Lawless Protector

The Dante Dynasty #2

by Ajme Williams

My brother just promised me to the enemy.

To stop a war between the Dante family and the Bratva, I’m being forced to marry a ruthless Russian pakhan.

Cold.
Ruthless.
A man whose wives rarely survive.

Everyone expects me to obey.

But if I’m going to be sacrificed…
I refuse to walk down that aisle untouched.

So I make one reckless decision.
I seduce the one man I can never have.

Cristian Bonetti.

My bodyguard.
My brother’s most loyal soldier.
The man sworn to protect me — not ruin me.

One forbidden night becomes stolen meetings.
Stolen kisses.
And then I miss my cycle.

Now I’m pregnant with my protector’s baby.

When our secret is discovered, Cristian is exiled and the wedding moves forward.

But Cristian Bonetti isn’t the kind of man who walks away from what’s his.

And on the day I walk down the aisle toward a monster…

The church doors explode open.

Gunshots echo.
My groom falls dead.

And the man I love is shot through the heart by my own brother.



Lawless Protector is a dark mafia romance

• Mafia princess × forbidden bodyguard
• Arranged marriage to the enemy
• Age gap obsession
• Secret pregnancy
• Virgin heroine
• Possessive “touch her and die” hero
• Exiled protector
• Mafia vs Bratva war
• Wedding-day bloodshed



One reckless night.
One forbidden love.
One baby that could start a war.

This is Book 2 in The Dante Dynasty Series.
Standalone romance. No cliffhangers. HEA guaranteed.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2026

About the author

Ajme Williams - mother, wife, daughter, dreamer, an avid reader and a writer.
When she's not writing romance, Ajme can be seen sipping coffee, gorging on dark chocolate, exercising, or travelling with family and friends. Cooking is therapeutic for her and she drools over Italian food...and men.
What to expect from her books?
Ajme loves variety, so expect a lot of second chances, secret babies, office romances, big fat fake weddings, curvy heroines and alpha heroes. HEA? Always, baby!
If you're a fan of emotional angsty contemporary romance, then you'll enjoy Ajme Williams.

Reviews

[kymagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was promised to a monster. Her protector became her sin.

Valentina knows exactly what her family is asking of her. To stop a war, she has to marry the ruthless pakhan who looks at her like a prize already won. She agrees because loyalty is the language she was raised in, but obedience has never come naturally to her.

Cristian is supposed to keep her safe until the wedding. He’s disciplined, loyal, and built for restraint, but Valentina sees the man beneath the control. The more she tests him, the more dangerous the silence between them becomes, until duty starts feeling like betrayal.

What begins as one reckless choice turns into stolen kisses, secret nights, and a love neither of them can afford. Cristian tries to protect her without taking what isn’t his, while Valentina fights for one part of her life to belong to her before everything else is decided.

As the wedding closes in, their secret turns every choice into a risk. Love becomes more than desire. It becomes a threat, a refuge, and the one truth they can’t make themselves give up.

Valentina grows from a cornered mafia princess trying to reclaim one choice with her body into a woman who claims love, motherhood, and freedom as things she’s allowed to want. Cristian shifts from a duty-bound protector who measures himself by obedience into a man willing to break every rule for the woman he loves. Together, they move from forbidden restraint to stolen intimacy, building a bond shaped by choice, protection, and trust.

A dark, ultra-steamy mafia romance about forbidden love, forced marriage, secret pregnancy, and the brutal cost of choosing yourself in a world built to own you. It’s about reclaiming choice under control, finding refuge in dangerous love, and a protector who becomes a threat the moment devotion matters more than orders.

The Elevator Pitch: To end a war, a mafia princess is handed to the enemy, but the man assigned to guard her becomes the one person who makes her feel like her body and future still belong to her. Their restraint turns into a dangerous intimacy, built in stolen moments under the eyes of families who would destroy them for it. As the wedding closes in, desire becomes defiance, and love becomes the most reckless threat in the room.

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥 Ultra-Steamy / Erotic Romance

[Lenna Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delivers everything I love about the Dante Dynasty—family loyalty, impossible choices, danger closing in from every direction, and a heroine who refuses to stay broken.

Valentina, the youngest and only daughter of the Dante family, has carried the weight of a sacrifice she never should’ve had to make. Her role as the “peacekeeper” between the Dantes and the Russians left her trapped in a future she didn’t choose, and this book finally lets us see the emotional cost of that burden. She’s young, but she’s strong, smart, and painfully aware of what’s expected of her… and what it will cost her if she obeys.

Christian Bonetti has served the Dantes his entire life, just like the generations before him. He’s disciplined, loyal, and fully aware that Valentina is off‑limits. But Valentina has a way of getting past every wall he puts up, and watching him fight his feelings—and lose that battle one heartbeat at a time—was addictive. Their chemistry is intense without ever crossing Amazon’s lines, and their emotional connection is the heart of the story.

The danger surrounding them feels real and constant. The Russian leader Valentina is promised to is a ruthless threat, and the book handles that darkness carefully without graphic detail. The stakes are high: Christian risks his life by loving her, and Valentina risks everything by loving him back. When news of a baby enters the picture, the urgency skyrockets—Christian’s desperation to protect his future family adds a powerful emotional punch.

Next installment will be Adriano and his thought to be dead, his only love Eva Santoro, and their daughter.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows on from Banished Sinner Luca and Katerina's story. Valentina has always known the rule of family first. Except as a woman her brother's have allowed her to be part of inner workings. Now everything is changing and she has become a bargaining chip to broker peace with the Bratva. Marry Maksim is the last thing she wants, she's heard of what happens to his wives and it's not what she thought her brothers would allow. Cristian has always been a good soldier for the Dante family. It's something that his family has done for generations. But now I'm being made to act as security for Valentina. It's hard to stay within the rules of my job, when she's trying to make me cross that line. But having her marry Maksim who's a monster, and who will most likely kill her when he's done. That is not what the Dante's do. They are supposed to protect family at all cost. So now it's his job, however it's more than a job. Valentina is gorgeous, feisty and a strong woman who Maksim will enjoy breaking. Can he do anything to stop this marriage. Will Valentina finally get Cristian to admit his true feelings for her. What will happen when she sees two pink lines. Who will she end up walking down the aisle with. Or will this escalate to a war between the two families. Who will survive. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

[Debbie Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a good love story!

Valentina Dante is supposed to marry a douce bag,it's supposed stop a war but Valentina doesn't really want to,she is in love with her bodyguard Cristian Bonetti.The guy she is to marry,creepy,grabby and she dislikes him.The day of her wedding gets moved up again when her bridegroom fines out that she has been going behind his back with Cristian. Valentina and her brother the Don talk him downfrom refusing to marry because she isn't a virgin now. He says he will only marry her if Cristian is dead,the Don says he is dead.The day of the wedding comes and they pull a double cross on her groom,Cristian shoots him dead and the Don shoots Cristian. Luca rushes her away to Chicago because she can still be in trouble with the Bratva. This story has grief,heartache,but love also.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentina is the only daughter, and her burden is tough with insurmountable choices when she is tasked t marry a ruthless pakhan. Only one man is in her corner the one she seduces and finds herself expecting which leads to more unimaginable decisions. Christian is determined to rescue his beloved no matter what it takes. Do they have what it takes to get to the finish line and gain their happiness. Lawless Protector had me glued to the pages with all the thrilling twists and turns.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[H. Croukamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

To stop a war Valentina must marry a ruthless pakhan. Cristian was supposed to keep her safe but Valentina has other plans. A stolen kiss led to so much more between them. Now she is pregnant with her Christian her brother's most loyal soldier baby. The day of the wedding Christian wasn't going to let her get married. Will Christian and Valentina get a happy ending? This story will keep you hooked until the end. Grab a copy it is a must read.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has given us a heart pounding story that pulls us into the lives of Valentina and Cristian. The dark story keeps us turning the pages with an arranged marriage, secrets, danger, connection, action and steam.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle Shamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had me in a chokehold from beginning to end. OMG, I couldn’t put this down. The action, danger, chaos…this was so intense, so mind blowing. Their love was everything. Valentina and Cristian were so hot. 🥵 the spice was spicing with these two. I was truly on the edge of my seat, devouring this bad boy. The absolute best.

[Alexis Nieto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heartbreak you feel in this book is so heavy for a lot of it. Valentina sacrifices herself and her chance at love by marrying a horrible monster of a man to save her family. All he talks about is how he can’t wait to violate her on their wedding night. But despite it being forbidden she falls into love with Cristian, her bodyguard, and protector. The last few chapters really got me.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentina is promised to the pakhan by her brother. She has one night with her hot bodyguard. When she ends up pregnant, everything goes south. Will Valentina end up with the pakhan or will she be free to be with her bodyguard?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!
Loved reading Lawless protector, this story was so deliciously addictive, I could not get enough. Valentina and Cristian’s story was action packed and the chemistry between them was steamy HOT. Loved their story, I can’t wait for Adriano’s story next!!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read

Darkness in the mafias with twists and turns keep the reader engaged seeking what will happen next .
Family is first, sometimes it takes time for it to happen but the outcome reflects it .

[Gaynor Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danger ahead

A war, a virgin sacrifice, a protector and a woman who is going to decide her own fate. A seduction results in lust and love, violence, death, loss, family, a child and choices.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed lawless protector which was Cristian and Valentina’s story. I thought it was an intriguing read. And voluntarily leaving this review.