"You ain't even that cute." Jojo playfully rolled her eyes allowing Dice to pull her arm to wherever he seemed to be leading her. "Where are you taking me!" She grew annoyed with the anticipation. "On a trip, just chill." -- For as long as she can remember, Jojo Rosewood has lived a picture-perfect life in a suburban area located in Chicago-designer clothes, private schools, and a glamorous lifestyle all thanks to her high-powered mother. Evidently her perfect world seems to be a lie when it comes crashing down as her mother's secrets come to the light, forcing her to face reality. Now having all of her family's assets cleared she's every bit of confused on what to do. With nowhere else to turn, Jojo is forced to leave behind everything she knows and move across a plethora of states to live with her father, a man she barely knows due to distance, and his new family. Learning to balance the shift in culture and the chaos of her first year in college all in one, Jojo struggles to adjust to her circumstances and blend into a world where her privilege no longer holds any weight. Things grow even more complicated when she meets Dice, her half-brother's best friend-a well mannered , street-smart young adult who seems to embody everything Jojos maternal side of the family warned her about. Dice is equally frustrating and intriguing, with a no-nonsense attitude that calls Jojo out on her unrealistic expectations. As their chemistry builds, Jojo finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about family, loyalty, and love while Dice struggles letting Jojo take a trip to his world. Started; December 18th, 2024 Published; January 4th, 2025 Finished; March 2nd, 2025

"How are you supposed to keep your man with your hair in that mess, Tamia?" "And has your hair been looking like that all week?" She went on talking about my hair now, considering it was blown-out instead of well kept, hot combed and straightened the way that she liked. "No, mama." I dragged, annoyed completely now with all of my peace gone in this moment. "I just got out of the shower and I just finished washing and blow-drying my hair." "I'm going to hot comb it and then flat iron it when I'm finished doing my skincare." "Yasin's not going to be home until tomorrow probably anyway." I threw in there but of course she wouldn't chastise him about why and where.

" 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞..."

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐎𝐍' 𝐅𝐈𝐗 𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐎 𝐈 𝐂𝐀' 𝐁𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐀' 𝐅𝐀' 𝐘𝐎𝐔?" this is a LOVE story, cus ima lover girl!

"Cain, if you can't leave the streets for me and our baby, then me and you, we're done." I pointed between the two of us as tears streamed down my face and he bit his lip, looking down at the floor before he looked back up into my eyes. "Aight." "Shit over then, babygirl."

𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢...𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢...𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚎, 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚎, 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚎

BOOK THREE OF THE BLACK SERIES *this book CANNOT be read as a stand-alone* -- "Get the hell off of me, Lucian," I snapped angrily, smacking the palm of my hands on his muscular back as he carried me out of the club. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" It wasn't until he carried me upstairs and into a VIP room that he set me on my feet. I wobbled from the combination of my heels and the alcohol finally reaching my brain. It didn't stop me from glaring at him, but he just stared back, his eyes blank. As always. He's never been a talker, unlike me. What the hell was he even doing here? "You can't just walk on the dance floor and throw me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes," I snapped, trying to get passed him. "I'm not a kid anymore, Lucian, okay? I'm not yours to protect - I never have been!" Hearing those words must have triggered him because he snapped. Lucian roughly grabbed me by the waist and pushed me against the cold wall, his body pressed right against mine. My eyes widened in shock and I met his blazing glare, feeling his hand creep up to my hair and twist it in his knuckles. I tried to force the lump down my throat but felt the confidence leave my body. "I can do damn well as I please when I see my woman dancing with a man who would want nothing more than to take her back to his place," he growled out, tilting my head up by my hair. Our lips were almost touching. I suddenly can't breathe. "You're mine, Mia," he spoke, this time his words low and raspy. "You always have been - never fucking forget that."