Ashgate Obsession

She was sent to destroy the king of Ashgate. She never expected him to become the only man dangerous enough to save her. Zariah Cole has no choice. Her brother is trapped inside a prison where one wrong whisper could get him killed. The federal agent holding the leash offers her one way to keep Trey alive: get close to Riyan Malhotra, Ashgate's feared dock king, and bring back proof that can destroy him. Riyan is powerful, controlled, and ruthless. A man who owns the city's shadows and lets no one close unless he knows exactly what they want. Zariah walks into his world with a lie on her lips, a secret in her pocket, and a promise she cannot afford to break. But the deeper she gets inside Dock 17, the harder it becomes to see Riyan as only a criminal target. He protects his people. He sees through her masks. He touches every hidden part of her fear without asking for surrender. And when danger reaches through prison walls for her brother, Zariah realizes the real monster may not be the man ruling Ashgate's docks. It may be the man wearing a badge. Now she is caught between a corrupt federal agent who owns her past and a morally gray kingpin who may own her future. If Riyan discovers the truth, he could destroy her. If Kline wins, her brother dies. And if Zariah wants to survive, she will have to stop being someone's pawn and become the woman who cuts the strings. Ashgate Obsession is a dark mafia romantic suspense featuring a strong Black heroine, a dangerous South Asian mafia protector, forced informant tension, betrayal, emotional protection, corrupt law enforcement, enemies-to-lovers heat, and a hard-earned romantic payoff.