The Darkest Refuge

Blood & Besa #3

by Sienna Marchetti

She was never supposed to be mine.

She's the attorney's daughter.

She's practically family.

Everyone in the compound calls her little sister.

And she is categorically the last woman Nik Dushku is allowed to touch.

Which is exactly why he can't stop.

NIK

I don't notice Sara Marku. I haven't noticed her in three years — not since she walked into a summer barbecue in a yellow sundress and I jumped in a pool with my clothes on to get my heart rate back under a hundred. When my father orders me to bring her to the compound for her protection, I tell myself it's the job. I tell myself I can keep my hands to myself and my head out of the poetry notebook I keep buried in my gym locker. Thirteen Berisha attacks on civilian Albanian businesses. One nurse who refuses to stop running into danger. And me — the family enforcer, the weapon with a brain his father called a hazard — assigned to keep her alive in a house full of men who will unmake me if I touch her.

SARA

I don't do helpless. I run a free clinic in Pelham Bay. I work night shifts in the Bronx ER. I have patients whose glucose logs live on my phone and a father whose cardiomyopathy lives in my throat, and I am not — not — the kind of woman who lets a six-foot wall of ink and bad decisions physically carry her to an SUV. Nik Dushku has been watching me since I was twenty years old. I've been pretending not to notice. But the Bronxville compound is a gilded cage, the Berishas are burning down Arthur Avenue, and the enforcer assigned to guard me writes terrible, devastating poetry in a notebook he thinks nobody's found. I can keep escaping. Or I can stop running and see what he actually is underneath all that weaponized silence.


The third standalone in the Blood & Besa series — an Albanian mafia romance where the family enforcer falls for the one woman the Kanun says he can never have, and the woman who's spent her whole life saving others finally learns how to let someone save her back.

Blood & Besa is a series of interconnected standalones — each book follows a different Dushku brother, each delivers a full HEA, and each can be read in any order. The Darkest Refuge can absolutely be read first, though returning readers will catch the Berisha war escalating and several beloved side characters getting their moments.

Zemra ime. My heart. Which is to say: you.

617 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2026

Reviews

[Lyndi (mibookobsession)]

Nik Dushku is the loud one in the family, the enforcer, the muscle... but secretly, he writes poetry about the woman he fell for three years ago. Sara is the daughter of his father's best friend, and he's been warned away from her. He watched her at every gathering, as she left for nursing school, worked the local ER, and started her free clinic for their Albanian American community. But now she's in danger from their enemies and Nik has been assigned with her protection.
Nik seemed like such a simple character, always joking, always loud, but with this book, I saw the insecurities behind the mask he hides behind. His soft heart is more important to Sara than anything and he shows it in the small everyday gestures to quietly show how much he cares. Their HEA was perfect!

[Tracy Kemp]

Nik Dushku has always been the loud one in the family — the enforcer, the muscle, the guy who hides every real feeling behind jokes and bravado. But beneath that tough exterior is a man who has spent the last three years secretly writing poetry about the one woman he was never supposed to want. Sara, the daughter of his father’s best friend and the girl everyone considers “little sister,” has always been off-limits. While everyone else overlooked her, Nik watched from afar as she left for nursing school, dedicated herself to working in the local ER, and eventually opened a free clinic to help their Albanian American community.
When a wave of attacks begins targeting Albanian-owned businesses, Sara’s clinic — and her life’s work — suddenly become vulnerable. Nik is assigned to protect her, but the real danger might be the feelings he’s been trying to bury for years. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the tension between them is packed with steamy moments, emotional vulnerability, drama, and action that keeps the story moving at a fast pace.
What makes this romance stand out is how much depth Nik’s character truly has. At first, he seems simple — loud, confident, always teasing — but this story peels back the layers and reveals the insecurities and tenderness he hides behind the mask. His devotion to Sara isn’t shown through grand speeches, but through quiet, everyday gestures that prove how deeply he cares. Sara values his soft heart more than anything, and together they create a relationship that feels emotional, passionate, and genuine.
The writing draws you in immediately, balancing romance, suspense, family loyalty, and heartfelt emotion perfectly. Nik and Sara’s journey from forbidden longing to a deeply satisfying happily-ever-after was incredibly rewarding, and their connection felt authentic from beginning to end.

[Johanna]

Book 3 of Blood & Besa. Can be read as a standalone.

'The third standalone in the Blood & Besa series — an Albanian mafia romance where the family enforcer falls for the one woman the Kanun says he can never have, and the woman who's spent her whole life saving others finally learns how to let someone save her back.'

The characters were very complex and compelling and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building continues to impress and be solidly drawn. Another great addition to the series. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend!

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy the read!.

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

[Jenni]

Nik fell for the one woman he couldn't have, Sara the autorneys daughter, his dads best friends kid that everyone calls lil sis, but not Nik he wrotes his devotion in secret poetry. When troubles targetong Albanian buisnesses that means Saras free clinic and all her other work is at risk and so Nik is sent to protect her, but who will protect her from Nik? Well written the story and characters draw you in with steamy desires drama action and more

[The Book Ssirren]

Nik and Sara were the ultimate forbidden romance. Both so attracted to one another, but Sara being practically family is definitely off limits. But when Nik is sent to protect her, will he be able to keep that restraint, or will the dam finally break? Loved these two. Their attraction to one another was so undeniable. The back forth, the wanting but can’t have. I felt the tension between them radiating off the page. When they finally got together. Explosive. An absolutely amazing read.

[Shelly Brown]

Nik has taken the warning that Sara's off limits to heart. Then she returns from Nursing school, and he promptly falls in the pool fully clothed. He tries to play it off and not give in. Then he's assigned as her guard and all bets are off. We get to see the complete Nik in this one. From the enforcer to the poet. Sara's no pushover either. Definitely worth the read. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melanie Purcell]

Sara is subtly powerful in a world that dismisses women and Nik is gentle nurturer buried deep within the brutal enforcer. Their ability to read each other and be what the other needs is fascinating and beautiful. I love the masterful inevitability of their connection.

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

[Narelle]

Nik has been assigned to watch over Sara and keep her safe. A dark mafia romance read with off limits/forbidden vibes, a nurse and family enforcer, danger and drama, father's best friend connection, trust and more.

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