Six years ago, Blanchard Collins packed her bags, boarded a bus to Houston, and never looked back. She left behind her abusive father, the town that never forgave her for speaking her mind, and Rueben Bailey, the boy who broke her heart the night before they were supposed to run away together. Now twenty-four, Blanchard returns home with her five-year-old daughter, Willow, and a dying mother who's asked for one final thing-her presence. But coming home means facing the ghosts she thought she'd buried, including the man she's never truly stopped loving. Rueben "Benny" Bailey did what his family expected. Stayed, took over the farm, and proposed to the girl everyone said was right for him. But when Blanchard walks back into church with a little girl who looks just like him, everything he's built starts to fall apart.

𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬. Nikolai is the Underboss of The Russian Bratva; Cunning, ruthless, and devilishly handsome. Genevieve is a dancer at one of New York's most exclusive strip clubs; Quiet, tempting, with the face of an angel. When Genevieve catches the attention of one of the most dangerous men in the crime world, she will find herself caught up in a whirlwind of temptation and betrayal. As Nikolai finds himself falling for Genevieve, he'll risk everything to be with her, despite the secrets she hides. But, in a world filled with sin, you'll come to find, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘭. Mature Content Warning | 18+ This story is ongoing

𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬. Caterina's father is the Don of the Sicilian Mafia, although Cat refuses to be a part of the dangerous lifestyle that comes with it all. After leaving her family and the Mafia behind her, Caterina begins her own life, living peacefully outside of the reach of the Mafia for four years. That changes suddenly as life throws Caterina into the middle of the chaos when the Russian Mafia chooses to strike her family's empire. Placing a bounty on the Sicilian Mafia heir. With her life now at risk, Caterina's father has sent one of his best men to keep her safe and hide her away from the enemy. But there's something off with the tall and dangerous man who has sworn to protect Caterina's life. Can she trust him? Or will the secrets he hides be her undoing? Mature Content Warning | 18+ Please read list of trigger warnings. (This story is complete and can be read as a standalone)