A New York Criminal Empire Series by Ava Gray

God, I never asked for this life. Just needed to pay rent, clean rooms, keep my head down. Then I found him—lifeless in that cheap motel bathtub. And his brother found me. Cormac's hands aren't gentle when he takes me in the night. His eyes burn with something darker than just grief. "Tell me what you saw," he demands, but keeps me after I confess. Strange how captivity feels like salvation when he shields me from my past. The Russians think I'm a spy, the Italians want me silenced... moreGod, I never asked for this life. Just needed to pay rent, clean rooms, keep my head down. Then I found him—lifeless in that cheap motel bathtub. And his brother found me. Cormac's hands aren't gentle when he takes me in the night. His eyes burn with something darker than just grief. "Tell me what you saw," he demands, but keeps me after I confess. Strange how captivity feels like salvation when he shields me from my past. The Russians think I'm a spy, the Italians want me silenced. Between powerful men and their bloody vendettas, I'm just trying to survive. His family's ranch should feel like prison, but it doesn't. When did his anger soften into something that makes my heart race? I hate how his touch sets my skin on fire. I hate even more that I crave it when he's gone. The same hands that kill without mercy now trace my curves with reverence. I never meant to need the devil, but here we are. They're hunting us now. My blood has already stained these streets. And the killer who murdered his brother won't stop until I join the body count. This isn't some fairytale—it's a death wish wrapped in forbidden desire. But the Irish devil has marked me as his, and I've already sold my soul. The question isn't whether I'll survive loving Cormac Gifford. It's whether any of us will survive what he'll do when they try to take me away. Author’s. This mafia romance features a possessive alpha male, kidnapping, stalking, obsession, power play, steamy scenes, and a dangerous criminal empire. Not for the faint of heart. less

I never asked to inherit my father’s bloody empire. Just had to survive his cruelty, play the obedient daughter, and wait. Then I killed him—. The Russian Pakhan. My father. My monster. Retribution was mine. So was the throne. Now the bratva bows… but not willingly. They whisper betrayal. They test my power. They want me dead. Viktor Petrov, my father’s most loyal man, pretends to guide me—. but I see the knife in his smile... moreI never asked to inherit my father’s bloody empire. Just had to survive his cruelty, play the obedient daughter, and wait. Then I killed him—. The Russian Pakhan. My father. My monster. Retribution was mine. So was the throne. Now the bratva bows… but not willingly. They whisper betrayal. They test my power. They want me dead. Viktor Petrov, my father’s most loyal man, pretends to guide me—. but I see the knife in his smile. And Erik Izmaylov? The lethal security advisor with a soldier’s soul and sins in his eyes. He watches my every move. Fights like a savage. Touches me like he owns every breath I take. He was never meant to be mine…. Because Viktor sent him to uncover the truth. To prove I murdered the Pakhan. To deliver my execution. But Erik didn’t count on falling for the woman he was sent to betray. And I didn’t count on trusting the one man who could end me. This isn’t some redemption story — It’s a death sentence wrapped in forbidden desire. But the Russian Godmother doesn’t go down easy—. And Erik Izmaylov is no one’s pawn. The question isn’t whether I’ll survive ruling this empire soaked in blood—. It’s whether he’ll survive when I discover what he’s done. Author’s Note: This dark mafia romance features a ruthless female don, a morally grey alpha hero, betrayal, secret pregnancy, power struggles, and dangerous attraction. For readers who crave high-stakes passion, emotional depth, and violent beauty—enter at your own risk. Not for the faint of heart. less

I used to believe in the badge. That justice was clean. That criminals belonged behind bars. Then The Painter killed me. Wrapped me in plastic. Painted my face like his final masterpiece. But I survived. Barely. Now he’s back…. And this time, his reckoning is personal. My captain says I’m imagining things. My precinct wants me off the case. They think I’m obsessed. But I know the scent of a monster when it’s breathing down my neck. Then a biker saves me—. Tattooed. Violent... moreI used to believe in the badge. That justice was clean. That criminals belonged behind bars. Then The Painter killed me. Wrapped me in plastic. Painted my face like his final masterpiece. But I survived. Barely. Now he’s back…. And this time, his reckoning is personal. My captain says I’m imagining things. My precinct wants me off the case. They think I’m obsessed. But I know the scent of a monster when it’s breathing down my neck. Then a biker saves me—. Tattooed. Violent. A mystery I should’ve run from. Instead, I wanted more. And I got it. Rocky Barati. The mafia prince. The son of Don Matteo—the man who just ordered my execution. Rocky kidnaps me to keep me alive. Lies to me. Shelters me in the criminal empire I was raised to dismantle. And when I find out he’s the same biker who saved me in the dark…. Everything inside me breaks. I should arrest him. Instead, I let him claim me. Body. Soul. Every shattered piece of my loyalty. The Painter is watching. The Don wants me dead. And Rocky? He wants all of me—. Even if it means burning down his father's kingdom to keep me. I swore I’d never fall for a criminal. But now I’m staring down the barrel of the truth—. Is he my salvation… or the end of everything I am? When the reckoning comes, whose side will I die on? Author’s Note: This dark and forbidden mafia romance features a morally torn detective, a dangerous mafia heir, serial killer suspense, enemies-to-lovers fire, forced proximity, kidnapping, and a ruthless Don who wants her erased. Sinful, suspenseful, and deliciously twisted. Not for the faint of heart. less

I was born to serve the Irish empire. Steel in my spine. Blood on my hands. I don’t break. I don’t bend. But the empire is rotting. Shipments vanish. Allies fall silent. And every trail leads me straight into Italian territory. That’s when I meet him—. a masked stranger at their decadent ball. One night. One sin. One fire I should have buried. But fate isn’t merciful. Because when I see him again,. he isn’t just my enemy—. he’s Bruno Del Prete. The disgraced Italian heir. Ruthless. Arrogant... moreI was born to serve the Irish empire. Steel in my spine. Blood on my hands. I don’t break. I don’t bend. But the empire is rotting. Shipments vanish. Allies fall silent. And every trail leads me straight into Italian territory. That’s when I meet him—. a masked stranger at their decadent ball. One night. One sin. One fire I should have buried. But fate isn’t merciful. Because when I see him again,. he isn’t just my enemy—. he’s Bruno Del Prete. The disgraced Italian heir. Ruthless. Arrogant. Addictive. The one man who makes me burn when I should hate him. We fight side by side. We bleed for the same cause. And somewhere between survival and betrayal,. I start to crave him more than power itself. But trust is a luxury I can’t afford. And when he hands me to the wolves,. when his lies cut deeper than any blade,. I swear I’ll never forgive him. Yet when the truth shatters everything—. when my empire wants me dead,. and his touch is the only thing keeping me alive—. I learn the cruelest secret of all:. The man who ruined me is also the father of my child. Author’s Note: This dark and forbidden mafia romance features a morally torn detective, a dangerous mafia heir, serial killer suspense, enemies-to-lovers fire, forced proximity, kidnapping, and a ruthless Don who wants her erased. Sinful, suspenseful, and deliciously twisted. Not for the faint of heart. less

The night Gifford Manor burned,. I learned what it means to lose everything— and everyone. Six months later, I hunt ghosts across continents,. chasing whispers, bodies, and bank trails. that all lead to one name spoken like a curse. Then I find him. Cian Gifford. My forbidden Irish sin—. Alive. Scarred. Still capable of breaking me in a breath. We don’t have the luxury of grief. Not when someone is erasing empires. Irish. Russian. Italian. One by one, the underworld is bleeding out... moreThe night Gifford Manor burned,. I learned what it means to lose everything— and everyone. Six months later, I hunt ghosts across continents,. chasing whispers, bodies, and bank trails. that all lead to one name spoken like a curse. Then I find him. Cian Gifford. My forbidden Irish sin—. Alive. Scarred. Still capable of breaking me in a breath. We don’t have the luxury of grief. Not when someone is erasing empires. Irish. Russian. Italian. One by one, the underworld is bleeding out. So we run together. Hide together. Burn for each other like we swore we never would. Our vows are pretend. Our enemies aren’t. But the way I feel for him? Terrifyingly real. His scars tell my secrets. My heart hides one he’d burn the world for—. a truth that kicks beneath my ribs. and waits to break me in the end. Because power always has a price. And trust? In our world, it’s the first casualty. When the past claws back. and the enemy steps into the light,. I’ll face the one question that terrifies me more than death—. Not whether he’ll choose me…. but whether he’ll. forgive me. for the one thing. I never meant to hide. Author’s. A dark mafia second-chance romance with fake marriage, betrayal, secret pregnancy, and devotion forged in blood. High stakes, high heat, no cliffhanger, and a well deserved HEA. less