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In Amber Daultons latest heart-stopping romance, Dark Hearts Aflame, Carmen is on a mission to bring down a drug smuggling ring when she runs into Bristol, a man from her childhood, whom she never expected to see again. Hes on the run and in hiding, the same as her, but when the past slams back into their lives and involves a ballsy kidnapping, theyll have to work together to see another day.
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Blurb for Dark Hearts Aflame
A drug lord on the run. A cartel princess in hiding. All it takes is a spark to set their world ablaze.
Bristol Rieger, better known as Thorn, left his criminal life behind for a fresh start in Mexico. Flying under the radar of the government and the cartels alike, his best-laid plans go awry when a woman from his narco days discovers his whereabouts. Carmen Lozano, however, is no longer the innocent girl he remembers.
Carmen escaped the chains of her tiara and her abusive marriage to join a group of resistance fighters. The last thing she expected was the now-retired capo setting out to seduce her with his wicked touch. Embracing the blood on his hands is easy, but his secrets wear on her patience.
When their enemies close in, Bristol will have to summon his inner monster to protect her. But can that monster be tamed again?
– Book one is an Interracial (Hispanic woman/white man) dark romantic suspense novel in the Lozano Cartel series. All the books can be read as a standalone, but are part of an interconnected series.
– Scenes featuring torture/violence, kidnapping, attempted assault, child abuse (discussed), and suicide (discussed) may be uncomfortable for some readers.
– No cheating and HEA guaranteed!
– Written in 3rd POV.
Steamy Excerpt
(Background Info on Scene: After being kidnapped by cartel thugs and then being recused by her lover, Carmen is desperate to put some space between her and Bristol for his safety.)
Hands shaking, she hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed. Shed lost so much in a span of hours—her friends, her makeshift family, a man she loved as a father, and a little girl she loved as a daughter. Why couldnt she keep a bit of happiness? Didnt she deserve it? She shuddered and wiped her cheeks dry. No feeling sorry for herself. She didnt have time for weakness. Somehow, she had to find the courage to leave the man shed always wanted to call hers. She was poison. Everything she touched, everyone she loved, she put at risk.
She withdrew a laptop from one section of Bristols backpack and money, knives, ammo, a handgun, and a first-aid kit from another. Since she only had enough cash in her wallet to make it through the week, she thrust a few bundles of rolled-up pesos into her purse. A small box of .22 caliber bullets and the silver revolver followed. Then she rummaged through the exterior pockets and found a pen and mini notepad. With the dead weight of her nerves cramping her stomach, she pieced together her words and then jotted them down.
The clink of keys echoed from outside as the doorknob rattled.
She leapt from the bed, revolver in hand, and aimed at the door. Her heart slammed as the barrier swung open.
Bristol crossed the threshold and paused. Stark light framed him, casting him in shadow. His ball cap was angled low, and his sunglasses hid his eyes, further obscuring his features.
“Maldita sea.” She hung her head and lowered the weapon.
He kicked the door shut and dropped two paper bags on the bed. “What do you think youre doing?” He grabbed the gun, emptied the six-round chamber onto the rumpled blanket, and slid his glasses into one of the breast pockets of his shirt—a black linen, silver-striped guayabera. He searched through her purse and firmed his lips in a mulish line. “Ammo and money. Youve been a busy little thief.”
She yanked the purse back and hugged it to her chest. “You dont understand. I have to go. I just—read this.” She offered him the note, which he cocked his eyebrow at with the haughty air of his criminal alter ego before snatching it up.
He tossed aside his hat and zipped his gaze across the paper. The tendon in his neck twitched. His short shirtsleeves pulled taut over his flexing biceps, the dark swirls, flowers, and birds tattooed on his arms swelling.
The glare he leveled on her shot heat right to her treacherous clit.
“Are you fucking serious? You think youre a danger to me?” He crinkled the paper in his fist. “Damn it, woman. Im a much more dangerous person than you are.”
She gulped and locked her hands behind her back. “The Ciriacos want me. The Lozanos want me. If we separate now, I should be able to lead them away from you.”
“No matter what we do, Im at risk. Theres evidence someone helped you escape.”
“I will take the blame for Cid and Tito.”
“Like hell, Carmen. I broke the doorframe when I busted in. Any good halcon, sicario, or capo worth his salt will notice the damage came from the outside, so theyll be looking for a second person. If I keep you off-grid, the Ciriacos will have to start from square one back in Savillaruz. They probably already know about your undercover job since they were waiting for you outside the café. Theyre bound to find out about me and connect the dots.”
Her throat tightened. If the Ciriacos questioned Ines Merino or any of Bristols neighbors, they would likely discover his fake surname and maybe his real one if they dug deep enough. How could she have let this happen? Shed dragged him into her problems.
“Youre making my point for me.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Ive put you in harms way, so we need a clean break. Theyll follow me and leave you be. Try to understand, Bristol. I dont want you hurt on my account. Ive survived on my own for years.”
“You werent alone, Carmen. The Terenzios took you in. Maybe you were alone for a while after you left El Tren and before you met Gaspar Hierro, but do you really want to go back to a life on the run, all alone?”
“I have no choice.”
“Neither do I, so were sticking together for as long as possible. If you left, do you know how pissed off and worried Id be? How fucking insane Id be if I couldnt find you?”
Carmen dropped her gaze. “Please, let me go. Do not search for me.”
“Youre asking for more than I can give. If my sources failed to track you down, Id contact the Terenzios for their help. Im sorry if you dont want to be around me, but youre safer at my safe than by yourself.” The gravel in his voice softened with his last sentence.
“I do want to be with you.” Shame washed through her, forcing her to relent. “If you think staying together is best, I wont leave. Once the Ciriacos are no longer gunning for us, we can part ways. How can you fault me for trying to protect you?”
“Shit, Carmen. I dont.” He exhaled a harsh breath through his nose. “Have you been crying?”
She nodded and hugged herself. “I talked to Gaspar.”
Bristol blanched and snatched her phone from the bed.
“I didnt tell him where we are. He was worried sick, wanting me to return. I refused.”
“Is the GPS turned off?”
“Of course.”
He tapped the screen several times, likely verifying her words, and handed the device back to her. “After everything youve been through, Carmen, you couldve turned out selfish and bloodthirsty. Im proud of you for escaping cartel life, but never attempt to run from me again. If you do, Ill chase you down like a hellhound in pursuit. When I find you—and I will—Ill spank your little ass so fucking hard youll never think to leave me again. Is that clear?”
His threat summoned memories of her dream. Desire pooled in her belly. “Try it. Ill make you work for the privilege of spanking me.”
He grabbed her arms and thrust her so hard against the drywall she halfway bounced off it. Oh, my! More! As he descended on her mouth in a frenzy of firm, bruising lips and demanding tongue, he flattened her against the wall with the weight of his burly chest and raw possessiveness. His harsh kiss melted her like chocolate on a summer day and stole every sane thought from her mind. Her nipples pebbled and clit throbbed. The skittering of her pulse heated her blood to molten lava. He gripped her hair and pulled until she gasped in pleasurable pain. Then he ripped away his skilled lips and pinched her chin with his thumb and forefinger. His hot, coffee-scented breath skated across her face and pimpled her skin. Lust and anger burned like wildfire in his narrowed eyes.
“Is that a challenge, pequeña?”
“Sí. Are you man enough to take me on?”
“That does it.” He shoved her toward the bed.
She toppled onto her back and grunted as he jumped on top of her. Their lips smashed together in a battle of tongue and teeth. Her breathing sharpened, lungs straining. Dark pleasure jolted through her. She twisted her fingers in his hair and gyrated against him for relief. His jeans chafed her clit, tearing a moan from her mouth. Now suckling hard on her tender neck, he hiked up her skirt, pushed aside her panties, and plunged two fingers deep into her needy core.
“¡Madre de Dios!” she shouted, the curse and prayer wrapped into one. Her orgasm built fast and ripped through her like a tsunami. Bright lights sparked before her eyes. The tension rushed out of her. As she floated on a wave of bliss, her stomach rumbled.
Bristol drew back. The crows feet at the corners of his eyes and mouth tightened.
Heat consumed her face. She patted her puffy, well-loved lips. “Im hungry.”
He sighed and rested his forehead on hers. “A rain check, then. Youre in desperate need of my hand cracking across your ass.”
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