"What's my name?" "Daddy."

After a late night fight between Alex Summers and her ex goes terribly wrong, her parents ship her off to spend a stress-free summer in Los Angeles. But the second she steps off the plane, Alex stumbles into California bad boy Elias King, a too-hot-to-handle heartbreaker with a taste for trouble. ***** When Alex and Elias find themselves stuck living under the same roof, their sexual tension's undeniable, but their differences set them on a warpath to destroy each other. Elias bets he can steal her heart and seduce her in thirty days, while Alex swears she can keep him one-night-stand-free and have him sober by the end of the summer. All's fair in love and war if you're playing by the rules, but this time around, there are no limits. [[Audiobook now published by Hachette Audio/Hachette Book Group]] Content and trigger warning: This story depicts mental health issues, trauma, bullying, suicide, and violence. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren T

{UNPUBLISHED FOR EDITING & REWRITING.} Her father tells her she's worthless, but she doesn't know what she did to deserve this. She's fierce and strong as a street fighter, but when she's home, she's nothing more than a mute frozen in fear. Because of her father, she's been mute for over ten years. Damien King, leader of the Serpents; he's dangerous but never to her. She may seem fine, but she's nowhere near it. She's broken, constantly hearing her father's voice screaming in her head, but she remains silent. Two years ago, Damien made a choice. Whether it's in reality or his nightmares, it's a choice that'll always haunt him. When he's around, danger follows, but when she's around, darkness does. What will happen? How will it end? Will she let him in, or will he break her more than she's ever been broken? Just because she's silent doesn't mean she's innocent. Warning ⚠️: Mature Themes. {Highest Rank: #1 In Teen Fiction | #3 In Action} *** "I'm not mad at you," he whispered, "for keeping it a secret. I know you have secrets, secrets you don't want anyone to know, besides Zach. I just kept thinking...maybe if you trusted me, you would have told me. I just wish you trusted me to know those secrets." He turned his head to the right, away from me, and looked at the waves. You're worthless! This is why she left...because of you! My father's words tried reaching me again, but I pushed them out, only hearing my thoughts and Zach's. Baby steps. Trust him, Mae. Trust yourself. "I do trust you," I whispered. He turned his head so fast and looked at me with his mouth open and his eyes wide. That was the first time I spoke to anyone that wasn't my brother or my father in over ten years. And it felt so right.