When a self-made beauty boss tries to leave her toxic past behind, she crosses paths with New York's most feared kingpin who's already decided she'll be his, whether she's ready or not.

𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. [𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝟣/𝟤 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝖺𝖿𝖿𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖽𝗎𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗒] cover by @backenddoll 𝙖 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

I sit down on my bike looking around the school parking lot. Listening to music, I stand up begin to walk through the student-less parking lot. Honestly, it's not like I meant to be late. My music cut out causing me to hear a whistle. I stop in my tracks and pull my headphones down to my neck. Turning around, I seen a group of men with one guy who just smirked at me. "You new here beautiful?" one of the guys asked. "What do you think Einstein?" cocking my brow. "Ohh. Challenging? I like." he says walking towards me, about two inches away. "Really?" biting my lip, as he continued walking towards me. He reaches out and grabs my hip, "Mmhmm," smiling down at me. Swiftly, I grab his hand, turn him around, kick him right above the back of his knee, and pushes down so he's on his knees in front of me in a position of which I could brake his arm, "What a shame, 'cause personally, I don't like fuck boys with various STD'S." I look at all the men in the group who had their jaws dropped, all except for one, "Touch me one more time, and I'll brake your arm in two." I stand and kick his back so he falls on the concert. "Anyone else?" they stare at me blankly. "Didn't think so." When fuck boy tries to get up, I take my foot and slam him back down. Looking back at the boys, I say, "Later boys." Then, I turn and leave. ~~~~ Truce Mane is a girl who recently moved to New York with her youngest niece and nephew along with her uncle Mike. Truce went through many things as a child. She still went through them. Her mother blamed her for everything. She would get into Street fights. As in, she would fight in a dark alley with whoever she could. Sounds bad, huh? Wrong. *** Dante Kings is the most feared gang leader across the world. While he does have his fuck and Chuck's, he's been looking for his princess. He vowed that when he found her, she'd be his and he would treat her like a queen. When the spit fire moves to town and believes he's finally found her. Has he?

Is it possible to love when you've never truly been loved? How do you recognize a feeling you've never known? When the very person who was supposed to love you first became the source of your pain, how do you tell the difference between love and hate? What happens when two broken souls cross paths - each carrying their own scars, their own secrets, and their own idea of survival? Do hurt people always hurt others... or can two damaged hearts somehow make each other whole? Follow Olivia-Kai and Gunna as they navigate the thin line between love, pain, and redemption - trying to learn if love can heal what life once shattered.

Camille Summer is a thirty year old, realtor. She's very kept to herself and humble. Growing up with foster parents who didn't have much, she strived to make money and help provide for her family. So being head realtor at her job she gets to provide. Andrew Taylor is twenty-nine and is next in line for his families heir. Andrew grew up with a gold spoon in his mouth but he's not like his spoiled rich friends. He strives for something he was taught money could by, love.

Book Two to Grace. It's been four years and a lot has changed since then. Grace deals with constant pressure of being a single mother and running the business. Life has done a complete 360 for Grace. Things have only gotten harder for her but her bag had grown a lot too. Nothing can top the craziness she's dealing with in her life especially mentally. Or so she thinks.

He slowly turned to me with the meanest look I've ever seen on his beautiful face. His long legs allowed him to take three short steps towards me until we were face to face. He leaned down to reach my height and then pushed me against the wall. "I don't do relationships," he said very coldly. My heart dropped but my pride fell before my heart could reach my stomach. He resumed packing my bag. "Why not?" I asked with an attitude to appear unbothered but I really am. "Because, they're-" his sentence was cut off by gunshots. "Fuck!" He yelled then grabbed me and threw me on the floor behind the bed. _________________________ Life was never easy for Grace whether it was growing up in her country or moving to New York for a better life. But life never turns out the way you think it will. She'll soon find out whether or not, if one of the most dangerous man in the city, will be able to give her what the last man couldn't. Alessandro Columbo. That's all you have to say and men will twitch out of fear. The last name alone will get you to places you could never imagine. But that last name alone, can get you killed in a heartbeat. One of the most dangerous men in New York City, can't fall in love. Right?

Drew remembered the little girl who befriended him when no one else would. He remembered her long braids and her cocoa butter scent. And when he found her again, he swore to never let go. He made a silent promise; that no matter where he went or what he was doing, he'd always come back to her.

Layla Campbell • four years after her boyfriend dies she's left to raise her three year old by herself. Her job allows her to provide everything necessary they may need, but she won't allow herself one thing: love, which goes against the promise she made. Lorenzo Romanoff • struggling with finding his reason to keep going and stop drinking. The day he meets his brothers lawyer and her little boy that changes. He finds his reason to resist temptation. ••• "I don't want you to leave me." His fingers stop brushing my hair when my confession leaves my lips. "I don't want to leave you, but I have to. I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry." I grip his hospital gown and let out my silent cries as my body shakes. His arms tightens around me trying to comfort me, he knows nothing can. He's dying, and nothing is going to stop that. ••• "I do that a lot, you can't fool me." He says in a softer tone. I clear my throat and look away, the way he's looking at me's making me feel like he can read me as clear as a book, "Do what?" He gets closer to me making my eyes flicker to him, "You don't have to pretend Layla." For some reason it feels though as if I should whisper, "Who said I was pretending?" "Your smile," he murmurs, his eyes drop to my lips making a frown settle on his face. "It's so beautiful when you smile," his finger runs along my bottom lip, "but this one? Darling, this one is fake."

Running from hell isnʼt easy. Especially when someoneʼs dragging you back down into it. Belligerent, brash and always in shades of black, Freya is hardly a lady. Hidden away by her father, sheʼs lived a normal life despite being born into the dark waters of New Yorkʼs underworld. Heʼs cold, cruel and calculating, with a proclivity for destruction. Feared by even Made Men, Torren is the boss of the stateʼs most leachorous crime syndicate. Freya hates his crudity and possessiveness, but she canʼt deny the way her breath hitches at his rough touch, the deep timbre of his voice, and his dark, heated gaze. Torren hates her disobedience, her recklessness, and her chaos. To him, sheʼs only something to be tamed. And after he slips a ring on her hand, snatching away her future, she makes only one vow---to become his biggest torment.