Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Sun, 30 Jul 2023 16:01:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Wicked Attraction (Ashby Crime Family #8) Read Online KB Winters http://www.books2020.com/wicked-attraction-ashread-online-crime-family-8-read-online-kb-winters Sun, 30 Jul 2023 16:01:07 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-attraction-ashread-online-crime-family-8-read-online-kb-winters Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Dark, Mafia, Suspense Authors: KB Winters Series: Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters
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Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)

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A secret baby, a ruthless criminal, and a love that will either save me—or destroy us all.
I've been in love with Jasper Ashby since the day I laid eyes on him.
He's tall, dark, and annoyingly handsome.
I know he's going to break my heart again. I know what he's like—a ruthless killer who doesn't do relationships. He uses women and then casts them aside like yesterday's news.
And yet, I'm falling for him all over again.
I should stay away.
But I'm carrying his child. An heir to a legacy he won't let go of easily. I can't tell him. If he finds out, I'll never be able to escape him.
I'm torn between protecting my baby and my heart from the one man we both need—and fear—the most, and risking everything for a chance at happily-ever-after.
Can love conquer all, or will it be my downfall?

This book touches on addiction and abuse. It contains strong language and graphic violence.

Fans of The Departed and Peaky Blinders love this Irish American Mob Romance!
Don't miss out on the final book of the notorious Ashby Crime Family! One-click this steamy romantic suspense today!
Previously released as Ruthless Sinner! It's the same story you know and love only better!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Jasper ~ Before the Shooting

I looked out at the opening night crowd of wall-to-wall, sex-crazed bodies bumping and grinding ecstatically to the music, and visions of dollar signs danced in my head.

As much as I hated to admit it, Sadie was right.

The new and improved Lucky Lopez was a success. An unmitigated fucking success. All three floors were packed with horny men and women eager to watch the young and beautiful strip for cash.

Others came to bump and grind on the newly installed dance floor, and most were here to just get fucked up. Opening night had brought out damn near all the residents of the Green Zone, not to mention the people we’d done business with for years.

Yeah, Sadie did it. Again.

I never doubted her. Sadie wasn’t just my mother; she was my mentor, the woman who taught me everything I needed to know about running the Ashby Organization for decades to come.

At her side, I’d learned how to negotiate deals in the legit world and underworld. She taught me the difference between being tough and being just plain mean.

Well, my father Colm also had a hand in that lesson. A heavy hand, usually balled into a fucking fist.

I shook off thoughts of my bastard of a father and pushed away from the desk inside the tiny office in the back of Lucky Lopez and made my way through the throngs of sweaty, drunk bodies to the bar.

“Velvet Fire. Make it a double,” I barked over the din to the bartender.

One of the new girls Sadie and Thomas hired, I didn’t know her name, flashed a toothy grin and shoved her tits out to great effect. She had a great pair of tits, big and meaty, more than a handful and best of all, they were perfectly round and full.

The Lucky Lopez t-shirt she wore was cut into a low vee, ripped and tied into a knot at the waist to show off her hot young body.

“Here ya go, Mr. Ashby.” It was a smart move, hiring hungry young college girls to sling drinks. They would bring in more cash which meant we could clean even more money.

“Thanks.” It might have been a smart business move, but I didn’t like having all these new people around. I didn’t know these people, so I couldn’t trust them.

I didn’t know who was in their lives or who those people knew and loved, hated or owed money to, and that was why I was on edge as I walked through the club, sipping on some damn good whiskey.

“Jasper!” Hulu smiled at me over the crowd and waved me over to the perimeter of the dance floor. He was big as fuck and spent a few hours almost every day in the gym, which made him the perfect deterrent for people looking to cause trouble.

“What’s up?” I stood beside the overgrown man feeling like a child at six-foot-two.

“Lots of people here tonight.”

“Yep.”

Arms crossed, Hulu’s eyes never stopped moving, scanning the crowd or looking over his shoulder. “Confiscated lots of weapons.”

“What’s lots.”

“Enough that I sent Provo out to get some lock boxes. I think you need lockers if this will be your clientele here.”

I arched a brow at him. “Clientele? I think you’ve been working the card games too long if you’re gonna sound like an asshole.”

Hulu chuckled and shrugged. “Between the players and Nessa, I’m definitely growing my vocabulary.”

“Lockers are a good idea but run it by Sadie. This is her baby now.”

“Got it.”

“Anything else?”

“Nope. I’m good.”

“Good.” I walked up the stairs that led to level two and ordered another drink from a server walking by before searching for the woman of the hour. She was, of course, in the VIP area, looking proudly down at her hard work come to life.

“You don’t have to look so damn pleased with yourself, Ma.”

Sadie turned slowly at the sound of my voice, a knowing smile on her face. “I know I don’t have to, but I am pleased. Look at this. Just fucking look.”

“Yeah, I see it. And I never doubted that you could do it. That was never a fucking question. I just didn’t think it was necessary.”

“And that’s why I’m so pleased. Look around. We don’t just have gangsters and investment bankers in here spending their money tonight, Jasper. That guy runs the corner market, and I’m pretty sure I saw his girlfriend head up to see the male dancers.”

“Your point?”

“My point, smartass, is that it isn’t just big money dollars flowing into this place. It’s all the money. People in the Green Zone now have money to spend, and they’re spending it with us.”

I nodded reluctantly, willing to give her that. “Makes it easier to clean the cash.” I didn’t bother reminding her that more cash put a bigger target on the place for robbery, even if it was an Ashby joint.

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Advertisement Wicked Revenge (Ashby Crime Family #7) Read Online KB Winters http://www.books2020.com/wicked-revenge-ashread-online-crime-family-7-read-online-kb-winters Sun, 09 Jul 2023 00:33:27 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-revenge-ashread-online-crime-family-7-read-online-kb-winters Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Dark, Mafia Authors: KB Winters Series: Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters
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Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77

No one knows what it’s like to be me. To have this power. To hold these secrets.
It’s a burden, but it’s my cross to bear. Because I know what’s at stake.

You think you know me? You don’t know Jack.
Or Father Eric.
Or Father Sean.
Or Father James.
I know them quite well—and more. Biblically, you might say.
And then there’s sweet, obedient Thomas.
No one knows Thomas like I do.
He’s strong, capable, smart. A real man. Not like the others.
They’re all men, of course. But Thomas…he’s different. He doesn’t play by the rules.
And that’s what I love about him.
He’s my kind of man.
And our game is very simple.
Kill or be killed.
There are no rules, no mercy, and no second chances.
You either win…or you die.
And I always play to win.

Warning: This book touches on addiction and abuse. It contains strong language and graphic violence.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Sadie ~ 1981

Everyone thought they knew how the great Sadie Rose Ashby came to be. The wife of Colm Ashby and daughter-in-law of Cillian Darragh Ashby, they assumed I was a young whore or a ruthless bitch. That was the story anyway, what people thought they knew about me and my life.

What I let them believe.

If anyone knew the actual details of my life, they would fear me even more. It wasn’t Colm, Cillian, or even The Crusaders who got me started on this path.

No, that title belongs to a piece of shit from the summer of 1981.

Before I became an Ashby, I was Sadie Rose Malone, a proper Catholic school girl who went to class, said her prayers and loved her parents dearly. I tried to do the right thing, be a good person, and follow the path laid out in The Good Book. I tried really hard, and one day, it all fell to pieces in the most spectacular fashion.

Owen Doyle was seventeen years old and the definition of cool. He was gorgeous with broad shoulders and a slender body that young girls thought was so grownup.

Even I wasn’t immune to the charms of the most popular boy in school. Owen Doyle had big blue bedroom eyes, and when he turned his attention my way, I was flattered.

I was flattered for the first—and last—time in my life. It was the only time pretty words made me blush like a schoolgirl, the only time I accepted anything or anyone at face value.

On Friday night, my parents allowed me to go to the high school football game because it was a special game. St. Mary’s Catholic School played against our Lutheran rivals. To my extremely Catholic mother, that made it a special occasion worthy of me possibly spending time with boys.

I couldn’t tell you one thing about the game because I didn’t give a damn about football. I just wanted to hang out with kids my own age away from the church.

“Hey, want to go somewhere quiet to hang out and talk?” Owen Doyle wanted to talk to me, invisible, prim, proper, Sadie Malone, and I nodded like an eager little puppy.

I turned to my best friend, Emily with a wide-eyed grin. There was no question of what my answer would be when I turned back to Owen.

“Yeah, sure, that would be cool.” My fingertips tingled at the idea of going somewhere with Owen. I followed him down the metal bleachers and around back where the cool kids hung out and smoked cigarettes and drank beer if they could snatch some from their parents or older siblings.

Only when we got back there, we were alone.

I thought it was romantic. “So, uh, what do you want to talk about?”

Owen flashed a crooked smile that made my heart race as he leaned against the metal leg of the bleacher. “How pretty you are, Sadie.”

“Me?” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled like the naïve little girl I was. “I’m not,” I insisted because vanity was frowned upon in my house.

I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup or style my hair, and even the denim skirt I thought so stylish hit just below my knees.

“But you are.” Owen’s insistence, accompanied by smiling at me and running his index finger along my jaw, sucked me right in. “So pretty. I’ve been thinking about kissing you all night. All semester, really.”

His words shocked and thrilled me, but they also confused me. “But you never said anything.”

“Neither did you,” he shot back. “But here we are.”

His words were so smooth I couldn’t help but smile. “Here we are.”

Owen took a step closer so I could feel his breath fan across my face and sucked in a deep breath. He smelled like cinnamon and melon, an intoxicating blend of spicy and sweet.

“I need to taste your lips,” he growled a moment before his mouth crashed down over mine.

The sensation startled me at first, but the feel of his lips on mine was lovely. His tongue slid between my lips; a strange feeling that slowly started to feel good. My heart thudded against my chest, and my palms were sweaty against the leather arms of his letterman’s jacket, but I couldn’t bring myself to push him away.

I leaned into him and threw myself into the kiss because even though it was my first kiss, it was the most exciting, the hottest, and thrilling kiss of my life.

Then one hand slid down my bottom until he reached up under my skirt to my bare skin, and that hand slid up the inside of my leg until his fingers brushed over my private parts. I gasped in surprise, but it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

“Owen,” I panted as he ran two knuckles back and forth over my privates.

“I’m right here, pretty Sadie.” His fingers pushed my panties to the side, and his bare fingers slid between my lips.

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Advertisement Wicked Secrets (Ashby Crime Family #5) Read Online KB Winters http://www.books2020.com/wicked-secrets-ashread-online-crime-family-5-read-online-kb-winters Thu, 01 Jun 2023 11:54:16 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-secrets-ashread-online-crime-family-5-read-online-kb-winters Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Mafia, Suspense Authors: KB Winters Series: Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters
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Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >78

Charlie Ellison found me broken, beaten and bruised.
Another biker in a long line of bikers in my life.
Except he’s not like the others,
And he has me questioning everything.
He’s tough, strong and hotter than hell.
Could he be my knight on a chrome stallion?
Or the devil in a leather kutte?
All I know is, he’s different.
He makes me feel things I never thought possible.
But Charlie doesn’t want me,
He wants what I know.
And what I know could get me killed.
I’m no snitch, but I may not have a choice.
I’ll have to make a decision soon. My life depends on it.
Because at the end of the day, he’s still a criminal. And I’m still his prisoner. This book touches on addiction and abuse. It contains strong language and graphic violence. Fans of Ray Donovan and Sons of Anarchy will love this damsel in distress forbidden romance!
Order your copy today! Previously released as Family Ties. Newly updated and re-edited, it's the same story you know and love, only better!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Charlie

“It’s no secret that I’m getting too old for this shit.”

Did I just hear Superman say he was retiring? Superheroes didn’t retire. They went out with guns blazing. Right?

Church broke into rolls of laughter like Cross was the star act at a comedy club.

Cross had been the head of the Reckless Bastards MC for longer than I’d been alive. Hell, he’d always been like a superhero to me, as much as my own dad.

We waited for one of Stitch’s funny one-liners. We could always count on him to break up the tension. “Time to roll out the silver carpet!” he howled and we all joined in. No moment in my life had ever been more tense than this one.

Cross flipped him off and held up his black mug of beer with a big grin on the grizzled face I loved like he was blood. “Like I said, I’m gettin’ too old for this shit. It’s time to pass the torch and give this kid time to learn how to take the Reckless Bastards to the next level.”

Dozens of hands pounded on the impressively carved Mayhem table that sat as the main centerpiece inside the club’s inner sanctum. Finally, they raised their glasses to me. The kid Cross had just mentioned.

“We got new threats coming in every fucking day.” Stitch again, as if anyone needed a reminder.

“Fuck those fuckin’ Jacks!” My Uncle Tate made no secret of his hate for the newest gang of punks who thought they could come into town and take what our MC had spent decades building. Shit was bad lately, plenty of sabotage and kidnappings, public shootouts and even a few deaths, all because of the fucking BJ’s.

The dark look Cross wore brightened as he turned his attention back to the reason we were all gathered here today. “We will fuck them, long and hard ‘cause we’re the biggest dicks around!”

Max, my dad and the MC treasurer shouted, “Being led by the biggest cock of them all!” He glowed with a proud smile because this time, right now, inside these walls, was where we could be more than badass bikers, more than tough sons of bitches who fought to the death. Here, we could also be family.

“Damn straight,” Cross agreed. “And that’s why it is my absolute fucking pleasure to hand this patch over to the new Prez of the finest MC God and man has ever conspired to create. Charlie, get your ass up here.”

I stood on shaky legs, knowing this moment was bigger than just me, but still feeling strangely sure it was entirely about me at the same time. Somehow, I stuffed my nerves down deep and made my way to the head of the table. My spot at the table. As of to-fucking-day.

My brothers' roar to welcome me to my new post was deafening. I couldn’t help but smile at the happiness, the pride that wove through us all. This wasn’t just about me, but for our club. It was a thread that would never be broken. Ever.

Savior’s big blue eyes were wide, bright and proud when he calmed everyone down. “Let the new Prez speak!” he shouted. As the sergeant at arms, he had taught me everything I needed to know about guns and ammo.

Savior was an old-timer, but the man knew his shit. His blue eyes looked even bluer with a head and beard full of gray against his skin, tanned as fuck from too much time spent in the desert.

A chorus of, “We’re listening,” answered his call.

I heard “Speak!” come from the middle of the crowd. That was easier said than done. I wasn’t a talkative guy like Cross or my brother, Jameson, but I was their leader now. The lives of these men, every last one of them, were now my responsibility. My duty.

They needed to hear that I was prepared to carry the same weight Cross had as we moved forward and fought bigger, badder, and much bolder enemies.

I cleared my throat and looked out at these men. My brothers. My soldiers.

“Shit,” I said. The honor Cross just handed me hit me like a wrecking ball, and I was overcome with humility. “This is much harder than I thought it would be.”

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “I know I have big shoes to fill,” I said. “But I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect this club and our way of life.”

There was a murmur of agreement from the group.

“I know times are changing and we’re up against some pretty powerful enemies. But I also know that we’re the Reckless Bastards, and we don’t back down from a fight. We never have, and we never will.”

I paused, letting my words sink in.

“I’ve been around this MC since I was a baby. Watching the men at this table taught me what it means to be a man. Taught me to shave, to fight, and to honor. The rest of you, we became men together. We’ve gone from boys who didn’t know a damn thing to men who know what it means to fight for something bigger than us. To protect what the previous generation worked hard to build up.”

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Advertisement Wicked Games (Ashby Crime Family #4) Read Online KB Winters http://www.books2020.com/wicked-games-ashread-online-crime-family-4-read-online-kb-winters Tue, 09 May 2023 20:48:19 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-games-ashread-online-crime-family-4-read-online-kb-winters Genre: Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: KB Winters Series: Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters
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Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >87

I was falling for a man who could either save me or shatter me.
After I lost my husband to the ruthless underworld,
I knew I’d never love again. He was my life. My world.
Guilt, sadness and betrayal keep me from letting go.
Then I meet Emmett Manning. Ex-boxer. Rough around the edges, but a good man. He came into my life when I needed a friend and now I can't imagine living without him.
He's sexy, funny and such a gentleman.
Then he kills a man with his bare hands. To protect me.
And I realize there's more to him than meets the eye.
He's a dangerous man with a dark past. A man who lives by his own rules.
Now we're fighting for our lives. Against the criminal underworld, and against each other.
Because love is the most dangerous game of all. . .

Fans of Peaky Blinders and The Sopranos will love this gritty and intense romantic suspense series!
Scroll up and one-click this friends-to-lovers romance!
Previously released as Lady Luck. Newly updated and re-edited, it's the same story you know and love, only better!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Emmett

Sunday dinner at Ashby Manor was always a chaotic affair. This Sunday was no exception. The staff scurried around like chickens with their heads cut off to meet Sadie’s exacting standards. Her staff might even say unrealistic standards—if they could muster up the nerve to complain.

To my knowledge, no on ever did. Which is why they were still employed—and still breathing.

“Five minutes,” Sadie told the head housekeeper, a warning in her voice. Even though she had a ruthless streak that ran deep in her petite body, Sadie always seemed a little anxious about making sure things were perfect when she gathered the family for dinner. Every single Sunday.

“Emmett,” she smiled as I walked into the dining room. “Come, let’s have a drink.”

“Sure, thanks.” It was just me and Sadie together in the dining room, waiting for the room to clear. We only had a few minutes to ourselves before the rest of the family and their guests would arrive in the next five minutes. Otherwise, they’d be late.

“Wine or whiskey?” I asked, walking behind the bar.

Her lips curled into a grin. “Whiskey, of course.”

I poured two fingers into two crystal tumblers and handed one off to her. “How are things?” I wasn’t all that involved in the Ashby Organization beyond the House of Ashby, training champion fighters, but I also wasn’t a fool.

I knew a good portion of the Ashby wealth came from underground card games, prostitution, extortion and even some drug trafficking. I stopped letting it bother me a long time ago, and I never judged them for it. Ever.

Sadie sighed and leaned against the heavy oak hutch. “Things are as they always are, Emmett. Hectic. Crazy. Dangerous. Take your pick.”

I nodded, knowing that was just the life of being a mob boss.

She took a long sip from her tumbler, sharp green eyes taking in every detail of my face. “How are you adjusting to being back at the gym? No aftereffects of the attack?”

Always, but I shook my head, deciding to keep my own secrets. “None that I’m aware of,” I said, the whiskey smoothing down the lie, “other than being a bit more cautious of my surroundings.”

I really should start carrying my piece again, for peace of mind, not because I thought I was still in danger. Then again, being as close as I was to the Ashby family, there was always some danger. It just came with the territory.

I’d gotten caught in the crossfire when the Rhymers came after the Ashbys, but I wasn’t getting paid to whine to Sadie. We’d get our revenge.

“Glad to hear it,” she said. “You know, Emmett, you can always come to me if you need to.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Sadie. I appreciate that."

“Cheers,” Sadie said, clinking her glass against mine.

“The fighters are looking good, and we have a few new trainees who appear…promising.”

“That’s good to hear.” Sadie nodded. Her gaze focused just over my shoulder as if her mind was someplace else. “Keep an eye out for anyone to replace Ravager on our roster until he’s healed.” I was more than grateful that Sadie didn’t blame me for that shit show because it could have ended my career as a fight trainer.

“I have someone in mind. He’s not as young as Rob, but he’s stronger with a harder punch. Come by the gym some time and check him out.”

She nodded and flashed a grateful grin. “I will. And Emmett, I want to thank you for making time for Vanessa. She’s still fragile and in need of a friend, and I’m told you’ve been a good one to her.”

I shrugged off her praise, feeling uncomfortable with it. “No thanks necessary. She’s a nice lady, and we kind of get each other.”

“Doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful, does it?”

I took a long sip from my own glass, trying to figure out how to answer without giving anything away. “Doesn’t it always?”

Sadie laughed. “I always appreciate a good piece of eye candy.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and I wondered what the woman who had been more like a mother to me than my own drug and booze addicted mom was up to.

Hearing footsteps, I turned then to the doorway. Sadie’d seen her sons before I did.

“Jasper. Virgil,” she said, waving them into the dining room. “I was just about to have Emmett send up smoke signals to announce dinner.”

Virgil rolled his eyes and dropped down in his seat at the middle of the table. “Ma, we’re two minutes late.”

“Two minutes late is not on time,” she reminded him and took her seat at the head of the table, Jasper seated right beside her. “Where is Maisie?”

“I’m right here,” she said breathlessly, rushing into the dining room. She flung her handbag onto an empty chair beside the window before she took her seat beside Virgil. “Sorry, I’m late. Twin billionaires had me running around all day searching for red-headed twin acrobats. They settled for black-haired twins because they used to be Cirque du Soleil dancers.”

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Advertisement Wicked Pleasures (Ashby Crime Family #3) Read Online KB Winters http://www.books2020.com/wicked-pleasures-ashread-online-crime-family-3-read-online-kb-winters Wed, 12 Apr 2023 20:59:52 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-pleasures-ashread-online-crime-family-3-read-online-kb-winters Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: KB Winters Series: Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters
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Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >81

Terry Manning is the devil in disguise.
He’s my brother’s best friend and totally off limits.
I’ve been in love with him since I was a kid, but he only sees me as Jasper's little sister.
Now I’m all grown up and determined to show him that I’m not a child anymore.
Even if it means playing with fire…
The moment we touch, the sparks fly. Terry is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man.
He’s strong, passionate, and loyal—the kind of man who will fight for me no matter what.
When our attraction for each other becomes undeniable, I wonder if love is enough to overcome the danger that surrounds us.
Including my deadly brother.
I know I should stay away, but his gentle touch and tender words make it impossible.
Will this forbidden love bring us closer together or tear us apart?
It’s a risk I’m willing to take—but is he?
Fans of Tommy Shelby and Ray Donovan will love this Irish American Mafia romance!
Scroll up and one click today!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Kat

A funeral has an eerie way of uniting families, and ours seemed to be drawing closer with every passing day.

“Does it seem like we’ve done a few too many of these lately?” I muttered, my voice barely audible over the din of the room. We had been paying our respects far too frequently.

I leaned against the long wooden bar at Midnight Mass, surrounded by my brothers and family, and felt a sense of dread wash over me. We were all gathered together to celebrate Lance Decker's life. And his widow just walked in.

“Fuck, yeah. Too many,” Virgil growled and took a fortifying sip of whiskey before he smacked the bar and walked off toward Maisie, who’d barely escaped this fate a few months back.

“It’s the nature of the business,” Jasper said in his usual gruff, rational tone. “He was a good man, though. A damn good man.”

I nodded as a pretty brunette with big sparkling blue eyes walked around, looking completely overwhelmed. I pushed off the bar, turning to Jasper with a grin.

“Good try at being a human. Add a bit more emotion and say that to his widow, Vanessa.” The poor woman looked devastated and out of place, how I imagined most women would look if they lost the man they loved. “Come on.”

“Do I have to? This is more your thing, or Ma’s.”

I rolled my eyes and shoved away from him. “You’re the big brother, act like it.”

"Jesus, Kat. Do you ever stop?"

"No." I laughed and shoulder bumped Jasper. “You can kill a man without blinking an eye but an emotional female sends you running? Pathetic.”

I made my way through the crowd, greeting people and accepting condolences as I went. It was a somber affair, but that was to be expected. When I finally reached Vanessa, she looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes.

“Vanessa? I’m Kat Ashby. Lance was an incredible man. I’m terribly sorry for your loss. Really.” I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze that made her breath hitch.

“Thank you for this,” she said softly.

“Of course. Lance was a good man. He will be missed.”

She nodded and took a deep breath.

I reached out and squeezed her hand gently. “It’s the least we can do. If there’s anything else we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Ms. Ashby.”

“This is my brother, Jasper. Drink?”

She flashed a hesitant smile at my scowling brother before her blue gaze met mine once again. “I would love a drink. Strong and on the rocks.”

I glared at Jasper until he took a step forward and wrapped his big hands around Vanessa’s delicate, slender hands. “I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Decker. Lance was our loss as well.”

His words sounded sincere and she nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Ashby.”

I listened as my brother talked with Vanessa, offering his words of condolence and comfort. We would take care of her, just as Lance would have wanted us to. She was family now.

Family was everything to us. It was the only thing that mattered. And we would do whatever it took to protect our own.

Then with a grunt of sympathy, Jasper took off in the direction of Ma, who looked like she was having a serious work-related discussion with her butler.

“Don’t mind Jasper. He’s a bit of a robot at times. Not good in moments like this, but otherwise, it’s an excellent quality.”

In a leader, sure, but it was also the reason Jasper was single. Perpetually single, in fact. Not that I could talk when it came to matters of the heart, but at least I knew my flaws. “Let’s go get that drink.”

Vanessa nodded, her thick chocolate waves falling around her shoulders in a way that had some of the guys eyeing the beautiful widow in ways they shouldn’t. At least not quite so soon.

“Let’s,” she said in a voice that showed the strain of the last few days.

“Clontarf, on the rocks for my friend Vanessa and another for me. Neat.” Midnight Mass had been closed for the memorial celebration so there would be no interruptions. No unwanted guests. “Seriously, your husband was a good man.”

“You knew him well?” she asked, a hint of worry in her tone.

“Not well, no. But he gave me a few pointers on handling a new Springfield Hellcat, said I reminded him of a woman he served with, only she was scrawnier.”

She laughed and shook her head, taking the drink with a smile that made the new bartender blush and lick his lips. Fucking men. No class at all. “That sounds like Lance. Charming as hell when he wanted to be, the rest of the time that size fourteen foot was stuck in his mouth.”

I laughed to keep her company. “I didn’t mind. Growing up with brothers, I got used to the clumsy compliments of tough guys.” It was nice to have someone to shoot the shit with, who only wanted to shoot, not talk until they’d uttered every word in the English language. “Let’s sit.”

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Advertisement Wicked Embrace (Ashby Crime Family #2) Read Online KB Winters http://www.books2020.com/wicked-embrace-ashread-online-crime-family-2-read-online-kb-winters Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:03:28 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-embrace-ashread-online-crime-family-2-read-online-kb-winters Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Virgin Authors: KB Winters Series: Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters
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Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)

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I did as I was told with a smile on my face.
Communion, serving others, keeping my virtue intact.
A perfect little angel all of my life.
When I’m accused of a crime I didn’t commit, none of that matters.
My friends, my family, the church, they turned their backs.
So I run straight into the underworld of Glitz, NV.
And the big strong arms of Calvin Ashby.
He’s super rich, super smart and annoyingly attractive.
And this is where we get complicated.
He’s a criminal. A killer.
And I’m in love with him.

Warning: This book touches on addiction and abuse. It contains strong language and graphic violence.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Bonnie

People believed what they wanted to believe, and nobody wanted to believe me. Which explained why I was alone in a bar on a Friday night, feeling sorry for myself.

I was officially off the radar. Just another face in the crowd. My family, my friends, hell, even the church, had all deserted me. After all, who wanted to be associated with a killer?

It didn’t matter that I was innocent.

Who needed a judge? I’d already been tried and convicted by a juror of my peers. The ones who promised to love me. Be there for me. The people who should have known I wasn't capable of taking someone's life.

I downed the last of my gin and tonic and slammed the glass down on the counter, feeling the liquor burn its way down my throat. I wasn't ready to go home just yet, so I ordered another drink.

And tonight, like every night for the past week, I was one of them. Only my sins weren’t as interesting as the chick I watched getting finger banged up against the wall last night. Did I say everybody was watching? I’m sure they were, but nobody was as invested in the show as I was.

I wasn’t proud of it, but I was getting off on her pain. Her pleasure too, I guessed. But mostly her pain. Because that was what my life had become: a series of vicarious thrills because my own life was so damned boring.

I turned back and saw a girl sandwiched between two guys who felt her up on the dance floor. Though my parents and my priest would call it sinning, I could admit that she looked…blissful. Like she was having the time of her life. I wanted what she had. But I didn't know how to get it.

Tears welled up in my eyes, so I polished off my drink because there was no way I’d get lucky like the girl on the dance floor—or my best friend Maisie Nilsson. Who hadn’t texted me all week.

No, she had a super sexy gangster with a heart of gold. I had a drug-addicted, whoremongering dead boyfriend. I figured no one would come to my rescue, so I wiped a tear off my cheek and practically ran to the ladies’ room before I was accused of being a lush.

It was surprisingly quiet inside except for the low hum of a woman touching up her makeup at the full length mirror. I flashed a semi-friendly smile, enough to show I was no threat, but not so much she might feel the need to engage in friendly bathroom chatter.

Normally, manners would have forced me into casual small talk, but lately, I wasn’t too big on the things I’d been taught growing up. Not while I stared at my reflection in the shockingly unflattering lighting.

Tonight my reddish-orange hair had been tamed with a flat iron, at least as much as the thick waves wanted to be tamed. The color was still too bright for my pale, nearly porcelain skin.

My eyes were technically hazel but most days they were a lighter brown with a smattering of brown and yellow. Nothing spectacular, just too much of all the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff.

Story of my life. A sniff surprised me and the humming woman stopped in her careful lipstick application to look at me.

“He ain’t worth it, honey. They so rarely are.” She flashed a friendly smile to go with the hint of southern still in her accent. “Here, have some booger sugar and forget all about him. Maybe get under somebody else if you know what I’m sayin’.”

I’d have to be deaf and blind not to get what she was saying.

“What is it?” I suspected cocaine, but as Maisie was fond of reminding me, new drugs came out all the time.

“It’s just a little feel good powder, hon. Take a little bump like this.” The woman flicked her blonde waves off her shoulder, dumped a small pile of white powder on the back of her hand, lowered her nostril to it and inhaled it into oblivion. “Easy as.”

It did look easy, and the woman didn’t seem to be in any pain. Her face was beautiful, but her skin was clear and her eyes were as wide as her smile.

“I would like to feel better and alcohol doesn’t seem to be working,” I said hesitantly.

“Just like I did it. Go on,” she said with an encouraging smile. Suddenly I understood that not all peer pressure was like the PSA’s from school. Some of it was benign, barely even enough to be considered pressure.

This woman, just like the devil, came wrapped in a pretty package, bearing a smile rather than a sneer. And today I wanted—no I needed—what this beautiful devil was offering.

So I took it. Exactly like she did, taking a deep inhale until the powder disappeared up my nostril. Before I even let out my breath, I felt better. Warm and relaxed. Good. Like everything was right in the world.

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Advertisement Wicked Intentions (Ashby Crime Family #1) Read Online KB Winters http://www.books2020.com/wicked-intentions-ashread-online-crime-family-1-read-online-kb-winters Fri, 24 Mar 2023 15:26:34 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-intentions-ashread-online-crime-family-1-read-online-kb-winters Genre: Erotic, Mafia, Romance, Suspense Authors: KB Winters Series: Ashby Crime Family Series by KB Winters
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Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >74

I never thought I’d fall for a bad boy, never mind a cold blooded killer.
On the surface, Virgil Ashby is sweet and charming, but I know better. He’s a heartless criminal.
So, why did he save my life?
He’s as dangerous as the men who captured me. I should be afraid of him, but I can’t help myself. There’s something about Virgil that sets my soul on fire.
I should run as far and as fast as I can, but the coiled darkness inside him draws me in like a moth to a flame.
I just hope I don’t get burned.
Previously released as Velvet Fire! It’s the same story you know and love only bigger and better!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Virgil

Sitting inside my all-black Porsche, I stared up at the Black Stallion Casino in all its cheesy, neon glory and then down at the picture of my target in my hand, thinking it was a shame what was about to happen next.

If Luck really was a lady, then she was one cold-hearted bitch and I was happy she was on my side. The same could not be said for the raven stunner with the white velvet beauty pageant-style sash draped across her chest stamped with Birthday Girl in bold black letters. She was surrounded by friends, dolled up for a night on the town, and they were cheering her on.

She came to the right place to celebrate. It’d be a shame if she had to die.

Savannah Rhymer. She was pretty enough with dark hair and big blue eyes that were far too innocent, considering she was the heiress of The Crusaders. And not just any old heiress, but the old man’s right-hand woman.

That made her the kind of person who knew too much for her own good. Like where the bodies were buried.

And who put them there.

The Crusaders were a newer organization compared to my family, but they were making a name for themselves with their brutality and their reputation for doing anything to keep cash flowing. There was nothing they didn’t do, including human trafficking, drugs and guns, underground gambling, extortion, blackmail, and the occasional murder for hire. And now they were trying to take over Ashby's interests.

And I was here to stop them.

It was no coincidence that Savannah was here, too, celebrating her birthday at Bullets & Beer, the nightclub owned by my family, inside the casino also owned by my family.

The Ashbys didn’t just own Black Stallion Casino and nearly all the businesses contained within the massive structure at the heart of Glitz, Nevada. We owned the whole goddamn town.

Our money was old but our blood was anything but. Not one of us, not me or my brothers, Jasper and Calvin, or even our sister Kat, gave one flying fuck. Just like the Rockefeller and Vanderbilt families, the Ashby clan earned our money by duping people. Not with railroads or oil, but gaming.

Some might call it bookmaking or whatever other name the government uses to separate people like us from the blue blood families who do the same fucking thing.

We owned casinos, underground gaming rooms, underground casinos, sports betting facilities, bars, restaurants, and anything else we needed to maintain our power in Glitz. Our influence.

And tonight, that meant teaching The Crusaders a lesson. Nobody fucks with the Ashby family, at least no one who was alive to tell the fucking tale, as they say. Not only did these assholes think they could try to do business on Ashby territory and get away with it, but booking the princess’s party at our fucking establishment?

Hell, no.

In the past, I’d barge ahead without an order from Ma to do what needed to be done, but I wouldn’t make that mistake again. Sadie Rose Ashby was a formidable woman, more dangerous than all three of her boys combined despite her petite, almost society woman outer shell. Going against her wishes would put me in the shit house for sure.

Again.

No thanks.

I stared at the photo sent to me by Colby, the head bartender at Bullets & Beer, not thirty minutes ago. It was the text message he’d sent with the picture that brought me to the casino, contemplating something stupid, made stupider without Ma’s approval so I dialed and held my breath.

“Virgil, my love,” she said when she answered. “Tell me you’ve decided to join me for dinner tonight? We’ve received a new shipment of whiskey.” As badass as Sadie Ashby was, to me she was just Ma. A woman who cooked my meals cleaned my wounds and taught me how to be a man.

“I wish, Ma, but I’m calling about somethin’ else.” I stared at the photo again, Savannah was all smiles with her friends like any of them had a right to be there. “Savannah Rhymer.”

I heard Ma suck in a breath. “What about her?”

“She’s at Bullets & Beer. With bodyguards. Celebratin’.”

“The last fucking day of her worthless life,” she snarled, no doubt foaming at the mouth. “This disrespect can’t stand, Virgil. It won’t.”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “Is that confirmation to act?” I held my breath, fists clenched and waited to hear the words I wanted to hear, that I could put a bullet in her pretty little head and devastate The Crusaders for their disrespect.

“Oh, Virgil. You always come to me with the difficult decisions,” she said, half joking. “Not a bullet, no. Not yet anyway. Subdue her and bring her to Ashby Manor.” With those words, she ended the call.

“Nice talkin’ to you too, Ma.” It wasn’t the answer I wanted, but it was enough. I climbed out of the Porsche with a purpose behind every step I took toward the casino.

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