“Speak not a word to him. Let none of you lay your hands or eyes on him. He is mine to deal with. This is my only warning. Defy it, and the consequences will make you beg for death—yet death will not come.”

CYPRIAN
When Luca betrayed me, I shattered.
But I never broke. I buried the softness, the dreams, the desire to be seen.
My father hates what I am. My mother is too afraid to defend me.
So they sent me away—not for safety, but for shame.
I expected silence. Distance. Maybe peace.
What I got was the Black Tiger—
The most feared mafia king on the continent. A legend dressed in blood and fine suits.
He claims me without permission.
Protects me without kindness.
Says I belong to him—and proves it with every command, every punishment, every body dropped in my name.
I’ve spent my whole life being told that love between men is wrong.
That I am wrong.
But the disgust I was taught begins to twist into something darker.
Desire. Longing. Craving. For him.
How do you fight a devil who makes your shame feel like salvation?
TIGER
When my mother died at the hands of my father’s power-hungry recklessness, I made a vow:
No love. No softness. No men.
Not because I didn’t want them—
But because I did.
And in the world I rule, that kind of truth would get me killed.
So I kept women around to feed the lie.
To protect the secret.
Until Cyprian walked in.
Too proud to beg. Too untouchable to touch.
He was supposed to be a message.
But now he’s the craving I can’t kill… and the sin I’ll burn everything to keep.
Even if my desire for him is the one thing that could destroy us both.

This book contains sensitive and potentially distressing content. Reader discretion is strongly advised.


Physical abuse (including past and referenced scenes of domestic and parental abuse)Sexual violence and threats (implied and threatened, not graphically described)Kidnapping and captivityPsychological manipulation and emotional traumaToxic relationships and power imbalancesDubious consent and coerced intimacyGun violence and murderGraphic violence and goreMentions of self-worth issues and emotional neglectPossessive, morally gray male lead with violent tendenciesCriminal activity (mafia-related, including trafficking references)Explicit sexual content with dominance/submission dynamicsVerbal threats and intimidation


Chapter 2 - Trigger warning