Empire Bay Series by Melanie Kingsley

Even the blackest souls need love… Seedy underbellies and dark depravities don’t scare me. I’ve seen the worst and survived. I’ve never seen a man like him before. Gabriel Blackwell, the raven-haired demon of the underworld. He’s the sickest bastard of them all. He might also be a murder suspect. If I’m going to do this job and see him behind bars, then I need to use my wits. I do not need to let him slide beneath my defenses the way his hand slips under my shirt. I can’t stop myself... moreEven the blackest souls need love… Seedy underbellies and dark depravities don’t scare me. I’ve seen the worst and survived. I’ve never seen a man like him before. Gabriel Blackwell, the raven-haired demon of the underworld. He’s the sickest bastard of them all. He might also be a murder suspect. If I’m going to do this job and see him behind bars, then I need to use my wits. I do not need to let him slide beneath my defenses the way his hand slips under my shirt. I can’t stop myself. And if I don’t, then I won’t make it out the other side of this case. My life hasn’t been anywhere close to easy. He wants me for his own. And a piece of me, the chaotic and traumatized part I barely acknowledge, wants him back. I’m not sure which one will be harder to resist. 18+ Romance. Love After Never is a full length dark romance with enemies to lovers themes, featuring a psychotic tormented hero and a badass heroine. Contains darker themes and lots of steamy scenes. Book 1 in the Empire Bay series. less

Is love even real unless someone dies? Life can make a man cold and vicious, make you question every shadow. And it’s no secret that losing my partner changed something inside of me. That’s not why I’m obsessed with the mistress of the dark web, Aria Darklyn. For the first time in too damn long, there’s light at the end of the tunnel and a way out of my misery... moreIs love even real unless someone dies? Life can make a man cold and vicious, make you question every shadow. And it’s no secret that losing my partner changed something inside of me. That’s not why I’m obsessed with the mistress of the dark web, Aria Darklyn. For the first time in too damn long, there’s light at the end of the tunnel and a way out of my misery. I’ve got to work my way through the twists and turns of the job to figure out if I can trust my heart… And whether love can truly exist in a world where death is always lurking. But the closer I get to answers in this case, the more danger we face. Will Aria be just another casualty in a war against crime and corruption? I’ll have to decide where my loyalties lie and whether I’m willing to pay the ultimate price for love. 18+ Romance. Love After Darkness is book 2 in the Empire Bay series with enemies to lovers/forbidden lovers themes, featuring a tormented detective hero and a queen of the underworld. Contains darker themes, forced proximity romance, and lots of steamy scenes. less