldn't and I wasn't able to. I was an Omega at heart. I always had been, no matter the spell the demon put on everyone. I was an Omega and they were finally beginning to see that. I was weak, pathetic, unloved, and an outcast. Everyone despised me. People who I thought of as family members disowned me. For the first time in my life I was completely and utterly alone. Until I met him. He is the one for me . Only him.

Blurb Novah Ledger's ordinary life was turned upside down when her mother fell ill. Desperate to save her, Novah agreed to become a surrogate for billionaire mogul Riana Gunnar, who would stop at nothing to claim his heir. Their pact was simple: Novah would bear his child, and Riana would save her mother. But fate had other plans. An accident made Novah disappear, only to reappear five years later with a child and a shocking revelation: Riana was not the man she thought he was. He was a fearsome, lawless mafia boss. As Riana's empire threatens to crumble beneath the weight of his desires, Novah finds herself caught in a deadly love triangle game. Riana's enemy, Thorne Alder, had rescued her from the accident and has helped her recover her memories. Now she was torn between her loyalty to Thorne and the father of her child, Riana. Will she return to the man who threatens her existence, or will she take a chance on the one person who could destroy him?

When a young heiress named Alina Walker is reborn after a tragic betrayal by her fiancé, Viktor, and best friend, Mira. Determined to exact revenge, Alina forms an alliance with Damien, the alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. As she explores a complex feeling of love, loyalty, and deception, Alina must confront her past and choose between vengeance and redemption. Will she find love and forgiveness, or will her thirst for revenge consume her?

When my father died, he left me The Costa Mafia, a broken family and a target on my back. Our enemies are waiting for their chance to destroy what’s left of the Costa name. My siblings are counting on me to save them, but I can’t do it alone. There’s only one man powerful enough to keep us safe. Luca Marino. The cold, ruthless Mafia king with blood on his hands and ice in his veins. THE MONSTER. The man everyone fears. I walked into his life with nothing to offer but my name and a desperate proposal. A marriage contract. No love, no romance. Just protection for my family in exchange for power and status for him. But Luca doesn’t trust easily. He doesn’t take chances, and he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. To him, I’m just playing in a deadly game. And the closer I get, the more deadly it becomes. My mother betrays us, then his father, then Luca dies. Or so I think. In our world, loyalty is a weapon, betrayal is expected, and love is a weakness that can destroy you. And now, I’m caught in a contract I may not survive. And falling in love with him daily.

Oliver Reynald, a twenty-seven-year-old man, disguises himself as a bodyguard for the youngest daughter of the Franklyn family, driven by a desire for revenge, particularly against Lucas Franklyn, whom he believes killed his mother. This long-held grudge leads Oliver to trap the youngest Franklyn daughter, Yoursa, making her fall in love with him. However, one truth Oliver has never known about his mother’s death—and his own identity—is that the mastermind behind her death has always been close by. As Oliver uncovers the full truth about his mother’s demise, his world unravels. As time goes on, Oliver becomes increasingly entangled in Yoursa’s life, and his heart is torn between his thirst for vengeance and the genuine affection that grows between them. Yoursa, initially caught as a victim in Oliver’s sinister plan, feels warmth and protection she has never experienced before. However, the peace they build together is threatened by the dark secrets lurking in the shadows. On their journey to uncover the truth, Oliver and Yoursa must battle the forces that seek to tear them apart, including betrayal from those closest to them. Can Oliver bring justice for his mother while preserving the love they’ve found? Or will his thirst for revenge destroy everything, even the most precious of relationships? In this emotionally charged tale, Oliver’s decisions will shape their futures and test the limits of true love, which may endure even when shackled by secrets and lies. In a world where loyalty is fleeting, and enemies disguise themselves as allies, Oliver must confront the ghosts of his past and decide what truly matters—his quest for revenge or the unexpected love that has blossomed amidst the darkness. Can their love survive the haunting legacy of betrayal, or will it crumble beneath the weight of unforgiven.

In the shattered remains of a divided world, Rivermirror stands as a city of shadows—ruled by chaos, secrets, and ruthless ambition. Among its broken streets and hidden corners, two lives converge: Hound, a mercenary cursed by visions of fractured futures, and Argent, a deadly assassin whose silver-braided hair slices through enemies as easily as her carefully crafted lies. Bound by a soul brand, their uneasy alliance thrusts them into a heist that ignites a chain of betrayal, war, and unimaginable consequences. When a daring raid on River's military vault unearths a dark attribute symbiote and a mysterious core relay, the balance of power between two fractured nations is forever altered. As commanders plot revenge, and Rivermirror’s elites spin their webs of deceit, Hound and Argent must navigate a labyrinth of loyalty, survival, and ambition. But trust is a luxury in a city where betrayal is currency, and every choice pushes them closer to a future neither can fully control. With the line between villain and hero blurred, how far will they go to escape their fates? And what price are they willing to pay to survive in a world where hope is as fleeting as shadows? Dark, gripping, and unapologetically raw, Deep Down Your Black Heart is a dystopian fantasy that delves into the depths of ambition, morality, and the haunting weight of choices.

In the dark underbelly of Philadelphia, two opposing crime families—the Morgans and the Rinaldis—have maintained a tenuous peace. However, when a merciless Japanese gang executes the killings of their leaders to instigate turmoil, the equilibrium of power breaks, sending the city into a lethal battle of trickery, treachery, and vengeance. Sierra Morgan, the unacknowledged and overlooked daughter of the Morgan clan, is plunged into a perilous task: wed Dominic Rinaldi, the icy and strategic new Don of Il Condottiero, and deceive him for the sake of her vengeful half-siblings. It’s a task she cannot decline, but as Sierra enters the foe's lair, she realizes that Dominic is not the cold-hearted villain she thought he was. Underneath his harsh facade exists a man marked by grief, allegiance, and hidden truths. As their arranged marriage develops into an unforeseen situation, Sierra feels conflicted between her allegiance to her family and the increasing emotions she harbors for the man she was meant to ruin. But betrayal runs deep on both sides, and when shocking truths emerge—including a secret child, forbidden affairs, and an insidious mole within the Rinaldi clan—Sierra realizes the true enemy may not be who she thought. With bloodshed escalating and time running out, Sierra must make an impossible choice: protect the man she loves or betray him to save herself. Can love survive in a world where loyalty is bought with blood, and betrayal is just another business transaction? A story of forbidden love, power struggles, and shocking twists, this gripping tale will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

BOOK ONE OF THE KEITH SISTERS SERIES Nella, a woman disillusioned by heartbreak and betrayal, faces a series of challenges after losing both her corporate HR job and her relationship with Sam, who cheated on her. Seeking a fresh start, she takes a job at a flower shop and later lands a prestigious position at Elevé Cosmetics, where she becomes the personal assistant to Roy Logan, a cold and ambitious CEO with whom she shares a past one-night stand. As Nella navigates the complexities of her new job, she finds herself torn between Roy, whose vulnerabilities stir her, and Ethan, a steady and reliable friend who is secretly Roy’s fiancée’s brother. Meanwhile, Maya, Roy’s scheming ex, plots to tear Nella and Roy apart, and Nella’s toxic ex-boyfriend, Gray, becomes obsessed with her once again. When Nella uncovers dark secrets about her boyfriend and her connection with Roy deepens, she must confront conflicting desires, loyalty, and betrayal. Amidst the chaos, Nella faces an impossible decision—whether to follow her heart and embrace a tumultuous love with Roy, risk betraying her friendship with Ethan, or break free from the toxic relationships that bind her. In a world of shifting allegiances, Nella’s choices will shape her future, forcing her to decide whether true love is within her reach or if she is forever trapped by the tangled knots of her past.