I’m happy to welcome back author Amber Daulton. Today, Amber shares ten memorable moments from Rubén Lozano, the protagonist of her new release,
Lost in His Spiderwebs.
Here’s Rubén!
Hola, Joanne. Thank you for inviting me to your blog today. I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to come. With Lost in His Spiderwebs now released, my life has been more chaotic than usual. Drina—that’s my woman—has conspired against me with our author, Amber. Those ladies have nagged me nearly to death, demanding I help promote the book with guest articles and bullshiii—ah, stuff—like that. They also don’t want me to curse, but a few words might slip in. That’s your warning. So, in the spirit of civility, here I am.
Your Power of 10 series sounded interesting, so I’ve compiled a list of my 10 most memorable moments in chronological order. Some are good moments, others downright awful. Let’s get started.
1. My mother’s death. – She was sleeping around on my father, so when he caught her with her lovers, he killed all three of them. I was furious and devastated over her loss, and by the brutality of it. Once her coffin hit the dirt, I made the decision to stop trying to please Papá. He was a bloodthirsty tyrant, something I’ve never wanted to be.
2. Meeting the love of my life. – A few years later, I met Drina Cabrera when she was working as a barista to put herself through school. I never should’ve asked her out, but one look at her, and I knew I had to have her. The last thing I expected was to fall head over heels for her. She was everything I didn’t deserve—smart, fiery, trusting. Best of all, she had no idea who I was or that I was connected to the most powerful family in Hermosillo. I could just be a normal man around her. It was freeing, despite my stress in trying to keep her in the dark.
3. Losing the love of my life. – All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes. Drina found out the truth, that I was second in line to rule the Lozano Cartel, after my father and older brother. She was as anti-cartel as you could get. Angry and heartbroken, she fled the city. I never thought I would see her again.
4. My sister vanished. – Carmen escaped her abusive prick of a husband and disappeared off the damn map. I searched for her with no luck, but in truth, I didn’t want to find her. Finding her meant she had to return to her husband, and I would rather she be free and out of my life than trapped another day in that sham of a marriage. If you want to learn more about Carmen and the American fugitive she falls in love with, read Dark Hearts Aflame. It’s the first book in the Lozano Cartel series.
5. My marriages. – Remember how I mentioned some of these memories are awful? Well, we’re not done yet. My father, Ovidio, coerced me into an unwanted marriage alliance, just as he did my brother and two younger sisters. The arrangement strengthened the cartel’s hold over our rival’s turf, but I didn’t love my wife. How could I? Drina had stolen my heart. My wife later died in childbirth, and I had to marry again. Then my second wife died. It seemed I was cursed when it came to women.
6. The death of my son. – Aries was stillborn. Losing him was the hardest loss of all. An innocent baby who never had the chance to take a single breath. Life isn’t fair, as I’ve well learned over the years.
7. Taking command of the family business. – All right, now for some better memories. Papá died last year, and my brother died a few years before. If you knew them as I did, you would celebrate their passing, too. As the new leader of the Lozano Cartel, I’m implementing changes and leading my people in a new direction.
8. Drina returns. – I was in the middle of peace negotiations with a rival cartel when I found her at their distribution center. She was their captive, being used as forced labor to package drugs. I couldn’t leave her there, so I did the only thing I could. I bought her. And I kept her.
9. Rebuilding our relationship. – Drina was no longer the starry-eyed innocent girl I once knew. She was stronger now, braver. After the hell she’d endured, she had to be strong, or she wouldn’t have survived. The rekindling of our relationship was filled with tension, mistrust, lots of sex, and the elephant in the room—our past. But I wasn’t about to lose her a second time. I never stopped loving her, as much as I tried.
10. My new family. – Even though Drina fell under my spell, she longed to go home. To her daughter, Sera. If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s that I don’t involve children in the business. But I need an heir, a son to raise in my image, and I’m determined Drina will give him to me. So now I have a stepdaughter to care for. I’m going to protect Sera at all costs—for Drina’s sake, and because this girl is much more than what she appears.
All right, I think I’ve given you enough spoilers. Joanne, you and your readers are lucky you’ve caught me on a good day. I’m not usually so forthcoming with information. These memories—these raw, brutal moments—have shaped me into the man I am today. Believe it or not, I like who I am. To some people, I’m a monster. To others, I’m the monster who protects them. No one would ever call me a hero. And that’s fine with me.
Blurb
Kidnapped by the enemy. Bought by the jefe. Will his smoldering touch thaw her frozen heart?
Rubén Lozano, the new leader of the Lozano Cartel, craves peace amidst a legacy of bloodshed and death. He never expected to find his ex-lover, Drina Cabrera, in the clutches of his vicious rivals. Her haunted eyes compel him to rescue her, but freeing her is another matter.
After five months of captivity, Drina trades one captor for another. Though she succumbs to Rubén’s masterful touch, the bittersweet memory of her daughter and the life she was stolen from is a constant wedge between them.
When Rubén’s darkest secret comes out, he will have to wash his hands in crimson. Will Drina let her king face the danger alone, or stand at his side as his cartel queen?
– Book two in the dark romance series, the Lozano Cartel. All the books can be read as a standalone, but are part of an interconnected series.
– Scenes featuring drug distribution, violence, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault may be uncomfortable for some readers.
– No cheating. HEA guaranteed!
Tagline: The cartel king has finally found his queen.
Excerpt (PG)
(Background Info on Scene: Rubén is hosting a fundraising gala at his home. He’s waiting for Drina to appear, who’s running late.)
Rubén’s words cut off as Manuel whistled. Drina stepped into the room with a confident, fluid grace that masked the uneasiness and tension narrowing her eyes—but he saw it. Her soul was his to bear free.
The chatter dimmed. Heads turned her way.
Dios mío. He couldn’t blame the men for ogling. Her emerald-green satin gown clung to her curves and pushed up her generous cleavage past the heart-shaped neckline. The cap sleeves flared out with sharp, stiff, brocaded wingtips that only a powerful woman could pull off. She did it in spades. From her diamond earrings and black velvet choker to her hair pinned up on one side with jeweled clips and flowing loose on the other, she was sex incarnate. A goddess. Male pride surged right to his core.
Drina strode toward him without gifting her admirers a glance. “I’m sorry I’m late.” She shifted her gaze from Rubén to Enrique and back again. “I had the hardest time deciding if I should wear this. Is it too much?” She slid her hands down the bodice of her gown.
As Enrique laughed, Rubén choked and swallowed hard to find his voice. “No, no. It’s perfect. You look like a queen.” My queen. “The only thing missing is your crown.”
“Thank you for the jewelry. I didn’t see the box until I sat at the vanity to do my makeup.” She fingered her teardrop diamond necklace, then patted her blemished cheek. Foundation and rouge smoothed out the pinkish-brown discoloration. “My scar isn’t fully covered. You’re welcome.”
Sassy woman. What he wouldn’t do to take her upstairs, bury himself between her thighs, and banish his regret for hurting her days earlier? Patience—he needed patience. Once she healed, he would treasure her body so thoroughly he’d wipe their last encounter from her mind.
“Incoming,” Enrique murmured as Manuel, Gerardo, Ferrer, and the others drew near.
Rubén placed his hand on the small of Drina’s back. “Gentlemen, this is Drina Cabrera.” As he rattled off the men’s names and designations, he glared at each of them, silently warning them to behave.
The board members bobbed their heads in greeting, respectful as always.
Gerardo’s gaze dipped to her chest before he jerked it back to her face.
Manuel openly gawked at her and flashed Rubén a lewd grin. “You lucky bastard. How did you get this beauty on your arm?”
“Remember who you’re talking to,” Rubén bit out.
The man’s smile faltered. He grabbed a flute from a waiter’s tray and gulped it down.
Rubén snatched one for Drina and handed it over. “Excuse us while we make our rounds,” he said to the group. Clasping Drina’s arm, he guided her around pockets of his guests to the foyer. “You’re doing well,” he whispered to her. “Keep your head up and back straight. Before the night is over, everyone will know I’ve taken a new woman.”
She pursed her red lips. “Wonderful. What number am I in this long line of mistresses and whores?”
“Third.” He rounded on her and backed her gently against the side of the staircase. “After Ramona and Fay. You’re special, Drina. Everyone will see that.”
Her throat bobbed, the diamond teardrop swaying. “I see. That’s all right, then.”
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About the Author
Amber Daulton is the author of the Lozano Cartel, the Arresting Onyx, the Embracing You, and the Ramseys in Time series, as well as several standalone novellas. Her books are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.
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Joanne Guidoccio 