Rumi "Rue" Monroe was a girl who grew up too quick and too soon. When her parents died, all she had left was herself, her overworked aunt, and bills they could never quite outrun. Fresh out of a relationship after catching her man in bed with another woman, Rue is exhausted working herself to the bone, drowning in responsibilities, and done with men altogether. She keeps her head down, minding her business, praying life gives her something better than struggle and disappointment. She isn't looking for love, danger, or anything that can break her again. Until she meets him. Nazir "Naz" Creed is the coldest man in the city a quiet storm with a reputation that speaks louder than he ever needs to. Running the streets with his brothers built him an empire people fear and respect in equal measure. Naz moves with precision, loyalty, and violence when necessary, and he's never cared about much outside money, power, and keeping his circle alive. But then he sees Rue. What starts as a chance encounter turns into a collision neither of them can walk away from. Rue's sweetness clashes with Naz's darkness, her broken hope meets his guarded heart, and suddenly the city's coldest man finds himself warming to the one girl who wasn't looking for him in the first place. And the streets? The streets don't like when the wrong people start caring about each other.

"I told my youngin don't slide with no mask"

"Why you always look so serious after church." Roman asked, his eyes low . "You just spent two hours talkin to God." Serene adjusts the strap of her bag, looking around to make sure no one saw them. "You shouldn't even be back here." He smiled at that. "You always say that shit." "I mean it," she said, but her voice was softer than she wanted it to be. Roman stepped close enough so she could smell the weed on him. "You mean it every Sunday, church girl." Her cheeks heated up from the slight embarrassment of him calling her that. "Don't call me that." He tilted his head. "Why not? That's what you are." "I'm not just that," she said a little defensive and unsure; she didn't know what she was, but she didn't want a boy she thinks is cute to think of her as just the quiet preachers daughter who was a square. His smile faded as his eyes narrowed and he tilted his head. "I know." Then, after a beat, "That's why I like you." Serene swallowed and her fingers tightened around her bible. "You shouldn't." "I know," licked his lips, his eyes dropping to her hands before trailing back to her face. "But here we are." ㅤꨄ︎ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴜɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇɴ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇʀ, ɪ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴡ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴜʀᴄʜ -Mariah the Scientist

"𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝗧𝗢𝗫𝗜𝗖, 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐."

𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 was the kind of girl who followed the rules; soft hearted, quiet, and careful with who she let in. 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 "𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤" 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 was the reason people locked their doors at night; charming, feared, and loyal to a world he'd belong to. What started as something simple turned into something raw, all consuming, and unforgettable. He gave her a taste of danger. She gave him something to protect and want to be better for; but love in their collided worlds doesn't come easy. Especially when a thorn meets a rose. 🥇 in bwhm -06/16/25 🥇 in hoodromance- 06/19/25 🥉 in urbanromance- 06/21/25 🥇 in urban- 06/22/25 🥇 in thug- 12/3/25