King of Rebuke (Club Velvet Petal #3)

I escaped one monster only to find myself under the protection of another—a towering, brooding giant with eyes that have seen too much darkness and hands that kill without remorse.

Since escaping my abusive ex-husband, I’ve carefully rebuilt my life, managing a high-end fashion store by day and raising my three daughters by night. I’ve perfected the art of finding light in darkness, of meeting each challenge with a smile, no matter how forced. But when Sergio Bianchi sets his sights on me as his future wife, my hard-won independence shatters in an instant.

Then he walks in. Eli Abbott. Forty-eight to my thirty-six, six-foot-five to my five-foot-two, scarred by demons I can only imagine, and possessing the social skills of a hibernating bear. My sunny disposition bounces off his granite exterior like light failing to penetrate darkness.

Now he’s assigned as my protector. My personal bodyguard. A walking shadow with cold eyes and blood-stained hands who radiates danger with every silent step.

The twelve-year age gap between us feels insignificant compared to the chasm in our personalities. His growled commands clash with my cheerful defiance. His minimalist responses battle my endless chatter. Yet behind his gruff exterior, I glimpse something hauntingly familiar—a survivor, like me.

The forced proximity between us becomes unbearable. Not because I fear him, but because I want him with an intensity that terrifies me. His possessiveness should remind me of my ex, but instead it makes me feel cherished. Protected. Desired.

With every touch Eli offers comes the promise of danger, obsession, and a protection that might just bind us together forever.

As Sergio’s pursuit turns deadly and secrets between Eli and me threaten what we’re building, I realize I’ve fallen for a morally gray guardian who would kill without hesitation for those he considers his. The stakes couldn’t be higher—my freedom, my daughters’ safety, and a forbidden love that could either save us or destroy everything I’ve fought to build.

But in a world where trust is scarce and life is fragile, are we willing to risk it all for a chance at love?

Some men are worth the risk. Some monsters are worth embracing. And sometimes, the line between the two blurs beyond recognition.

Author’s
This is Eli and Lydia’s story. A grumpy-sunshine, bodyguard, age gap, tormented hero, touch her and perish, the “F-it” moment, survivor of domestic violence, forced proximity, forbidden, taboo, emotional, angst-filled, dark mafia romance between a morally gray, overly protective, mafia bodyguard whose never allowed love into his heart, and the perpetually optimistic, independent woman who’s determined to do everything herself.

Trigger warnings can be found at the beginning of the book, before the start of chapter one. Please read before proceeding.

While each book in the Club Velvet Petal series is written as a standalone love story with a HEA, the mafia plotline does not conclude and continues to build throughout the series. There are no cliffhangers but this series is best enjoyed if read starting from book one. Not doing so could confuse readers on the mafia plotline and characters.