Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unremorseful, unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. Death and brutality are the masters of his fate.
After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge...bloody, slow and violent revenge.
Revenge on the man who lied.
Revenge on the man who wronged him.
Revenge on the man who condemned him and turned him into this: a rage-fueled killing machine.
A monster void of humanity; a monster filled with hate.
And no one will stand in the way of getting what he wants.
One woman stripped of her freedom, her morals...her life.
Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill ‘The Silencer’ Volkov, head of the infamous ‘Triad’ bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it’s a virtual prison. Her father’s savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring—The Dungeon—ensures too many enemies lurk at their door.
She dreams to be set free.
Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. As manager of her father’s death match enterprise, only grief and pain fill her days. Her mafia boss father, in her world, rules absolute. And her fiancé, Alik Durov, is no better; the Dungeon’s five-time champion, a stone-cold killer, the treasured son of her father’s best friend, and her very own—and much resented—personal guard. Unrivaled in both strength and social standing, Alik controls every facet of Kisa’s life, dominates her every move; keeps her subdued and dead inside...then one night changes everything.
While working for her church—the only reprieve in her constant surveillance—Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn’t talk. Doesn’t communicate with anyone. He’s a man beyond saving, and a man she must quickly forget...for both their sakes.
But when weeks later, out of the blue and to her complete surprise, he’s announced as the replacement fighter in The Dungeon, Kisa knows she’s in a whole lot of trouble. He’s built, ripped and lethally unforgiving to his opponents, leaving fear in his wake and the look of death in his eyes.
Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man...this man they call Raze.
Kisa was an interesting heroine, and I have to say even now I don't know if I like her very much. On the one hand she's a woman who's endured a lot of pain in life, and has found a way to survive even if she's not really living. But on the other hand she's quite weak, refusing to fight her circumstances so as not to rock the boat. It was beyond frustrating, and I don't think I've ever wanted to bitch slap a heroine more. I suppose looking at life through her eyes, I can see why she would hesitate to disturb it. After enduring such a soul crushing loss, one could see why she kind of loses the will to fight Alik and the life set out for her. Meeting Raze certainly breathes life back into her, and that's the point in the book I start to really root for her. While some might find it too coincidental for these two to meet, I thought the setting was rather fitting and definitely sets the pace for the mystery that surrounds Raze. Hope blooms in Kisa's heart, and for once despite the repurcussions she doesn't doesn't just rock the boat, she completely flips it over and lets it sink. Fate has given her a second chnace with Raze, and she'll be damned if she let's her fear of Alik take it away from her. The more time Kisa spent woth him and the more clues that came up, the more I was holding onto to my Kindle for dear life, anxiously waiting for the truth to be revealed. Tillie certainly knows how to keep her audience captivated. The spark between Kisa and Raze was breathtaking, and I admit as a reader I was totally envious of their connection. It's the one you spend your whole life waiting for minions, and you just know the beauty of it is unparalleled.
Hell, Raze couldn't be described as handsome. Rough, raw, dark, dangerous, intimidating...the opposite of handsome. But I couldn't tear my gaze from him.
"Can I have you? I want to have you...I need to have you"