"You know how special you gotta be to change a nigga like me? Huh?" He tilted her head back to make her look at him, and a faint smile grew on her face as he wiped her cheeks. "My own grandparents couldn't do it for me and I loved them more than anything. You the one for me ma. That's why I ain't told you everything yet 'cause I don't wanna run you away. I need you." He laid his forehead against hers, gently kissing her lips. "Nobody will ever believe that King Von from O Block be crying to me like this." She smiled as she gazed into his red eyes, and he chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I ain't King Von wit' you. Just love." He kissed her cheek next, and her smile grew as her arms tightened around him for a warm hug.

Kason "Khotic" Brewster never planned on living long. At seventeen, he buried both of his parents in the same week. His mother died instantly in a car crash. His father held on just long enough to make Kason promise one thing before he passed. Take care of your brother and sister. So that's exactly what he did. Twelve years later Khotic is the man the streets call when things get ugly. Feared. Respected. Untouchable. Everything he does is for the two people depending on him to make it out of the life he's stuck in. He's content with that. Until Beauty Cardwell crashes into his world. Bee is nothing like the women Khotic usually deals with. She's a twenty-five-year-old brain surgeon, a child prodigy who finished school before most people finished learning who they were. She's blunt, literal, and socially awkward in ways people don't always understand. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Bee doesn't believe in pretending to be something she's not. She says exactly what she means. And for some reason... Khotic likes that. What starts as a chance meeting turns into something neither of them expected. Bee sees the man behind Khotic's reputation. The older brother trying to keep his promise. The boy who never got the chance to grieve. And Khotic sees something in Bee that the world keeps missing. But loving a man like Khotic means stepping into a life Bee was never meant to be part of. Enemies. Loyalty. Violence. The kind of danger that doesn't care how smart you are. And Khotic knows one thing for sure. Good girls like Beauty Cardwell aren't supposed to fall for men like him.

Aurora Fletcher thought she had seen it all. As a psychiatric nurse, she's spent years helping people navigate trauma, addiction, grief, and the darkest moments of their lives. Then David Blackwell is admitted to her unit under a fake name. A man haunted by nightmares he refuses to talk about and a past he can't escape. Aurora knows he's hiding something. What she doesn't know is that David Blackwell is one of the most powerful and feared men in the city-and four years ago, he lost everything when his three-year-old daughter, Dove, was killed. Now he's left carrying a grief that never healed, memories that won't let him sleep, and a guilt he can't outrun. The closer Aurora gets to him, the harder it becomes to ignore the man beneath the reputation. But David has enemies. Aurora has boundaries. And some secrets are dangerous enough to destroy them both. He was supposed to be her patient. She was never supposed to become his reason to keep living.

"You want tater tots, I'm finna make some." Kamaria rubbed her stomach feeling hungry. "Why you say it like that?" "Say what, like how?" She questioned, raising her eye brows in confusion since she hadn't said anything out of the ordinary. "You say Ta-ter like Tay-Tah. Like Tayta." He kept his eyes trained on her, not missing how the corners of her mouth twitched trying not to smile. "Imma call you that now." He declared with a shrug. "Uhh no you ain't, and you could've just said you ain't want none." She shut it down waving him off. "Okay...Tayta." He smirked. --- Ever since a small child, Kamaria had always been the feisty middle child bringing life to every situation with her vibrant ways. She never took mess from any one, and was big on defending herself. Toting a big heart, she always saw the good in people, which had to be her best and worst trait wrapped in one. Known for her spirited ways, her life is turned upside down when one deadly night occurs. Changing her life for the worst. Samir was always the outgoing friend of his group. Known for his unapologetic attitude, he never had to feel like an outsider with his two bestfriends. Although the life of the party, Samir struggles to be contempt with living a normal teenage life, always finding himself in the middle of troubling situations. It wasn't until one fatal evening that changed his view on life, forever. Fast forward years later, brilliant and ambitious Kamaria finds herself struggling with her academic life as the trauma she has endured takes a toll on her every day life. Focused on securing her future life throws her in for another loop when the past she had been avoiding shows up with a bright smile on his face, crashing full force into her life. Being back in the presence of one another their worlds collide in a whirlwind of emotions and an undeniable connection between the two of them. Started; October 20th 2023 Published; October 22nd 2023 Finished; February 29th 2024

Serenity Diore Kioré forgot Robert Coleman Thomas a long time ago. At least, that's what she tells herself. Back in high school, Robert was the boy who had her heart before he broke it, choosing another girl and leaving Serenity to pick up the pieces alone. Three years later, Serenity is grown, guarded, and not checking for anybody from her past-until Robert walks back into her life like he never left. The only problem? She doesn't recognize him. Robert recognizes her instantly, though. He knows exactly who she is, exactly what he did, and exactly why he should leave her alone. But instead of telling the truth, he keeps quiet, pulling Serenity closer while hiding the one secret that could ruin everything before it even starts. Old love turns into new obsession. Trust turns into temptation. And when the same girl from their past refuses to stay there, Serenity finds herself caught in a love story that was never as sweet as Robert made it seem.

I was a boy when I met her and loving her taught me how to be a man. ** This book features MATURE THEMES including violence, strong language, sexual content and potentially-triggering fictional scenarios. Please read at your own discretion. ** BOOK TWO OF THE STAY DOWN SERIES ON @RE2RAW