Beauty and the Beast Part 1: A Dark Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance

By A. G. Khaliq

PART 1 OF A TRILOGY

Beauty and the Beast.

Everyone knows how that fairytale goes, right?

How an egotistical motherfucker gets trapped into a spell by a wicked witch, because he looked down upon her, judging her by how she looked before even knowing her. Then having to break that spell, by having a woman fall in love with him in his monster form.

Except, I’m no fairytale prince.

We all know that all the happily ever after’s from the movies are bullshit.

Happily ever after’s don’t exist.

Especially for a motherfucker like me.

A man who’s done so much wrong, seen things he shouldn’t have seen. Watched men and women get tortured, murdered, be ripped away from their goddamn families.

My name is Luca Costello.

I grew up in the toughest streets of South Manchester, you know, the area stretching from Hulme to Moss Side up until Longsight.

I know there’s that fucking cliché that everybody spits out from around here. “I didn’t choose this life, this life chose me.” “Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten.”

Except, I didn’t choose this life.

Growing up, I was forced into this way of living. Postcode wars, Turf wars, competing for territory, gunning down any bastard who got in the way of business...

It was all I knew.

And it was all I was ever going to know.

You can’t just leave the streets behind. Once you’re in, there’s no way out. Your past follows you wherever you fucking go. You don’t know how many enemies you’ve made. You don’t know whether the person staring at you from across the street is a stranger, or someone connected to somebody that you’ve crossed in the past.

I wanted better for myself.

Heck, I needed better.

And I knew from the minute I met Zara Amelle, my life was going to turn upside down.

She was sexy, bold, confident. A woman who knew what she fucking wanted.

Too innocent for my world.

But that didn’t stop me. I should have left her alone.

I should have left her to live her life.

Live her life without me.

But she was like a fucking drug. Once I got one taste of her, I kept going back for more.

Even if it killed us.

They say if you keep dancing with the devil you’ll get burned.

I’d been destined for hell my whole damn life. Living a life of sin, hurting so many people who didn’t deserve to be hurt. Except she was the opposite of me. She was like an angel.

Who was going to save her from me?

This is my story.

She was the Beauty...

And I was the Beast.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A. G. Khaliq
• Release date: Jun 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005531058

A. G. Khaliq

Stay in the loop on new releases and follow the author on Instagram @agkbooks !

Book preview

Beauty

and the

Beast

Part 1

A. G. Khaliq

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Text copyright © 2020 by A. G. Khaliq

Cover photograph purchased from stock website

The right of A. G. Khaliq to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1998.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, real companies or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.

Apart from the original work written by the author, all songs, song titles and song lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold, or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and didn’t purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the author and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To contact the author, reach her through email [e-mail] or Instagram @agkbooks

ALSO BY A. G. KHALIQ

Mafia Kingpin Duet

Mafia Kingpin Part 1 (FREE)

Mafia Kingpin Part 2

Mafia Kingpin Boxset (KU)

Beauty and the Beast series

Beauty and the Beast Part 1 (FREE)

Beauty and the Beast Part 2

Beauty and the Beast Part 3

Beauty and the Beast Boxset (KU)

His Captive series

His Captive Part 1 (FREE)

His Captive Part 2

His Captive Part 3

His Captive Boxset (KU)

Tempting Bad series

Tempting Bad Part 1 (FREE)

Tempting Bad Part 2

Tempting Bad Part 3

Tempting Bad Part 4

Tempting Bad Part 5

Tempting Bad Part 6

Tempting Bad Boxset (KU)

Falling for Sin series

Falling for Sin Part 1 (FREE)

Falling for Sin Part 2

Falling for Sin Part 3

Falling for Sin Boxset (KU)

Sold to the Highest Bidder series

Sold to the Highest Bidder Part 1 (FREE)

Sold to the Highest Bidder Part 2

Sold to the Highest Bidder Part 3

Sold to the Highest Bidder Boxset (KU)

Limitless Publishing

Married to the Mafia series (KU)

Stripped

Capo

Beautiful Broken Doll

The Cartel

Gangsters of New York

Manhattan Crime Kings

Trafficked

Owned by Him

Corrupt Me series (KU)

Dangerous Desires Part 1

Dangerous Desires Part 2

Forbidden Fruit

Never miss a release, and follow the author on Instagram @agkbooks

NOTICES

This is a dark depiction of the world of organized crime and mafia, not for the faint of heart.

This story contains mature themes, sexual situations, strong language, graphic violence and explores sensitive topics which some readers may find upsetting or triggering. Reader discretion is advised. Intended for adults 18+ only.

Please do not read this series if you are easily offended. The opinions expressed by the characters in no way reflect the opinions of the author.

If you relate to any of the topics discussed, such as domestic abuse, mental health, blackmail, extortion or assault, please remember that you are not alone. Speak to somebody, or call the Samaritans, Childline, the police and so on.

Any alternating point of views are made clear with the chapter title names.

BLURB

I was a monster, and she was too innocent for my world.

But that didn’t stop me.

One taste of her kept me going back for more…

Even if it killed us.

prologue

luca

Beauty and the Beast.

Everyone knows how that fairytale goes, right?

How an egotistical motherfucker gets trapped into a spell by a wicked witch, because he looked down upon her, judging her by how she looked before even knowing her. Then having to break that spell by having a woman fall in love with him in his monster form.

Except, I’m no fairytale prince.

We all know that all the happily ever after’s from the movies are bullshit.

Happily ever after’s don’t exist.

Especially for a motherfucker like me.

A man who’s done so much wrong, seen things he shouldn’t have seen. Watched men and women get tortured, murdered, be ripped away from their goddamn families.

My name is Luca Costello, and I’m a man of Italian origins. I’m twenty-eight, with a dark, scruffy beard, olive skin, thick eyebrows, pale green eyes, scars on my face as well as all over my goddamn body.

I grew up in the toughest streets of South Manchester, you know, the area stretching from Hulme to Moss Side up until Longsight.

I know there’s that fucking cliché that everybody spits out from around here. I didn’t choose this life, this life chose me. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten.

Except, I didn’t choose this life.

Growing up, I was forced into this way of living. Postcode wars, Turf wars, competing for territory, gunning down any bastard who got in the way of business…

It was all I knew.

And