At nineteen, I was no stranger to fear.

But nothing could prepare me for Ivan Romanov.

He’s the devil cloaked in power, the Pakhan of the Romanov Bratva—a man who could destroy me with a glance.

Taken from my world and thrust into his, I became his pawn, his leverage in a war my brother ignited.

Ivan is merciless, a man carved from shadows and blood, yet the crackling tension between us is impossible to deny.

He tells me I’m his captive, that I mean nothing, but the way he watches me, the way his touch lingers, speaks of a dangerous obsession neither of us can control.

The deeper I’m drawn into his world, the more I see the man behind the monster—a man haunted by sins he can’t forget and a darkness he’s desperate to hide.

I should hate him.

I should run.

But every step closer to freedom only chains me tighter to him.

Love wasn’t meant to bloom in the underworld, but when secrets unravel and betrayals cut deeper than any blade, I’ll have to decide: will I survive his world, or will it consume us both?

In Ivan’s arms, I’m caught between love and destruction.

And no matter which path I choose, it’s going to hurt.