Ashes of Deceit (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798230142232)

When everything you love goes up in flames, how do you rise from the ashes?

For Diego Delgado, life was finally starting to make sense. He had dreams of opening his own beauty salon, a quirky but loving roommate named Ana, and just enough hope to believe things might be okay. But one night, a package meant for someone else lands on their doorstep - and with it, death comes knocking. A fire claims Ana's life, and Diego barely escapes with his own.

The culprit? A tangled web of dirty cops, ruthless gangsters, and a corrupt mayor known as "Three-Emm." But none of them know Diego is still alive. Hidden away by undercover detective Simon James, Diego is forced into isolation for his safety. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months. Before long, he questioned who he was without Ana and what life he once had. But while Simon may have locked him away to keep him safe, Diego refuses to stay caged.

Desperate for justice, Diego takes matters into his own hands. With sharp wit, newfound confidence, and a killer disguise, he infiltrates the very underworld that ruined his life. As he plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Jeremy McNary - the arrogant son of the police chief - Diego uncovers secrets that could topple a criminal empire. Secrets that could get him killed.

With Simon fighting for justice from the outside and Diego scheming from within, the two find themselves drawn together in ways neither expected. Trust turns to loyalty. Protection becomes something more. And for the first time, Diego isn't just surviving - he's fighting back.

But the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes. Everyone wants the package. Everyone wants Diego dead. Three-Emm is willing to burn down the whole city to keep her secrets buried.

Love, loss, betrayal, and revenge collide in "Ashes of Deceit," a heart-pounding crime thriller about the power of found family, the fight for justice, and discovering that sometimes, home isn't a place - it's a person.

Justice comes with a cost. But for Diego, some prices are worth paying.