Ink & Deception: A Novella

When struggling artist Valentina Cruz agrees to fake-date Luca DeLuca, the enigmatic owner of Black Lotus Ink, she thinks it’s just a business arrangement. Luca, heir to one of the most feared mafia families in the city, needs a respectable girlfriend to ease the authorities' suspicions about his tattoo shop being a front for something far more dangerous. In exchange, he offers Valentina an opportunity she can’t refuse—a hefty paycheque and a chance to display her artwork in his exclusive VIP lounge.

At first, their relationship is all scripted smiles and staged kisses, but as Valentina spends more time in Luca’s world, she starts to see the man behind the ink—the one haunted by his past, torn between loyalty and a desire for something more. Luca, on the other hand, never planned for the fiery artist to get under his skin. But when a rival syndicate targets Valentina to get to him, their fake romance turns deadly real.

Now, Luca will have to let her go to keep her safe, or claim her as his for good—no matter the cost.