Joining The Mafia (Mafia)

In the Mafia, loyalty is bought with blood-and once you're in, there's no way out. Evelyn "Evie" Carter was never supposed to end up here. Born into a quiet, working-class family in the suburbs of Chicago, she had dreams of becoming a lawyer, of helping people and escaping the violence that defined her neighborhood. But life has a way of derailing even the best-laid plans, and when her father-a once-untouchable accountant for the notorious Santo Mafia family-is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Evelyn finds herself pulled into a world she never understood, one that's dark, dangerous, and deadly. With her family name dragged through the mud and no one left to turn to, Evelyn is forced to confront the most terrifying decision of her life: stay out of the Mafia's grip and risk her own life, or join them and find a way to protect herself and the few loved ones she has left. But Evelyn is no naive girl. Her father's betrayal of the Santo family is a black mark on her name, and she quickly realizes that the price for survival is not just loyalty-it's submission to a life where power, danger, and deceit reign. Marco "The Snake" Romano is the heir to the Santo family, a criminal empire that controls everything from illegal gambling to the city's darkest secrets. Marco is everything Evelyn despises: ruthless, cunning, and far too charming for his own good. He's been trained from childhood to lead, groomed in the harshest aspects of the Mafia world by his father, the infamous Don Santo. Marco's reputation precedes him-cold, calculating, and unpredictable. He trusts no one, and he certainly doesn't trust a woman like Evelyn, whose loyalty is still in question. When Marco offers Evelyn an ultimatum-join the Santo family, or face the consequences of her father's actions-she has no choice but to agree. Marco's method of initiation isn't what she expects, though. He doesn't just want her to pledge loyalty to the family. He wants to break her down, reshape her, and mold her into something new. As Marco's cold eyes study her every move, Evelyn begins to wonder if she's being trained to be the perfect moll or a ruthless enforcer in her own right. The lines blur between her desire for revenge and her survival instinct. But there's more at stake than Evelyn realizes. As she begins to dig deeper into her father's past, she uncovers shocking secrets about the Santo family's operations and the hidden connections that tie her own family to the heart of the criminal empire. The more she learns, the more dangerous things become. Enemies lurk in the shadows, waiting to take advantage of her newfound position. And as Marco's interest in her grows, she can't tell if he's trying to protect her-or using her as a pawn in a much larger game. As Evelyn becomes more entangled in the Mafia world, she finds herself torn between loyalty and love. The deeper she gets, the harder it becomes to differentiate the friends from the enemies. And when Marco reveals his own demons-the truth about his past, his family's brutal rise to power, and the scars that shape his cold, ruthless nature-Evelyn must decide whether she can trust the man she's growing dangerously close to-or whether he's the one who will ultimately destroy her.