Tahje Love Walker is a 24-year-old cardiothoracic surgeon from the small community of Vanity Fair, Linstead. She grew up living a normal life with her parents and a sister close to her age. For most of her life, Tahje dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but everything changed when her mother was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Determined to save people like her mother, Tahje shifted her focus and worked tirelessly, with the unwavering support of her parents, to achieve her new goal. Years passed, and now she is one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons at Kingston Public Hospital. Ashtrey Ja'ior Kestrel, a notorious 20-year-old contract killer, also grew up with a normal life. However, as the saying goes, friends can lead you astray, and that's exactly what happened to him. Known for his ruthless precision and multiple run-ins with the police, Ashtrey has somehow managed to avoid punishment time and time again. Whispers of corruption, police ties, and bloody payoffs follow him everywhere he goes. He is not someone who takes losing lightly, especially when it comes to what or who captures his attention. When Tahje and Ashtrey's worlds collide, secrets will unravel, loyalties will be tested, and their lives will change forever. Will they find a way to trust each other despite their differences, or will their collision lead to destruction for them both?

"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.

Bad girls ain't no good, and the good girls ain't no fun..

"𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥..." Poet was used to being the second choice. Actually, she was used to not being chosen at all. The girl blended into the background easily, it had always been that way. Sometimes, passion wasn't enough to put you in the spotlight and she was okay with that. Riot had always carried the weight of his mother's ways on his shoulders. He was the oldest son. The protector. The rock. He never would have thought these things to push him closer than ever to his soulmate. Not when he wasn't even sure what he wanted his own love story to look like. Their love was never expected to be but maybe it was supposed to happen that way. 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟏 𝐎𝐅 '𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄' 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟.

"Only a coward wait until his enemy have their back turned to make his move, now he's gotta feel a wrath of a menace."

𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦.

mal·e·dic·tion /ˌmaləˈdikSHən/ a magical word or phrase uttered with the intention of bringing about evil or destruction; a curse.

𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 ( A new edited version of this book will be out soon!)

"You no tell this girl that I said, I want no relations with a darkie?" She spat to me, making my eyes go wide. What? I thought to myself and Gio tried pulling me away but I snatched away from him, knowing I heard right this time. "Wait, what?" I spoke out loud and Gi grabbed me roughly, trying to pull me away again. "Why you saying these things? She's beautiful." I heard his abuelita sticking up for me as she stood to her feet and all the guys began to as well, telling their mom that she was wrong for what she was doing. "That puta heard me." She spat, pointing her finger at me. "You're too dark." She held up a brown paper bag that she was drinking her beer out of. "You no match this bag or lighter, you're too dark." "You look too much like his father. I no want you around me." She shooed me off, instantly breaking my heart into a billion pieces as I looked up at Giovanni who was looking down at me with hurt in his eyes. "Baby, please." He begged and I shook my head at him in disgust before putting my attention back onto her. "Get that darkness out of here, Giovanni. She's a demon." "Only demons have her color." She kept on going and I felt sick to my stomach in this moment as I stood there in complete shock.