Deadly Hands by Elaina Loughty

One risky game was all it took to change Reuben Hoyt’s life forever. Now he’s the personal poker player for the notorious Matvei crime syndicate, using his extraordinary talent for reading people to help them outmaneuver their rivals. The only problem? He’s falling hard for his dangerous employer, Nikon Matvei.
Nikon has spent years building his gambling empire through calculated violence and iron control. He never expected a brilliant young poker player to breach his carefully constructed walls. But as Reuben proves himself essential to the organization, Nikon finds himself breaking his own rules to claim what’s his.
When enemies within and without threaten everything they’ve built, Reuben and Nikon must decide if their dangerous romance is worth risking it all. In a world where love is the deadliest game in town, sometimes the only winning move is to go all in.

Authors Note:

“Deadly Hands” is a dark MM mafia romance that explores what happens when a brilliant poker player catches the eye of a powerful Russian crime boss. This high-stakes romance combines the dangerous allure of underground poker rooms with a forbidden love story between two men from very different worlds.
Inside “Deadly Hands” I wanted to write about characters who felt real despite their extraordinary circumstances. Whether you enjoy slow-burn romance, morally gray characters, or dark MM crime romance, you’ll find yourself drawn into a world where love becomes the biggest gamble of all.
Please note that “Deadly Hands” contains mature themes. This is Book 1 of The House of Matvei series.