Julia Sykes

Julia Sykes – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:13:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Julia Sykes – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Absolution (Favorite Malady Duet #3) Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/absolution-favorite-malady-duet-3-read-online-julia-sykes Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:13:26 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/absolution-favorite-malady-duet-3-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, Dark Authors: Julia Sykes Series: Favorite Malady Duet Series by Julia Sykes
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Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)

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I might be a monster, but I’m her monster.

When a ghost from our past returns to threaten Abigail, I will do anything to protect her.

She says she doesn’t want me to kill for her again, but I don’t think I’m capable of mercy. Especially not when her safety is on the line.

Even though I’m a psychopath, I’m not delusional. After all of my crimes, I’ll never be worthy of her.

But I’ve been honest with her from the I’m too selfish to let her go.

I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my little dove caged forever.

And I’ll eliminate anyone who tries to take her from me.

I don’t need absolution. I just need her

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

DANE

Istare at the mangled remains of Stephen Lansing, and I don’t bother to prevent my lips from curving with vindictive pleasure.

The detective taps the photo. “You don’t seem disturbed by the crime scene.”

I blink, and my fleeting expression of cruel satisfaction drops away. I meet the detective squarely in the eye, and he flinches ever so slightly. He can sense that there’s an unrepentant predator in this tiny gray room with him.

“Why did you do it?” he presses. “Stephen must’ve done something terrible to deserve this kind of beating.”

I don’t say anything. I simply skewer the man with an icy stare.

I’m supposed to be under questioning, but he will be the one to squirm, not me.

The detective shifts in his seat and tries a different angle. “Something happened between the two of you, and things got heated. Maybe it went too far. Maybe you didn’t mean to kill him.”

He makes the suggestions like he’s extending a helping hand, offering me a scenario with a reduced sentence.

He thinks he can win some sort of battle of wills between us, but he doesn’t understand yet that I’m not engaging.

I confessed to the arresting officer in order to save Abigail, but I’m not going to give this man one more incriminating word out of my mouth.

The prospect of spending a life sentence in a cage sends a chill shuddering down my spine, but I resolutely ignore it. I will not show fear.

If it means securing Abigail’s freedom, I’ll pay any price. I’ll face the consequences for my actions, even if I don’t feel a shred of remorse for what I did to the bastard who assaulted her.

I’d kill him again a thousand times over.

She’s the only thing that matters to me.

A sharp knock on the door to the interrogation room cuts through the thick silence. The detective jolts with surprise, and he takes a moment to collect himself before standing to see who’s interrupting us.

A middle-aged woman with a severely sharp gray bob haircut waits in the open doorway.

“I’m Madeline Taylor, Dr. Graham’s solicitor,” she introduces herself.

“No,” I dismiss her before she can step foot in the room. “I’ve already waived my right to representation.”

I’ve already confessed. There’s no point trying to plead not guilty.

Ms. Taylor narrows her brown eyes on me. “I implore you to reconsider.”

It sounds more like a command than a request, and I raise a brow at her.

“No.”

“Lord Graham sent me,” she insists. “I’m here to ensure⁠—”

“Go away.” I don’t try to keep the snap from my tone. No fucking way am I accepting help from my father.

He’s not actually concerned with helping me; he’s trying to avoid a scandal.

I’m not even sure how he found out about my arrest so quickly, but I’m not surprised. He has connections in law enforcement and local government. Someone will have alerted him to the mess I’ve made.

“If Dr. Graham doesn’t consent to your presence, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave,” the detective says.

He probably thinks that my refusal to cooperate will make his job easier. I plan to make this process as painfully frustrating for him as possible, and I don’t need a solicitor for that.

“Daniel!” My mother’s voice is shrill, echoing down the hallway just outside the interrogation room.

My stomach drops.

Fuck.

The last thing I want is to see my parents when I’m in such a vulnerable position.

Mum pushes Ms. Taylor aside and strides into the room, my father right behind her.

“You can’t be in here.” The detective’s chest puffs with outrage.

My father flicks an imperious wave at him. “Leave us.”

“I don’t think⁠—”

“This is Lord David Graham,” Ms. Taylor cuts him off in brittle tones. “If you want him to leave, complain to your superiors. See what they say to that.”

The detective’s cheeks turn red, and his shoulders stiffen. His jaw works as though he’s chewing over a retort as he exits the room.

“I’d like a private word with my son,” Dad tells the solicitor.

She quickly excuses herself with a deferential nod.

Her obsequiousness sets my teeth on edge. My father thinks he can buy anything he wants: her loyalty, the detective’s compliance, and my freedom.

But I’m not going anywhere. Abigail will not face arrest because of my cowardice. I will not bend to my family’s will.

“What have you done this time, Daniel?” My mother huffs, pale blue eyes flashing with fury. “A murder charge? I thought we were clear when you were a child. You’ve always known what would happen if you didn’t curb your violent nature.”

“Do you know what you might’ve cost this family?” Dad thunders, face going almost purple with his own rage. “If the chief constable hadn’t called me, this might’ve gone too far for damage control. As it is, you will be able to walk out of here within the hour, and this incident will be forgotten.”

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Redemption (Favorite Malady Duet #2) Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/redemption-favorite-malady-duet-2-read-online-julia-sykes Wed, 09 Jul 2025 19:15:23 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/redemption-favorite-malady-duet-2-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Dark Authors: Julia Sykes Series: Favorite Malady Duet Series by Julia Sykes
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Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)

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The man I love betrayed me on a level I never thought possible.

I trusted him to keep me safe. He was my white knight and my dark god, all in one gorgeous package.

Until an awful revelation changed everything.

Now, I'm desperate to escape his twisted obsession, but he refuses to let me go.

He takes me away from my home and traps me in a gilded cage.

He insists that I still love him, but he can't command my affections.

No matter how much pleasure he gives me or how many times he says I belong to him.

For a man like Dane, I don't think redemption is possible, even if some secret part of my heart yearns for it to be true

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

ABIGAIL

Iwake up to a nightmare.

In the second between unconsciousness and waking, I believe that the awful scene with Dane was just that: a nightmare.

But then I realize that I can’t move my limbs, and something soft is wedged between my teeth. The makeshift gag presses deep into my mouth, and part of my brain registers that it’s one of Dane’s neckties.

More silken material binds my wrists and ankles. They’re drawn together at the small of my back, stretching my body in a hogtied position. I’m completely helpless to do anything but writhe on my side.

Fear crashes into me like the sharp slap of an icy ocean wave in January. Terror rips from my chest in a primal scream, but it’s muffled by the knotted gag.

Dane shushes me gently, and I shudder in horror at the shadow of comfort that tempts me.

The man I love is the masked man who attacked me.

He’s my online confidante, GentAnon.

He has scores of my paintings hanging in this house, the house across the street from my apartment building.

How long has he been watching me?

My mind races through all the times I felt shivery and trembled in his presence, even on our first dates. The images flicker in a nauseating film reel. Even then, my body recognized the predator. But I’m addicted to the fear, the threat.

He learned all of my darkest secrets, and he used them against me.

The mattress dips beside me, and my dark god appears in my line of vision, blocking out the view of my paintings.

We’re still in the bedroom of the powder blue house, in the horrific shrine to me.

I can’t have been out for very long. He caught me in a chokehold, but I don’t feel bruises around my neck.

Dane wouldn’t risk damaging his pet.

My stomach churns, and I taste acid on the back of my tongue.

Another scream tears from my soul—pure horror this time. Despair. Denial.

Dane’s familiar, elegant hand is achingly gentle as he strokes my hair back from my cheek. His eyes are deep green pools, and fine lines sharpen his heartbreaking features.

“Hush now, pet. I’m not going to hurt you.”

I shudder and cringe away, but I can’t move more than an inch in my bound state. He has no trouble keeping me within his tender reach, and he caresses my cheek as though to prove my powerlessness.

“I didn’t want it to be this way.” His cultured voice is deep with something like regret.

The slightly rough tone threads confusion through my panicked, racing thoughts.

I don’t know what’s real anymore. Is he my protective, fierce lover? Or is he a heartless, calculating monster?

The memory of the woolen skull mask in my fingers is all too sharp.

I definitely didn’t dream that.

“I can’t let you go to the police,” he reasons. He’s unnervingly calm, and I recognize his bedside manner voice.

My vision blurs as tears surge. I desperately blink them away so that I can keep the threat in sight.

His thumb traces the line of my cheekbone as he wipes away the wetness on my cheeks.

My entire body goes cold, and a violent shiver makes my bound limbs quake.

“Don’t be afraid,” he soothes over the sound of my muffled pleas.

Let me go, I try to beg. You don’t have to do this.

But the words are garbled behind the gag, and my assailant seems unfazed by my distress. He’s still touching me as though he intends to comfort me, but he’s coolly composed. I recognize the merciless, flat expression that sets his handsome face in stony planes. It used to make me tremble with desire. Now, I shudder in pure terror.

“Try not to struggle,” he says, a gentle command. “You’ll only strain your muscles. I have to go to my place to get a few things, but you’ll be safe here.”

He gestures in the direction of the nightstand. My phone is propped up against a lamp, the camera directed at me.

“I’ll have you on video call the whole time.” He says it like a reassurance. “I wouldn’t leave you alone like this if I didn’t absolutely have to. I’ll watch over you, even when I’m not here.”

Ice encases my bones. How long has he been doing just that: watching over me?

He twirls my purple curl around his finger before withdrawing regretfully. “I’ll be back soon.”

He stands and starts walking away.

Please! I scream into the gag. Dane!

He seems to recognize his name, because he flinches like I flung a knife that hit its mark deep in his chest. Then he shrugs and strides out of the bedroom, disappearing into the living room. I hear the front door open, then close. The lock engages.

I scream for help, for mercy, for salvation.

But no one hears my smothered pleas.

No one comes to save me.

I’m not sure how much time passes, but my muscles ache and my throat is sore by the time Dane returns.

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Compulsion (Favorite Malady Duet #1) Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/compulsion-favorite-malady-duet-1-read-online-julia-sykes Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:19:51 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/compulsion-favorite-malady-duet-1-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, BDSM, Dark, Erotic, Insta-Love Authors: Julia Sykes Series: Favorite Malady Duet Series by Julia Sykes
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Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72959 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77

I've been watching her. Wanting her. Stalking her.

I'm obsessed with the shy, innocent barista who works at my favorite coffee shop.

She doesn't know that I bought the house across the street from her apartment so that I can watch over her.

I secretly collect her paintings and hang them in my bedroom.

And I won't hesitate to break into her home to find out what kind of books she likes to read.

I'll do whatever it takes to win her heart.

As a doctor, I know my own diagnosis: psychopath.

But my obsession with her makes me feel almost human for the first time in my life.

I can't resist this...compulsion.

I can't resist her.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

ABBY

The masked man is waiting for me in the midnight shadows of my apartment.

I stumble slightly as I close the front door behind me and search blindly for the light switch. Before my palm brushes the hard plastic knob, strong fingers ensnare my wrist, and a broad body slams into mine. A gloved hand clamps over my mouth, muffling my shocked cry. My arm is wrenched behind me, and I’m forced to turn when my shoulder screams in protest. The intruder uses his grip on my arm as a lever to control my body, and I’m pinned in an instant, my cheek pressing against the inside of my front door.

The lingering, pleasant buzz of alcohol disappears from my mind like fog evaporating beneath harsh morning light, and my entire world sharpens in a burst of adrenaline.

I try to shove away from the door with my free hand, but my short nails scrabble uselessly against the peeling ivory paint. My other wrist is pinned behind my back, and my attacker’s weight keeps me trapped between him and the door.

A low growl rumbles against my nape, making my fine hairs stand on end. The man’s hand on my face slides upward, covering my nose and mouth. I can’t breathe.

My entire body seizes with panic, and I writhe in his hold.

He releases my trapped wrist for a split second, but I don’t have the time or space to fight him off before a sharp clicking noise is followed by a cold blade at my throat.

“Quiet.” His voice is deep and rough, almost inhuman. “Don’t fight me, and I won’t hurt you.”

It’s a lie, but I have no choice: I comply.

My tears fall in silent streams as my world shatters, and my masked attacker breaks me down to reveal the most painful, darkest parts of my soul.

1

DANE

Her slender fingers are far too elegant for steaming milk and pouring espresso. She keeps her shy, aquamarine gaze characteristically downcast, and dark lashes hide her striking eyes as she focuses on her work. A large, brown freckle marks her right cheekbone, half a centimeter from the corner of her eye. The imperfection should irritate me, but I find the imbalance on her otherwise symmetrical face fascinating.

I’m equally intrigued by the purple streak in her long, sable hair. It’s pulled back in a messy ponytail for her barista job, and the defiant dyed locks peek through thick waves at her nape. When her hair is down during private moments at home, the flash of amethyst falls over her left shoulder. Sometimes, she braids it into an elaborate but functional style that shows off the bold color.

As she reaches for a paper cup, the golden café lighting plays over a cerulean paint smudge that marks her delicate, porcelain wrist—a hint at her creative brilliance and her haphazard lifestyle.

A few blocks away, her tiny, one-bedroom apartment is a perpetual mess, the mundane chores neglected in favor of pursuing her art. She paints with feverish intensity every day, until the bright summer Charleston sunlight wanes, and her canvas is illuminated by her cheap standing lamps.

I know because I’ve watched her for hours. There’s a shadowy garden that’s overgrown in front of the house across the street from her derelict building.

I bought the house two months ago so that I could indulge in my obsession. This compulsion to know everything about her has become my favorite malady, and I’m far too selfish to seek out a cure.

I’ve known my own diagnosis long before I completed my medical degree: psychopath.

But my craving for this woman is the closest thing to human emotion I’ve ever experienced.

I want more.

I want her.

Body, heart, and soul.

Abigail Foster is already mine. She will accept the truth soon enough.

2

ABBY

Ifeel his forest green eyes on me, even though I barely glimpsed him in my peripheral vision when he entered the café. Luckily, my coworker, Stacy, is on register today; I’m able to hide behind the espresso machine and lose my frazzled thoughts in the morning rush of thirsty caffeine addicts.

But as much as I’d like to remain cushioned in my mindless bubble of steaming milk and pouring out familiar latte art, I’m always aware when he comes in for his daily black Americano.

His name is Dane.

That’s what it says on his cup every morning when he places his order like clockwork at eight-oh-five AM.

The name suits him: it’s a hot name for an insanely gorgeous man.

He’s so beautiful that I can barely look at him, much less hold eye contact.

Sometimes, I indulge myself when he’s chatting with whoever is on register. He’s charming, with a brilliant white smile that flashes in contrast with the dark, perfectly manicured stubble that covers his anvil-sharp jawline. Midnight-black hair is artfully swept back from his heartbreaking face, longer on top and cropped close at the sides. Heavy brows that might be too harsh on another man accent his boldly masculine features.

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Illicit Obsession (King of Ruin #2) Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/illicit-obsession-king-of-ruin-2-read-online-julia-sykes Wed, 07 Aug 2024 09:50:17 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/illicit-obsession-king-of-ruin-2-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: Julia Sykes Series: King of Ruin Series by Julia Sykes
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Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38835 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >42

My enemies tried to take her from me. They won’t live long enough to regret it.

I’ll do anything to keep Evelyn, and nothing will separate us: not my enemies, and not her stubborn will.

I’ll kill any man who threatens her.

I’ll keep her so drunk on pleasure that she’ll be addicted to my touch.

She says she wants to go back home to America, but her home is with me now.

She will learn to love the gilded cage I’ll build for her, and she’ll be just as desperate for me as I am for her.

Evelyn doesn’t have a choice: she belongs to me, now and forever.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Massimo

My head swam, and the world blurred around me. A car horn blared in an incessant, unending wail. The grating sound dragged me back to full consciousness. For a moment, I was completely disoriented, the throbbing pain on my brow commanding my full attention and muddling my mind.

Then I heard her scream my name, and fear I’d never known before punched me, knocking the air from my lungs. Adrenaline surged, and the world sharpened with crystal clarity.

I was alone in the wrecked SUV. To my right, the deployed airbag obscured the view out of the shattered window, but I could make out the grill of the white van that’d smashed into us. I’d been knocked unconscious at the impact. How long had I been out?

And where was Evelyn?

The door to my left was open, and she was no longer cuddled up against my side.

“Massimo!”

Panic clawed at me, shredding rational thought and reducing me to my most primal, savage instincts.

I launched myself from the ruined SUV, stumbling slightly as the ground seemed to lurch beneath me. I willed the dizziness to subside and barreled on, desperate to get to her.

The SUV was a smoking scrap heap, and I dimly noted that the two men in the front seats were bloody and unmoving; I was alone, without backup. And that vehicle wouldn’t be getting us out of here anytime soon.

Even as part of my brain reasoned through our dire circumstances—planning our way out of this nightmare scenario—my thoughts were consumed with fear for Evelyn: my fragile little butterfly.

She wasn’t screaming anymore. I couldn’t hear her.

I rounded the ruined SUV and the smashed-up white van that’d collided with us to set this ambush. Another white van was parked behind it, perpendicular to the flow of traffic to blockade their assault. I caught a flash of her platinum hair just as the side door began to slide closed.

I threw myself into the van, ignoring the jarring pain as the door slammed into my side.

They weren’t fucking taking her away from me. They would die for trying.

Evelyn was mine.

My knife was in my hand, slashing at my enemies. One of them started to pull a gun on me, but the van was too small, and I was too close. My blade embedded itself in his skull, cutting into his brain. His eye was plucked from its socket as I wrenched the weapon free and turned to the other bastard who’d dared to touch her. His throat opened with one smooth swipe of my knife.

A sharp curse from the driver’s seat called my attention to the last man. That was his final word before I reached around the seat and slammed my blade into his heart, twisting to shred the vital organ. He slumped onto the steering wheel, and another horn blared incessantly, creating a cacophony of violent music.

I turned my attention to Evelyn, my heart in my throat. She lay sprawled out on the metal floor of the van, her shining hair creating a halo around her lovely face. Her delicate features were slack, and she was far too still.

“Evelyn!” I rasped her name and gathered her up in my arms, testing the pulse at her throat.

Her heartbeat was steady and strong. At my touch, her long lashes fluttered, and her peridot eyes pierced my chest like an arrow. They were glassy with pain, but she focused on me.

“Massimo,” she whispered, her slender fingers twining in my shirt to clutch at me.

Alive. Evelyn was alive, warm and vital in my arms.

But not safe. Not yet.

I had to get her back to Duarte’s building, behind the bulletproof glass and small army of men who guarded his personal urban fortress.

“You’re okay, farfallina,” I promised, forcing the words through my constricted throat. “I’ve got you.”

I didn’t want to release her, but I arranged her shaking body on one of the bench seats in the back of the van and buckled her in. She’d be more secure back here, away from the front windows, even if I would prefer to keep her in my line of sight.

As it was, I didn’t have anyone to drive us away from this mess. I shoved the two dead men out of the side door so that the sight of their bodies wouldn’t distress her. Then I heaved the third body out of the driver’s seat and took his place. Tires squealed as I slammed my foot down on the accelerator, getting us the fuck out of there. I tore through the city streets, mounting the sidewalk to get around the worst of the traffic. I shot a desperate glance at Evelyn in the rearview mirror.

Her eyes were closed, her cheeks far too pale.

“Keep your eyes open,” I barked, terror still riding me hard and roughening my tone. I didn’t want her passing out on me again. I had to get her to Duarte’s private physician so that he could assess her injuries.

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Endless Obsession (King of Ruin #3) Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/endless-obsession-king-of-ruin-3-read-online-julia-sykes Wed, 07 Aug 2024 09:50:15 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/endless-obsession-king-of-ruin-3-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: Julia Sykes Series: King of Ruin Series by Julia Sykes
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Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >27

I almost lost her. She was targeted because I dragged her into my criminal underworld and refused to let her go.

But nothing will separate me from the woman I love, and by some miracle, she refuses to be parted from me too.

Dangers from my past pose a lingering threat, and her abusive fiancé wants her back.

No one will take her from me. I will kill every man who tries.

She’s already addicted to my touch, and I know she feels affection for me.

Evelyn will learn to love me as deeply as I love her. She doesn’t have a choice.

I am her future. Her family. Her everything.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Massimo

Gunfire popped around me in a deafening, staccato beat. Carmen was shouting something at me, but I couldn’t focus on the words. All I could see was the blood staining Evelyn’s gold dress, blooming on the pale fabric like a gory rose.

For a moment, my mother’s frail, broken body shimmered before me, layering over the waking nightmare. Her blood had spilled over her sunshine yellow dress, and her caramel eyes had been wide with horror as the light faded from them.

My violent impulses had led to her death—if I hadn’t tried to join the gang, the boys wouldn’t have been provoked into terrorizing my parents.

Now, my fragile little butterfly was bleeding out in my arms. Because I’d trapped her in my violent world and refused to let her go. She’d told me so many times that she wanted to return to the safety of her mundane life in Albuquerque. But I’d selfishly kept her against her will and coerced her into staying, manipulating her with ruthless pleasure.

“Evelyn…” I murmured her name over and over again, but her eyes remained closed, her face disturbingly serene. The beautiful pink flush that I loved so much had drained from her pale cheeks, her light dusting of freckles standing out in sharp relief against her porcelain complexion.

The gunfire slowed, the shots becoming more infrequent. Whoever had been firing an automatic weapon from the ground floor of Stefano’s club must’ve run out of ammo or been killed. His men were still shooting from the mezzanine level, mowing down whoever was left from the assault team. Los Zetas had been fools to think they could take on Stefano Duarte in his own home, no matter how brutal their tactics.

Panicked shouts sounded from below, rapid fire Spanish curses and shouts to retreat.

“I want at least one of them alive,” Carmen barked, the cold cartel queen thirsty for vengeance. Stefano was at her side, both of them hovering near us. He caged his wife in a protective embrace. His body shielded hers, the gun in his hand held as naturally as an extension of his arm.

“Call the doctor!” she instructed him. “Evelyn was hit.”

My heart twisted at the panic-stricken words. The woman I loved had been shot. Her breaths were shallow, the pulse at her throat weak and sluggish.

I loved Evelyn. I loved her, and now she might die.

Everyone I’d ever loved had been murdered. Because of me.

The fight was over, but the ruined club hadn’t gone quiet. A car horn blared from downstairs; Los Zetas had rammed their way through the entrance with an armored SUV, and the wrecked vehicle wailed in protest. Glass crunched beneath the quick footsteps of Stefano’s guests as they scrambled to capture their wounded enemies before they could flee. And the deep pulse of the club music still thrummed through the darkened space. Golden lights flashed over the blood-splattered dancefloor, a macabre celebration of violence.

The thin, darkhaired man I recognized as Stefano’s private physician appeared at my side, his black brows drawn low over his round glasses. “Let me see her.”

It took all of my willpower to unlock my arms and lay her down on the floor so that the doctor could inspect her wound. He went to work, cutting her silky dress to reveal the wound at her side. The sight of her blood turned my stomach, and I swallowed down the bile that burned the back of my throat.

“Will she make it?” My question was little more than a strangled rasp.

“I’ll do what I can for her,” the doctor replied, calm and clinical.

“Save her,” I demanded, a savage snarl.

He would die if he failed.

He didn’t glance at me; he simply continued to treat her wound. “If you want to distract me with threats, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

I growled a wordless refusal. I wouldn’t leave her side for any reason. I wasn’t going anywhere until my broken little butterfly opened her eyes and looked at me with complete devotion. She would promise me that she belonged to me, and she would never leave me.

The thought tormented me. She’d been shot because of her proximity to me. I should let her go, send her back to her safe life in America.

I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to bear it. The prospect of being separated from her made my stomach twist into knots.

If Evelyn survived, I would do anything to ensure her safety, even if that meant letting her go.

Chapter 2

Evelyn

Idrifted in a cottony haze, vacillating between dull pain and weightless bliss. Every time the pain began to crest, warmth suffused my system, cocooning me in peace. Silver eyes filled my dreams, watching over me. Massimo’s deep voice rumbled through my disjointed thoughts, soothing me in low, steady streams of Italian. I couldn’t understand the words, but the cadence comforted me. His big hand was warm on mine, tethering me to him.

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Tainted Obsession (King of Ruin #1) Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/tainted-obsession-king-of-ruin-1-read-online-julia-sykes Sat, 11 May 2024 14:57:14 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/tainted-obsession-king-of-ruin-1-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Dark, Mafia Authors: Julia Sykes Series: King of Ruin Series by Julia Sykes
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Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)

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He kidnapped me for revenge. Now I’m the object of the ruthless mafia prince’s obsession…Massimo came to kill my fiancé, but he found me instead.I’m his hostage, kidnapped and kept as bait.The beautiful monster says I’m the key to getting everything he’s ever money, power, revenge.He tells me that my fiancé is cruel and corrupt, and a small voice in the back of my head whispers that it’s true. No matter how fiercely I want to deny it.When I try to fight for my freedom, Massimo ruthlessly subdues me.His possessiveness terrifies me.And his wicked demands set my body on fire.He kidnapped me to exact his vengeance, but now he has a new me.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Evelyn

The thick cloth gag between my teeth trapped my tongue, smothering my pleas for mercy. My breath stuttered, and my chest heaved on short, shallow gasps. I jerked against the restraints that bound my wrists and ankles. Zip ties dug into my flesh, the unyielding bonds tearing my skin as I struggled for freedom. At some point, my relentless screams had broken down into ragged shouts, my ravaged throat becoming raw and hoarse.

I had no idea how much time had passed since I’d been taken. All I remembered were the strong arms that’d grabbed me from behind and the acrid smell of the cloth that’d been shoved over my nose and mouth. I’d been leaving work, following the familiar path from the university back to my apartment. Then everything had dissolved into darkness.

It was still dark; no light slipped through the blindfold that was knotted tightly enough to make my head ache. The damp concrete floor was cool beneath my cheek, but the chilly sensation did nothing to soothe the pounding in my brain.

I couldn’t see, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. The sense of complete helplessness crushed my chest like a lead weight, preventing my lungs from fully expanding. Razor sharp fear clawed at my mind, shredding my thoughts.

“Shut up!” The man’s frustrated bark hit me at the same time his boot slammed into my stomach.

My insides writhed in agony, and my shouts were silenced as I choked for air.

“Don’t kill her,” another man warned. “We need her as a hostage.”

The first man had yelled at me in English, but the second man spoke Spanish. They had to be aware I was American, even though I’d done my best to acclimate to life in Mexico City and was fluent in Spanish. The prospect that they knew I was an expat chilled my blood. And they’d mentioned keeping me as a hostage. How much did these men know about me?

I feared I already knew why they’d abducted me, but my brain refused to fully acknowledge the horror of my situation; I was too absorbed in processing the pain of the brutal kick to the gut.

They continued to discuss me in their native language. “Crawford will come for her. Then we can kill them both.”

A strangled sound caught in my throat. I couldn’t have begged for George’s life even if I wanted to. Crawford. They were talking about my fiancé. George was a DEA agent. We’d moved to Mexico City for his job. If these men wanted to get to him, then they must be affiliated with one of the cartels he fought against on a daily basis.

“No reason I can’t have a little fun before he gets here.” Rough hands grabbed me, groping at my chest.

Horror twisted my stomach. I tried to shriek, but I managed little more than a pained wheeze. My insides were still on fire, and my diaphragm wouldn’t expand to draw in a full breath.

I thrashed, the cable ties ripping at the skin around my wrists and ankles. The man’s breath was hot and putrid on my cheek. Acting on instinct, I slammed my head in his direction. Pain lanced my skull at the impact, and a flash of bright light flickered over my dark world as my head spun.

The man’s sickening heat receded, and his string of curses boomed through the cramped space where they were holding me captive.

“What the fuck are you doing?” A new, deep voice cracked across my flickering consciousness. “Who is she?”

There was something odd about his accented Spanish, but my mind was spinning too fast to contemplate it.

“She’s George Crawford’s fiancée.” Someone spat on the concrete. “He’ll come for her, and we’ll kill that motherfucker.”

Cold flashed over me at the threat to George’s life, and my struggles became more frantic. I didn’t notice the blood that welled around my restraints, coating my palms in warmth. I tried to beg for his life, to rail at these monsters that I wouldn’t let them use me against my fiancé.

“She broke my fucking nose.” I recognized the voice of the man who’d groped me, but it was slightly more nasal now. “She’ll pay for that.”

Pain exploded through my head, and a wave of nausea crashed over me. A furious roar resounded through the cramped space, the primal sound all that tethered me to reality as my consciousness wavered.

Chapter 2

Massimo

Acting without thinking, I grabbed the motherfucker who’d kicked a defenseless woman and slammed him back against the wall. His head made a satisfying crack against the concrete blocks, and his dark eyes slid out of focus. My knife was at his throat in a heartbeat, drawn from the sheath at my side in one lighting fast, practiced sweep.

“Let him go!” his friend shouted at me in Spanish. It wasn’t my native language, but I’d made sure to learn it before traveling here from Italy.

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In Their Hearts – Their Captive Bride Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/in-their-hearts-their-captive-bride-read-online-julia-sykes Thu, 06 Apr 2023 07:50:13 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/in-their-hearts-their-captive-bride-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia, Romance Authors: Julia Sykes Advertisement

Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)

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The Bratva broke me, but my fierce husbands will do anything to put me back together again.

Luca loves me, and I love him. Dante’s obsession with me is darker, but he’s no less possessive.
He’ll even find it in his black heart to share me with Luca if that’s what brings me peace.
As my men help me heal, I find myself falling for both of them.
But the Russians aren’t done with us, and my brutal husbands will have to work together if they want to end the monsters who tormented me.
I can’t choose between my fierce protectors, but maybe I don’t have to.
With every possessive touch, they make it clear that they will give me anything I desire, even if that means loving them both…

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Nora

Pain tore at my scalp, yanking me back to consciousness. A scream ripped from my throat as the Russian dragged me to my feet by my hair.

“Don’t touch her!” Dante’s furious bellow shuddered through me, but his deep voice didn’t echo off the warehouse walls.

My captor pawed at my chest, and revulsion twisted my stomach. I blinked hard, willing myself back to awareness.

“I’ll touch your wife as much as I want.” My attacker’s laugh oozed over my skin, his breath hot on my neck.

He pinned me against his front, one brawny arm an iron band around my waist. I twisted in his grip, struggling to get to Dante, the terrifying monster who would do anything to save me. He’d taken a bullet for me. He would tear through the Russians to get to me.

“Dante!” I cried out for him, desperate.

But even as I screamed his name, reality coalesced around me. A leering, hulking man held a phone directed at my face.

Dante’s voice emanated from the speaker, little more than a savage growl. “Tell me where you are.”

“You want her back?” my captor taunted. His meaty hand fisted in my blouse, tearing at the delicate material. The buttons popped against the cement floor like gunshots, rending the air from my lungs. “Come and get her.”

I screamed for Dante again, but he didn’t respond. The leering Russian pocketed the phone, cutting off the connection to my monstrous husband: my dark savior.

A sob wracked my chest as all my oldest, deepest fears solidified around me. The Russians had me. Just like they’d captured my mother. They’d tortured her before they killed her. All to send a message to my father.

My father, who’d sold me to the Bratva. I was bait, a trap for Dante so that the Russians would do Giuseppe’s dirty work and eliminate my sadistic husband for him.

And they would make sure I suffered for their amusement until he came for me. Until they lured him into this warehouse and murdered him. They wouldn’t have set this up if they didn’t have the numbers to ensure his death.

Would he come for me at all?

My blood ran cold.

No, he wouldn’t come. Dante was the Devil, not my savior. He wouldn’t risk his life for me if he didn’t have the upper hand. He was too calculating to walk into a trap.

And my real husband, the man I loved, was locked in a cage, unable to get to me. Did Luca even know that I’d been taken?

Regret honed my fear until it was sharp enough to cut, shredding my insides. I’d never confessed my feelings for him. I’d abandoned him in that hell, and all I’d gained was my own torment, a fate far worse than being the object of Dante’s dark obsession.

The tip of the Russian’s knife scraped my collarbone, and I choked on a scream.

It didn’t truly hurt. Not yet.

But terror clogged my throat, fear suffusing my mind like a suffocating fog.

The cold steel slipped beneath the heart shaped padlock that secured the matching rose gold chain around my throat.

The glint in my tormentor’s black eyes told me that he recognized the trinket for what it was: a symbol that I belonged to Dante. His initial was engraved into the gold, marking me as his possession.

“This is mine,” the leering man told his friends, hooking the blade beneath the padlock and yanking hard.

I shrieked as the chain bit into my skin, but it was too thick to snap.

The man stepped away, his sick smile never slipping. I didn’t have time to draw in a heaving breath before he returned, pressing into my personal space as though my autonomy meant nothing to him; I wasn’t a person at all. I was a pawn, a thing to be used and then discarded.

“Please…” I managed to choke out as he hefted the bolt cutters. They were grimy with dried blood: a well-used torture implement.

The sharp tips grazed my throat, but he didn’t cut deep when he clipped the padlock so that it fell into his waiting hand. The chain slid from my neck, the gold glistening with my blood as it snaked around his thick fingers.

Masculine heat crushed me as they closed in, making me feverish and dizzy. I didn’t know how many of them threatened me; I couldn’t claw my way through the terror that blanketed my mind to count the hands that touched me.

Dante’s name reverberated through the warehouse, the sound of my blind panic mingling with cruel laughter.

Pain overwhelmed me, crushing the last flicker of my hope for rescue.

The Devil wasn’t coming for me. Luca wasn’t coming for me.

I would suffer and die here, alone and abused.

I sank into agony, falling out of time and losing track of my surroundings. For a few seconds, merciful darkness closed over me, but fresh pain continually yanked me back to consciousness. The torment went on and on, until my screams died and the fire of my defiant will was extinguished.

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In Their Power – Their Captive Bride Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/in-their-power-their-captive-bride-read-online-julia-sykes Fri, 20 Jan 2023 22:15:27 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/in-their-power-their-captive-bride-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Dark, Mafia, Romance, Suspense Authors: Julia Sykes Advertisement

Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >41

I’m a captive, a pawn in a power play between two ruthless mafia men—my husbands…

Dante wants to be the Boss of our criminal organization, and he’ll do awful, dark things to make Luca bow to him.
He promises he’ll use me to break him.
As we both suffer in his hands, I find myself falling for Luca, bound to him by pain and fear.
But Dante is fiercely possessive, and in his own twisted way, he seems to care for me.
Outside of our gilded cage, a growing threat from the Bratva puts us all in danger.
Both men swear to protect me from their enemies, but who will protect me from them?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Dante

Nora’s delicate body shook in my arms, so I pulled her closer to my chest. A sour tang coated my tongue, but I swallowed it down.

“Don’t worry, little bird,” I murmured. “Remember what I told you in the woods? I promised that if I break you, I’ll always put you back together again.” No matter how deviant my games with her became, I would protect her.

She simply shuddered in silent response.

I firmed my resolve.

She would learn to love serving my darker needs. She would be happy with me.

“You don’t understand yet, but you will,” I said firmly. “You can trust me. I’ll prove it to you.”

We would be a family, and our children would have a safe, stable home. As the Boss of our organization, I could give them everything they could possibly desire. I wouldn’t settle for anything less in life. I’d earned this position of power and security with pain and blood. I’d spill a lot more if it meant getting what I wanted.

My victory wasn’t quite complete. Many of Luca’s allies had escaped from my estate, retreating from the firefight when he’d come to take Nora from me. I’d let most of them go; I would need their allegiance. The Russians were circling like sharks, and I intended to rally all the men I could command to defend our territory.

I just had to break Luca first, and then they would all be mine. He would order them to pledge their loyalty to me by the time I was finished with him.

Then my wife, my future family, would be safe, protected. The power to provide that mattered to me more than anything money could buy.

Nora was the key to his undoing. He cared for her. I’d seen the anguish in his eyes when he’d watched me touch my pretty wife. He’d torn his wrists bloody in his futile attempts to break his chains and save her from me.

But she didn’t need saving. She was safe with me, safer than she’d ever been with him. He was too weak to protect her. He’d never been worthy of controlling our organization. He’d never been worthy of pretending to be her husband.

My arms flexed around her. She pressed her hands tighter against her face, as though she could hide her pretty tears from me. I didn’t like the violent shudder that wracked her willowy frame. Ever since I’d known her—ever since the day I’d noticed that she’d matured into a stunning woman hiding in her father’s shadow—Nora had possessed a quiet strength and elegant poise. Now, she quivered and sobbed even though I held her with tender care.

I firmed my jaw and ignored the slight twist in the pit of my stomach. I’d given her my word: I would put her back together again. I always kept my promises, especially the vows I’d made to my wife.

I carried her away from Luca, back to our bedroom. I would make her forget all about him, flood her with so much pleasure that she had no room in her mind for thoughts of him.

Or fear of me.

She was still crying into her hands when I laid her gently on our bed. I stroked her tear-wet hair back from her cheek, and her teeth chattered. My gut twisted, and I pulled away with a frown.

I’d have to find a way to calm my wife. I wouldn’t leave her shivering and sobbing in our bedroom, even if I did have pressing matters to attend to.

“Stay here, darling.” I dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head and reluctantly pulled away.

I wanted to keep holding her, but I had other plans to soothe her. My base desires didn’t rule me, especially not when I had her wellbeing in mind.

Even now, lust was a low simmer in my veins: residual arousal from our powerplay in my dungeon. Nora was breathtaking when she surrendered to pleasure, and the high of humiliating my worst enemy was intoxicating in a way I’d never known before.

If I were a beast like Luca, I’d drive into her tight heat and take advantage of her for my own release.

But that wasn’t the way my marriage would work. She would welcome me into her body the first time I truly claimed her. There were so many other wicked ways to ensure my wife was pleasured. She would surrender fully soon enough. I could be patient.

Taking in a breath to tamp down my lust, I turned from the alluring sight of her naked body and went into our bathroom. The bathtub was enormous—big enough for both of us. Her skin was oddly chilled, so I would warm her back up.

I tested the water’s warmth and began to fill the bath with soothing lavender bubbles—a scent I hoped would please her. She always smelled delicately sweet and slightly floral, a delicious perfume. The lavender should suit her.

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In Their Hands Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/in-their-hands-read-online-julia-sykes Wed, 02 Nov 2022 21:50:25 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/in-their-hands-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Crime, Dark, Erotic, Romance Authors: Julia Sykes Advertisement

Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)

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My father sold me to the devil: an arranged marriage with Dante Torrio, sadistic capo and would-be usurper. But before their bargain is complete, I'm stolen away by Luca Vitale, heir to the Vitale crime family. I'm a pawn in a brewing mafia war, a captive bride in a power play between two cold-blooded monsters.

I hate Luca for forcing me into marriage, but he'll do anything to mold me into his obedient wife. The longer I remain trapped with him, the more I come to crave the dark pleasure my unyielding husband offers me. He is fiercely possessive and jealously guards me. He protects me from his enemies, especially Dante, who is determined to steal me back.

Which fate would be worse? To belong to the ruthless mafia prince or to the devil himself?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Nora

“Hello, little bird.” A deep voice skated over the back of my neck like velvet, making my nerves jump. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

I whirled, heart jumping into my throat at the man’s proximity. In a hurry to obey my father’s demand for a meeting in his study, I hadn’t noticed the stranger lurking in the shadows of our cavernous foyer. He leaned casually against the banister of the curved double staircase, head tipped at a curious angle. Vibrant green eyes clashed with my shocked hazel gaze, his glittering with amusement that held an arrogant edge. His square jaw was darkened by stubble, which matched the slightly untidy tumble of dark curls around his angelically perfect face.

A fallen angel, judging by the way he was looking at me. His eyes roved over each of my facial features before dipping lower for a fraction of a heartbeat: a brief but intimate appraisal. His white teeth flashed in a purely predatory smile, and he prowled toward me. As he stepped fully into the light, the shadows cleared from beneath his high cheekbones, and recognition finally dawned.

Dante Torrio. I’d seen him at my father’s parties, but I didn’t truly know him. He was too painfully beautiful to look straight at him, like staring into the sun. And Father never allowed us to interact with men beyond a polite smile and demure nod.

He reached the edge of my personal space, then stepped into it as though he had every right. He towered over me, almost a foot taller than my five-foot five frame. Those striking eyes pinned me in place, peering straight into me. The slightly cruel twist of his full lips sliced into my chest, stealing my breath. His sudden nearness was shocking, his masculine scent suffusing the air around me with a foreign, enticing perfume. I’d never stood so close to a man; men were forbidden. Well, the only time I was this close was when Father tasked one of his goons with punishing me.

But this was different. Dante wasn’t looking at me with malice in his glittering eyes. The sharpness that pierced my soul was something hungrier than violence. My belly flipped, and I took a wary step back.

His grin turned lopsided, amused by my trepidation. A shiver raced down my spine, and warmth suffused my cheeks.

I took another step back, licking my suddenly dry lips. Dante’s gaze darkened as he watched the flick of my tongue and focused on my mouth. Something clenched between my legs, and my face burned with an embarrassed flush. His intense attention made me squirm, and judging by the perverse pleasure that illuminated his sharp features, he was enjoying my apprehension.

I lifted my chin and met his taunting gaze head-on. All my life, my will had been crushed by brutal men, any signs of defiance quickly obliterated by a harsh slap or thundering shout. But no matter how many times I had to swallow my pride and bend, I kept my righteous rage stoked deep inside my chest.

Dante wasn’t one of my father’s men. He had no right to punish me. And I didn’t have to stand in his imposing shadow, shrinking beneath his cocky, self-assured stare.

His smile sharpened to something almost feral, and he grasped my hand with thick fingers, drawing my arm through his with a gentle but unbreakable grip. Sparks tingled where our skin touched, his rough callouses rasping over my softer palm. He rested my hand on his forearm, and I felt the raw power of his corded muscles even through his perfectly tailored suit.

Something tugged at the pit of my stomach, as though pulling me closer to his heat, his intoxicating scent.

I swallowed hard. “I have to go.” I hated the way my voice wavered, and I didn’t pull away from his allure.

I had to go meet my father in his study, or I would definitely be punished for my tardiness. No matter how fascinating I found this unnerving connection to Dante, it was dangerous. In so many ways. If Father saw me touching him…

I tried to yank my hand free, but his fingers firmed around mine, gluing my palm to his arm. He started walking with sure, confident strides, as though he was escorting me to a ball.

“We’re going to the same place,” he informed me, his voice still lilting with amusement. He liked that he was making me hot and flustered.

Defiant anger spiked, cracking my usual composure. I jerked away from him. “Let me go!”

I stumbled as he abruptly released me. His mocking chuckle rolled over my skin, making my flesh pebble and dance as though at a physical touch.

My cheeks burned with anger and embarrassment, and I quickly righted myself. I walked stiffly toward my father’s study, my low, sensible heels clicking across the marble foyer. Dante kept step beside me, half an inch too close for polite company. I could still smell his heady cologne, and his body heat caressed my side. His dark pleasure and masculine power pulsed over me, and I suppressed the tremor that teased along my bones.

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Fractured Kingdom – Rapture & Ruin Read Online Julia Sykes http://www.ilovenovels.com/fractured-kingdom-rapture-ruin-read-online-julia-sykes Fri, 02 Sep 2022 22:09:32 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/fractured-kingdom-rapture-ruin-read-online-julia-sykes Genre: Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Mafia, Romance Authors: Julia Sykes Advertisement

Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41558 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 166(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >44

Read Online Books/Novels:	Fractured Kingdom - Rapture & Ruin
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Julia Sykes
Language:	English
Book Information:
"You're mine, Allie." I'm in love with my enemy's daughter. Allie has always been an impossibility, but I'm determined to keep her for myself. No one will take her from me. Not her father, not my Mafia family, and especially not that Russian monster, Nikolai Ivanov. Allie is mine, and I'll never let her go. Note: This book was previously titled Sins & Salvation.
Books by Author:	Julia Sykes

CHAPTER 1

Max

I rushed down the corridor to the dining room, only slowing my steps when I was a few feet away from the threshold. I didn’t want my father to see me sweat, not when I was about to attend the first family meeting since I’d been made yesterday. It’d been almost physically painful to leave Allie after spending all day in her bed, but I’d managed to tear myself away.

If I allowed her to become a distraction, my father might change his mind about permitting our relationship.

Despite my new, elevated role within our criminal family, fear fluttered in my chest before I ruthlessly forced it down. I didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

When I stepped into the dining room, my sister and cousins were only just taking their seats at the massive mahogany table. I was on time, but barely.

I straightened my shoulders and strode toward my usual chair beside Francesca, across from John and Paulie. I’d have to look them in the eye and somehow tamp down my murderous impulses. I hadn’t seen them since they’d attacked Allie, and I still wanted them dead.

They said they would break me. The memory of her harsh sobs as she confessed what they’d done to her slammed into my heart like a sucker punch.

If they dared to so much as speak her name ever again…

“Maximus.” My father’s cold voice sliced through my mounting rage like a blade of ice.

I met his night-black eyes, keeping my head held high and denying the impulse to swallow hard against the familiar dread that threatened to close my throat.

He lifted a hand and gestured to the chair at his right. “Sit.”

He bit out the order like yet another of his sharp commands, but my heart leapt. It took concerted effort to prevent my lips from curving with satisfaction. My sister’s intake of breath—like she’d been slapped in the face—stoked the warmth that filled my chest.

I strolled behind my cousins, noting the tension in their shoulders as I surpassed them. Pride and power straightened my spine.

I pulled out the chair and sat at my father’s right hand, a position of respect I’d been working toward for more than two years. I’d fought for my place here, done terrible, bloody things to reclaim my birthright. My scar no longer tingled with hot pinpricks of shame. The fire had tempered me, and I was stronger than ever.

The cut on my palm that Allie had so tenderly bandaged stung in a quick, sharp reminder of what I’d achieved.

How I’d betrayed her to earn my place here.

My triumph soured, and I barely managed to school my features to a blank mask to match my father’s. I carefully avoided looking at my grandfather—where he was seated at the opposite end of the table; I couldn’t bear it if the old man’s accusations about my betrayal rang through my mind right now. Not in this moment when I was finally achieving everything I’d dreamed of for years.

Father’s eyes pierced me, no pride or approval softening his craggy features. “Is it done?”

I barely resisted the urge to shift in my seat. Men broke beneath that pitiless, cold stare. My triumph wasn’t quite complete. I wouldn’t fully earn his respect until I’d finished my mission. Then, I might see a glimmer of pride in those merciless black eyes.

“Soon,” I promised. I hadn’t gotten to Ron Fitzgerald yet. I still needed to play the recording of Allie confessing his crimes in order to blackmail the mayor.

Once I did, my family would be safe, our position secure. We could reclaim our lost territory without fear of the mayor’s office cracking down on the resurgence of the mafia. He wouldn’t dare, not when I could leak his daughter’s confession about his Bratva ties to the press.

“You have the recording of Alexandra,” my father said, his voice dropping impossibly colder. “What’s the delay?”

I hesitated. I’d been so absorbed by Allie that I hadn’t thought ahead to how I would get to Fitzgerald. She was all I could think about: her silky copper hair around my fist, her soft cries of pleasure, her willowy body surrendering to my every savage demand.

“Maximus.” Father’s voice poisoned my thoughts of her, and I quickly shoved them away.

“I’m working on it,” I scrambled. “I have to get past Fitzgerald’s security undetected. If I kill anyone to get to him, there will be an investigation. I have to do this quietly, with no cops or press involved.” I tipped my chin back and met him squarely in the eye. “It’ll be done soon, I swear.”

“Whatever it is, we can do it,” Paulie chimed in, eager to steal my glory.

“Tell us what you need,” John added, the sadistic twins in perfect sync. “If you need us to get to Alexandra, we’ll take care of her.”

Rage burst across my mind, washing my thoughts with red. I barely suppressed the impulse to surge to my feet and attack them. “I told you what would happen if you ever go near her again,” I seethed, my muscles flexing with the need to unleash violence. “Keep her name out of your fucking mouth. Don’t even think about her. I will end you if you try to touch her.”

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Read Online Books/Novels:

Fractured Kingdom - Rapture & Ruin

Author/Writer of Book/Novel:

English

Julia Sykes