130 Book(s) Related to these violent delights have violent ends

Alisson Rivera hates sports, athletes, and, most of all, all the chaos that comes with them. But when her best friend asked her to go to the Boston Harbor Rebels game in her place, she couldn’t say no. What she didn’t expect, however, was that she would end up witnessing something she wasn’t supposed to.

By the next morning, rumors are spreading, and the already fragile reputation of the ice hockey team’s star begins to crack.
Intense, unstable, and, they say, "someone who doesn’t know how to take things seriously", Tristan McKenna has the chance to prove the world wrong about him… but at the cost of his privacy, living for one hundred days with the most interesting, sharp-tongued girl he has ever met.

When the cameras are turned on and their every move is recorded, will secrets, hidden sides, and buried wounds still remain hidden from the public eye?

Love lost, love chased, and love reborn—this collection of werewolf short stories weaves together tales of passion, heartbreak, and redemption.

From powerful Alphas who regret letting their fated mates slip away to strong-willed heroines who rise above betrayal, each story explores the raw emotions of second chances and self-discovery. Some wolves fight to reclaim what they've lost, while others learn that true strength lies in walking away.

As the moon guides them through pain and healing, they must decide: cling to the past or embrace the future?

In "Fated Mates Torn by Hate", experience stories of chasing love, finding self-worth, and letting go of old wounds to step into the light of a new dawn.

I found out my entire relationship with the golden boy of hockey was just a sick, twisted bet with his ex-girlfriend.

I gave Felix Sawyer my firsts, my heart, and my absolute devotion, only to stand frozen in a parking lot listening to him and his friends laugh at my pathetic existence. "The whole thing with Bethel was just a bet," he had smiled, shattering my world.

Years later, I’m no longer that naive college nerd. I’m playing in the championship finals, and the only thing standing between me and the trophy is the demon who ruined my life.

"Let's make a bet," Felix whispered, cornering me in the locker room before the game, his smug face inches from mine. "If you win, I'll crawl in the snow. But if I win... you belong to me."

I accepted, fueled by pure, unadulterated hate. I was going to crush him on the ice. I was going to make him bleed tears.

But I didn't.

I watched in absolute horror as the final buzzer blew, and the scoreboard mocked my failure. Felix skated toward me, the crowd chanting his name, a dangerous, predatory smirk on his face.

"A bet is still a bet, darling," he mouthed. And tonight, he was coming to collect his prize.

A past generations’ wrongful case makes Julian mistake innocent Sienna for his foe’s daughter. Exploiting her crush, he ruins her Cambridge dream on graduation night, destroying her family. For five years, Sienna works in a sleazy club to fund her sick mother’s care.
Their unexpected reunion leaves Julian torn between disgust and secret affection. When the truth surfaces, consumed by regret, he cancels his wedding and spends all his wealth to atone. Yet Sienna’s love is long gone. After settling her family with his money, she leaves forever.

He knelt in the dirt, begging to see the daughter he abandoned, but I pointed to the man beside me: "She calls him Daddy now."

Ryan looked like a ghost. Stomach cancer had eaten away his arrogance, leaving only skin and bones. He stared at Grace—the baby he thought was dead, the baby he tried to replace with an orphan. "Zoey... I'm her biological father. Please."

I held Chris's hand, feeling his warmth, so different from Ryan's cold betrayal. "Biological?" I scoffed. "You're just a sperm donor who chose his sister over his wife."

Grace hid behind Chris's leg, looking at Ryan with fear. That look broke him more than the cancer ever could.

"You have Lucy," I said, turning away. "And her child. Go enjoy the family you destroyed us for." I watched him vomit blood into the grass, realizing too late that he had traded a diamond for a stone. He would die alone, while we lived happily ever after.

She was her own person and knew exactly what she wanted.
He owned the shit and thought he could do anything.
She had something he wanted, but she didn't know it.
He had what she'd always dreamed of, but she had no idea how to get it.
She lied for love.
He didn't forgive anyone.
She hated him from the first time she saw him.
He tried to destroy her in every possible way.
Bárbara Novaes never imagined that her peaceful life would suddenly turn upside down, when a deathbed request would make her main objective be to enter the life of the best known CEO in the country.
Heitor Casanova has never seen a woman as persecuting and insistent as Bárbara. But it didn't cross her mind that she didn't want the same as everyone else: "him".
The bond that united them would force them both to live under the same roof, with a single common goal: to protect what they loved most.
Was it possible for mutual anger to turn into love?
Would they admit the new feelings that arose, which they were not able to accept?
And they would overcome together all the obstacles that would be created to prevent this relationship from happening???

Lena Sawyer’s world crumbles in one brutal night when she caught Wes, her boyfriend cheating on her. Heartbroken and reckless, she stumbles into the arms of a stranger—dangerously older, devastatingly powerful, and far too tempting for her own good. One kiss is enough to set her soul on fire.
But when the haze clears, Lena discovers the stranger isn’t just anyone. He’s her new boss. A man with rules carved in stone. A man she has no business wanting—her ex’s father.
Sebastian Lancaster built an empire by controlling everything—and everyone—around him. But Lena tests every boundary he swore never to cross. She’s too young, too forbidden, and far too irresistible.
What starts as stolen glances and simmering tension spirals into nights that blur the line between pleasure and ruin. And the deeper they fall, the higher the risk: his empire, her career, and a desire that could burn them both alive.
Age-gap. Off-limits. Irresistible.

What would a woman do if one day she is waiting for her husband to tell him the news of her pregnancy but he comes home with another woman who is pregnant with his child?
........

Ariadne had a perfect life until her mother died in a car accident and her father remarried, bringing a stepmother and stepsister into her life. Once adored by all, Ariadne became an eyesore to everyone, including her father. Her stepmother and stepsister took everything from her.

However, she lost it when their eyes fell on Xander, the sole heir of the richest family in the country and her childhood love. When rumors of Crystal, her step sister and Xander's dating spread, Ariadne used her everything to force Xander into marrying her.

Despite pouring her heart and soul into the marriage, Ariadne failed to make Xander reciprocate her feelings. Their loveless marriage came to an end when Crystal returned in their lives.

With a broken heart, Ariadne left the city with a secret and rebuilt her life.

Five years later, she returned as a successful interior designer to design her ex-husband's new mansion. But this time, what she saw in Xander's eyes for herself was not hatred. It was something else.

She came face to face with the same people who had wronged her in the past. They still held resentment towards her. But this time Ariadne vowed to strike back at her bullies.

Many secrets were revealed in the process that made Xander regret his past actions. He was determined to win Ariadne back.

BUT Will Ariadne be able to forget their past and get back together with Xander or She will choose someone else?

Rosemary, a young and captivating maiden finds herself in a cozy yet inescapable cottage with no memories of her life. She knows nothing of the world except in the fairy tale and romance books that a boy brings to her every morning. She longs for love and companionship in her life, until one day, Pierce, a mysterious man who happens to be the Alpha of a nearby pack notices her and visits her. It’s love at first sight, and he realizes they are mates. Interestingly enough, he has also lost most of his memories. Together, they unravel the secrets of their prisons and become closer in the process.
Their heated moments of passion, their lust for each other draws them into one another, but ultimately, their hatred and pain push them away.
Through the hands of The Fates, and the love they share, they learn many lessons on their journey, which they also discover has been repeated. It’s up to them to choose to stay together. Eventually, they’ll have to make a choice.
Nothing is as it seems as they continue to work on getting it right and become the power couple they were meant to be in order to defeat the evils of their world. But time ticks against them as others try to come between their union to change their destiny and everything they hold dear.
Will their love and lust for each other keep them together, or will their hate drive them further apart?

I am Jack Harrison, a useless programmer .
After inheriting my grandmother's mysterious bracelet and foreseeing the end of the world , I frantically hoarded goods, but my scheming girlfriend, disgusted by my behavior, ran off with a Hollywood movie star .
The apocalypse has broken out, the whole city has fallen, and she is crying and begging me to save her life.
Ah, too late!

Elliot, a shy bookworm and constant target for bullies, finds themselves trapped on the abandoned field after school—again. But this time, the star football captain, Jamie, appears like a hero, driving the bullies away. As Jamie stands protectively by their side, two worlds collide: the quiet, introverted world of Elliot and the loud, popular world of Jamie.

Despite their differences, a spark ignites between them. But navigating their feelings isn’t easy. With jealous teammates, judgmental classmates, and Elliot’s own insecurities standing in their way, their budding romance faces countless challenges. Can love bridge the gap between their two worlds, or will the pressure tear them apart?

In my previous life, the apocalypse struck.
I fought desperately to protect the shelter, but she, overflowing with compassion, opened the door and let in infected people, causing the defenses to collapse completely and my only sister to die tragically.
Afterwards, she showed no remorse, instead turning around and currying favor with a warlord, enjoying privileges at the expense of her comrades. And I, in this betrayal, was devoured alive by a horde of zombies.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back three days before the tragedy.
Watching her once again attempt to morally blackmail everyone, and preparing to open that deadly door to demonstrate her "kindness," I threw her into the darkness.

"I want to move to Rivers End. I feel like I already have friends there." Dani Collins, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Blue Spruce Lodge series The MacAllisters of Rivers End boxed set includes books #1–4If you love heartwarming, sweet and sexy contemporary small town romance, then come home to Rivers End and fall in love with the MacAllisters and the Murphys. They just want to settle down and lead normal lives in their small Vancouver Island town, but romance blossoms in the unlikeliest places. And trouble has a way of finding them...Silver Bells (Isaac MacAllister + Jenna Murphy, Beginnings)Big River Lodge owner Isaac MacAllister has no time for romance. He’s got enough on his plate with a spritely kindergartener to raise and a business to run. But he doesn’t bargain on the appearance of the irresistible Jenna Murphy. Jenna just wants to escape work and family for a while. In Silver Bells, will she let one sexy dad and his sweet daughter Sara derail her plans for her holiday… and her life?Tipsy (Shannon MacAllister + Lucas Heyes)Shannon MacAllister wants to ring in the new year with someone who is nothing like her ex. She gets her wish. Too bad Lucas Heyes, world-class kisser, is a family traitor who lost her trust five years ago. Lucas wants to mend fences with the MacAllisters and start afresh in Rivers End. In Tipsy, will this dark horse convince Shannon to open her heart and risk trying again?Reindeer Games (Eli Murphy + Ginger Lewis)If wandering homeless in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve isn’t rock bottom, it sure feels like it to Jenna’s estranged brother Eli Murphy. So when Ginger Lewis rescues him, he finds himself fantasizing about a future he doesn’t deserve. But the last thing Ginger needs is a mysterious bad boy with a criminal jawline. Before the Reindeer Games are over, loyalties will be tested and secrets will be spilled.Wedding Bells (Isaac MacAllister + Jenna Murphy, Happily Ever After)In Wedding Bells, Isaac MacAllister is this close to making Jenna Murphy his, forever. Then his ex—Sara’s mother—rolls into town, bringing unfinished business with her. Sidelined by the drama, Jenna knows she should strike out on her own. But how can she, when she already sees Isaac and Sara as family? While all the Rivers End stories can be read as standalones, you may want to read this series in order to preserve any plot surprises and get the full picture of how the characters lives weave together! The following is the suggested reading order:The MacAllisters of Rivers End#1 - Silver Bells (Isaac + Jenna, Beginnings)#2 - Tipsy (Shannon + Lucas)#3 - Reindeer Games (Ginger + Eli)#4 - Wedding Bells (Isaac + Jenna, Happily Ever After)#5 – Elfed (Lindsay + Noah)

“I am Ivan, a meteorologist. In my past life, I was tied up in the snow and froze to death by my wife’s family. After being reborn, I personally bought up all the inferior supplies they needed. When a blizzard of minus fifty degrees Celsius came down, and when the gangsters kicked down his door, I was sitting in a safe house two kilometers away, holding a whiskey, watching the surveillance footage—this is my revenge.”

I was supposed to hate him. Instead, he stole everything: my freedom, my breath, my heart.

When Yara’s life collides with Rafael’s, it’s not by chance... it’s by force. Powerful, dangerously handsome, and untouchable in his tailored black suit, Rafael is the kind of man whispered about in fear. He’s ruthless. Cold. A man built on secrets and sins. The last person Yara should ever want.

But hatred is fragile when desire cuts deeper. Rafael grips more than just her wrist.. he grips her every thought, every heartbeat, pulling her into a storm she cannot escape. The closer she gets, the more his darkness feels like home… and the more dangerous it becomes to stay.

Every touch is a risk. Every look, a temptation. And when the lies between them shatter, Yara must decide if surrendering to the man she was supposed to hate will destroy her or set her free.

Stolen By the Man I Was Supposed to Hate is a dark romance thriller full of obsession, secrets, and a forbidden love that burns hotter than revenge.

Sylvie Crane has spent years living as a ghost. She has no roots, no record, nothing for anyone to take note of.

When a criminal faction traces her to a warehouse in Velthorn City, it is Zarek Nox who steps between her and the predators they sent after her. He proposes an arrangement afterwards—stay close to him, as a matter of fact, marry him and become untouchable.

With no option left, she accepts, taking him as her only means of survival and the one who might actually save her from running.

What Sylvie doesn't know is that Zarek has known her for longer than she knows, that he had been searching and found her before the faction did. That the night they met was not by chance at all.

What she does know though is that she feels safer beside him than she has ever felt anywhere in a very long time.

And for the first time in years, part of her actually wants to let someone stay even though this someone was responsible for her brothers’ death.

Six months into the apocalypse, I risked my life to pamper my girlfriend like a princess, only to be betrayed by her and the camp leader .
My legs were broken, and I was thrown over the wall to be eaten by dogs ; hundreds of civilians I had once protected turned on me .
On the verge of death, I unexpectedly rescued a mysterious prodigy, instantly binding myself to an endless space and granting me divine healing abilities . My severed limbs regenerated instantly, and I had access to countless top-tier resources .
Returning to the camp fully healed, I stomped on the leader's knee and kicked my scheming ex-girlfriend into a horde of zombies .
In this damn apocalypse, from this day forward, I am the one and only new king .

In order to prolong the life of my supposedly sick "white moonlight" (my love interest), my wife forced me onto the operating table and removed my kidney while I was still alive.

To force me to leave with nothing, she even cut off my mother's medication, coldly declaring, "Your mother is just a liability that deserves to be optimized."

She thought I would wag my tail and beg for mercy like a stray dog.

Little did she know, suffering from single kidney failure, I transformed myself into the deadliest viral code before my death, dragging her business empire and that male mistress into an inescapable hell.

On the day the truth came to light, the once-powerful tech queen went completely mad. She squandered her fortune, kneeling in the frost of the morgue, kowtowing and weeping blood, begging me to look at her one last time. But she couldn't find a single hair of mine.

Because I had already made a will, ordering my remains to be cremated as high-risk medical waste.

She treated me like dirt when she was alive, and after she died, I found her disgusting and didn't even bother to leave her a handful of ashes.

"In the toxic halls of Eastview High, Aria Bellwyn has mastered the art of being invisible. But when she's forced to tutor golden boy Knox Hale, she's thrust into a world of danger and desire. As they navigate the treacherous social hierarchy, Aria becomes the target of Knox's manipulative ex, Blaire, and the ruthless queen bee, Sarah. But Knox's secrets run deeper he's trapped in a deadly debt to a local crime lord, and Aria's the only one who can help him take down the corrupt empire controlling the school. As they risk everything to expose the truth, can they survive the betrayal lurking in every corner and find love in the process?

Dive into this heart-pumping, high-stakes romance where the line between invisible and irresistible is about to get blurred."

My fiancée, with whom I've been in a relationship for three years, has threatened to break off our engagement for the hundredth time, forcing me to donate a kidney to her adopted brother, who's faking illness and acting like a hypocrite.

My biological parents even threatened to sever ties with me: "You have a healthy body. Ian has nothing but us. You can't even bear to part with a kidney. You're so selfish and cold-blooded!"

They don't know that my hands, which I used to play the piano, had already been crushed by gangsters while cleaning up their mess; they also don't know that at this moment, I have a critical illness notice for late-stage bone cancer in my pocket.

Seeing the undisguised disgust and indifference in my fiancée's eyes, I swallowed the taste of blood in my throat and calmly signed the consent form for the live organ removal.

"Okay, I'll donate. I'll give you back my life along with it."

Later, I died like a dog on the rusty operating table of a shady clinic, my bones and marrow completely drained.

But when I was truly reduced to dust and left without even a complete corpse... the truth about my vicious foster brother faking illness was exposed.

The aloof and arrogant female CEO who once treated me like trash went completely mad overnight.

She knelt desperately before my nameless grave, plunged a sharp knife into her abdomen, and collapsed in a pool of blood, pleading for me to see her one more time.

My name is Jack Morris, a bottom-rung janitor on the docks.
Every day, people walk all over me, and I live on moldy bread.
Until one day, an old man I saved handed me a photograph. "This is my granddaughter. She's being held at the Black Swan Casino."
That used to be my place. Ten years ago.
Her father was a brother who died in my place.
I was once the king of the underground.
And now, at the banquet celebrating the tenth anniversary of my death, they're treating that old man's granddaughter like a toy.
If my disappearance only made those animals more brazen...
Then they can finish that drink and celebrate their own deaths next.

"That man hurt you, and I have avenged you."
The moment the dark knight tossed the severed head of her rapist at her feet, Celene's fate was sealed.
Once the beloved princess of Andreia, she lost everything when her father died—betrayed by her murderous stepmother, conquered by the tyrant King Japhet, and brutalized by royal guards.
Left for dead in a secret cell, she is saved only by a mysterious knight who offers her vengeance… in exchange for her loyalty.
Framed for regicide and condemned to the Forest of the Damned, a cursed realm of monsters and magic, Celene faces a choice no princess should ever have to make: die a traitor, or pledge herself to a dark power that will remake her body, her blood, and her destiny.
Now, hunted by armies, haunted by a goddess's bargain, and torn between the knight who saved her and the prince who wants her destroyed, Celene must decide.
Will she unleash the wrath of a cursed princess to burn her enemies to ash… or embrace the power within to stop a war that will consume both worlds?

Iliana Dimitri, a member of the Shadow pack and a spy for the Shadow pack, meets Alexander Robinson, the alpha of the Silver Creek pack —the pack Iliana was sent to as a spy. She soon finds out she has no way of escape but to collaborate with Alexander as his mate until her mission is complete. In her attempt to collaborate with this alpha, she notices too many significant changes in her personality and emotions. Alexander agrees with everything Iliana puts us through but is withdrawn when he finds out she is a spy from the Shadow pack. Shadow pack—the rival pack of the Silver Creek pack. However, Alexander is confused about what to do as he has also grown attached to his fake mate. Iliana soon discovers a secret about Alexander and her past that forces her to break the collaboration and face whatever punishment would follow as her hidden identity is exposed. Soon, Alexander is left to decide Iliana’s fate and his fate as well—he is left to control a hidden power of the Silver Creek pack. Their journey continues in denied emotions and conflicted paths.

He was Ares, the supreme, undefeated God of War, betrayed by his fellow deities during the Great Cosmic Eclipse and left to turn to ash. But death could not hold a god. His divine soul transmigrated into the mortal realm, waking up in the body of Ares Vane—the frail, broken, and universally despised bastard son of New York’s most ruthless corporate dynasty.

Left for dead by his half-brothers and forced into a sham contract marriage with the city’s coldest corporate heiress, the original Ares Vane was a stepping stone. But the God of War plays by the laws of the jungle, not the laws of men. Armed with a reviving "War God System" fueled by absolute conflict, he begins a ruthless campaign to reclaim his apex status.

From blood-soaked underground mafia arenas to the high-stakes battlegrounds of Wall Street boardrooms, he crushes everyone who stands in his path. The arrogant young masters will kneel. The hidden supernatural syndicates will beg for mercy. And the powerful, dangerous women who rule New York's shadow factions will realize that the ultimate alpha has arrived to claim his empire.

I wish someone had taught me you can’t make your happiness all about loving one person, because what happens when you lose them? What happens to what’s left of you after they’ve taken half of you?

My name is Elysian Reign, and unlike my last name, I’m not extraordinary. My mother died when I was born, and my father drank himself to death. I graduated with a Mathematics degree of which I hardly use as a junior Network Security Engineer. I live in a one-bedroom apartment around the corner of my favorite gym, and I have a Saint Bernard named Bubbles—unextraordinarily so.

His name is Cade Sinclair, and unlike me, he is extraordinary. His mother was one of my professors before she passed, and his father is the owner of Sinclair Enterprises. Yes, as in Sinclair Enterprises: the largest firearm manufacturer for the Armed Forces.

I should’ve known better. But you never imagine that the love of your life’s own father would go through lengths to make sure his son doesn’t end up with someone like you—even if it means forcing him into an experimental military hypnosis treatment.

After three years of putting myself back together, you’d think I’d have learned my lesson. You’d think that I would’ve double checked before accepting a job for a company his father happens to own. You’d think that I would’ve changed my identity and left the country after walking in on my first day to find that Cade is the lead Network Engineer on my team—aka, my boss.

Now, how am I supposed to work with him when he’s made it his mission to make my life a living hell? How am I supposed to make him—at the very least—tolerate me when he’s been hypnotized to hate me?

He’s holding me, cradling me in his arms like something precious. His grip is firm, possessive, and in that moment, I’m not sure if I should feel terrified or… something else entirely. My heart races, and I hate that I like the way his hands feel on me. I hate that the warmth of his chest against my side makes me feel safe. I hate all of it. I open my eyes, just a sliver, enough to see his profile—his jaw clenched, his eyes focused on the road. He turns his head, and I shut my eyes again, heart pounding.

Did he see me?


Grace Miller is an orphaned first-year criminal law student. She lost her family in a mysterious accident years ago, and life has never been the same for her. For Grace, only two things matter, she hates crime, and she loves Sophia- her friend she met in a camp back in high school. So when Sophia asks, no, begs her to come to Italy with her for her 21st birthday, she just cannot say no. There is only one problem, she doesn’t know anything about the Moretti family's mafia connections.

Alessandro (Alex) Moretti is the man the world fears. He is the new don of the Moretti Mafia family, having taken over after his father's death a few years ago. Alex is feared and respected as a ruthless, arrogant, and indestructible leader. He handles the family's business with precision and has little patience for socializing, especially with people trying to gain his favor or women trying to get in the Moretti bed, left and right.

Alex is used to dealing with enemies and threats, but Grace is a challenge he didn't see coming. With a vendetta against criminals and a determination to uncover the truth about her family's mysterious death, Grace is everything Alex should avoid. But when his sister warns him to keep his distance from her due to her hate of crime and criminals, he is sure Grace is lying just to get his attention, and he makes it a challenge to break her act- even if it means that he has to put on one up himself.

But once Alex begins playing the role of a non-criminal to get closer to Grace, he just can't have enough, and it is too late, too soon.

I was meant to wed the man I love, Damien Blackwell. Rather, I was humiliated in front of his whole family and falsely accused of business espionage. They ruined my reputation. My accounts were frozen. They took everything.
Then his uncle made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Cold, merciless, and frighteningly strong, Kael Blackwell offered me two options: marry him or perish in prison for crimes I didn't commit.
I'm now imprisoned in his penthouse, wearing his grandmother's ring and pretending to be his submissive wife while he treats me like the criminal he thinks I am. He keeps an eye on my calls, has authority over my life, and reminds me every day that I am under his command.
But when the truth finally comes out, when he realizes I was innocent all along, will his regret be enough? Or will I be the one walking away while he begs me to stay?
He wanted revenge. He got a wife he'll have to grovel to keep.

He owns me.

Not as a man owns a woman—as a master owns property. Legally. Completely. Efrem Mustafin, leader of one of the five Rings, the most dangerous man I have ever stood beside, and the only thing standing between me and a death sentence.

My name is Alaki Bea Miller. In the ground above, they call me something else: X.

That's what they call us—the inferior. The ones whose only crime is the blood in our veins. In this world, it is illegal to carry more than one bloodline, and I carry the proof of it in mine. I am not a person here. I am not human. I am an abomination, a flaw the system was built to erase.

So when Efrem saved my life, he could only do it one way the law would allow. He took me as property.

Before the watching eyes, I submit. I lower my head. I belong to him.

In private, it was only ever supposed to be pretend.

He says my word means nothing against his. That without him, I have no rights, no protection, no future. I know he’s right. And I can’t tell you when it stopped bothering me. Because the scariest part—the worst part—isn’t the facade. It’s that somewhere along the way, I stopped pretending. The surrender I was performing became real. And he, the man who could lose everything for owning me, risks all of it anyway.

Master Efrem Mustafin, he is.

Subject Alaki Bea X, I was.

My name is Alaki Bea Mustafin.

And in this world, I am Mustafin.

The darkness in his eyes, the dangerous smell of alcohol in his breath, and his deathly grip keeping me bound to him made my heart pound in my chest and my body quiver beneath him. Shamefully, it wasn’t anything that I wasn’t used to, because…the things I let him do to me?

When he was frustrated, annoyed, and angry at the world, I was here to be his pound of flesh. In return, he masked the void of my loneliness because for months, that was the transaction of our relationship. He’d pin me to the wall, bend me over the counter, pull my hair, slap me, choke me, and I enjoyed every second of it because in that moment, it finally felt good to be powerless.

Irony is a funny thing. I enjoyed being in pain because it made me forget how much I was hurting.


“I warned you, doll.” His voice strikes a string of chills down the base of my spine, a reminder that all of the time in the world could pass, and he’s still not letting go.

This is where the good girl in me dies.

“You’re mine now,” he whispers.


My name is Mercy—Mercy Carter. I went to college. Got myself a useless Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree.

His name is Marcel—Marcello Saldívar. However, at the time, I didn’t know that he, the heir to the Saldívar Mafia empire, was the man that I had blindly offered myself to.

As smart as I am, I was stupid all the times when it actually mattered. After all, he did warn me that he was dangerous. I just didn’t think he could be much worse than my thug of a brother.

I was vulnerable—naive.

My name is Mercy, and I am the Mafia’s Mercy.

My hips work shamelessly, riding his hand as he sucks bruises into my neck. This dirty secret, this indecent proposition so at odds with my buttoned-up life. The light, near-cruel flicks, rip a scream from my throat as I shatter, my eyes rolling to the back of my head, my body locking down in a bone-deep spasm.

I just had sex…with a stranger…in a dirty back alley…


"Be a good girl. Good girls get rewarded."

Bullshit.

Being a good girl doesn't get you jack shit, but a cheating husband and piles of credit card debt in your name—credit cards that he used to pamper his side piece, the mock with I really want to erase from my mind from that bitch: Maybe if you could give him a baby, he wouldn't need to go looking somewhere else."

After years of negative tests, how cruel is it that one reckless encounter with a stranger could succeed where my marriage failed? A strangled laugh escapes my lips, edging on hysteria.


The sexy man with dark eyes leans forward, elbows on his knees. "Who I am doesn't matter," he says, the words echoing in the marrow of my bones. "What matters is that you, Penelope, are carrying my descendant."

"Your…your descendant..?"