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Ruthless Protector: A Fake Relationship Romantic Suspense
To save a kidnapped U.S. Marshal, covert agent Ricardo Santiago has to do the one thing that could destroy them make her his wife.
Ricardo Santiago is deep undercover in the Arabian desert, chasing intelligence about a planned attack on the U.S. Embassy, when his mission is thrown into chaos by the last complication he Melody Lewis.
A Deputy U.S. Marshal on vacation, Melody was snatched from a Dubai bazaar and dragged into a ruthless desert camp. She has taken down fugitives twice her size, but days without food or water have left her fighting to stay upright—let alone fight her way out.
When Melody is offered to a powerful, ruthless desert sheik as a prize, Ric does the only thing that might keep her he tells them she belongs to him.
But claiming her is only the beginning.
Ric’s cover is already fragile, his enemies are watching, and one wrong move could expose his true identity and get them both killed. To protect Melody long enough to get her out, Ric has to make the lie even bigger.
He has to marry her.
Melody knows better than to trust easily. She’s trained to spot lies. Ric survives by telling them. And with his cover requiring deception at every turn, she can’t tell where the act ends and the truth begins.
But neither of them is prepared for a marriage that starts as cover and becomes the one thing they can’t fake.
In a desert filled with secrets, betrayal, and deadly games, Melody has to decide whether the man lying to everyone else is the only man telling her the truth.
For readers who love forced marriage, undercover agents, kidnapped-but-capable heroines, protector heroes, dangerous deception, and romantic suspense where the only way out is to trust the man who lies for a living.
The Santiago Brothers Series
Ruthless Reckoning
Ruthless Shelter
Ruthless Protector
Ruthless Pursuit
Ruthless Exposure
Final Ruthless Coming 2026!
Ricardo Santiago is deep undercover in the Arabian desert, chasing intelligence about a planned attack on the U.S. Embassy, when his mission is thrown into chaos by the last complication he Melody Lewis.
A Deputy U.S. Marshal on vacation, Melody was snatched from a Dubai bazaar and dragged into a ruthless desert camp. She has taken down fugitives twice her size, but days without food or water have left her fighting to stay upright—let alone fight her way out.
When Melody is offered to a powerful, ruthless desert sheik as a prize, Ric does the only thing that might keep her he tells them she belongs to him.
But claiming her is only the beginning.
Ric’s cover is already fragile, his enemies are watching, and one wrong move could expose his true identity and get them both killed. To protect Melody long enough to get her out, Ric has to make the lie even bigger.
He has to marry her.
Melody knows better than to trust easily. She’s trained to spot lies. Ric survives by telling them. And with his cover requiring deception at every turn, she can’t tell where the act ends and the truth begins.
But neither of them is prepared for a marriage that starts as cover and becomes the one thing they can’t fake.
In a desert filled with secrets, betrayal, and deadly games, Melody has to decide whether the man lying to everyone else is the only man telling her the truth.
For readers who love forced marriage, undercover agents, kidnapped-but-capable heroines, protector heroes, dangerous deception, and romantic suspense where the only way out is to trust the man who lies for a living.
The Santiago Brothers Series
Ruthless Reckoning
Ruthless Shelter
Ruthless Protector
Ruthless Pursuit
Ruthless Exposure
Final Ruthless Coming 2026!
Audible Audio
Published February 17, 2026
About the author
K. Victoria Chase
29 books151 followersK. Victoria Chase is the author of romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and paranormal romance with pen names including Eliza Ellis and Zoë Lane. She's a graduate of Drexel University's MFA in Creative Writing program (2024) and a former co-managing editor for Drexel’s graduate literary magazine, Paper Dragon. She loves editing, HGTV shows, true crime podcasts, and traveling.
Visit K. Victoria Chase at http://www.kvictoriachase.com
Visit K. Victoria Chase at http://www.kvictoriachase.com
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