Jaclyn L. Schoen

Sold to the mob. Four words I never thought I'd utter. Worse, it was my father who did the unthinkable. When the creditors come to collect, I'm handed over to the most ruthless man in New York City—Luca Valentino. The head of the notorious Kings is as gorgeous as he is lethal. Dark, possessive, and violent. Nothing like the boy I grew up with, my dead brother's best friend.

I'm locked in a cage in my wedding dress. How did I end up here? Three days ago, I was a normal girl living a normal life. My adoptive parents came over to my apartment for dinner, just like they do every week. But this time, they brought bombshells. They tell me I'm not who they said I was. And all those dance lessons, those etiquette classes? They weren't just for show. They were to groom me. To mold me into what I'm about to become—the forced wife of a don. Then, with my jaw on the floor, they opened the door and let the nightmares in.

I never wanted a wife. No one is safe with me. No one is good enough for my daughter. But if I want to rule over the wealthiest crime family in New York City, I only have two weeks to find one. When Elsie broke into my home, I saw an opportunity, so I forced her into a marriage she didn't want. No one crosses me, not even someone as beautiful as Elsie. She may fight me with that smart mouth, but she will obey me–or return to the hell she came from. I told her she was mine for a year. Then she'd be free.

Secrets—you know my family is founded on them. Lies—my marriage hinges on one. I kept the past buried like a coward. Now, I feel the constraints of my choices like they’re a chokehold. I know that it’s time to tell my wife the truth. It’s time to deal with the consequences of my actions. Aoife deserves to be my judge, jury, and executioner. If she burns down the house with me in it, well, that’s on me and my filthy secrets….

In my world, women are property. Made to be owned. Born for one reason - to be tied to a powerful man, to bear the next generation. That reason is why I don’t want to be married. But women aren’t the only ones with zero say in their lives.... And my bride? Bratva scum.

A devil in a Brioni suit. My unforgettable one-night stand. And a notorious member of the Omertà empire. I learned that last piece of information a bit too late. I never expected to see him again. But it turns out that destiny had other plans and gave me the whole of him for several incredible hours. Then I bolted again—for the second time in my life. He was Manuel Marchetti. Off-limits. Forbidden. Dangerous. So then why was I unable to forget him? My body and soul came alive only for him. I hoped I’d never see him again, but it wasn’t meant to be.

He told me he loved me, then abandoned me. My sister was his first choice. Too bad for him, I refused to be his second. Dante Leone was bad news with a gorgeous exterior and a dangerous mind. Emotionally unavailable and slightly unhinged, he was a heartbreak waiting to happen. Again. I ran. He gave chase and my fate was sealed.

It started with one innocent look across a room in Paris. He was a lot older than me. A Roman god dressed in an Italian suit, surrounded by an aura I couldn’t resist. When I ran into him again, he effortlessly pulled me under his spell. But little did I know, a night full of carnal pleasure would cost me everything. When Enrico Marchetti wanted something, he didn’t just take it. He possessed it. Now, his sights were set on me. There were secrets this man was keeping. They surrounded him, his dead wife, his children.

Konstantin wasn’t the type to be ignored. He commanded his criminal empire with an iron fist but he had secrets of his own. But I was Tatiana Nikolaev. I’d never bend to a man’s will or be used as a pawn. Not again. The moment I tempted the fates and played with fire, life spiraled out of control. My only way of survival was to trust again. But could I?

Christian “Priest” DiLustro. A charming prince. Only when it suited him. I had a taste of him and got addicted. But he was a heartless bastard and an arrogant mafia prince whose only goal was to ignore me after we scratched the itch. Just when I thought we’d both moved on, he swooped in and claimed he made a promise that he intended to keep, even if it killed us both.