6887 Book(s) Related to the protector jodi ellen malpas

The Hacker's Protector

The Hacker's Protector

3.1k Views · Ongoing · Lilly W Valley
Beck
I am still here by the threads of my existence, tied to living by the penance, grief-stricken heart. It’s been almost 20 years since the light of my existence left this world in such a way that brutality and suffering can only touch the surface of her last hours. My escuing women wronged irrevocably by the likes of men like those who took my Alley from me. I was ready to meet her again on the other side. About to take my last ride, when a blonde ran into me a week ago, covered in bruises she tried to hide. The moon goddess kept finding reasons to prolong the inevitable…my overdue ending. Adelaide, however, had hit my heart harder than all the others. A seemingly human woman, obviously abused. So I helped her escape the Alpha. The entire thing was a puzzle I was still trying to piece together; my only conclusion was that Adelaide didn’t know what she was.

I returned to end him. A fucking CEO alpha wolf with too many layers of security for me to get through. That's why I’m sitting in an alley across from her best friend's apartment when I see and scent two bears roll up. She’s a hacker; I need her help. I’m already seeing red as I hear their words.

But nothing prepared me for what I was faced with now. A human woman and her cub. A combination that was as good as a death sentence in our world. If the wrong bears got their hands on them, they were worse than dead. Alley wouldn’t accept that future, so I wouldn’t either. What I didn’t expect was how deeply they would burrow into the shattered depths of my heart.
Protectors

Protectors

895 Views · Ongoing · Renee Winget
Book one: Kacey Matthews is a lab tech at alpha securities, she’s been there for a couple of years and has solved many cases, until her best friend, and her crush’s little brother goes missing, and she’s pulled off his case. After the night they slept together, they have to act like things haven’t changed between them. Easier said than done. Especially after he gives her the jump drive of Donovan’s and she’s attacked when she starts to try to decode what Donovan is trying to tell her. Then the two of them are pressed together because her brother doesn’t trust anyone else to now protect her and her special photographic memory, which is soon to be out for everyone to know. Now it’s still up to Kacey and Kyle to find Donovan, prove he’s not a traitor, bring him home safe and to figure out who is trying to set him up to take the fall.

Book two:
All Donovan Davenport can seem to do is keep getting into trouble. Between helping his father and now getting involved with a case that fellow agent, Lita Cooper, has messed up a little and gotten her little sister involved, nothing is going right of Alpha Securities. He pulls all his resources he has from his family to keep Lita out of danger and her little sister, Leslie. Lita was trying to shut down a sex trafficking ring, one that had ended up killing her father. Everything gets out of control when she drops her car off to her sister one night while she was tracking the suspects.

Soon Leslie has to go into hiding and who better to put her with than Shawn Tammeron, his older brother's best friend, and a fellow agent.
SINFUL PROTECTOR

SINFUL PROTECTOR

4.5k Views · Ongoing · Helen
I snapped, shoving past him with fire in my eyes. “What are you gonna do? Kill me?”

He grabbed my wrist, yanked me close, lips brushing my ear as his voice dropped.

“No, sweetheart…” he rasped, eyes dark with promise. “But if you don’t shut up, I’ll give you something to keep that mouth busy.”


She's the mafia princess —reckless, spoiled, off-limits, and hunted by enemies who want her blood.

He's the ruthless assassin who’s cleaned up her father’s messes for years... and now he’s been ordered to guard her with his life.

They hate each other.
They need each other.

But when secrets start to bleed and a kiss turns deadly, their twisted bond ignites something far more dangerous than bullets —desire.

Loyalties will shatter. Bodies will fall.
And in a world where love is a death sentence, wanting her could be his last mistake.
Her Mafia Protector

Her Mafia Protector

1.1k Views · Ongoing · favour Oresegun
Sold to the Devil’s underworld by her uncle, Lyra Anderson is left heartbroken. Orphaned, abused, and now destined to be a breeder—until her first client walks through the door.

Vincenzo Van Doren, the ruthless cursed Mafia king is in dire need of a breeder. Until he finds his fated mate in the last place imaginable and he'll sacrifice everything to claim her.

But fate has more cruel twists.

When Lyra's excruciating first shift reveals the impossible—she's a Dominant Omega, she becomes the most hunted woman in the underworld. For Vincenzo's rival Marcello, she's the ultimate prize. For Vincenzo himself, she's the key to breaking his family's deadly curse.

Just as Lyra begins to trust in their bond, she learns a devastating truth that shatters her heart: what if Vincenzo's love is nothing but a calculated move to save himself?

What if some curses can't be broken—they can only be transferred?
My Fanged Protector

My Fanged Protector

847 Views · Ongoing · Zara Thorne
Derek Cole proposed to Vivian Ashworth with sworn devotion, only to murder her father, swap his life-saving medication, and steal her family’s empire. The man who promised to protect her left her broken and betrayed, ready to burn everything down for revenge. But Vivian has a secret shadow guardian. Kael, a deadly silver-eyed panther shifter, has waited six years for her. Bound to her by an old life debt, he lives only to defend her— and slaughter anyone who hurts her. Now Vivian rises to reclaim her stolen throne. She wants ruthless revenge. He wants only her. Derek took her empire. He never knew he’d anger the fanged beast who burns the whole world for his one and only queen.
Protector Of The Alpha's Cursed Heir

Protector Of The Alpha's Cursed Heir

1.1k Views · Ongoing · dearsandie
"You're pregnant."
That's not something Annie Morales ever expected to hear in that hospital. One moment, she was just living her simple, quiet life—ordinary and struggling. Next, she finds out she’s carrying the Alpha's heir, and worst of all, she has no idea how it happened.
Now, her world is unraveling—witches, werewolves, ancient powers she never believed in. Everyone seems to want the baby; some wish for its death, while others seek to exploit it. And in all this chaos, she feels lost, unsure of who she really is.
Then there’s him—the Alpha. Confident, feared, charming, and unpredictable. He was cursed by a witch, destined never to have a child of his own, but he turned to IVF. He’s the last person Annie should be involved with, but for some reason, she can’t seem to escape him.
Now, caught up in his world and bound to a prophecy she doesn’t grasp, Annie faces one option—navigate the turmoil growing inside her, or watch as it consumes everything around her.
Under the Dragon's Protection

Under the Dragon's Protection

19.2k Views · Ongoing · Aena Zahid
Iris Maeve Hanson is a thousand-year-old tribrid running from her demons. So, when the heart-throb Dragon Alpha Alfonso Dominic McBlaze, who has been waiting a thousand years for his fated mate sets his eyes on her, all he sees is a wilding who doesn't look capable of ruling the shifters which is Dom's future. He asks his men to find everything about her with every intention to reject her.
But what he finds about her, changes everything.
With a newfound purpose in life to protect his tortured mate from her Psycho Werewolf Foster-Brother, finding no way out, Dom kidnaps Iris and brings her to his family castle.

How will Iris take the news of a mate, when she has a huge secret weighing on her conscience?
How will Dom help Iris heal mentally from a millennium of PTSD?
Will their love survive when the villain is relentless and no moral boundary holds him?
Is The Final War inevitable?
🐉
Read the unveiling of the deepest, darkest secrets as the past comes knocking on the door.
Will Dom be able to keep his stubborn mate and make her feel things for him that her mere presence makes him feel?
Will Iris be able to keep her paranoia in check and act upon the feelings that have started to tune on the strings of her heart after a lonely eternity?

Ride along on this crazy ride of supernatural animal shifters surrounded by vampires in a world of witches, magic, humans, werewolves, and DRAGONS!

A ride of revenge, conspiracies, love, desire, passion, pleasure, pain, paranoia, and secrets.

🐉TRIGGER WARNINGS🐉
This book may contain elements of war, torture, PTSD, and depression. It has some descriptions of gore, murder, war, sexual innuendoes, and psychopathic behaviors. Proceed with discretion.
My Alpha, My Protector

My Alpha, My Protector

1.7k Views · Ongoing · Failia Baighaan
Eliana Duke was forced to marry her ex, Kyle Hudson, by the man she loved passionately.
As a human, she had no idea the man she was attached to was a beastly werewolf- The Alpha of the Crimson Heart Pack, Alpha Denzel Reynolds.
He came to kill her initially. But upon seeing that she is a human and so younger than him.
He couldn’t do it.
So he decided to separate her from his life entirely by forcing her to marry Kyle, forgetting all the promises, the beautiful talks he once made with her.
But, could it stop the attraction of the mate-bond?
Can the distances kill the love she once had for the Alpha and devote to her husband?
Under the Incubus's Protection

Under the Incubus's Protection

2.7k Views · Ongoing · Little mermaid
Do you have the guts to sleep with a sex spirit?
They say that they will give you protection and much more and the only thing they need in return is sex with a young beautiful woman.
Cassie Black is an ordinary girl who could never think of entering such an arrangement, but when horrors from her family's past threaten her life and the lives of her loved ones, she needs protection to discover the truth and make things right.
The pleasures of sleeping with an incubus are addicting and otherworldly until she discovers her night visitor has a personality that revolves around more than only sex. Will she be able to remove the threat in her life? Or has she only created another problem by getting a secret night lover?
The CEO'S Forbidden Protection

The CEO'S Forbidden Protection

1.9k Views · Ongoing · aitypearl207
A one-night stand was supposed to stay in the past.
But when billionaire CEO Alexander Blackwood hires a new bodyguard, the last person he expects to see is Ethan Pierce, the man whose touch still haunts him.

Bound by duty, desire, and dangerous secrets, the two men are thrown into a game of loyalty and lies. When enemies close in, Ethan’s mission turns personal… and Alex must decide if he can trust the man who might destroy him,or save him.
Passion. Power. Protection.
In a world of danger and deception, love might be the most dangerous secret of all
Under The Incubus's Protection (R18+)

Under The Incubus's Protection (R18+)

2k Views · Ongoing · Little mermaid98
Do you have the guts to sleep with a sex spirit?
They say that they will give you protection and much more and the only thing they need in return is sex with a young beautiful woman.
Cassie Black is an ordinary girl who could never think of entering such an arrangement, but when horrors from her family's past threaten her life and the lives of her loved ones, she needs protection to discover the truth and make things right.
The pleasures of sleeping with an incubus are addicting and otherworldly until she discovers her night visitor has a personality that revolves around more than only sex. Will she be able to remove the threat in her life? Or has she only created another problem by getting a secret night lover?
The elven princess destined for the alpha

The elven princess destined for the alpha

715 Views · Ongoing · Jessika Rodriguesredminote11
The Moon Goddess has destined Elowen Starfire, a half-breed elven princess of unusual, even surreal beauty, for the impetuous Alpha: Aric Darkclaw. Even though he denies his feelings, Aric feels an undeniable connection with Elowen from the moment they first meet but denies that she is his luna because she is an elf. Reluctantly, he agrees to join her, sealing an alliance between their species and arranging the wedding.

Elowen, Aetheria's heir, and Aric, leader of her pack, bear the scars of the war that took their parents' lives. Now, with their forces combined, they prepare to face the enemies responsible for so much pain.

As the days go by, the two will awaken deeper feelings, which the Alpha himself will not be able to resist to the charms of the elf princess.

And Elowen will come to know true love, which will leave her terrified and fascinated at the same time.
Under The Mafia Boss's Protection

Under The Mafia Boss's Protection

402 Views · Ongoing · Yarniati Yarni
Please do not read this if you are under 18 years old Sabrina defends her mother after her father, lying lifeless on the floor, followed what Sabrina's mom ordered her to do with a gun in her hand.

After hearing the police siren, her mother left her alone at the door with the gun in her left hand. As her mom says out, the police did not do anything to her, simply because she was a child.

Even though they sent her to an orphanage, an older gentleman arrived and took her out, offer's Sabrina stay with his family.
Bound to the Ruthless Elven Prince

Bound to the Ruthless Elven Prince

20.4k Views · Ongoing · Kika_Nava
In a world where elves and humans have been at war for centuries, a prophecy binds an elven prince. He can only claim the throne by marrying a fragile human. When a human family offers their eldest daughter's hand in marriage, she flees. This forces the family to deliver her younger sister, Verbena, instead.

He exiles Verbena to a remote house, abandoning her until she comes of age. Verbena barely survives amid poverty and abuse.
Abandoned, forgotten, unwanted.
When the war for succession erupts, the prince is compelled to fulfill the prophecy. He searches for his neglected, sick wife, only to find a poor woman clinging to life. And against all odds... she is his mate. A sacred bond, forgotten for centuries. She is a traumatized woman who hates him to death.
Will he be able to earn her forgiveness?
While his brothers fight over succession, the prince must deal with a prophecy, an unexpected mate, enemies, betrayals, and an impending war.
Under Mafia Protection

Under Mafia Protection

72.2k Views · Ongoing · chavontheauthor
When Jimena, a young single mother with a dark past and a violent ex she's desperate to forget, crosses paths with Alessio Fanucci, a dangerous mafia heir, her world is turned upside down.

All she wanted was to get by working as a maid at the Fanucci mansion and to keep her distance from the three infamous Fanucci brothers as much as possible.

Things take a turn when the oldest brother and heir, Alessio, breaks off his arranged engagement with his ex and urgently needs a new one. Alessio, cold, ruthless, dominant, and not someone anyone talks back to, sees the quiet Jimena as nothing more than his pawn. Meanwhile, she sees Alessio as nothing more than another monster she needs to escape. As they spend more time together, the lines between fake and reality begin to blur, and they discover they have more in common than they initially thought.

Tensions rise when Jimena's ex returns, threatening her new comfortable life and the secrets she’s been withholding. He is out for revenge and is determined to go to any length for it, even if that means forming an alliance with the Fanuccis' enemy, who happens to be the family of Alessio’s ex.

With a war, untold truths, and feelings at stake, will Jimena’s newly formed bonds keep standing, or will everything around her crumble?
Under Their Protection

Under Their Protection

1.5k Views · Ongoing · Julencia Slamet
They promised to protect me from their violent world… but who will protect my heart from them?

Every night, three mafia enforcers come into my bar. They’re too dangerous to get close to, yet impossible to ignore.

When the bar is held up, Rocello, a powerful and deadly man, saves me. No one’s ever protected me like that before.

Rocello’s fierce protection and his gentle side as a single father make me feel safe. Jumaine’s calm, precise nature melts when he’s with me, and Slade’s reckless passion leaves me breathless.

As I uncover a plot against me, they pledge their protection. But as our passion ignites, I realize my ties to their world run deeper than I thought. And my life spirals into chaos when I see two little lines on a pregnancy test.
Bad Boy's Protection

Bad Boy's Protection

81.2k Views · Ongoing · Laeti G.
Meet Poppy McCormick and Grayson Prince. Poppy is the girl at school that no one seems to like because of the rumours her ex-best friend spread. Grayson is the school's bad boy, not one for listening to rumours since he has a few of his own. One chance meeting has them navigating high school together as friends and soon, maybe as something more. But will their individual secrets ruin everything?
He's my protection

He's my protection

200 Views · Ongoing · LadyWet
"Psalm is a good friend. He is nice to me, he didn't do anything to me." Finally. I didn't stutter. I saw how his eyebrows shot up.

"Oh, really? Humans are never nice to anyone Klea. You know that, they just come and go. Meet you and hurt you. Just like what your mother did." He said sternly.

"No
Under the Mafia King’s Obsessive Protection

Under the Mafia King’s Obsessive Protection

643 Views · Ongoing · Nita Vale
Michael Greystone found Jessica in a pile of dirty, half-dead bodies beaten, barely alive, and not who he was looking for.

He’d hoped she was his missing cousin but she wasn’t. She was just another captive he pulled out of a cartel warehouse. He was supposed to let her go but didn’t.

One excuse led to another and he is determined keep her under his possession cause in search for a ghost he found gold and letting go was never in his plan

Jessica had one rule after everything she’d been through: never end up in another cage. But Michael wasn’t letting her walk out the door.

What happens when the girl he’s holding onto isn’t who he thinks she is?
Protectors Of Her Warrior's Heart

Protectors Of Her Warrior's Heart

4.8k Views · Ongoing · arianniahrain
Tali had spent her entire life in hell.

Rescued by men who call themselves Protectors—warriors from another realm who embody the legends of angels and vampires—she is thrust into a world she never knew existed. For the first time, she experiences freedom, safety, and the possibility of a future.

But freedom comes with a price.

Tali is forced to face the father she believed abandoned her and a powerful council determined to use her for their own ends. Stranger still are the abilities awakening within her—powers no one understands, yet everyone seems desperate to control.

As she learns to trust, she chooses the mates destined to stand beside her. In their arms she finds love, devotion, and a family worth fighting for. But not everyone wants their bond to survive.

When the council betrays the Protectors and attempts to steal her newborn son, it ignites a war that will shake every realm.

Now Tali stands at the center of a conflict far greater than herself. The answers to ancient mysteries, the fate of her child, and the future of countless worlds all rest on her shoulders.

Surrounded by mates who love her fiercely and refuse to leave her side, Tali will battle enemies old and new, forge powerful alliances, and discover just how strong she truly is.

Because this war won't be won for her.

It will be won with her.

And together, they will fight for their future, their family, and a love worth crossing realms to protect.
Mafia's Embrace: Contractual Marriage

Mafia's Embrace: Contractual Marriage

720 Views · Ongoing · Ellen Caroline
Damon is a determined and cold-hearted man, driven by vengeance after the tragic loss of his parents. When Elena, a young doctor, accidentally crosses his path, he becomes obsessed with her, so he proposes a marriage of convenience just to have her around.

As they struggle to reconcile their differences and intense attraction, Damon and Elena become entangled in a dangerous game of power, love, and conflicts. It is a captivating story that combines romance, suspense, and thrilling twists. Amid stolen kisses and tension-filled gazes, Damon and Elena must confront their dark past and the dangerous consequences of their forced marriage.
Ours To Protect

Ours To Protect

1.3k Views · Ongoing · Magic Whisper
“Hey, here I am soothing you because you had a bad dream, and you go all meany kitten on me. That’s not fair. And, by the way, we both know that dream has very little to do with your powers and much to do with the Mission Impossible marathon you had going on yesterday evening. It took me ages to get to sleep with all the noise from the movie. And werewolves are much cooler than that secret agent impostor.”
He's cute when he gets all worked up, I can’t help teasing him a little more.
“True, but the tailored black suit and the motorcycle, they are kind of sexy, don’t you think?” I ask innocently.
“I wear suits every day, and I can ride a motorbike too!” he protests indignantly.
“Can you? And what else can werewolves do?” I ask enticingly, moving into a straddling position, and caressing his firm chest with my fingers.
His expression turns somber, and his strong hands grip my wrists.
“Were you leading me on on purpose, weren’t you?”
“I was,” I confess, with a small laugh.
“Then I’ll show you what else werewolves can do!”
In a heartbeat he has me flipped on my back on the bed, his big frame hovering over mine; his glowing blue eyes want to devour me, and I immediately feel that thrill of fear and excitement that always preludes our intimate encounters.
“Show me what you can do, Wolfie,” I tease again, and again he doesn’t disappoint me.
Keep Your Sorry, Ex—I've Already Married the Alpha Protector

Keep Your Sorry, Ex—I've Already Married the Alpha Protector

559 Views · Ongoing · Ayanfelord
Seraphina gave her heart to fate the night the Moon Goddess bound her to Caspian — the ruthless, golden-haired Alpha every she-wolf dreamed of.
She believed in the sacredness of the mate bond. She believed in loyalty. She believed in him.
Until she opened a door she was never meant to open… and found her mate tangled in the arms of the one woman he swore was family — his adopted sister.
The betrayal doesn’t just shatter her heart. It fractures the bond itself.
While the pack whispers and Caspian demands silence, Seraphina does the unthinkable. She prepares divorce papers. She prepares to walk away from the most powerful Alpha in the territory. She prepares to reject the bond that was supposed to be eternal.
Caspian thought she would cry. He thought she would beg. He thought she would forgive.
He never expected her to leave.
Now Caspian must decide what matters more: his pride… or the only woman fate will ever give him.
And Seraphina?
She’s done being chosen second.
Mine to Protect

Mine to Protect

99.2k Views · Ongoing · Magic Whisper
"Aren't you going to get dressed?" I asked him in disbelief.
"I wanted to let you enjoy the view some more, plus, I don't really mind."
Is he making fun of me? This jerk!
"No need to get worked up, it's the bond, you just can't help it," he says, in an annoyingly condescending way.
"There is no bond, because I am..."
"Human, I know, you said that already. "
He lifts me to sit on his lap, and brings my palm to his lips, where he starts placing feathery kisses. Then, he takes the tip of my index finger into his mouth and sucks it teasingly.
I feel my cheeks become a redder shade of flustered.
He pulls my fingertip gently out of his mouth, a satisfied look on his handsome face, and tells me cockily, “Tell me, if you are not my mate, why haven’t you pulled away?”


Hazel is a normal human girl, who works hard to become an excellent interior designer. But in a world where werewolves are respected, she has been oppressed and bullied.
Unexpectedly, she discovers that she was the fated mate of the alpha. At the same time, she is a special werewolf who was blessed with incredible powers by the Moon Goddess.
Faced with the werewolves' covetousness for her power. Will she accept love and resolve the crisis together with her mate?
The Mafia's Princess

The Mafia's Princess

20.2k Views · Ongoing · Vicky Visagie
Lucy was raised in foster care as her father Johnny Capone had to hide her due to a blood debt. If he didn't change her name and surname the Marchetti Mafia family would find her and kill her. To repay a blood debt for killing the Marchetti's youngest son. Although Johnny Lucy's father didn't physically pull the trigger it was still one of his men that did which made it his problem and his debt.

Over the past 20 years the Marchetti Mafia family was actively searching for her with no luck of finding her. The other Mafia families knows about this blood debt but felt so many years has past it's no use to go after the child now. What's the use she's a girl it's not like a girl will take over the Capone name she will marry and her surname will change.

But the new generation Mafia heirs wanted to find her. They felt a Capone will bring the Mafia families more wealth and take them to new heights. Just the name spoke fear into people and spoke of leadership. However for them to accomplish this they need to find her, protect her and most of all remind her who she really am. After 20 years they weren't so sure they will be able to remind her who she is. After a long search they believe they have found her.

Will the men be successful? Will all of them fall for her and how would that look for them? Will they be able to share this deep obsession they have with her.

But now the biggest question of all will she take her rightful place as the Mafia Queen or will she run away? Far away from the world her father hid her from.
The Mafia's Mermen

The Mafia's Mermen

88.9k Views · Ongoing · black rose
"What do you call it when I do this?" Nixxon asked and pressed his lips against Vernon's.

Vernon froze, the tantalizing feeling of Nixxon's unexpected kiss rendering him speechless.

"A kiss..." He whispered, breathless.

"It feels good to kiss you, Vernon," Nixxon whispered and... kissed him again.


Nixxon escaped his underwater kingdom, desperate to sever all ties to the ocean. But the human world wasn’t the freedom he imagined...it was another kind of cage. Captured by Vernon, a ruthless Mafia boss who mistook him for a spy or a weapon, Nixxon quickly realized that his survival depended on playing along and on how fast he could learn.

At first, Vernon saw Nixxon as nothing more than a threat...a strange man with no past, no records, and an unnatural way of moving. But the more he interrogates him, the more frustratingly irresistible Nixxon becomes. He’s both naïve and sharp, defiant yet oddly fascinated by human life. And worst of all, he looks at Vernon like he’s something worth knowing.

Forced to keep Nixxon close, Vernon becomes his reluctant guide to the human world...a human encyclopedia; answering innocent yet dangerous questions. What is hunger? Why do humans lie? What does it mean to love?

But when Vernon finally uncovers the truth about Nixxon...who he is, what he is...he faces a choice: free the man he once saw as an enemy… or chain him tighter before he’s stolen away.

Because something tells him Nixxon wasn’t just running from the ocean. Something worse is coming for him.

And Vernon doesn’t know if he wants to save Nixxon… or keep him forever.
The Mafia's Mercy

The Mafia's Mercy

56.7k Views · Ongoing · Genevieve Hale
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.
The Mafia's Doctor

The Mafia's Doctor

2.1k Views · Ongoing · Succy
"You're drunk, Calista," he said even as his hands moved to her hips.
A gleam entered her eyes. "So? Haven't you fcked drunk girls before? They fck like a beast, let me tell you. "
Calista had always believed the past was meant to stay buried, hidden in the shadows of memory. But why, then, was her past creeping back into the light, intertwining with her present? She spent her days in a fractured state—broken, miserable, angry at the world.
But at least she had carved out a semblance of peace, until Jaxon Castillo stepped into her life. With his hot body and expressive eyes, he shattered her fragile calm, dragging her into a tumultuous conflict she wanted no part of—a life that haunted her more than anything else. She had convinced herself she was free from the ghosts of her past, that they had perished along with her family.
Yet, as she found herself drawn deeper into Jaxon's orbit, his intense gaze unraveling her defenses, shadows of her history began to resurface. With every stolen glance, she felt herself surrendering pieces of her heart to him, pieces she had sworn to protect. Both held secrets—dark, potent truths that threatened to dismantle everything they had built. Secrets capable of turning the world against them.
Calista was fire and rage; Jaxon was cool water and soothing. They would risk everything to protect each other, even if loving each other was what could destroy them both. ––TRIGGER WARNING; s****l content, PTSD and trauma responses, Violence. Reader discretion is advised.
The Mafia's Pet

The Mafia's Pet

1.5k Views · Ongoing · Destiny B
I hum, stroking my chin thoughtfully. "There's only one way to get out of that."

My attention is strictly on my feisty mama now.

She swallows hard, jutting her chin out in defiance. "What the fuck do you want from me?" she bites out.

Mmm, I can't wait to punish that bratty mouth of hers.

"Be my pet. I'll be allowed to do whatever I want to you for the duration of the six months."


Diego Reyes is the Mexican mafia lord in Las Vegas running a s*x club. After finding out one of his most trusted men, Antonio Davis, stole money from him, he kills him and plans to do the same to his entire family. That is until he meets Vanessa, Antonio’s youngest daughter. He makes a deal with her that if she and her sister work for him for six months, he’ll let them go, but he wants her all to himself. He’s determined to make her his little pet and consume her mind, body, and spirit. As disgusted as Vanessa should be that she belongs to her father’s murderer, she finds herself enjoying the lifestyle and wanting more.
The Mafia's Mistress

The Mafia's Mistress

4.6k Views · Ongoing · Jessyca Monte
"Why didn't you tell me you're a virgin?" His warm breath swept around my ear.

I couldn't contain myself. Sometimes, I moaned with a little pain and sometimes with a lot of pleasure. I knew I would be able to cum for the first time.


Cecília Rodrigues is a 22-year-old Brazilian, orphaned and alone in the world. Thanks to her incredible intelligence, she got a scholarship to study in Italy and has lived there since she was 18.

Cecília is a survivor of life; when she was little, she was tortured by her parents; the marks left on her body do not let her forget.

She only found peace when she got a scholarship to a boarding school, and there she made some friends who accompanied her for many years.

When she finally thought about trusting someone, Cecília was humiliated for the simple reason that he didn't think her body was beautiful. Tired and sad, she decided to go out for a drink, even though she wasn't in the mood. It was her birthday, and she needed to celebrate. There, she ended up meeting the man who would change her life forever, both for good and for bad.

Dominic was living the worst day of his life, he had just discovered that his parents had been killed in an ambush and that only his younger brother had survived, as he was in Brazil he would not be able to return to Italy in time, so to try to alleviate his sadness went to a bar, and there he ended up meeting Cecília, the first woman who cared about him without even knowing who he was and without any interest, this shook the death star, as it was called in the mafia.

Both were marked after that night and years later, they will meet again in the worst possible scenario.

Let's see what happens when a couple who can't stay together can't resist the attraction between the two. And what can change when there is a third and fourth person in the equation?
The Mafia's Prize

The Mafia's Prize

4.3k Views · Ongoing · Eunice Apo
She looked up at him, saw the smile on his face, and her heart skipped. Again. She felt a tightness in her chest that traveled to her stomach and pooled there. His lips- she wanted to kiss him. Badly.

Was it appropriate?

“I want to kiss you. Is that okay?” Michal took her thoughts.

“Yes, please.”

He placed his hand under her chin and drew her close, his face hovering inches over hers.
“I wanted to kiss you yesterday when you hugged me. I wanted to kiss you when you showed off that dress at the store when you teased me and tried to get me all bothered. I wanted to kiss the smirk off your mouth and make you moan my name instead.

Heck, I wanted to kiss you when you told me about your little friend. Show you just how much pleasure I can give you. More than he can.”


Being over eighteen means you are free to do almost anything. For Katya, the daughter of Michal- a Russian millionaire, the reality is far from it.
Katya is a nineteen-year-old college student who lives with her dad and governess. Her father, overprotective and stubborn has certain rules. She is not allowed to visit other places apart from school, she must not leave the mansion grounds alone and she must never set foot in Russia. After a school event goes wrong, an unspoken rule is added. She is not to speak a word about her mother.
One month before her twentieth birthday, she decides to follow her father on one of his frequent trips to Russia. However, her plan is foiled and instead of getting a pre-birthday wish granted, she gets a bodyguard instead. A poker-faced, non-bulging, decidedly intrusive man who is determined to take his job seriously.

Michal detests his job, especially because it involves taking care of somebody who should be able to take care of herself. He is eager to get the job done and return. Although he knows that he cannot leave until he finds a way to make her come with him- as unpleasant as the task was. He stages a fake kidnap and waits for his plan to fall into motion. It does, and he finds out that his job is going to be easier than expected. In a moment of weakness, after he "rescues" her, he finds out that she desires to visit Russia.

What happens when Katya finds herself trapped in a place she thought was going to be the beginning of her freedom? What happens when Michal realizes that he cannot be the ruthless son his father wants him to be without risking his heart?
THE MAFIA'S SUBMISSIVE

THE MAFIA'S SUBMISSIVE

177 Views · Ongoing · Luzdodia2302
Ava is a young librarian haunted by a dark past: her family was brutally murdered, and she swore vengeance.
Years later, at a swing club, she meets Pietro Mazzoni, a mysterious and seductive man who ignites intense desires in her.
What Ava doesn't know is that Pietro is the boss of an Italian mafia, involved in a world of dangers, crimes, and secrets.
The attraction between them is overwhelming, and Ava fully embraces the new world of BDSM. But as Ava and Pietro delve deeper into their relationship, dark secrets begin to emerge in their lives.
Ava finds herself confronted with the disturbing possibility that Pietro may be linked to the massacre of her family.
Now, Ava faces an agonizing choice: to blindly continue loving Pietro despite the unsettling revelations, or to seek the vengeance she has longed for.
As she struggles between love and justice, Ava is forced to confront her own desires and decide whether she will succumb to overwhelming desire or take control of her own life.
The Foster Daughter Reborn: Protected by the Ruthless CEO

The Foster Daughter Reborn: Protected by the Ruthless CEO

1.4k Views · Ongoing · Kelly
Betrayed, exploited, and left to die in a cold basement by the family she called her own, Eleanor Hamilton’s life ended in despair.

But fate grants her a second chance.

She wakes up five years in the past, back when she was still the submissive foster daughter trapped in a web of lies.

This time, she refuses to be their doormat.

Armed with memories of her tragic future, Eleanor vows to tear down the hypocritical masks of her adoptive mother and sister.

Yet, revenge is a dangerous game, and she needs power to survive.

Enter Tristan Douglas—the ruthless, enigmatic CEO who holds the city in his grasp.

He is the one man her enemies fear most.

What begins as a strategic alliance soon ignites into an intense romance.

Under Tristan’s absolute protection, the once-timid girl transforms into a dazzling queen.

As her enemies watch in horror, they realize too late:
the fragile foster daughter they discarded has returned, and she is untouchable.
The Mafia's Mate

The Mafia's Mate

1.6k Views · Ongoing · Chickennugget 
Clio disguises herself as a man and secretly dates her boss—until she catches him in bed with his secretary.

Before she can react, he sweet-talks her into going undercover in another city to investigate the most dangerous man alive: CEO Matthew Merikh.

The moment Matthew sees her, his gaze freezes. He can’t believe it—his fated mate is… human. And a man.

Clio struggles to maintain her disguise, but Matthew closes in fast. Trapping her against his desk, he commands,

“I said, take. it. off.”

The more she hides, the more certain he becomes—this trembling intern is his mate.

And as the truth unravels, Clio realizes the cruelest twist of all: the man her boyfriend sent her to investigate… may be the same one who once watched her in the rain—the infamous Head Hunter.
The Mafia's Broker

The Mafia's Broker

473.3k Views · Ongoing · Vicky Visagie
I’m on all fours with George thrusting into my pussy from under me and Gio in my ass, George was sucking on my boobs, fuck this feels like heaven. There are hands everywhere. Antonio and Dante are standing on both sides of me. They are making turns pushing their dicks into my mouth. There is not a hole that is not filled at this stage. Antonio is rough in fucking my mouth, he goes right to the back of my mouth until I gag before he pulls out and Dante takes over. Dante is gentler and likes it when I play with my tongue around his dick. Antonio just wants to fuck my mouth no funny business. When Dante goes deep and make me gag it’s Antonio’s turn again. I could feel my orgasm approaching and it feels like the best orgasm ever I’m not so sure if it’s a good idea to have Antonio or Dante’s dick in my mouth when I cum. I might just bite it off. I started groaning around Antonio’s dick and he moaned, Dante was whispering in my ear what a good girl I am...


My name is Emilia Rossi, my father was a broker to a rich and notorious Mafia family. He died a few years ago and I decided to take over his business only difference was I'm not going to work for only one family I want to work for as much crime families as I can. You might ask what a Broker does, well we connect our clients with the right people, if they are in the market for firearms, drugs, diamonds you name it we can get it. I met this one group of men, they come from different Mafia families but decided they want to work together now they call themselves D.A.G.G. That caused lots of problems with their fathers. Their name stands for Dante, Antonio, George and Gio yes, it's their names and they are all hot as hell but I have a rule. No mixing business with pleasure only problem is these guys hasn't received my memo of not mixing business with pleasure because Oh my God can they give pleasure...
The Mafia's Obsession

The Mafia's Obsession

1.1k Views · Ongoing · Western Rose
“Strip.” He ordered simply, his eyes boring tentatively, “I'll not give you the liberty of picking up your clothes if you will not do as you're told.”
“You married me to get revenge on me!” I spat, angrily. “You are not supposed to have any carnal knowledge of me, I won't let it happen.”
He smiled. The same smile that cuts across his lips yet doesn't reach his face.
“You want me to have sex with you?”
“Isn't that what you mean by stripping?”
I asked, confusion boldly written on my face. A loud, dry mocking laugh from him almost made me wish for death.
“No wife.” He whispered, standing up from the bed towards me. “I don't want to see any of my properties on you in my house, I want you tattered and extremely void, I want to see what you will do when you're all bare before me.” I stumbled backwards at the hatred in his voice. “I want to see you at your lowest, Now strip!”

__

Getting out of prison to meet her loving husband Grey Addison slamming into her best friend Nora on the day of her release isn't the welcome party Moore was expecting.
Divorced and chased out of her property by people she loved most pushed her into the very home of her father she swore never to return to. Moore got home to meet the shock of her life, one greater than the betrayal of her husband and best friend.

She's to Marry the very man she rejected six years ago for Grey!
Lucien returned to ask for her hand in the cruellest way. On the day of her divorce, she got married to the man she knew had nothing but resentment for her.
The Mafia's Nanny

The Mafia's Nanny

10.5k Views · Ongoing · Marlize Mans
Annika Smit is a child psychologist and has worked hard to be the best out there. She gets a job offer in Milan, Italy, at one of the best hospitals, which she accepts with open arms, but that also means leaving behind her family in South Africa. Two weeks after her arrival, she finds a little boy lost in the park, unaware of whose child she is talking to.

Raffaele Cattaneo is the handsome king of the mafia. His ex-wife cheated on him, making him heartless. He doesn't have time for children—well, his children—since they remind him of his failed marriage. He had hired many nannies only for them to turn out clingy to him instead of his children, that is, until he meets Annika. He offers her the job as his nanny, leaving her no choice but to accept his offer.

What will happen if they find themselves falling for each other? Will Raffaele be able to trust a woman again? Is he willing to forget about the past?
He finds himself falling for the feisty red head that somehow managed to steal his children’s hearts every second, and he is afraid that he will take away her innocents with his lifestyle.
And Annika? What will she do once she finds out that the man she fell in love with is the mafia Don? Will she be able to accept the dangerous world he lives in?
The Mafia's Plaything

The Mafia's Plaything

290 Views · Ongoing · gbemisolafasakin444
When I reached him, he had his hand already stretched out at me, smitten and totally lost of words to speak.
I politely gave out my hand and like the most gentleman in a fairy tale, he gave my hand a kiss. At that moment, I felt I was in control, in total control of everything.
Or maybe I was always in control— of this man, Santiano Rafael Devereaux...

Vanessa Hudgens was about to get married to a man she believes is her soulmate.
But on her wedding day, the ceremony is interrupted by Santiano Rafael Devereaux, a ruthless and charismatic Mafia boss, who kills Dylan Smith; Vanessa's groom-to-be, calling Vanessa as his own.
She was presented with no choices but to marry Rafael despite the hatred she nurtured at his existence.
As she adjusts to life with Rafael as a means to at least gain back her freedom from the Mafia world, she begins to see a different side of him.
He's kind, protective and passionate, making her question her feelings and loyalty.

As Vanessa navigates Rafael's world, will she fall in love with her captor, or will she douse him in her mock plan of escape and reclaim her freedom?
The Mafia's Heir

The Mafia's Heir

1.5k Views · Ongoing · Anamika Arora
Flourishing star from the Entertainment Industry, Kiera Stevens was a 18 year old promising figure from the modeling world. Coming from a prominent family, she had everything in her life until one night stand changed her life. On the heat of alcohol, she lost her virginity with a stranger that changed her whole life.
Azrael De Luca, the Mafia King from the underworld was desperate to find the girl whom he fucked mistakingly. Afraid that his opponents would use her against him, Azrael kept searching for years until he met her accidentally. Things changed when he met her furious eyes, the fire that she held between her green robs. Azrael was supposed to take away his sole heir from her but what if he wanted the mother and child both! Rejection came repeatedly and the whole world was shocked to see the Mafia King at a girl's mercy. The game of seduction started but a world of darkness is never blessed with love.
The Mafia's Playdoll.

The Mafia's Playdoll.

382 Views · Ongoing · Ren Fredda
“No panties,” he murmured. “Good girl.” “I didn’t do it for you.” His fingers moved, slow and precise, parting my legs with quiet ownership. “Your body did.” I moaned, hating the way it felt when he found the center of my Clits and circled it like a threat. He bent me forward over the chaise, no words. Just a low command: “Stay.” I froze, nails digging into the velvet. He lifted the hem of the dress slowly, until it rested above my hips."....

When Aria, the daughter of a powerful New York Mafia don, is abducted on the night of her engagement, she expects death. What she finds instead is Enzo Moretti, the most dangerous man in Italy, the brutal kingpin of the rival mafia and the enemy who just declared war… on her body and her soul.
He doesn’t want ransom, but he wants obedience and revenge. If Enzo thinks he’s the hunter, he’s about to learn: even prey can bite.
What begins as abduction spirals into a deadly dance of obsession, betrayal and surrender. Where enemies become lovers, bodies become weapons and no one escapes untouched. Their love will cost them their empires and it will taste like blood.
Her father ordered her death. Her fiancé betrayed her. The only man she should hate is the only one who’s ever truly seen her and touched her.
Now she’s no one’s pawn. She’s his queen and together, they will rewrite the rules in blood. When Luca returns from the grave with a secret that could destroy everything she’s built, Aria must make an impossible choice:
The monster who unchained her or Enzo who promised to love her? In a world where loyalty is lethal and love is a weapon, who will Aria become when the final bullet falls?
The Mafia's Puppy

The Mafia's Puppy

522 Views · Ongoing · dennovan.99
PROLOGUE

In the fanciest nightclub of La Nostra Terra, Italy, a girl is seen with a group of other girls, dancing and swaying their hips to the raucous rock beats.

She’s the center of attention, commanding every man’s center with each sway of her curvaceous hips. Every man in the nightclub wants a moment with her, but at the same time, they’re terrified to go close to her. So they just watch from a distance, wondering what she is doing in a nightclub, as she never comes to one.

When the night ends, the girl takes one last drink, and it gets her intoxicated. She excuses herself and heads for the restroom but loses her way and winds up in the suites.

Helplessly, she clings to the walls, fighting to pull herself together. But her head is thumping so hard, and it feels like it’s going to explode. She takes off her heels and squats in the hallway, hoping one of her friends will come to her rescue. She prays that her sister finds her here and takes her home. But no one comes to her rescue.

She feels frightened by the ogling of the men that pass the hallways. Tears trickle down her eyes as she regrets coming to the nightclub. She shouldn’t have let them convince her to come here. But then, she needed to celebrate her graduation. Still, coming here clearly isn’t worth it.

Slowly, she picks herself up and staggers into one of the rooms to rest for the night. Maybe tomorrow, she’ll feel better, and this night will be a forgotten nightmare. Maybe, or maybe not.
The Mafia's Offer

The Mafia's Offer

1.5k Views · Ongoing · Mirry Ame
Being taken as a collateral wasn't what she planned for but in order to save her family she had to go live with a heartless mafia.

He is handsome...

He is dangerous...

He doesn't repeat his words.. if you don't hear him the first time, forget about it.

He doesn't smile...

His ever go back on his word...

Most especially, he doesn't believe in love.

He is the boss of the SHARK CLAN which, people fear in the whole of America.

What happens when his bride decided to break this rules?

What happens when she decided she will make him love then dump him as a punishment for hurting people?

Will she be able to dump him ?
The Mafia's Obsession

The Mafia's Obsession

39 Views · Ongoing · Miracle
I am the Mafia's sin, I am his weakness and his obsession, but to me, he is a cruel man who derives joy in murdering people. 'How am I supposed to love a man who bought me from my family? How am I supposed to trust a man who turned me into a sex pet? '


The mysterious man walked towards me, and on seeing my unconscious face, a mischievous smirk appeared on his face
“My package is finally ready!" He muttered with a menacing voice and picked me up.
“She belongs to me! She is mine!" He declared with a possessive voice and burst into evil laughter.
The Mafia's Nanny

The Mafia's Nanny

48.5k Views · Ongoing · Elk Entertainment
"Would you love to go to bed with my son?"
My mouth drops open as I move backward. "They must be playing games with me", I think.
"Excuse me, Ma'am, is this part of the interview questions?" I blurt out in anger. She is still smiling at me, but I am not interested in that anymore. Leonardo is shocked at my brashness and that is when our eyes meet. I gulp as I applaud his appearance inside my head.
This is the first time I actually take a good look at him today. He is not a male model but he should be. The lush, mother lode-gold hair he grooms so carefully has a rippling quality. His sea rover-blue eyes eyes lit with passion.
They are almond-shaped. They shine with intelligence, dominance and authority.
Of course, every pretty girl would fall for a guy like him but not me; I am different.

She tries to survive after her savings are finished. That is the same time that she gets an offer from a weird man at the same bar that she frequents. She is directed to a mansion where she is to be interviewed for the job of a nanny. She goes to the interview where she meets a very rude man and a welcoming woman. Unknown to her, she has stepped foot into the most dangerous crime family in Italy.

Warning: Include criminal content
The Mafia's Maid

The Mafia's Maid

763 Views · Ongoing · Hoppie
"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry... I was just scared that I might end up causing trouble for everyone here if I stayed around. My boyfriend is so dangerous that he torments me so much, even in my dreams. I had a dream that he found my hiding place, he came here to get me, then he caused everyone trouble. That's why I wanted to leave."
"Don't go anywhere, Isabella. I want you here."
"Why don't you want to let me go?"
"I like you, Isabella."
Haunted by her past, Isabella flees the dangers of her life and finds herself ensnared by the alluring and mysterious Nate. As their attraction grows, so does the threat to their relationship. Isabella must decide whether to risk everything for love or run from the man who has become her salvation.
The Mafia's Redemption

The Mafia's Redemption

22.9k Views · Ongoing · Celia Dempsey
I heard the gasp of horror from the people when they saw who it was that has entered the church, my mouth hung opened too when I finally got a good view of his face. My insides constricted painfully, Who wouldn't know the notorious and formidable Don Luca Del Monte, what was he doing here and what does he want?

I could feel Marco tensed up beside me, "what do you want Don Luca?" Marco asked.

"I want your bride" Don Luca answered without a care and the people in the church gasped and I literally choked in horror at his words and my hands trembled slightly.

What the hell was he saying? He must have gone out of his mind.

"That will be over my dead body" Marco replied and Don Luca raised a brow at him,

"As you wish". His finger curled around the trigger and he pulled....

Read "The Mafia's Redemption" and find out what becomes of Kiera when she was suddenly thrown into the dark Mafia world.
The mafia's mark

The mafia's mark

23.1k Views · Ongoing · Shantelle Mabasa
Life is pretty normal for eighteen-year-old London Clarkson, his the school heartthrob, he has the hottest girl in the entire campus as his girlfriend, everyone loves him, and he has the best parents any child could ever wish for, his life partically perfect. Well, that was until the new economics lecture came along and everything changed. Ever since he could remember, London has been into girls, but then suddenly he found himself drawn to his new lecturer, and this brought him into discovering a new world of pleasure and desire.

However, what happens when the whole Campus discovers his newfound sexuality, and all the people he had called friends suddenly started to hate and resent him? And what's worse, his lecture-turned-lover is revealed to be the continent's most notorious and elusive mafia boss, leaving him entangled in a web of love, loyalty, and lethal danger? If this is not thrilling, I don't know what is. To answer all those questions, you've got to read "THE MAFIA'S MARK".
The Mafia's Angel

The Mafia's Angel

1.7k Views · Ongoing · Lashes
"I want a different kind of meal from Arya,"Juan teased.
"What's that?"
"Why don't you sit on my face and you'll know."
Arya was never meant to stand out. With a deceased mother, an abusive father, and only a high school certificate to her name, she lived quietly and worked as a waitress in a bar, but one night she got just one look from Juan Moreno, the most feared mafia lord in Sicily and things went south.
Sold like property to a man she didn't know, Arya thought the worst had already happened. Until Juan came for her. He didn't save her only, he claimed her just to have owner ship of her and then locked her in a prison disguised as a mansion.
Now, she's the most wanted woman—not for a crime, but for her beauty.
And two ruthless mafia kings are at a cold war for ownership of her body. Juan, believes Dominic—his longtime rival who wants Arya is the only threat.
But when he faces several attacks from an enemy he once thought was dead, he realizes his empire might fall. Can Juan protect the woman he would burn the world for, or will he be forced to hand her to the only man who might keep her alive?
THE MAFIAS REJECT

THE MAFIAS REJECT

695 Views · Ongoing · ivana jameson
Vanessa never believed life could truly break her—until it did.

Raised in hardship, she learned early how to survive with grit, dignity, and relentless determination. But when her father, Jonas, collapses under a mysterious and deadly illness, Vanessa’s fragile world crumbles overnight. Hospital bills pile up. Their money disappears. And the people who promised to stand by them—her stepmother and stepsister—walk away without looking back.

What Vanessa doesn’t know is that her father’s life is already forfeit.

Jonas owes an impossible debt to Alaric Moretti, a ruthless Mafia lord whispered about in fear and blood-soaked rumors. Alaric is power incarnate—cold, merciless, and untouchable. When Vanessa is dragged into his world, she expects cruelty. What she doesn’t expect is destiny.

The moment Alaric sees her, something ancient and uncontrollable snaps into place.

Vanessa is his fated mate—a bond so rare it should be sacred. Instead, Alaric rejects it. He refuses her, despises the weakness she awakens in him, and treats her like a bargaining chip rather than a miracle.

To erase Jonas’s debt, Alaric makes a demand that turns Vanessa’s blood to ice: she must sacrifice herself—her blood, her lung—to save his dying girlfriend, Emma. It’s a sentence disguised as mercy.

But Vanessa is no victim.

She counters with a deal of her own—one that shocks even the feared Mafia king. She will comply… only if Alaric marries her. A contract marriage to secure her father’s treatment and protect her siblings’ future.

No love. No promises. Just survival.

Yet in a world ruled by violence, secrets, and fate itself, pretending not to feel might be the deadliest lie of all.