#MFRWHooks – Cuddling in bed… #PreOrder Lost in His Spiderwebs #Excerpt

Blurb

Kidnapped by the enemy. Bought by the jefe. Will his smoldering touch thaw her frozen heart?

Rubén Lozano, the new leader of the Lozano Cartel, craves peace amidst a legacy of bloodshed and death. He never expected to find his ex-lover, Drina Cabrera, in the clutches of his vicious rivals. Her haunted eyes compel him to rescue her, but freeing her is another matter.

After five months of captivity, Drina trades one captor for another. Though she succumbs to Rubén’s masterful touch, the bittersweet memory of her daughter and the life she was stolen from is a constant wedge between them.

When Rubén’s darkest secret comes out, he will have to wash his hands in crimson. Will Drina let her king face the danger alone, or stand at his side as his cartel queen?

– Book two in the dark romance series, the Lozano Cartel. All the books can be read as a standalone, but are part of an interconnected series.

– Scenes featuring drug distribution, violence, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault may be uncomfortable for some readers.

– No cheating. HEA guaranteed!

Excerpt

Drina nestled closer to Rubén in the warmth of his king-sized bed. The surprisingly heady scents of sandalwood, cigarillo smoke, and a hint of saltwater chlorination enveloped her in a cocoon. Shadows cloaked the master suite like a living blanket, creeping from the edges and dancing across the sturdy, dark-wood furniture. Still tingling from their afternoon of lovemaking, she never wanted to leave his arms.

When he’d steered her into his room after their playtime in the pool, she couldn’t have been more shocked. This was his private domain, his sanctuary, and now, she was a part of it. No one and nothing could interfere with them here.

“I always wished I had sisters, someone to share secrets and gossip about boys with,” she murmured, rubbing her cheek on his bare chest. “Were you ever close with your siblings, perhaps when you were all young? What about your mom? You rarely speak of her.”

Rubén stiffened beneath her like a stone slab.

She lifted her head and met his shuttered gaze. The frown creasing his forehead tugged at her heartstrings. Giving him time, she pressed a kiss on his little brown nipple and settled back down.

“Close? Not really.” He exhaled through his nose, his chest falling. “Jacobo and I were rivals. He was my father’s favorite. My mother’s was Carlota. Carmen and I were the forgotten middle children who always disappointed. In a way, that bonded us. Now, Jacobo is dead and Carmen has vanished. Carlota doesn’t live far away, but every time I see her husband, I have to remind myself why I shouldn’t kill him.” He clasped Drina’s hand. “Carlota always puts on this show of happiness when she is around, but it’s a lie.”

“When I met her at the fundraiser, she was more honest than that. I doubt she can last much longer under that man’s thumb.” Drina traced her fingers across his roughened knuckles. “Did your mom really die in a car accident? That’s what you told me years ago.”

“Oh, I’d forgotten.” He tightened his arms around her. “My father killed her.”

Drina gasped and lurched up, gaping at him. The pain in his eyes raked through her like claws dipped in brimstone. How on earth had he survived his childhood with any decency or a speck of kindness left in him?

“Ovidio caught her in bed with two of his enforcers. Shot all three of them.” Rubén stared at the ceiling, his voice flat. “Later, he blamed the deaths on a rogue hitman to avoid federal prosecution. That hitman disappeared soon after.”

“I’m so sorry.” She cupped his bristled cheek, blinking back tears. Her heart ached for him. “I don’t even know your mom’s name.”

“Hermina. When she died, I was away on a job. Then Ovidio called me and Jacobo home to attend her funeral. He was so smug and self-righteous, like his actions were just. Like he wasn’t cheating on her or had scores of other children. In his mind, she was a useless woman who had betrayed him, so he was in the right to kill her.” A shudder raced through him. “Jacobo was upset, but he understood. To him, a man’s pride trumped everything. Me? I was in shock. So goddamned furious that I bloodied my father’s nose. I would’ve killed him had his guards not dragged me off him. In return, Ovidio tossed me in a cell beneath the barracks—in the dungeon—for a week. After that day, I gave up trying to please the man.”

“Oh, Rubén. How awful. For you, your mother.” She squeezed him as tight as she could. If only she could’ve consoled his younger self. “How old were you?”

“Twenty. It was worse for my sisters. Carlota was barely twelve, and Carmen was sixteen. Our mom wasn’t the most loving of women, but she was better than what came next—Ovidio’s live-in whores.”

Drina grimaced. All the times she and Carmen had argued, the horrible things she’d said to her the last time they spoke, Drina would do almost anything to take it back.

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About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the Lozano Cartel, the Arresting Onyx, the Embracing You, and the Ramseys in Time series, as well as several standalone novellas. Her books are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Find her here: https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton