Rome, 1913. For the Benedetto family, the city is not a home-it is an inferno of nine circles, and they are its masters. Lorenzo, the heir apparent, was born to descend into this world of violence and betrayal. But his father mistakes his thoughtful nature for weakness, forcing him ever deeper into a life that corrodes his soul.
His guide through the city's grimier circles is Antonio Romano, an enforcer with a mind as sharp as his blade. He is a paradox of honour in a dishonourable life, and he awakens a forbidden hope in Lorenzo. Their secret attraction is a mortal sin in the brutal catechism of the mafia, a betrayal punishable by the cruelest torments imaginable. As a jealous cousin seeks to expose them and a bloody turf war pushes them to the brink, they find themselves on a treacherous path. Can they escape the gravitational pull of their hell, or will their bid for paradise only lead them to the coldest, final circle where betrayers are encased in ice?