they were best friends, then they weren't. They were enemies, then they weren't. They were lovers, then they [...] This story is a love story between two friends who reconnect in college after a big falling out, but when they reconnect their friendship takes an unexpected turn.

After twelve years behind bars, Iman has learned to feel nothing. With only six months left on his sentence, the last thing he expects is a new cell mate who forces him to confront everything he buried for so long.

Shannon Cole has always survived by noticing what others miss. Numbers stick. Faces linger. Conversations don't fade. In the hood, that kind of mind doesn't stay unnoticed-it gets used. Shannon has become a quiet resource, passed between crews whenever something needs remembering, calculating, or confirming. He tells himself it's temporary. Just helping. Just staying afloat. Until everyone wants him. As gangs begin circling closer, access to Shannon turns into competition-and then into risk. Because when too many people want what you know, someone eventually decides you're too valuable to share. Tiger Laurent doesn't compete. He decides. Tiger runs things with calm precision, and when he claims Shannon, it isn't curiosity-it's control. Pulled out of circulation and placed under Tiger's watch, Shannon finds himself safer than he's ever been-and more trapped than he imagined possible. Protection blurs into possession. Use starts to feel permanent. And the more indispensable Shannon becomes, the harder it is to tell whether he's being kept alive... or quietly erased.

"𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙡 𝙚𝙢𝙤 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙖," he joked. "𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙖," I said smiling. Andrew and Zachariah were total opposites. Zachariah raw, savvy, unapologetic, he came 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮. and Andrew? melancholic, misunderstood, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩. They didn't run in the same circles at all-one had the "𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙥 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮", the other was more of 𝙖 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮. yet in some odd universe, in this odd universe, they clicked. Like, really clicked. It didn't make sense to a lot of people, but to them? It just felt right.

Zymir has loved Israel longer than he'll ever admit. He never yells at him. Never stays mad. Never lets him get hurt. But what happens when the streets catch up, secrets spill, and love can't stay unspoken forever.

"I'm not bout' to complicate yo life baby, you don't want this." "Elijah, you don't get to choose what I want to do with my life !"

Dontavius has been in love with Diamond since they were kids. When they were 23 and 22 respectively and finally began exploring a relationship together, Dontavius thought he finally had everything he'd ever wanted. But when Diamond ended up cheating and coming out of it with a baby, Dontavius realized that the love of his life didn't love him as much as he does. Diamond claims to love Dontavius, but even three years after making his son, he still can't bring himself to stay faithful to his boyfriend, even when the looming threat of Dontavius leaving him becomes apparent. Neither of them expects a bright eyed, Spanish speaking young man named Raymonte to approach Dontavius and suddenly start fighting for his heart and showing him the love he should've been getting the whole time while Dontavius continues to fight for his shattered relationship. Dontavius has the choice of staying with Diamond and letting him continue to hurt him, or giving Raymonte a chance to show him a better life.

"Explain to me why this not right baby, please." "Nyzir I'm not suppose to feel this way about you."

"Let me get yo' number." I said and he looked back at me with surprise. "Why? You gay?" He asked and I laughed. "Nigga, you my new studio person. I want to stay in contact," I explained and he nodded. "Oh. Cause I could've sworn you were flirtin' wit' me." He muttered and I grinned. "Don't take it to heart, I jus' be bored," I said and he typed in his number. "Well, don't joke wit' me cause I'm really like that." We made eye contact again and a smirk gifted my lips. "Mm," I licked my lips and he bit his. "Bye Tariq. I'll save your number as asshole." He went back to his computer. "And I'll save yours as big ass," he laughed. "See, you provin' my point. Bye." He waved good-bye at me. Asshole: Goodnight ____ It's a lil lame ik buttt Read to find out more !😝😙 Trigger warnings inside the book

"You're crazy" "Yea, about you" Follow the journey of Mire and Craze.