Empire of Kings Series by A. Zavarelli – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Empire of Kings Series by A. Zavarelli – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Empire of Kings Series by A. Zavarelli – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Pretty Prey (Empire of Kings #2) Read Online A. Zavarelli http://www.ilovenovels.com/pretty-prey-empire-of-kings-2-read-online-a-zavarelli Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:20 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/pretty-prey-empire-of-kings-2-read-online-a-zavarelli Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Mafia Authors: A. Zavarelli Series: Empire of Kings Series by A. Zavarelli
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >153

It started with a message from a stranger.
Or so I thought.
Beneath a veil of anonymity, he lured out my secrets, fears, and desires.

Behind the mask, he could be anyone.
And somehow, it felt safer not knowing.

He comes to me under the cover of darkness, pulling me deeper into this forbidden game.
I give myself to him, knowing the consequences could destroy my life.
I just didn’t expect him to be the one to ruin me.

When the mask comes off, the truth cuts deep.
He isn’t just a man obsessed.
He’s the same man who’s hated me for the last nine years.

In the Cosa Nostra, they call him Il Lupo.
The wolf.
And all this time…
I’ve been his prey

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

1

GABRIELA

A shadow falls over my worktable, and a frantic sense of awareness creeps into the edges of my consciousness.

Time’s up.

My hand moves faster, transcribing thoughts as quickly as they roll off the conveyor belt in my mind. The interruption when I’m hyper-focused sets me on edge. If I stop now, my ideas will stall. Already, I can feel them slipping away as the world around me invades my bubble.

I pause, studying the rough silhouette in my concept journal, and jot another note in the margin.

Structured or draped?

Almost as soon as that question disappears into the void, a new thought sparks about a variation I’d like to explore. Before I can pursue it, a finger taps against my desk.

An anxious feeling claws at my chest as I glance up at Professor Harlow. She hovers over me with an apologetic smile while I pull off my noise-canceling headphones and glance around the studio. The other students are already gone, and I didn’t even notice.

“I’m sorry, Gabi,” she says. “I know you’re deep in focus, but there’s a workshop scheduled here in five minutes. I have to clear the space, but you can use the lounge if you want to keep working.”

I frown at the suggestion and shake my head. I may as well try studying for an exam in the middle of a rave. The lounge is too chaotic to complete a single thought, let alone conceptualize my senior collection. Unfortunately, my off-campus apartment isn’t much better. There are parties every night in my building. Doors slamming, yelling, laughing, loud music—the noise never stops. It’s a sensory nightmare, but it’s all I have right now.

“It’s okay,” I tell Professor Harlow. “I’ll just go home.”

She nods and leaves me to pack up, gathering my pencils, fabric swatches, and notebooks into my backpack.

Sensing the commotion, my Chihuahua, Beppe, wiggles around inside my hoodie, using his nose to poke his head out from beneath the hem.

The university granted me a rare accommodation after reviewing my case and clinical documentation, so I’m able to bring him with me to class as my ESA. He calms my nerves, and it probably helps that most of the other students barely even notice he’s here, so he doesn’t cause any distractions.

“Have a nice nap?” I scoop him up and give him a quick cuddle before I tuck him into his fuzzy white tote bag.

“Miss Bianchi.” My guard, Julian, approaches me, reaching for my backpack. “I’ll carry that for you.”

“Thanks.” I avert my gaze, still feeling slightly awkward around him.

Like most women in my world, I’ve had protection for as long as I can remember. I was born into the Cosa Nostra, and my family are also members of IVI—aka The Society. They’re both powerful organizations, so guards are a nonnegotiable fact of life. They tell us it’s for our safety, but in my case, I only have one because it would make my family look bad if I didn’t.

For the past five years, I had a guard named Theo. He was a familiar presence I’d grown accustomed to, until last week when Julian showed up in his place. There was no explanation offered, which wasn’t a huge surprise, given that’s how things typically go. But I still found it strange that Theo never said goodbye or gave me any indication he’d be leaving.

Julian is a burly guy with scarred, calloused hands, neck tattoos, and a permanent scowl on his face. And unlike the other guards, his uniform consists of a black leather jacket, jeans, and motorcycle boots.

He does his job and doesn’t bother me, but there’s something about his presence that feels out of place. If this were one of those pick-the-object-that-doesn’t-belong games, it would be him. He’s less militant than the other guards and more scary biker dude.

I don’t feel threatened by him, but I dislike change, and it will take me a while to get used to him. Fortunately for me, he doesn’t try to engage me in small talk, which I appreciate. I have a limited social battery, and this year I’ll be depleting most of it during the last stretch of school at Laurelhaven University.

With a brain that constantly feels like it has a hundred browser tabs open, every interaction costs me something.

Julian leads me to the car waiting for us in the campus lot, and once we’re all settled in, my driver, Leo, navigates us through the streets of Seattle. I slide my headphones back on and hit play on my audiobook, intending to switch off for a while. But before I even get a chance, a text from my stepfather, Michael, pops up on my phone.

Dinner with Riccardo’s family Friday night. Don’t make plans.

Resignation settles in my gut.

Ever since Michael signed the marriage contract with the Venturi family, I’ve been summoned to participate in these forced gatherings. But lately, the frequency has been increasing.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >153

Advertisement
Beautiful Torment (Empire of Kings #1) Read Online A. Zavarelli http://www.ilovenovels.com/beautiful-torment-empire-of-kings-1-read-online-a-zavarelli Sun, 12 Oct 2025 20:52:07 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/beautiful-torment-empire-of-kings-1-read-online-a-zavarelli Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Mafia, Virgin Authors: A. Zavarelli Series: Empire of Kings Series by A. Zavarelli
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 144979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >152

They call him Il Diavolo
When the devil dressed in black crashes my wedding
I know he didn’t come to offer me his blessing
He came to collect what was always his
For months, he’s watched me from the shadows
Haunting me
Biding his time
Planning his revenge
Before he was King of the Cosa Nostra
I was fated to be his queen
I promised him forever
Now, he’s here to remind me what forever really means

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

PLAYLIST

“How Villains Are Made” – Madalen Duke

“Dirty Thoughts” – Chloe Adams

“Haunted” – Beyonce

“I Fell In Love With The Devil” – Avril Lavigne

“Butterflies” – Isabel LaRosa

“Middle Of The Night” – Elley Duhe

“I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” – Taylor Swift

“Always Remember Us This Way” – Lady Gaga

“Butterflies” – Isabel LaRosa

“Russian Roulette” – Rihanna

“Lacrimosa” – Mozart

“Surrender” – Natalie Taylor

“Crazy In Love” – Sofia Karlberg

“Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” – Haley Reinhart

“I Get To Love You” – Ruelle

“Infinity” – Jaymes Young

“Dark Paradise” – Lana Del Rey

“Wicked Game” – Ursine Vulpine, Annaca

PROLOGUE

ABELLA

Once upon a time, I thought I knew the exact trajectory of my life. But as it turns out, fate has a twisted sense of humor.

Sand squished between my toes, offering a cool reprieve from the summer heat as the Mediterranean shoreline kissed my skin. A light breeze carried the familiar scent of citrus and wildflowers while "Al Di Là" played from a distant radio. It was a perfect encapsulation of a moment in time, and for a few bittersweet moments, I could almost believe I was still there.

More importantly, so was he.

His profile was a hazy outline beneath the blinding rays of the sun. It hurt to look at him, but when it came to Angelo, the pleasure was worth the pain.

That summer had altered my brain chemistry, hardwiring an addiction for him I’d never fully cured. I’d known him since we were kids, but now… he was all man.

Seemingly overnight, his frame packed on muscle while his soft brown eyes melted into velvety darkness. He’d always been reserved and serious, but the unmistakable disposition of the Mafia had imprinted on him. He hadn’t said so, but I knew he’d taken the blood oath of the Cosa Nostra. It was always his destiny.

He'd done things we couldn’t talk about, and it had changed him. Bit by bit, he’d been stripped down and rebuilt into what the life required. As heir to the Vitale throne, Angelo was fated to reign as one of the most powerful men in Seattle. That title duty-bound him to the preservation of his family legacy while an ever-threatening war loomed on the horizon. It also established nonnegotiable prerequisites for his future wife. It was a role I was eager to fill.

I’d known what was expected of me since the day our fathers signed a marriage contract. With one foot in the Cosa Nostra and the other in a secret society, my existence centered around two purposes. One was decorative, the other transactional. Whether it was the Mafia or IVI, a woman’s value always came down to what she could be traded for.

From my rose-colored viewpoint, I considered myself one of the lucky ones. Not only did I know my fiancé, but I actually liked him. In fact, if there was one thing I knew for certain, it was that I wanted to marry Angelo Vitale with my whole heart.

We ran wild that summer—sneaking off to vineyards, secluded beaches, and hiding out in tiny cars and boats. I couldn’t imagine any outcome where I wouldn’t be his. The first time his lips touched mine, it lit a fire in me I never wanted to extinguish.

In my love-drunk haze, I begged him to give me everything, but there were some traditions he refused to buck. Mafia men weren’t supposed to ravage their future wives in an alleyway. They waited until they were good and properly married before they installed them in a nice house and started procreating like bunnies. It was the way things were done. So even though patience wasn’t one of my virtues, I waited. I followed the rules, secure in the knowledge that my future had already been written. I would be his queen, and nothing else mattered.

I was too naïve to see any other alternative. I couldn’t have known that my illusion was about to shatter beyond repair. And when I was left to pick up the pieces, one thing was certain. I would never let myself fall in love again.

1

ABELLA

“Mmm.” My sister Valentina kicks off her Louboutins and takes a sip of her chocolate martini. “They’re all so good. I can’t decide.”

“After the day we’ve had, I need another one.” Chantel rises from her seat and strolls toward the bar cart, trailing her red-tipped fingernails along the gilded edge as she makes her selection.

“Bring me one too, will you?” Lucia asks. “The huckleberry mojito, please?”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >152