BOOK #1

When Lady Calliope Turner opens a candle shop in Brighton, all she wants is to escape her wicked stepmother, two vile stepsisters, and a plot to marry her off. She never dreamed she would witness a crime. What's a woman to do? Run away, of course! Only, in her haste, she not only draws notice, but she loses a slipper. Maxen Fury, one of the seven bastard sons of the Duke of Crane, also known as the ruthless beast of Brighton's underworld, rules his territories with an iron fist. His only goal is simple: to build an empire with his brothers so powerful that they never have to beg, bargain, or bleed again. But when a secret meeting goes awry and his newest tenant proves to be far more dangerous than she appears, Maxen finds himself facing the most inconvenient complication of his life. As suspicion ignites into fascination and danger closes in, Calliope must decide whether she can trust the man who hunts her and Maxen must confront the one thing he never planned for-a woman who dares to see the man beneath the monster.