Book picks similar to
Darkest Deeds (Les Cavaliers de l'ombre) by Cora Kenborn
dark
mafia
alpha-male
suspense
By Any Other Name
J.M. Darhower - 2015
Two families at war. Nobody is safe, not even the innocent. Especially the innocent. Blood will be spilled. Genevieve "Genna" Galante knows a thing or two about causing trouble. After all, it's engrained in her DNA. As the only daughter of Primo Galante, notorious boss of the Galante crime family, her life is dictated by a certain set of rules… rules Genna was never very good at following. Matteo "Matty" Barsanti never wanted anything to do with the family business, but as the first-born Barsanti son, certain things are expected of him. It's his duty, according to his father, to help take down the enemy... even if that enemy means something to him. A chance encounter on an elevator changes the course of lives, causing the biggest trouble of Genna's young life. The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti. She's heard it said time and time again. So what happens when she falls in love with one of them? The story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the biggest rivalry New York has ever seen, determined to make it… if only they can survive their parents' feud.
The Mafia And His Angel: Part 1
Lylah James - 2017
Ruthless. Killer. I am respected and feared by all. I wasn’t put on this earth to love or be loved. I was put here to wipe out every last member of the damn Abandonato mafia, to pay them back for my mother’s death. When I find a strange girl hiding, beaten, under my bed, I don’t let her live out of compassion. She’s a trinket, my plaything. Ayla… I thought Alessio was only one more man who wanted to use me, hurt me, and throw me away. I don’t know what it is to trust anymore. I can’t find my heart under the pain. Alessio found it. He touched it, and brought it alive again. But if he discovers just how dangerous I am to him…I’ll lose my life.
Rip
Rachel Van Dyken - 2015
But I broke her, and now we both have to pay the price.I'm her nightmare. I'm her savior. And now that I have her signature on an ironclad contract, I own her body and soul. She doesn't remember me. She will. It's inevitable. Because as much as I know I need to stay away, for fear of unlocking the memories I helped her father bury--I can't. She was the apple in the Garden, dangled in front of me, her core so tempting and sweet. A voice whispered. Just. One. Bite. I bit. I tasted. I fell. Welcome to the world of the Russian mafia, where death, is your only future.
Shadowed Heart
Candace Wondrak - 2021
Payback. Chaos. If you’re looking for a story about unicorns and rainbows, this ain’t it. Now, if you’re in the mood for something a little psychotic and a whole lot crazy, then you’re in the right place. I’m Lola Harding. My parents used to call me their angel, but they’re dead now. For the last few years, I’ve made a name for myself—the Night Slayer. I stalk the clubs and make sure anyone with greedy hands and stupid ideas is permanently taken off the streets. One night I happen to kill the son of a crime lord, and then everything changes. They’re going to kill me, I know, but until they do, I’m to be their pet, wear their leash, and do whatever they say. The Lucianos are a family full of psychos and hatred… and I just might fit in better than I ever did anywhere else. And as a bonus? The other sons are the handsome and dangerous type, and even though they despise me for what I did to their brother, even though there might not be any light left for me at the end of this tunnel… I plan to enjoy the ride. Buckle up, b*tches, because it’s about to get wild. **Shadowed Heart is the first in a planned trilogy. It is an RH/Why Choose series, meaning there are multiple love interests, steamy scenes, and some things you might find triggering: violence, mentions of abuse, etc.**
The Butcher of the Bay: Part I
J. Bree - 2020
My life was simple: I kill for money and I’m the best in the Bay at my job.That was enough for me until I met the woman of my dreams, only to deliver her to hell itself for a pretty penny.Nothing will stop me from getting her back and when I do… there isn’t a man in the Bay that’s safe from my vengeance.They’ll pay in blood for their crimes.
Brick
Jen Davis - 2019
During the day it’s mud and grime on the construction site. At night…it’s the blood I spill. A drug lord’s enforcer does what needs to be done. It’s my obedience, my loyalty to the boss that keeps my family alive. I know I’m teetering on the edge. I’m losing my humanity, I can feel it. It’s changing me, and it’s only a matter of time before the darkness takes over.Then I meet her. Liv. The only person who sees past my busted knuckles and brutal exterior. She sees…me. But being with me will get her killed. The only way I can keep her safe is by staying away. Until her own actions catapult her into the center of my world—a world which will swallow her whole. Now I’m forced to be the ruthless bastard I’ve been for so long. Only this time it’s not to destroy…but to defend.
Because You're Mine
Claire Contreras - 2018
They're the ones with experience. The ones with secrets. The ones that exude sex just by saying your name.From the minute I laid eyes on Lorenzo, I knew he wasn't just bad news. He was the headline.My opinion didn't change on our second meeting. Or our third. But my head and my heart are at war. He’s too mysterious, too gorgeous, too wild, and now, he wants me. I should run far away. So why am I racing toward him? I’m totally going to get burned. I know it. A man like Lorenzo won’t leave me unscathed.He'll make ashes of me.
With Us
Layla Frost - 2017
My wild love affair was Netflix without the chill. I had no business dating the older man who looked as though he'd stepped out of an expensive advertisement.But he was determined to have me.Wickedly sweet, Theo gently and strategically pulled me from my rut, handing me the world in the process. Growing up with nothing, I suddenly found myself with everything. More than I'd even known to dream of.But shadows play tricks on the eyes, and life wasn’t always what it seemed. With Us…It was better.Warning: Recommended for readers 18+ due to adult content, language, and situations.
Hero
Leighton Del Mia - 2014
For years I’ve watched her from afar, but what started out as duty has become obsession.Cataline FordI work hard.I play by the rules.I’m content.My scars are quiet and invisible, and that keeps me hidden.Doesn’t it?One fateful walk home, I’m taken by someone I didn’t know I should fear. Captive and afraid, nobody will tell me why I’m confined to this hauntingly beautiful mansion. I’m given everything; I have nothing. He takes what he needs from me, and for that I hate him. But I might have loved him once.And just because you’re reading this doesn’t mean I survive him.
"Escape is now her singular obsession, the need for it all but physiological. But freedom is the only thing I can't give her, because I have an obsession of my own: her safety. Or, maybe now, just her."
HERO is a dual POV, standalone erotic novel. WARNING: meant for a mature audience due to dark themes including non- or dubious-consent.
Royally Bad
Nora Flite - 2017
Too bad it’s her only choice.
Kain Badd looks great on paper: rich, handsome, and he’s even a prince. But after spending a few minutes together, Sammy sees the real him—arrogant, possessive, and too hot for his own good. If she hadn’t agreed to help plan his sister’s wedding, she could have avoided him. Instead, she’s waking up in his bed after an unforgettable night she definitely wants to forget. But he won’t let her.When Sammy thinks her life can’t get any crazier, the wedding is raided by the police, and she spends her first-ever night in jail. The irresistible Kain isn’t just bad in name—his family is connected to a dangerous underworld. Now she’s mixed up in a power struggle between his family’s empire and their rivals. She has no choice but to put herself back in this filthy prince’s extremely capable hands.Sammy must trust Kain to keep her safe. She’s just not sure she can trust herself to resist temptation.
By Sin I Rise: Part One
Cora Reilly - 2021
Raised by his uncle, the president of the Tartarus MC, Maddox is destined to follow in his footsteps. Now their chapter is on the rise again, but for their ultimate triumph they need to destroy the Vitiello empire. And what better way to do it than to steal the spoilt Vitiello princess and break her piece by piece until her father begs for mercy.Known as the spoilt princess of New York, Marcella Vitiello grew up in a golden cage. If your father is the most feared man in New York, people gift you with reverence.Destined to marry the boyfriend approved by her father, Marcella is sick of being treated like an untouchable porcelain doll. She resents the life forced upon her by her family until everything she took for granted is ripped from her. Where she’s now, her name doesn’t bring awe, only pain and humiliation.If you’ve grown up in a high castle, the fall is all the deeper. Sins of the fathers have a way of catching up…who’s going to bleed for them?
The Predator
RuNyx - 2020
As the only non-blooded member in the high circle of the Tenebrae Outfit, he is an enigma to all - his skills unparalleled, his morality questionable, and his motives unknown. He is lethal and he knows it. As does Morana Vitalio, the genius extraordinaire daughter of the rival family. What Caine does with weapons, Morana does with computers. When a twenty-year old mystery resurfaces, Morana infiltrates Caine's house, intent on killing him, unaware of a tie that binds them together. Hate, heat, and history clash together with unexpected sparks. But something bigger, something worse is happening in their world. And despite their animosity, only they can fight it down.
Killing Sarai
J.A. Redmerski - 2013
Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.This is their story…
Hell and Back
Natasha Madison - 2016
Dating him was a mistake. Watching him become a drug addict put me through hell. Running was my only option.***I'm running from my demons and when I find out she's trying to escape her past, I know what I have to do.One broken cop. One woman fighting for her life. A fragile love.Sinister secrets that threaten to tear them apart.They've been to hell. The hard part will be finding their way back together.