(Sequel to Queen of Spades/King of Hearts stories) Nathaniel Vega grew up in a less than conventional family. His mother and father had once been student and teacher, his best friend was also his adoptive sister and his family seemed to include people who had no blood relations but shared a lot of love. Grace James has grown up with Nate playing at first big brother, now best friend and would be lover, but she is no fool to fall for his easy charms. She is trying to find where the line of friendship ends and where her independence from her best friend begins. Ophelia James is dying. Cancer is breaking her body down before she has even had a chance to live and do all the things she promised herself she would do when she had time. Bound by blood and love, Nathaniel, Grace and Ophelia inevitably get in the way of each other's lives, and somehow change the course of each other's fates. But when the happiness of all of them rests on a miracle, what sort of future can any one of them have?

Faith Mitchell was never confident. She was happy to blend into the background, much to the protest of her friends. At 16, her life was a normal teenage cliche. She was in love with Jace, the obnoxious player who she couldn't have, and her biggest worry was whether or not he would finally come to his senses and see that she really was the one for him. That is until she is kidnapped and recruited by a secret agency of assassins. She is torn away from her normal teenage life and thrown into a world of guns, knifes and criminals. The agency mold her into the perfect killing machine, and at 19 she is no longer the shy girl that was snatched away from her uncomplicated life, but a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to complete whatever mission she is on. Then, the agency has a new mission which involves Faith returning to her hometown, and facing her friends, family and the very boy who broke her heart just before it turned into stone. What will happen once Faith comes face to face with Jace? Will the obnoxious player be able to reach out and get the old Faith back without pressing any of her wrong buttons, considering that the shy girl he once knew now has a gun. (WATTY AWARDS 2011) (THE FICTION AWARDS 2017) ©makeandoffer