Villain's Kiss

Ruthless Empire #1

by Lilith Vincent

He fought his way to me through blood and darkness. Now I’m his captive and his prize.

I was pulled from a woman’s worst nightmare by a stranger with dangerous ink and a gun in his hand. Zevran Komarov slaughtered his way to me, handcuffed me to himself, and called it a rescue.

This isn’t a rescue. It’s a transaction. Someone paid him to bring me home, and Zevran Komarov always delivers.

But home and my loveless marriage are the last things I want to return to, and the truth about who I belong to could get me killed.

Zevran is brutal and relentless, but somewhere between the handcuffs and the highway, the monster who’s taken me prisoner has started looking at me like no man ever has. Like I’m someone worth keeping.

He whispers Russian endearments against my skin like a promise, in stolen moments I shouldn’t want to give him. He takes everything from me. My freedom, my choices, my carefully built walls.

Now he’s taken my heart—and Zevran Komarov never gives back what he claims.

Author’s note: Villain’s Kiss is a standalone mafia romance with a married heroine and an older menacing hero with daddy vibes. The story is dark, dirty and delicious, so please read at your discretion.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 21, 2026

About the author

Lilith Vincent is a steamy mafia reverse harem writer who believes in living on the wild side! Why choose one when you could choose them all.

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Reviews

[Soft Nectarine ~]

OMG!! He tied her husband to a chair, sat her in his own lap & gave her his gun…WHILE fingering her 🖤💋 yeah this is her very own DARK FAIRYTALE!

”How beautiful it is that a man’s hands can hold me without trying to break me.”

Brava Daddy sent into a trafficking den to rescue a kidnapped woman finds a Printsessa of his own 👑 She initially almost bites his hand off but…he kind of likes it *love him already* She’s been beaten down by her abusive husband and doesn’t want to be rescued. Don’t worry though, Daddy Zevran will FIX everything! She will be divorced single in no time 🖤

He’s SO SOFT with her!! Zevran is a frightening lethal Bratva soldier but adorably protective & infinitely considerate of her needs. She deserved the world & he promised to give it to her!! Despite her trauma the fmc has her feisty moments, which only make Zevran more proud of her. Honestly, he was just smitten from the start!

💋 mmc falls hard in the adorably soft way that’s completely the opposite of his serious personality

🖤 trauma healing

💋 OTT protective mmc who cleans her wounds

🖤 intense vanilla syrup BJ & breeding kink

This story reads as a Brava fairytale ✨ the romance is gentler than some other Lilith’s work and the plot is less intense. I wish it was smuttier to really bring in the darkness but I loved it nonetheless!

Bratva dark romance
ott protective mmc
age gap
insta love
breeding kink
cuck chair (new to me!)
kidnapping
found family
tw: trafficking, domestic abuse
HEA

Huge thank you to Lilith’s Team for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

FINISHEDDDDD!!!
dang what a read. Ill update a review later today

[Lawlah]

Dark, Emotional, and Full of Protective Energy

Villain Kiss took me on a ride. It has a married FMC, mistaken identity, rescue mission, dark themes, and so much more.

Zevran is hired to rescue a girl who has been kidnapped by human traffickers, but he mistakes Cora for Viktoriyah.

From the moment Zevran touches Cora, he knows there is something about her, and once he decides she is his, he isn’t willing to let her go.

Cora is married to a complete piece of shit who doesn’t value her. He abuses her physically, emotionally, financially, and verbally, and because she doesn’t have the financial freedom to leave, she feels trapped. Even after she is rescued, she struggles with the thought of going back home.

The “touch her and die” energy in this book is through the roof. Zevran just wants Cora safe and happy, and I loved how protective he was of her.

The author also did a beautiful job exploring drug abuse and the effect it can have on family members, as well as how domestic abuse can slowly destroy someone’s self-esteem.

This is a 4.5-star read, and I recommend it.

Thanks to the author for this beautiful story.

[Lauren Gibbs]

Zevran 🥵💖 SWOON WORTHY!

I loved this so much! Zevran had me completely gone, and watching Cora grow into such a strong woman was everything. Their story had me hooked, and I honestly didn’t want it to end. Such a good read! 💖🔥

[Karen Mc]

HOLY WOW! What an explosive start to Lilith Vincent’s new Ruthless Empire series! Villian’s Kiss is a fierce fusion of high-stakes danger, morally gray characters, and forbidden love. A mafia romance lover’s dream.

This dark romance held me prisoner the whole time reading.
🩸Bravka
🔥 Age gap
❣️ Forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 Alpha hero with touch-her-and-unalive persona
💁‍♀️ Strong and stunning heroine

Prepare to fall hard for a stunning and strong heroine who’s a survivor, and the dominating and delicious dark knight who saves her. Zevran and Viktoriya are perfection together. I love that the lethal and hard Bratva king has a huge heart that only beats for his queen. Viktoriya and Zevran have deep chemistry and a soul-deep connection I felt through the pages.

Villain’s Kiss is a heart-thrashing roller coaster full of thrills, chills, and all the feels. I smiled, I swooned, I broke, I burned, and I fumed. I lived and breathed this book that’s devastatingly beautiful and brilliantly told.

4.5 burning 💋

[Michelle Brashars]

Zevran specializes in finding people for the bratva, mainly women who have been taken. His newest asset is a fighter, she doesn’t trust him when he comes to save her, and Victoriya does her best to be free of him. She doesn’t wanna go home to her abusive husband. Zevran admires her fire and can’t help but want to protect this woman who has been beaten down yet still doesn’t give up. I loved these two so much omg the way Zevran was so protective and tender even though he’s a giant tatted badass k!ller!!!! SWOON!!!!! I definitely cried a few times because poor Victoriya goes through so much 😭 I loved when she’s able to see Zevran as her safe space though. This was such a delicious hurt/comfort read with an obsessive protective MMC!!! Absolutely loved Villain’s Kiss and can’t wait for the next book!!!!

[Bethiana]

ARC Review

This man is the epitome of touch her and die.

Zevran goes into a rescue mission to save a woman who was in a trafficking ring. When he tries to take her out, she bites him and i think it was love at first bite.

Cora is married to a piece of shit who treats her so bad. But with Zevran, she finds strength to be herself and defends herself.

Zevran really falls for her and falls hard. Cora takes a little bit to fully trust him.

Overall, this book was enjoyable and I truly live reading mafia romance, especially when its written by Lilith.

Thank you Lilith Vincent for the opportunity to read the book.

[mina]

thank you so much lilith vincent for this arc!! i absolutely enjoyed and loved it.

this book was everything i needed and more. cora and zevran are beautiful 🥹

i’m so excited for nina and alexei’s book EEEKK. just from the sneak peak i know they’ll be my favs

ALSO ALSO ALSO.. PROMISED IN BLOOD CHARACTERS MENTIONED AKA LORENZO SCAVA??? I SCREAMED THATS MY FAMILY RIGHT THERE AYYY

[Maddie (Bookaholic_Dreamer)]

3.5/3.75 ⭐️


RTC

[feliciaslibrary]

5 stars ⭐️

ARC review

I’ll forever be in awe of Lilith’s ability at writing such additive, swooning, and heartfelt romances. I don’t know what she puts in her books but it’s so freaking addicting. I was practically glued to my kindle and I finished the book within only a couple of hours. This my newest obsession!!

Zevran, our mmc, is hired to find girls for the bratva. And his next asset is our fmc, who’s been human trafficked and chained up in a basement. Zevran instantly feel protective of her and from the moment he touch her, he’s a goner. He’s utterly obsessed with her. He wants her.
Our fmc, Cora, is a kind and gentle soul who’s been through it. I love how sweet and gentle she was , but also how feisty she was when she needed to. Having to deal with the trauma of her abusive husband but also now being captive to Zevran, a big russian man inked in tattoos. Can she trust him to save her, or does she need to escape him to for her freedom?

These two was everything for me. Zevran who desperately wants to keep Cora safe and loved, and Cora who finally wants to be free and not controlled once in her life. He was so tender with her despite being a giant, tattooed bratva man. I adore how he always reminded her that she never owed him anything, with her body etc. And Cora’s story definitely had me sobbing, it felt so rewarding to see her finally come to realize that Zevran is her safe space rather than being anything like her husband. I love them so much and they have engraved themselves into my heart.
And let’s just say, this book showed how you can get creative with vanilla syrup. Definitely going to try myself lmao iykyk 👀 🥵

And in old Lilith Vincent fashion, we get action and heartpumping scenes. The third act was so intense and I feel content on how it all got resolved. And I overall loved the theme of overcoming trauma from past relationship. So encouraging and empowering for sures

I absolutely love this book so much and now I cannot wait for the next book, Villain’s Heat. I’m so excited to finally read more of Alexei, the little snippet we got from his book at the end of the book has my knees weak. Ugh, I want more!! I also think it’s time for me to read the Promised in Blood series as a certain character (Lorenzo Scava) makes a cameo in this book and I’m already obsessed with him 🙂‍↕️👀
A big thank you to Lilith for personally providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All of my thoughts and feelings are my own.

[Elsa Reyna]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ **HOLY WOW! LILITH VINCENT, YOU HAVE ME HOOKED ALL OVER AGAIN!** 🖤🔥

What a way to kick off the *Ruthless Empire* series! *Villain’s Kiss* had me hooked with its dark mafia world, dangerous characters, forbidden desire, and the kind of obsessive love I can never get enough of.

One of my favorite things about this book is how happy I am to feel Lilith going back to the writing style that made me fall in love with her books in the first place. That dark, addictive storytelling that pulls you in and makes putting the book down nearly impossible. I've missed this feeling, and I truly hope we're getting more of it because **THIS is the Lilith Vincent who got me hooked to begin with!** ❤️‍🔥

🩸 Bratva romance
🔥 Age gap
⛓️ Forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 Possessive, alpha hero with a *touch her and die* attitude
👑 Strong, resilient heroine

Zevran and Viktoriya were everything! Zevran is ruthless and dangerous, but seeing the softer side he only shows Viktoriya made me melt. He's the kind of man who would burn the world down for his woman, and you already know I'm here for that! 🥵 Viktoriya is a survivor with plenty of strength of her own, and their chemistry had me completely invested in their relationship.

This book gave me the tension, passion, and emotional moments I crave in a dark romance. I was swooning, stressing, and telling myself *just one more chapter* until suddenly I was completely lost in the story!

**Five stars without hesitation!** ⭐️ *Villain’s Kiss* is an explosive start to the series, and I'm so happy to have that familiar, addictive feeling back with Lilith's writing. If you love ruthless Bratva men, strong heroines, and dark, obsessive romance, add this one to your TBR!

Lilith, if this is what's coming with *Ruthless Empire*, I'm READY! 🖤🔥

[TheMillennialMoodReader]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Bratva Age-Gap
Red Flag Daddy
Married Heroine
Br€€ding k!nk
Forced Proximity
Captive FMC
Touch her & 💀
“Eyes On Me”
He pushes it back in
Instalust/love
“My wife” energy


Villains kiss is a age gap romance with an OTT protective MMC who will burn the world down for his woman. Zevran is hired to retrieve a woman who was trafficked. In a case of mistaken identity he retrieves Cora who is unlike any woman he’s ever rescued. She fights him and proved her bite is as bad as her bark. She is broken and does not trust men easily. She is married to a complete POS who hurts her physically and emotionally. During their road trip to return her, several things go wrong but a few go right making Zevran realize he has much stronger feelings for Cora than he should.

Lilith does a great job showing Zevran’s past trauma of living and trying to save his brother who died of drug overdose. How his brother continued to use despite his family begging him to stay clean. I felt so bad for Zevran and how it still affected him. Cora’s abuse from her husband was also written with care. To see Cora’s character grow from meek to confident with Zevran’s support and love was really special. He wants to give her the world and protect her but he has to come to terms that he can’t put her in a gilded cage.

There is plenty of drama, suspense, and spice! The chemistry between those two was HOT! If you enjoy age gap, dark romance, and an OTT protective MMC who would give you the world then you’ll likely enjoy this book!

Thank you to Author Lilith Vincent for the advance reader copy! All opinions are my own.

[Sarah Jessie]

I may be biased but I think that a Bratva Mafia Romance is the superior flavour of mafia romances. Nothing hits quite like a Russian Mafia Man!

And Villains Kiss is no exception.

This is a fast paced, action-packed story following Zevran, a lethal Bratva enforcer, who is on a mission to find missing Bratva Princess, Viktoriya.

The plot thickens when there is a case of mistaken identity, which throws things into chaos for our MMC, as he starts to develop feelings for the rescued printsessa.

Our FMC was so likable, she is an incredibly strong woman who has survived the horrific treatment of an abusive husband, only to be taken into a human trafficking ring. Watching her being rescued then treasured and loved by our big brawny mafia man, Zevran, had me kicking my feet.

I would have enjoyed a little more tension and perhaps their enemy phase to continue for a little longer, but I feel like Zevran was just too gone for our fmc.

I found this book super entertaining, a great mafia romance with engaging characters, great spice, and amazing touch her and die moments throughout the book.

I am really excited for the next instalment in the Ruthless Empire series, Villian’s Heat, and I cannot wait for Alexei’s book!


3.75 ⭐️

2 🌶️

Thank you to Lilith Vincent and Midnight readers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Becky]

LILITH VINCENT, YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!

LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. THIS BOOK!! And can we PLEASE talk about that prologue?! HOLY PLOT TWIST! I swear, you could not have written a more jaw-dropping opening if you tried!

Meet Zevran Komarov, an older, tattooed, dangerously delicious Russian Bratva handler whose job is to locate and recover people who have been taken. His latest assignment? Rescue Viktoriya Morozova and return her to her family. Simple enough, right? WRONG!

Because Viktoriya doesn’t want to be rescued. And she certainly doesn’t want to return to a family hiding secrets of their own. But how exactly does she escape a stubborn, possessive Russian who is determined to finish his assignment? Especially when that same man starts breaking down every protective wall she’s spent years building?

And then… THAT PLOT TWIST!! 🤯

The secrets, the character growth, the undeniable chemistry, the passion, and the emotional connection between Zevran and Viktoriya were EVERYTHING! Lilith delivers another deliciously twisted romance that had me completely hooked from the very first page.

But the million-dollar question remains… Can a villain truly get his happily ever after?

[♡Angelique♡]

OMG! I loved Zevran and Cora! When Lilith said she was going back to her roots, she was not kidding!

We got a down bad for her Zevran and a heroine in Cora that had such an amazing journey of growth. She learns to stand up for herself and to not cow before someone to make herself smaller. I loved how these two came together.

Also, we get a cameo from Lorenzo!! OMG, he qas my favorite of the guys from the Promises in Blood series and to see him again was amazing! I love how her previous characters find a way back into her current stories! Hopefully, we see more of them in future books.

I also cannot wait for Alexei's story. I already love the part of his story we were given here.

[Elizabeth]

Cora is such a sweetheart and her growth throughout this story is wonderful and thanks is great part to Zevran with help from other women he has saved. Zevran may be a cold hearted killer, but he is so much more, he rescues kidnapped women, he tries to save a life even when he knows he can’t. He takes care of Cora even after she bites him. He protects her to the point of suffocation, but is smart enough to know he has to relax a little. A very different story that tugs at the heartstrings, makes you wince and finally sigh with contentment.

[thehopelesslybookish]

Zevran rescues a woman from captivity as part of his job, but he cannot keep his heart from falling for her.❤️

Cora’s emotional struggles are so heartbreaking! She is married to a man who fails to value or respect her, makes her life miserable, and puts her life in danger.💔

I loved how Zevran protects and worships Cora while helping her rebuild her self-worth.🥹🫠

It was beautiful to see them heal, grow, individually and find happiness together.🥰

A beautiful yet heartbreaking journey of love and healing!❤️‍🩹

Thank you author for ARC!

[Katie (Katie's Corner Blog)]

Lilith did it again! An absolutely amazing book! I was on edge and in love since the prologue!

I loved Cora and Zevran, i was a bit confused with why would Cora go back in the beginning but i also could on a level understand why she did as well.

Honestly it was amazing read and i’m so sad i finished it so soon, because now i need Alexei’s book! And seeing Lorenzo Scava! I got a bit too excited about my baby psycho! Time to reread Promised in Blood series!

[Reba Densley]

This one made me laugh a little. Oh boy the FMC can fight back for sure. And Zevran well for a man who has utter control, that is questionable. These two are worth the read. I was intrigued the whole time. And I didn't expect anything less because everything I have read of Vincent's I have fallen in love with.

[Lila]

I love how we were dropped into a present scene and we went from the past to the current moment. But the dialogue from the MMC really made me get out of my slump of mafia romance books. I’m so glad to see a strong heroine who can match the unhinged energy of the guy. I also like how it’s low stakes in a way.

[Ashley Fields]

Okay but I adoooored this book! Zevran was such a fun character - I love the contrast between who he was with the fmc vs who he was to everyone else. His banter with Alexei was super fun, and the other supporting guys in the book were amazing, too. I love a good found family, and the fmc got it in spades in this book.

[Hadley]

Lilith Vincent is so back!!

This book was steaming hot and I am obsessed with the chemistry between the MC’s. The story was engaging, and at points, so incredibly heartwarming. I’m excited to see how this series continues with the side characters! Thank you so much for the ARC!!!

[Alison turton]

Loved it! It’s a story full of action and the build up of tension between the main characters as they fought their ever growing feelings and connection was sheer perfection 🖤 full review to follow shortly 🖤