"We ain't out here shaking ass for no reason. Everybody's got a story." 18+ MATURE READERS ONLY

Book 2 of 2 ❤️ I ain't got a cover yet

A 22 year old woman starts to rethink her relationship After her high-school sweet heart begans to become more of a ick to her. On her journey she keeps on encountering a guy she thought she'd never have to meet again not aware that he may change her life.

❝𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙞 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨... 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨, 𝙞 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 ❞ 𝐄𝐒𝐓. 𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

She thought this chapter would be different. A baby on the way. A man who swore he changed. No more late-night phone calls, no more backdoor drama, no more blood on his hands. But some men don't get to live soft - and some women love too hard to let go. Now with a child in the picture and her body still healing, the streets calling him louder than ever. Enemies circling, secrets slipping, and loyalty getting tested from every angle. And her? She caught right in the middle of it - again. She thought she had everything she wanted: the baby, the man, the love. But even after all the pain, all the promises, and all the things they said they'd never do again... She's still kissin' the killer. And this time? She might not make it out alive - but that baby? That baby will.

He prayed for her in the dark. She begged to God for him to let her go. Ky'leigh Ace thought loving a man like Julian "Toro" Cortez was just part of growing up in the Southside. But when he got locked up, she found out the truth: being in love with a gang member was one thing-raising his daughter alone was another. Six years later, he's back. Fresh out. Full of pain, pride, and poison. But Ky has changed. She's colder now. Stronger. Smarter. And she's been keeping Jurnee away from the streets. But Julian doesn't play when it comes to his daughter. Or Ky. In the world they come from, love ain't sweet-it's war. And every night, somebody's out there whispering a Lover's Prayer just to survive it.

"We gotta stay ready" There's no place quite like you,there's no better time than now-thats why I stay ready" She wasn't ready. For a child? no Unexpected motherhood? no abandonment? no But she has to keep her guard up and stay ready for whatever came next.

Zamyrah has never believed in fairy-tale endings, and Dayvon has never been the type to follow rules. But when their families force them into an arrangement neither asked for, they're left with no choice but to play the part of the perfect couple-or risk everything their loved ones have built. From staged interviews and handholding under flashing cameras to living under the same roof, their lives become a performance for the world. But behind closed doors, sparks fly-sharp words, stolen glances, and touches that feel too real to be fake. Zamyrah is determined to keep her guard up, convinced Dayvon's smirk is nothing more than trouble in disguise. Dayvon, on the other hand, is sure he can break down every wall she's built. What starts as a contract soon turns into something neither of them can control. Because somewhere between pretending and resisting, their hearts stop following the script. publish on- september 29,2025 Finish on-

she entered his world, before he knew how to guard his heart. Mi'Yanne woods struggling, overdue rent, going paycheck to paycheck trying to keep up with her daycare job. One day it all stops, she sees a paper on the sidewalk and scans a qr code which she didn't know would change her life forever.