jaialaii's Reading List
47 stories
Street Gentleman | Dave East by Dedra_Tarese
Dedra_Tarese
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Sarye "Riya" Knowles is a certified boss in every sense of the word. At just 32, she's built a brand from scratch after walking away from a toxic relationship and raising her daughter. By day, Sarye is a thriving entrepreneur running her own cosmetic company. By night, she's the unapologetic, witty voice behind the hit podcast "Pillow Talk & Real Sh*t", where she keeps it raw and unfiltered about love, relationships, sex - and why women need to love themselves first. She's known for her infamous line: "Sis... your man is NOT in prison! Stop glamorizing struggle love" Sarye knows the harsh reality of that life. But life gets real when her wild, brutally honest best friend and co-host Josalyn dares her - to write a prison pen pal. The topic? Whether love can really be found behind bars. Thinking it's harmless content and knowing full well it's against everything she believes, Sarye agrees. It's just a letter. A joke. A teachable moment. That't until she encounters Steffon "Street" Austin, a 35-year-old inmate serving time with 15 years left on his sentence. But what starts as playful dare quickly turns into long letters, raw vulnerability, and undeniable chemistry. Street isn't who she expected. Charming. Intelligent. Business-minded. A protective energy that makes her feel safe - even from behind bars. Their connection is instant but layered with complications. Soon, Sarye finds herself sneaking to the mailbox like a teenager, rearranging her beliefs, and questioning everything she's ever preached to her listeners.
H.E.R. |d.e by Maliyahwrites
Maliyahwrites
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Having everything revealed
THE KING'S REDEMPTION | DAVE EAST  by Dedra_Tarese
Dedra_Tarese
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It's been some time since Xander King was arrested in the middle of Greater New Hope Church. One minute, everybody was sitting in service, watching Bishop King preach like everything was normal. The next minute, the feds came walking through the doors and snatched Xander right in front of the whole church. After that day, nothing was ever the same. Charity King has been trying to pick up the pieces ever since. With Xander gone, she's been forced to be the sole provider for their daughter, Xylah. The life she thought she was building with him got flipped upside down, and now she's trying to be strong for her baby while still dealing with the hurt, the questions, and the love she still has for a man who put her through more than enough. And the King family? They are nowhere near the perfect family people thought they were. Bishop King's secrets have shaken the church, Victoria is trying to hold her family together, Genesis is growing up with the King name hanging over her head, and everyone is trying to figure out how to move forward when the person who held so much power in the family is sitting behind bars. But Xander King's story is not over. With his release possibly coming, everybody is wondering what comes next. Has prison really changed him? Is he ready to do right by Charity, Xylah, and his family? Or is the old Xander still there, waiting to come back stronger than before? The Kings all want redemption in some way. Xander wants to fix what he broke. Charity wants peace and stability. Victoria wants her family whole again. Malachi wants to outrun the secrets that keep catching up to him. Genesis just wants to breathe without the weight of the King name on her back. But wanting redemption and actually earning it are two different things. In The King's Redemption, the drama is deeper, the secrets are messier, and the love is more complicated than ever. Because when Xander finally comes home, everybody will have to decide if forgiveness
Bodies by thewannabegrunge
thewannabegrunge
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Milan Cozart lived on the low-end of Chicago. A part of the city that was unbeknownst to tourists, yet never seemed to leave the front cover of the news... for murders. In this cutthroat slice she called home, there was one rule: Show no mercy. However, when you hold the life of a notorious drug lord in your hands... you may find yourself hesitating. Milan knew the rule, but she also knew who Ramses Young was as well. The man had spared the life of her brother the night her parents had died. Now, he laid bleeding out in her arms. He was meant to die. Because of her, he lived. And, because of her, bodies would drop.
𝐏𝐋𝐔𝐒 πŽππ„ by reysaddict
reysaddict
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𝐈𝐍 π–π‡πˆπ‚π‡ a new teacher walks into a classroom she prayed for, a mother watches her family shift beneath her feet, and a man with blood on his hands tries to keep them clean. until feelings get tangled, truths unravel, and love starts showing up in places it shouldn't.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 π†π€πŒπ„ || πŒπ„π“π‡πŽπƒ πŒπ€π ( completed ) by trillunique
trillunique
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This game doesn't come with rules , you gotta set your owns rules and abide by them. Your love life and work is two different things. Never mix business with pleasure. π‹πŽπ‘π„ππ™πŽ 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐍 π‹π˜πŽπ , age 31 as he's a former drug dealer who goes by the name " Method Man " on the streets. No one ever addresses him as Lorenzo. If so that's either the feds and that's a bad image. Lorenzo owns multiple night clubs , along with a Restaurant called Lyons Grill. You can't just sit with drug money. You gotta move and invest. Lorenzo didn't have any love interest , his love interest was money , seeing more money hit his account. Lorenzo owned his town , he knew when people made it into his down 5 minutes after. When he was informed that a female by the name of MONIQUE ANTOINETT KNIGHT came into town he wanted to know her every move. Olds friends reconnected , as they have different lives .. or do they? πŒπŽππˆππ”π„ π€ππ“πŽπˆππ„π“π“ πŠππˆπ†π‡π“ , age 25 as she's a drug dealer as well.. but she hides her drug front by opening multiple business. One of her business consists of " Monique's Salon " and Knights Reality. Can two drug dealers fall in love ? Knowing they are at competition.
THE UNHOLY | Dave East by Dedra_Tarese
Dedra_Tarese
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Xander King is the ultimate "holy" deception. As the son of the city's most famous Bishop, he's royalty in a three-piece suit. On Sunday mornings, he's the perfect heir to the pulpit. But when the sun goes down, the suit comes off, and the King of the streets comes out to play. Xander doesn't just run the city's underground-he owns it. He's got the money, the power, and a line of women who know better than to ask for his heart. Then there's Charity. She's the girl who just traded her old life for a Bible and a fresh start. She's trying to be "good," and when she looks at Xander, she sees a man who's just as lost as she used to be. She thinks she can save him. She thinks his cold stares are just a shield for a broken soul. But Xander isn't looking to be saved. He's fighting a war on every front: his father's impossible expectations, a past that won't stay buried, and the dangerous pull he feels toward a girl who's too pure for his world. When a body drops and a murder investigation hits too close to the church, the polished mask starts to slip. Charity is about to find out that the man she's falling for isn't a misunderstood saint-he's the devil in the front row. In this city, the only thing more dangerous than a sinner is someone Unholy.
DEAR KENDRICK by Mya2tact
Mya2tact
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Kendrick has never been the man that onlookers routed for. They just watch, judge, and whisper... shouting for his success but praying on his downfall. Now in the spotlight of the NFL, his name carries weight, money and a clingy girlfriend he can't outrun. Macie has spent years learning how to exist in a world that never made her feel soft enough, pretty enough, or chosen first. She's done fighting to fit in with the societies expectations. When the two collide tension is thick and neither of them are ready for it. Kendrick made her feel unwanted and she could never forget the way it affected her. Once lines blur, their loyalty is tested , and they have to figure out if their disloyal actions are worth the chaos it created. This story isn't to repaint Kendrick in the light of redemption, but to give clear insight on why he is the man he is today, and unapologetically. STARTED; March 3rd, 2026 PUBLISHED; March 21st, 2026 FINISHED;
Sinner (Completed) by Bee90s
Bee90s
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"Mama, I can't just leave Abir." I admitted, telling her exactly why I couldn't do this. Not only would she be snatching me away from my family and friends but she was taking me away from the person I'd loved for five going on six years. I couldn't just walk away from him. "Baby.." She trailed off, sighing deeply. "I know you love Abir." She stood to her feet to stop packing for a moment and pulled me into her. "But I promise you, there will be other boys. Right now you have to do what's best for you and that's coming with your daddy and I to give you a better life." "Better life for who? You?!" I screamed out, becoming even more angry at her choice of words. As if my feelings were robotic and I could just turn them on and off for any and every person. "My feelings just don't matter to y'all at all, huh?" I asked, crying harder than before now. "Speak to your mother with some respect, Giselle." My father spat to me and I shook my head, watching as they stood there looking at me like some dumb teenager. This wasn't puppy love for me. I didn't spend 5 years building something, just to walk away from it for their dreams. I couldn't do it. Sinner. Book #1
Debt of desire  by MRSBENNAE
MRSBENNAE
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Harlem doesn't forgive debts - it collects. Xyla never asked to be part of her father's street mistakes, but when his debt comes due, she becomes the payment. Snatched from her normal life and dropped into a world ruled by corners, codes, and consequences, Xyla finds herself under the control of Onyx - better known in Harlem as East. East runs his block with silence and fear. He's respected, dangerous, and untouchable. Loyalty is his currency, violence is his language, and weakness gets you buried. Keeping Xyla was supposed to be business - nothing more than leverage. But Xyla isn't weak, and she refuses to bow to the streets that claim her. As Harlem closes in and enemies start circling, tension turns into temptation and hate turns into something neither of them planned. East is torn between the rules that made him and the woman who's breaking every one of them. Xyla must decide if survival means escaping him... or standing beside him. In a city where love is a liability and trust gets you killed, one thing is certain - some debts don't get paid in cash. They get paid in blood, loyalty... and desire.