The Ties That Bind (RITS Book 2)

Brielle Barksdale thought leaving Baltimore would give her a fresh start, but some ties can't be cut so easily. Forced to return home with a secret that could change everything, she finds herself caught between the life she wants and the one she can't escape. With Avon pulling strings from behind bars and the weight of motherhood looming over her, she must decide how far she's willing to go to protect herself and those she loves.

Meanwhile, Michael struggles to bury his past, but guilt and the pull of the streets won't let him rest. As Kayla tightens her grip on him, his loyalty to Brielle is tested in ways he never expected. Namond fights to stay on the straight path, but his mother is determined to drag him into the world his father left behind. Randy tries to find his place among his friends again, while Donut spirals without Brielle's guidance. Dukie is at a crossroads. Everyone else is caught up in their own battles, leaving him to fend for himself. The streets don't want him, school doesn't fit him, and the people who used to look out for him are too busy fighting their own demons. With nowhere else to turn, he finds himself slipping down a path that's all too familiar-the same one that destroyed his parents. And all the while, the streets are watching, waiting for their next move.

With old wounds still fresh and new threats emerging, the group's bond is tested like never before. In a city where loyalty can be a lifeline or a death sentence, they'll have to decide what-and who-is worth holding onto.

The Ties That Bind is a gripping sequel about love, loyalty, and the choices that define us when survival is the only option.