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Julia Sykes
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Wicked King (Captive Series) Kindle Edition

by Julia Sykes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 857 ratings
See all formats and editions
I've been captured by ruthless drug lord Stefano, my worst enemy.

Over a decade ago, I made the mistake of falling for the beautiful monster.

While lying in his arms, I spilled my family's secrets, and he used them to fracture our cartel.

My family made sure I paid for my betrayal with tears and pain.

Now, Stefano has come back to claim what's left of our broken empire. That includes claiming me as his trophy.

My fiercely possessive captor swears he'll keep me forever.

Stefano has always been my most fearsome enemy.

But the passionate feelings that have haunted me for years might not be hatred after all...

One-click this dark romance for a possessive antihero, second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers vibes, kidnapping, capture fantasy, and deliciously deviant steamy scenes!
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  1. Part of series
    Captive Series
  2. Print length
    271 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    January 21, 2020
  6. File size
    2637 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Stefano and Carmen sizzle off the page in this twisted tale certain to please any dark romance fan!" -Addison Cain, USA TODAY bestselling author

"What a read!! A full on intense ride of emotions, that will have you biting your nails... A magnificent dark mafia tale with a captive theme and the most wonderfully dark anti-hero you just can't help falling for, and a heroine made of steel and intelligence and an instinct for pure survival." -All Things Dark and Dirty

"This series has quickly become one of my favorite guilty pleasures. There's just something so satisfying about Julia Sykes intensely possessive antiheroes. And I mean INTENSELY POSSESSIVE." -Dirty Girl Romance

From the Author

Note: Wicked King is a standalone dark romance novel. The suggested reading order for the Captive Series is as follows

Sweet Captivity
Claiming My Sweet Captive
Stealing Beauty
Captive Ever After
Pretty Hostage
Wicked King
Ruthless Savior

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08128VKYP
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Digital Services (January 21, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 21, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2637 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 271 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 857 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Julia Sykes

Julia Sykes

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Julia Sykes is a USA Today bestselling author of edgy, emotional romance. When she's not writing, she's usually reading.

Other than reading, her obsessions include iced coffee, unicorns, charcuterie, aged Manchego cheese (or any cheese, really), fancy dresses, and Roman empresses.

An American expat, Julia now lives in her adopted, beloved home of York, England. Most days, you can find her wandering the cobbled streets and daydreaming about her next novel.

Find out more about Julia's current and future projects at julia-sykes.com.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
857 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Book Addicted
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Erotic Battle of Wills ~~~ Superb Addition to the Series I Absolutely LOVE
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
Flawless. Just flawless IMO. This one SERIOUSLY hit every d*mn button I have.
Ms Sykes (again IMO) is phenomenally excellent at this dark kidnap/capture anti-Hero trope. Certainly as far as I am concerned. Since her 1st book in this series 'Sweet Captive' (I loooove Andres!) I've been enthralled by each subsequent book & couple & though I've greatly enjoyed Adrian & Valentina, Mateo & Sofia, Andres & Sam have maintained their fave position for me. But now Stephano & Carmen are firmly in 1st place in my heart WITH Andres & Sam.
The plot is gripping, for 12 years Stephano Duarte (anti-H) a vicious Mexican drug cartel kingpin has been obsessed with the sister of his closest regional competitor Pedro Ronaldo. Twelve years earlier Stephano had swept Carmen (heroine) off her feet for one intense night of erotic domination in order to obtain information to use against Pedro.
And then Stephano walked away leaving Carmen to reap what Stephano sowed.
For 12 years Carmen has hated Stephano, longed for his death & used her mind & wits to keep her head above the shark infested waters of her brother's cartel, waiting for any opportunity to kill Stephano & wrest control of the cartel from Pedro.
But then everything is radically obliterated in one night of explosive violence, leaving Carmen a captive of her hated sociopathic enemy, Stephano with no escape in sight . . . .
This one truly did hit all my buttons: a strong powerful frightening anti-H, a strong willed heroine with spirit, a spine of steel & intelligence; an intriguing plot that keeps the reader engaged & on tenterhooks; erotic interactions that make the reader bite their lip & read with breathless anticipation. And the reader is given both Stephano & Carmen's POVs in alternating chapters allowing us to understand their reactions, their attitudes, their unspoken feelings about each other.
And loving Stephano is a guilty pleasure I refuse to apologize for. Ms. Sykes has done a masterful job of fleshing out a character the reader would normally view as a villain & yet, the way he is portrayed, his actions, his thoughts revolving around Carmen feed us little peeks that just MAYBE there is something redeeming about him. He's incapable of emotion. He doesn't love anyone. And though he reminds Carmen frequently that she is HIS, OWNED by him, NEVER getting away, his Kitten. I MELTED each time he whispered or crooned 'Kitten' to her.
And Carmen was a strong heroine I actively liked: she had spirit, strength of will, strength of character, bravery but she USED HER BRAIN. No TSTL moments, she acknowledged the reality of her situation, what her options were, was realistic about how to accomplish saving herself & escaping Stephano. And she was honest with herself.
And how did this one make me feel? Like a huge pile of melted goo, that's how.
I found myself falling deeper & deeper into Stephano & Carmen's world, forgot I was reading words from a book. I was beyond captivated by, & enthralled with, their push & pull dance of wits & dominance, I was thoroughly invested in them & their story, I HAD to know how things turned out for them.
I felt Stephano's rage & Carmen's traumatic horror, I smiled & chuckled & held my breath, was seduced by the author's superb writing into another place far away & another reality. In short, I felt the true magic of an excellent book.
There are triggers in this one, past traumas, danger, violence, betrayal, suspense, tension. And erotic scenes that sizzle off the page. An uncertain journey the reader shares with Stephano & Carmen to see IF, & HOW, they are able to bridge 12 years of obsession & hate. But this is also one of the most emotionally pleasurable reads I've experienced & I sincerely thank the author for this wonderful literary work.
For those readers not afraid of some dark & who want to be submerged into a plot peopled with outstandingly rendered characters, read this one. READ THIS ONE.

I have placed this one firmly & permanently in my REREAD file.
18 people found this helpful
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4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet in a twisted way
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
The story went through quite a spin. So much hatred became so much swoon. I liked that the male character stayed authentic through it all and was a bit different than what I'm used to reading about.
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K. Lowery
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this story!
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
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Stefano and Carmen are a unique couple. I loved that he realized how much he loved her as the story developed. He was always attracted to her and he wanted her to be happy at all costs. He was so tender in his unique way. I loved his ruthless demeanor at work and his I’ll do everything for you at home. Beautiful love story!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
This story definitely had some humor to the dark possessive storyline. I enjoyed and and once again wanted to see what happens next. Super great and I love that there isn't another woman ever throughout. She was captured and brought to a man who had been obsessed over her for over 10 years. She is strong willed and not easily told what to do. Loved every bit of it.
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Tbascoebuzz
3.0 out of 5 stars Predictably okay…
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
This story had a lot of promise. I won’t rehash the synopsis, but I liked the premise and the characters were strong. The story was predictable, but overall it could be an enjoyable read. Stefano is a sociopathic mexican cartel king with an unhinged fantasy about owning Carmen Ronaldo. He’s been obsessed with her for over 12 years. After destroying her home and most of her soldiers, he kidnaps her and is determined to make her his pet. It’s completely baffling to him that she’s offended by this! After all, he treats her well, buys her things, doesn’t hurt or force her; therefore he cannot understand why she won’t willingly submit to him. She continually reinforces the walls around her mind and it turns into a contest of wills and psychological warfare. The reality Stefano faces with Carmen’s feelings and emotions is a confusing and frustrating learning expedition for him. It’s all new. She’s a power tool that Stefano must successfully conquer in order to show dominance among his men and peers. It would consolidate his power structure and recruit weaker allies to his cause. But Carmen hates him with a red hot vengeance. And no matter what he does, she is, of course, unhappy and wants him dead. Literally. Her hate for him could level tall buildings. She isn’t a fool. She’s queen of her own cartel and humbles herself to no man.

This was a good, albeit, predictable story. The beginning and middle were stronger than the ending, where it fizzled in its rush to be over. Ms. Sykes conveyed Carmen’s white hot hate so well throughout the plot that her sudden love for Stefano was never believable. And I never felt Stefano was a powerful king of a cartel or anything else. Not for a moment.
5 people found this helpful
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Avephoenix
5.0 out of 5 stars A dark mafia romance that will owned you right from the start!
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
Kingpin's Property is book 4 in the Captive series. This is Stefano and Carmen's story, and let me tell you, this book is intense, and absolutely outstanding. Is one of those books that makes you cry, angry, hold your breath, hot and bother, but you can’t put down.

Stefano Duarte is the devil, but being a Mafia/Cartel Boss what else can you expect, right? He's violent, ruthless, domineering, deadly, dark, and very obsess with possessing Carmen.

I love Carmen's strength, her courage, sassiness, and her will to overcome whatever adversities life had thrown her way, being one of them Stefano. The chemistry between this two characters is like none other. Do they love or hate each other? Well, you need to read to find out, and believe me, you won't be disappointed.

The storyline, the characters, the plot development, the sexual chemistry, and much more, makes of this book a great, captivating, and all-consuming read that'll keep you compulsively turning the pages wanting to know what'll happened next, while taking you on a wild rollercoaster ride of emotions until you have turned the last page.

(Beware of sensitive themes and situations)
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Top reviews from other countries

Margaret
5.0 out of 5 stars Captive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
Another challenge against Adrian, and all his allies lead to the demise of another enemy for their disloyalty, every one was killed except Carman his sister who was taken hostage along with her maid. An agreement was made regarding Carman that her life would be spared. Just before the attack commenced. Wicked King had an encounter with her years before and wanted her back to tame, he should have never let her go.
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Gypsy Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read..
Reviewed in Australia on February 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
Julia Sykes write amazing books..love them. Where's my Stefano?
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Dark Mafia
Reviewed in Canada on April 14, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a dark and twisted romance read.Stefano and Carmen World is a dangerous place to be . . Stefano has an obsession for Carmen whether is love or lust. He is determined to have her at any cost even he has to take Carmen brother out to achieve his goal.
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Susan Anne pye
4.0 out of 5 stars A good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2020
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A good story
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
Wow..that's what I said to myself when I had finished the last page. I had gone through every emotion reading this book. It really was an incredible love story between two families that had a single night of pleasure for it's two principal characters, and the after effects that impacted their lives. A must read.
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