King's Ransom

I used to believe debts were measured in dollars.I was wrong.They can be measured in blood, secrets... and wedding vows.When my father's gambling addiction finally catches up with him, I expect collectors, threats, maybe even death. I never expect to be handed over as payment to the most feared man in Chicago's underworld.Rafael "e;King"e; De León doesn't ask me to marry him.He tells me I will.To everyone else, I'm the bride who settled a debt. The beautiful wife standing beside the heir to a criminal empire. But behind the locked gates of the De León estate, I discover the truth.My father's debt was never the real reason he wanted me.I'm his revenge.Years ago, my father's betrayal destroyed Rafael's family, and now he's determined to make me pay for sins that were never mine. Every rule is another chain. Every command another reminder that my freedom has a price. He wants my obedience. My loyalty. My surrender.He'll never have my heart.At least... that's what I keep telling myself.Because the longer I live in his world, the more I see the man beneath the monster. The king who carries grief like a second skin. The ruthless cartel heir whose control begins to crack every time I refuse to break.Somewhere between vengeance and obsession, the lines blur.Every touch becomes dangerous.Every kiss feels like another promise I shouldn't want.And when a rival cartel turns me into the weapon that can destroy him, I'll have to decide whether to run from the darkness... or claim my place beside the only man capable of ruling it.They say every king demands a ransom.No one warned me that mine would be my heart.The King's Ransom is the second book in Nancy Lauren's The Dark Kings of Chaos Series. It is a dark, emotionally intense mafia romance featuring an arranged marriage, enemies-to-lovers, possessive hero, slow-burn obsession, morally gray characters, cartel intrigue, explicit open-door romance, and a heroine who discovers that true power comes from choosing her own fate. Intended for mature readers (18+).