Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation

As the flames engulfed my body in the underground warehouse, I used the last of my strength to call my brother, the new Don of the Moretti family. Just as I was about to draw my last breath, Lorenzo finally answered, his voice as cold as the Sicilian winter wind. "Isabella, what the hell are you up to now?" "Brother, save me…" My voice was barely a whisper, but he cut me off without a hint of mercy. "Can't you go one day without causing trouble?" "Liliana's debutante dinner is next week. If you don't show up, I'll drag you back here myself." He hung up without a second thought, completely oblivious to the desperation in my voice. Despair mingled with the searing agony that wracked my body as the flames danced higher, and I couldn't hold on any longer. As I closed my eyes, tears still trickled from their corners. You won't have to drag me back, my brother. I'm never coming back.

When Valentina met Matteo in 2019, they both felt as if they’d known each other before. Everybody knows Matteo Giudice is the first son of a billionaire who is probably, but not surely, the head of the Sicilian mafia. Everything he does seems to be for his own pleasure even though there’s a certain darkness to him that seems to follow him everywhere he goes. Burnt-out from a young age due to his generational wealth, being bored is his biggest problem in life. Valentina is the daughter of a successful Russian businessman and has always flown under the radar at school but now seems to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. There’s something a bout her, as if she has something nobody else possesses, that stirs up Matteo’s interest in the first place. Somewhere along the way of trying to figure each other out they unintentionally fall in love. When buried secrets come out, their lives turn into a deadly game of power, in which love and war have no choice but to co-exist. A slow-burn coming of age mafia romance novel, in which the only thing the protagonists know for sure is that fate doesn't care if you're ready for the love of your life. Part 1 of the Games We Play works.

For four years I was his secretary, and for four years I warmed his bed. I knew everything, from his family business to the secrets he whispered to me at night. But to him, I was nothing more than a toy he could summon whenever he pleased. The moment his first love, Sofia Costa, flew back into the country, he humiliated me without a second thought. He kissed her in a Sicilian church, abandoned me on a rain-soaked road with a gash ten inches long on my calf, and later dismissed me with a cold, cutting line. He said I was someone unimportant, someone he could simply ignore. She waved the tulip plush he'd given her in front of me. "I'm the only one he loves. You were just a stand-in." While I rebuilt my life in Chicago and finally found some peace, this ruthless Mafia don knelt outside my door, eyes red with emotion. "Elena, come back to me." I kicked his hand away with a smile. "Your so-called devotion disgusts me."

They weren’t supposed to meet. They weren’t supposed to fall. But when the heart breaks the rules—everything shatters.Isabel Buster has always known where she stands—on the outside of power, watching the world of wealth and privilege from behind glass. Quiet, hardworking, and determined to build her own future, she’s spent her high school years avoiding her estranged father’s new billionaire family. But one impulsive night at an exclusive club changes everything.Alessandro De’Luca is used to getting what he wants. The ruthless heir to a billion-dollar empire, he’s dominant, controlled—and completely unprepared for the girl who crashes into his life with wide eyes and fierce defiance. Their connection is instant, electric, and unspeakably dangerous.Because the next day, he becomes her stepbrother.Trapped under the same Sicilian roof, their chemistry burns through every glance and argument. What starts as temptation spirals into obsession, secrets, and betrayal. And when the truth of a cruel bet comes to light, it threatens to destroy not just their fragile bond—but everything Isabel thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.As public scandal erupts, lies unravel, betrayal from a close friend and a buried pregnancy changes everything, Isabel must choose: walk away to protect her heart—or fight for a love that was never meant to survive.

Rhea Morreti, the female lead and the daughter of a Sicilian gang member; was meant to be a silent spy and was planted in the Vitale family to dismantle them from within, under the guise of an arranged marriage with Adriano Vitale, the son of a rival gang leader. But when her own brother, Dante, exposes her to further his own agenda, she becomes the scapegoat for a war she never planned to fight alone. Marked for execution, she barely escapes with her life—only to return stronger, deadlier, and carrying a secret that could shake the very foundation of their world. Even though Adriano Vitale never wanted the marriage, he didn’t want Rhea dead, especially since they had fallen for each other. Yet, when she disappears in a hail of bullets, presumed gone forever, he buries the past and focuses on the war threatening to consume his empire. That is, until she returns, not just as the woman he once knew, but as a force of vengeance, standing at his side against their common enemies. Dante, on the other hand, had spent years hiding a secret that fueled his ambition and his hatred for his family. As alliances shift and the truth unravels, Rhea and Adriano must navigate a treacherous world of lies, deception, and deadly rivalries. But the question remains. “With enemies lurking in the shadows and betrayal at every turn, will they uncover the truth before it’s too late, or will their unknown enemies destroy them before they get their revenge?”

Bianca Acetta, the daughter of a notorious Sicilian mobster, is fed up with her father's sinful life. So, she runs away and disguises herself as an ordinary girl. Unfortunately, Bianca was caught by social services and entered the foster parent program. The fierce and martial arts savvy Bianca is forced to pretend to be a nerd, after repeatedly changing foster parents, due to her bad temper. Until she met a widowed archaeologist who was different from her previous foster parents. Bianca felt very attached to this widow, so she tried to be a good kid who was calm and didn't like fighting. But then along comes a young man named Marco Romano, who messes with Bianca and gets her into trouble with the local cartel. Marco is the son of a tough cop. He doesn't actually know much about the mafia. Bianca, on the other hand, knows the ins and outs, but pretends to be naive. They will solve their problems while growing the seeds of love between them. Later, it is revealed that the widowed archaeologist is a secret agent who wants to arrest Matteo Acetta, Bianca's father. Again, Bianca runs away because she thinks Marco can't accept her status as the son of a mobster. Finally, the secret agent managed to catch Matteo and still wanted Bianca as his foster child and Marco did not mind Bianca's status but was even amazed to have a badass lover.

I waggled into my cottage and I opened the door. I found a stranger inside and I jerked out in fear. My amethyst eyes glowed in defence to protect my territory since it was marked. "Who the hell are you!" I yelled indignantly in frustration as emotions churned up in my chest. "I am Aryan Delcour, am sorry I stumbled upon your cottage. I was simply passing by" He retorted unfazed. His chest tightened afterwards and his jaw was clenched. A part of him knew that he had trespassed for sure, so he felt contritely at the moment. My eyes were fixated on his packs since he was just in shorts and I almost stuttered. I waggled closer to him fortuitously. "Is this the impact of the bond under moonlight?!" I pondered to myself in a perturbed manner. I knew that I had always resisted the urge to have a mate and bond with him under moonlight but not this time! Not when I was drunk and heartbroken! Dahlia Hyacinth, an Omega from the Loodwig Crescent pack ends up having a one night stand, fortuitously with an alpha, Aryan Delcour who was a stranger. It was the irrefutable impact of bonding under the moonlight and there were solid factors that caused her not to resist; From being dead drunk to being horny naturally under the moonlight. She gets banished from her pack by her father, the alpha of the pack she was in. While she tries to live a fresh start with her quadruplets cute babies all werewolves, the alpha shows up at her doorsteps living her mesmerized. Would she gets entangled in his world filled with love, conflict, war and myth?

The childs gone. The dreams gone. I've become comfortably numb Valentina Lombardi has been through a lifetime of trauma throughout her years. From her absentee, abusive father who's neglected her all her life to her even more abusive legal guardian who's been the one to traumatize her. A trip to what she sees as her second bedroom, the police station, takes a turn of events with a piece of information she receives that changes everything. Zane Marino, leader of the Marino mafia, and Raul Romano, one of his top men. Dead. The two men who've destroyed her are now out of her life, a miracle to her. Now, she's being thrown into the custody of her eight older brothers she never knew she had. Her biological family. Not to mention, her eldest brother who's now her legal guardian, also happens to be the leader of the Sicilian mafia. Her "father's" pure enemy. What happens when she has to learn to deal with the infamous, ruthless Lombardi brothers, the ones she was raised to hate? Marino through adoption and Lombardi by blood. A dangerous mix. Throw trauma, boys, secrets, and utter chaos into the mix. How will it all play out when her inner demon's come to the surface, making everything unravel right under her two feet?

Alexander Petridis: I still have not found my mate in the seven years since my first shift. I nearly gave up, but then I left to build alliances and hopefully find her. Little did I know she'd been under my nose all along. When I see her, though, I'm stunned, not just because she's innocent little Delilah Fayte but because, in my absence, she made a choice I don't know if I can live with. Delilah Fayte: People have always thought I'm this naïve innocent girl. And okay, maybe I am innocent and all that. After my first shift, I didn't actively seek my mate. I had other plans. And sure, my family was against it at first, but mate or not, I wanted to help André and Darren. I didn't think in doing so, I'd alienate my mate and long-time crush, Alexander Petridis. This is the fourth of the Incubi Pack series. You do not need to have read the previous books to enjoy this book, but it is encouraged. The Incubi Pack Series: Book 1 - Alpha of Nightmares Book 2 - The Hybrid Alpha Book 3 - Dream Mate Anthology Short Story - Chosen Mate Anthology Bonus Story - Sicilian Holiday Anthology Short Story - The Quiet Giant's Mate Book 4 - Beta's Innocent Mate

Alec - My life has been nothing but pain. I gave up not just looking for my mate but in general a long time ago. My pack, my friends, not even my children can bring me out of this endless nightmare. My wolf runs things. But when I see Crista's face, I see an end to my misery. I'll stay silent no more. She is the light, and I'll do anything to protect her. Crista - One night of terror has sent my peaceful life into turmoil. My pack is gone, and so are my parents. I was only able to save my little sisters. But when we're found unknowingly crossing the border into the Incubi Pack, it feels more like out of the frying pan and into the fire. The alpha of the Incubi Pack is known across the world as ruthless. The Moon Goddess must have a sense of humor as my wolf whimpers mate' as his yellow eyes meet mine. This book is a spinoff series from the Bloodmoon Series. Characters and events in this book may overlap with Beta's Surprise Mate. The Incubi Pack Series: Book 1 - Alpha of Nightmares Book 2 - The Hybrid Alpha Book 3 - Dream Mate Anthology Short Story - Chosen Mate Anthology Bonus Story - Sicilian Holiday Anthology Short Story - The Quiet Giant's Mate Book 4 - Beta's Innocent Mate