Lockpicks and Ultimatums

Eighteen-year-old Alessandro "Az" Zanetti is caught breaking into a house, only to be abducted by a shadowy government unit. He's given a brutal choice: work for them or see his sick girlfriend Natalie harmed. With no way out, Az is forced into a world of violence, his skills as a thief now a tool for the powerful. The trauma of this coercion and the threat to his only loved one set the stage for a life defined by survival, loyalty, and the seeds of vengeance.

The Z.E.R.O. Unit's Price

Az is trained as a covert operative in the Z.E.R.O. unit, a secret government program that turns lost boys into assassins. He forms a wary camaraderie with fellow operatives Sergei and Kai, all of them shaped by violence and loss. The unit's missions are bloody and merciless, and Az's only solace is Natalie, the girl he loves and protects from afar. But the cost of his service is high: his humanity is eroded, and his future is mortgaged to men like Captain Kruger, who see him as a weapon, not a person.

A Marriage of Debts

Ravenna "Ravi" Cattaneo's life is upended when her teenage brother Vitto's gambling debts to a Cosa Nostra capo, Rocco Pisano, force her into a marriage she never wanted. Rocco, obsessed with control and appearances, claims her as payment, and Ravenna is thrust into a gilded cage. Her dreams of college and freedom are replaced by a daily struggle to survive her husband's possessiveness and violence, all while trying to protect her mother and brother from the mafia's reach.

The Caged Queen

Ravenna's marriage is a nightmare of control, humiliation, and escalating violence. Rocco's impotence and insecurity drive him to ever more sadistic "punishments," while Ravenna is forced to play the perfect wife in public. She endures, hiding bruises with makeup and plotting her escape in secret, selling luxury goods through her mother to save money. Her only hope is to outlast Rocco's cruelty and find a way out for herself and her family.

Shadows and Surveillance

Az, now working under the name Alessandro, infiltrates the Cosa Nostra as a bodyguard, his true goal hidden: revenge on Rocco Pisano, the man responsible for Natalie's death in a hit-and-run. Assigned to protect Ravenna, Az is torn between his mission and the growing realization that she is not the shallow trophy wife he expected, but a woman fighting for her life. Surveillance, secrets, and the slow burn of forbidden attraction complicate his plans for vengeance.

Bruises and Bread

Ravenna's daily life is a study in survival. Rocco controls everything, down to her meals, and punishes any perceived slight. Az witnesses the abuse and, despite his resolve, begins to intervene in small ways—ensuring she eats, covering for her, and quietly undermining Rocco's authority. Their relationship shifts from wary antagonism to a fragile alliance, as both recognize the other's pain and strength.

The Elevator Panic

A malfunctioning elevator triggers Ravenna's claustrophobia, a legacy of Rocco's psychological torture. Az, unexpectedly gentle, distracts her with a counting game, offering comfort instead of scorn. This moment cracks the wall between them, revealing the depth of Ravenna's trauma and Az's capacity for empathy, even as he battles his own demons and the urge to keep his distance.

The Bodyguard's Dilemma

Az's plan to destroy Rocco is complicated by his growing feelings for Ravenna. He is haunted by guilt over Natalie and the realization that Ravenna is as much a victim as he was. Their interactions become charged with tension—anger, longing, and the shared knowledge of violence. Az's resolve wavers as he is drawn to protect Ravenna, even as he plots her husband's downfall.

The Poker Game

Az engineers Rocco's financial ruin by beating him at a secret, high-stakes poker game, stripping him of his wealth and pride. The game is a metaphor for the power plays and betrayals that define their world. Rocco, humiliated and desperate, becomes more dangerous, while Az's victory is bittersweet—his revenge is incomplete, and his feelings for Ravenna deepen.

Fire and Ashes

Az escalates his campaign by burning down Rocco's prized garage and blowing up his new car, sending a clear warning. The violence is both cathartic and destabilizing, pushing Rocco into paranoia and further isolating Ravenna. The cycle of retaliation threatens to consume everyone, and Az is forced to confront the cost of his vendetta—not just to himself, but to the woman he can no longer see as collateral damage.

Lessons in Survival

Az begins secretly training Ravenna in self-defense, teaching her to fight back against Rocco's abuse. These lessons are intimate and transformative, giving Ravenna a sense of agency for the first time. Their physical closeness ignites a passion neither can deny, and the line between protector and avenger blurs. For Az, teaching Ravenna is both penance and a declaration: he will not let her be a victim.

The Sniper's Mercy

When Rocco injures Ravenna, Az retaliates by shooting him in the hand from a distance, sending a message that the cycle of abuse will no longer go unpunished. The act is both an assertion of power and a confession of care. Rocco is hospitalized, and Az moves into the mansion to protect Ravenna, their relationship deepening as the threat of violence looms ever closer.

Unmasking and Unraveling

Az's true identity and motives begin to surface. He confesses to Ravenna that he was sent to kill her as part of his revenge against Rocco, but that he can no longer go through with it. Ravenna, in turn, reveals the full extent of her suffering and her own plans for escape. Their mutual honesty is both devastating and liberating, binding them together in a shared quest for freedom.

The Library Confession

In a charged confrontation, Az and Ravenna give in to their passion, their lovemaking a collision of pain, anger, and longing. Az's hatred for Rocco and his guilt over Natalie war with his love for Ravenna. For Ravenna, the act is both a reclamation of her body and a leap of faith. Their union is a turning point: vengeance and love are now inseparable.

Love and Vengeance Collide

Az is forced to choose between his long-held revenge and a future with Ravenna. When a violent attack at a party nearly kills her, he realizes that her safety matters more than his vendetta. He abandons his plan to kill Rocco himself, arranging for a hitman to do the job instead, and prepares to flee with Ravenna and her family. The past cannot be undone, but together they can build something new.

The Last Supper

Rocco returns unexpectedly, threatening Ravenna one last time. Az intervenes, subduing Rocco and staging a macabre "last supper" poker game, where Rocco's life is wagered and lost. The scene is both poetic justice and catharsis, as Az finally avenges Natalie and frees Ravenna from her tormentor. The violence is brutal, but it is also the end of a cycle.

Death and Rebirth

To escape the reach of the mafia, Az and Ravenna fake their deaths, burning down the Pisano mansion and planting bodies to cover their tracks. The fire is both literal and symbolic—a purging of the past and a chance for rebirth. With new identities, they gather Ravenna's family and disappear, leaving behind the ashes of their old lives.

Escape in Flames

Az and Ravenna settle in rural France, living quietly with her family. The trauma of their pasts lingers, but together they find healing and purpose. Az's old comrades occasionally reappear, hinting at unfinished business, but the focus is on survival, love, and the fragile peace they have earned. Their story is not one of perfect happiness, but of hard-won freedom.

A New Dawn

In the end, Az and Ravenna's journey is one of transformation. From tools of violence and victims of abuse, they become partners, lovers, and survivors. Their love is forged in fire—imperfect, passionate, and fiercely protective. The past cannot be erased, but together they create a future defined not by vengeance, but by hope.

Characters

Alessandro "Az" Zanetti

Az is a man forged by trauma: a streetwise thief turned government assassin, then mafia enforcer. His psyche is marked by loss, guilt, and a relentless drive for vengeance after his beloved Natalie is killed in a hit-and-run by Rocco Pisano. Az's journey is one of transformation—from weapon to protector, from hater to lover. His relationship with Ravenna is both a source of healing and a test of his capacity for forgiveness and change. Az's development is defined by his struggle to reconcile his violent past with the possibility of a gentler future.

Ravenna "Ravi" Cattaneo/Pisano

Ravenna is a woman trapped by circumstance: forced into marriage to pay her brother's debt, she endures years of abuse and control at Rocco's hands. Her resilience is quiet but fierce—she plots her escape, supports her family, and never loses her sense of self. Ravenna's relationship with Az is transformative, allowing her to reclaim her agency and experience love without fear. Her psychological journey is one from victimhood to empowerment, and her choices drive the narrative's emotional core.

Rocco Pisano

Rocco is the embodiment of toxic masculinity: a mafia capo obsessed with power, control, and appearances. His impotence and paranoia fuel his cruelty toward Ravenna and his violence toward others. Rocco's inability to love or trust ultimately leads to his downfall. He is both a villain and a tragic figure, his need for dominance masking deep insecurity and fear.

Natalie

Natalie is Az's first love and the emotional anchor of his early life. Her death in a senseless accident is the inciting trauma that drives Az's quest for revenge. Though she appears only in memory, Natalie's presence haunts Az, shaping his choices and his struggle to move on.

Vitto Cattaneo

Vitto's gambling and immaturity set the plot in motion, forcing Ravenna into marriage. His relationship with his sister is fraught with guilt and dependence, but he ultimately becomes a symbol of the family Ravenna fights to protect.

Mamma Lola

Ravenna's mother is a figure of quiet strength, supporting her children through hardship and abuse. She is complicit in the family's secrets but also a source of unconditional love. Her presence grounds Ravenna and provides a link to a life before violence.

Sergei Belov

A fellow Z.E.R.O. operative, Sergei is both a friend and a reminder of the life Az left behind. His own struggles with violence and sanity reflect the psychological toll of their shared past. Sergei's loyalty and dark humor provide moments of levity and camaraderie.

Felix Allen

Felix is the handler who recruits and manages Az and his comrades. He is pragmatic, resourceful, and occasionally compassionate, helping Az disappear and orchestrate his revenge. Felix's role is that of a behind-the-scenes manipulator, both aiding and complicating Az's journey.

Kai Mazur

Kai is the most unpredictable of the Z.E.R.O. operatives—a man whose violence is barely contained. His presence in the narrative is a reminder of what Az could become if he loses his humanity entirely.

Drago Popov

The Serbian syndicate leader, Drago is both an antagonist and a mirror to Rocco's world. His actions escalate the violence and force Az to make critical choices about loyalty, revenge, and love.

Plot Devices

Dual Narratives and Shifting POV

The story unfolds through the alternating viewpoints of Az and Ravenna, allowing readers to experience both the external action and the internal psychological battles. This structure deepens empathy, exposes secrets, and builds tension as their stories converge.

Revenge as Redemption

Az's quest for revenge is the engine of the narrative, but it is ultimately subverted by his love for Ravenna. The plot interrogates whether violence can ever bring closure, and whether redemption is possible for those who have done—and suffered—great harm.

Abuse and Survival

Ravenna's experience of domestic violence is rendered with unflinching honesty, highlighting the psychological and physical toll of abuse. Her small acts of rebellion and her eventual empowerment are central to the story's emotional impact.

Symbolism of Fire and Ashes

Fire recurs as a motif—burning down the past, purging guilt, and making way for new life. The literal and figurative burning of homes, identities, and old selves marks the characters' transformations.

Poker and Games of Chance

Poker games and gambling debts are woven throughout, symbolizing the risks the characters take and the hands they are dealt. The final "last supper" poker game is a poetic reckoning, where life and death are wagered.

Foreshadowing and Parallels

The narrative is rich with foreshadowing—Az's early lessons in lockpicking, Ravenna's first acts of defiance, the recurring motif of counting and control. These elements create a sense of inevitability and resonance as the story unfolds.

Analysis

Burned Dreams is a dark, emotionally charged exploration of trauma, revenge, and the redemptive power of love. Neva Altaj crafts a narrative that is as much about psychological survival as it is about physical escape, using the conventions of mafia romance to interrogate deeper questions of agency, healing, and the cost of violence. The dual perspectives of Az and Ravenna allow for a nuanced portrayal of both abuser and survivor, and the story refuses to offer easy answers or tidy resolutions. Instead, it insists that true freedom comes not from vengeance, but from the courage to choose love and rebuild in the ashes of the past. The novel's blend of gritty realism, psychological insight, and passionate romance makes it a compelling meditation on what it means to reclaim one's life—and one's heart—after devastation.

Last updated: May 20, 2025