Romeo Sinacore is a man in an impossible situation. He is supposed to be the mercenary of the family and have no heart. But it is a toss up whether he does or not. He acts cold and calculating and can complete horrific acts of violence, but something in his chest beats for Eden De Rossi and always has. She was his best friend and the only woman to challenge and push him. But she is also forbidden and his brother also wants her. And despite Romeo's cold facade, he wants his brother to be happy and knows he will never be allowed to have Eden for himself so he pushes her towards him. He tries not to let it show how it tortures him since he is supposed to be a soulless sinner that follows orders. 

Eden has always loved and wanted Romeo, but he always pushes her away and intentionally hurts her to do so. She cares for his brother, Tristian, but it is different. But she has to make her choice based upon what she knows, even if she comes to regret it. He stays away intermittently, and the times when he does reappear it brings out her pain, rage, and unresolved feelings.

But when the unthinkable happens and she is in jeopardy, it will be Romeo tasked with her protection. And that opens up a whole other can of worms with them living in close quarters and circumstances changing. 

This is a passionate, intense, raw, hardcore mafia love story about soul mates and family obligations. One choice can have a ripple effect that could ruin lives and change all the rules. Secrets, lies, betrayals are not to be tolerated. The families are protective and anyone against them or that betrays them better watch their back.

Even though Romeo was blunt, unapologetic, cruel, and violent, I liked him. I could feel the intense feelings he had for Eden. My heart broke for him and his circumstances. And Eden was strong and feisty, but could be hurt so easily by his resistance. But she was also not afraid of him. Their lives were full of complications and sacrifices. They were passionate and volatile together, and no matter how much he tried to break their connection or stay away, it just sizzled in between them like some unstoppable force. 

Is Romeo the hero or is he the villain? Does he deserve to have what he longs for or is he doomed to be alone and do the family's dirty work? When all the secrets are revealed, will there finally be a chance for happiness or will it be the final nail in their coffin?

I have loved all of RVD's mafia stories, but have not read any of M. Robinon's. The authors' writing styles flowed well together and even though there were some cameos from other books, it stands alone. This one had some twists and surprises. I will admit I had figured out some of them ahead of time. But it was full of tension, drama, and angst both past and present. The flipping back and forth with flashbacks sometimes took me out of the story since just as we were starting to get somewhere, it would flip back and require me to reorient. But there was a lot of story and history to tell, so I understood why they did it. I was rooting for the anti-hero the whole time, but I will admit that towards the end it seemed a bit rushed especially with his changing mindset. But I enjoyed it and although it tied up Romeo's storyline well, it left it open for a secondary character to have their own book next and I will definitely read it.