{"product_id":"how-roses-bloom-alessa-steel","title":"How Roses Bloom: Dark Mafia Romance Bundle, Full Duet (New!)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2 BOOKS IN ONE ! FULL DUET\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Flowers Wilt: Dark Mafia Romance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Thorns Rise: Dark Mafia Romance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003e“When wounds are healed by love, the scars are beautiful.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003eAce\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003eMy flower, Iris, is the only light in the darkness that consumes me. When I found her beaten and broken, stolen from my arms, a rage like no other consumed me. I swore to track down every soul responsible and make them drown in their own blood. No one will ever hurt my delicate bloom again. \u003cb\u003eWith each life I take, each enemy I destroy, I am one step closer to bringing her the justice she deserves, the vengeance she craves.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eFor Iris, I will burn this world to ash, reclaiming what was stolen from us - our chance at a future together, free from the shadows of this cursed Mafia life. \u003cb\u003eShe is my weakness, my addiction, the only one who can soothe the beast within me.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003eIris\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003eAce Kholodov is a dangerous man, a dark rose whose thorns have drawn the blood of countless. When I was taken from him, subjected to unimaginable horrors, I thought I'd lost him forever. But the fierce protectiveness that burns in his gaze tells me otherwise. \u003cb\u003eThis powerful Don will stop at nothing to track down those responsible, to make them suffer as I have. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Source Sans Pro',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; color: #121212;\"\u003eI should fear him, fear the wrath he wields, but all I can see is the man who will move heaven and earth to get me back. His touch is my salvation, his kiss my only solace in the darkness. I am his flower, his delicate bloom, and I know he will \u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eshield me, with thorns and all to keep me safe, to keep me next to him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLook inside:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 16.5pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; margin: 9.0pt 0cm 15.75pt 0cm;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"The garden was dead quiet at midnight, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and crushed flowers. I’d slipped out of the compound, barefoot in my oversized sweater and shorts, needing space from Mom’s warnings and the ache in my chest that wouldn’t quit. Ace’s face kept flashing in my head—those dark eyes, that damn smirk, the way he’d kissed me like I was his last breath before telling me we were done. Bullshit. He didn’t get to decide that.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eA twig snapped behind me, and I froze, my pulse kicking up. “Who’s there?” I whispered, turning slow, my breath catching when I saw him—Ace, leaning against the willow tree, his black hoodie blending into the shadows. His gaze hit me like a punch, hungry and pissed, like he’d been hunting me down.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, voice low and rough, stepping closer. His boots crunched the grass, and I could smell him already—herbs, spice, and that woody edge that made my knees weak. “Not alone.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Fuck you,” I shot back, crossing my arms to hide how my hands shook. “You don’t own me, Ace. Go back to your fiancée.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eHe flinched, just for a second, then his jaw tightened. “You think I want that? You think I chose her over you?” He was in my space now, towering over me, his heat cutting through the chilly night. “You’re all I fucking think about, Iris.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Then why didn’t you fight for me?” My voice cracked, tears burning my eyes, but I didn’t care. I shoved his chest, hard, and he barely budged—just grabbed my wrists and yanked me against him. My sweater rode up, his calloused hands brushing my bare waist, and I gasped, the jolt of it shooting straight between my legs.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Because I’m trying to keep you alive,” he growled, his breath hot against my ear. “My father finds out how deep I’m in with you, he’ll gut you just to watch me bleed.” His grip tightened, possessive, desperate, and then his lips crashed into mine—hard, messy, tasting like whiskey and regret.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eI should’ve pushed him off, should’ve run, but my body had other ideas. I kissed him back, fierce and sloppy, my hands fisting his hoodie as I pressed myself closer. His tongue claimed mine, a low groan rumbling in his chest, and I felt him—thick and hard against my hip, straining through his jeans. “You’re a bastard,” I panted, breaking away just to bite his lip, drawing a hiss from him.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Yeah,” he muttered, his hand sliding down to grip my ass, pulling me up until my legs wrapped around his waist. “But I’m your bastard.” He backed me against the willow trunk, the rough bark scraping my skin through the sweater, and I didn’t care—couldn’t, not when his fingers dug into my thighs, spreading me open as he ground against me. My shorts were thin, useless, and I was soaked, the friction of him rubbing right where I needed it making me whimper.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Tell me you don’t want this,” he rasped, his lips trailing down my neck, teeth grazing my pulse. His hand slipped under my sweater, palming my breast, thumb flicking my nipple until I arched into him. “Tell me to stop, Iris.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Shut up,” I moaned, my nails clawing his shoulders as I rocked against him, chasing the heat building fast. “Just—fuck, don’t stop.” His growl vibrated through me, and he yanked my shorts aside, his fingers finding me wet and ready. Two slid in deep, curling hard, and I cried out, my head tipping back against the tree as he pumped them, relentless.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“You’re mine,” he snarled, his thumb circling my clit, pushing me to the edge so fast I couldn’t breathe. “No matter what he does, no matter who he tries to chain me to—you’re fucking mine, Flower.” His mouth was on mine again, swallowing my moans as I shattered, clenching around his fingers, my whole body shaking with it.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eI was still gasping, clinging to him, when he pulled his hand free and fumbled with his jeans, freeing himself. I felt him—hot, thick, pulsing—teasing my entrance, and my eyes fluttered shut, ready to lose myself in him completely. “Ace,” I whispered, needy, desperate, “do it—”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eA sharp whistle cut through the night, close—too close.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eAce froze, his head snapping toward the sound, his body tensing like a predator on alert. “Shit,” he muttered, shoving me behind him as he zipped up fast, his hand already reaching for the gun at his waist. My heart slammed against my ribs, the haze of lust crashing into cold fear as footsteps crunched nearer.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Who’s there?” I hissed, peering over his shoulder, but he pushed me back, his voice a low command. “Stay down, Iris. Now.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eA figure emerged from the shadows—tall, broad, the glint of a blade in his hand catching the moonlight. Ace’s grip on his gun tightened, but then the man spoke, his voice a gravelly sneer I’d heard before. “Don wants you back at the compound, boy. Now.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of Michael’s soldiers. My stomach dropped. Did he see us? Did he know?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eAce didn’t flinch, but his eyes flicked to me, dark with a warning I couldn’t ignore. “Go,” he mouthed, stepping forward to block me from view. “Run.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eBut as I slipped back into the shadows, my legs shaky and my heart pounding, I couldn’t shake the dread clawing up my spine. If Michael Kholodov found out what we’d just done—what we were—this wasn’t just a breakup anymore. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"break-words\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt was a death sentence.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Alessa Steel","offers":[{"title":"Ebook","offer_id":67760433529108,"sku":null,"price":8.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":67760433561876,"sku":null,"price":11.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0933\/0445\/5444\/files\/israalejandro20_httpss.mj.runkctv_pd1QuE_Award_winning_photog_6cabb7e9-413d-4fa8-ae1c-76b8adb9426a_2_2_jl.jpg?v=1792643574","url":"https:\/\/authoralicefox.com\/products\/how-roses-bloom-alessa-steel","provider":"Alice Fox Author","version":"1.0","type":"link"}