The Crimson Wager

In Zanora, power isn’t won—it’s paid for in blood.

Santiago “Santo” Cruz rose from gutter rat to underworld legend by collecting debts no one else would touch. As the enforcer for Dante Varela—the most feared man in Zanora—he’s a myth in motion, the Deadman’s Hand who settles accounts with a blade. From his crumbling casino, The King’s Gambit, Santo keeps the city’s filth in line. But when his boss drags him into the spotlight of the infamous Black Sands Tournament, the stakes shift. The prize is dangerous, and who will be willing to count the cost?

Mireya Valcázar knows exactly what that lethal price looks like.

She’s spent a decade hiding behind masks and lies, infiltrating Varela’s empire from the inside. Her family destroyed, her name forgotten, she has only one mission: bring down the man who stole her past—and erase the god buried beneath his throne. But to win, she’ll have to manipulate the one person as dangerous as Varela himself: his weapon. His enforcer. Santiago Cruz.

Their alliance is brittle. Their attraction, lethal.

And as the tournament begins, Mireya and Santo are forced into a game neither fully understands—where the gods are watching, the city is rigged, and losing means more than death.

Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, The Cruel Prince, and Powerless,

The Crimson Wager is a gritty dark fantasy romance packed with forbidden slow-burn tension, divine secrets, criminal empires, and enemies who fall too hard, too fast, and too far.

Recommended for ages 16+. Closed-door romance. Book 1 of The Hollow King Trilogy.

Every king must fall. Every wager must be paid.