Ruling a Cruel Heart

She vanished on their wedding day.
He never stopped burning for her.

JOE
Years ago, she disappeared without a trace, leaving me at the altar with nothing but silence and rage.
I tore my world apart searching for answers.
Power became my weapon. Cruelty, my armor.
And somewhere along the way, I stopped caring who I became, as long as it brought me closer to her.
Then she walks back into my life.
Alive. Changed. And carrying secrets that could destroy us both.
She expects forgiveness I don’t know how to give.
But when old enemies resurface and new threats close in, one truth becomes impossible to ignore:
Losing her once nearly ruined me.
Losing her again will put me in my grave.
AMANDA
Disappearing was never my choice.
Staying away was about survival—Joe’s, not mine.
For years, I lived in the shadows, chasing a truth powerful people were willing to kill to protect. I told myself distance was the only way to keep him safe.
I was wrong.
He’s no longer the man I left behind. He’s darker. Deadlier. Feared.
I’m no longer just the woman he loved.
Now the past is catching up. And the line between ally and enemy is thinner than ever.
Joe believes his heart is beyond redemption.
I believe our love is worth the war it ignites.
When powerful enemies move to silence them for good, Joe and Amanda are forced into an impossible choice: protect themselves to survive, or fight for a love that refuses to stay buried.
Some hearts don’t soften with time.
They rule. Or they destroy everything in their path.

Ruling a Cruel Heart is a scorching dark mafia romance featuring a ruthless mafia Syndicate heir, a fearless woman with dangerous secrets, a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of power, and a love tested by betrayal and time.
Expect enemies-to-lovers sparks, forbidden love, high-stakes mafia romance, secret identities, forced proximity, a morally gray hero making impossible choices, and a second chance neither of them planned. One they may die for.
✨ Dual POV
✨ No cheating
✨ HEA guaranteed
Book 7 in the Syndicate World series. Can be read as a standalone.