Introduction
Sheriff Jake Morrison doesn't trust the beautiful city woman with too many secrets and a fake identity. But when bodies start dropping and Grace becomes the target, Jake realizes she's not the threat—she's the key to stopping a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of his town.
As Grace transforms from terrified witness to fierce fighter, she and Jake must navigate deadly games of cat and mouse while fighting an attraction that could get them both killed. Because in Cedar Falls, trust is a luxury they can't afford, and love might be the deadliest secret of all.
Chapter 1
I should have known my life was about to change forever when I walked into Marcus Webb's office and found him standing over a dead body with blood on his hands.
My name is Grace Parker, and six months ago, I was a successful forensic accountant in Chicago with a corner office, a luxury apartment, and a life that made perfect sense. Now I'm sitting in a diner in Cedar Falls, Montana, population 2,847, trying to remember to answer to the name Emma Davis while my hands shake around a coffee cup.
The coffee tastes like it was brewed sometime last week, but I keep drinking it because it gives me something to do with my trembling fingers. Outside the window, Main Street looks like something from a postcard: a hardware store with rocking chairs on the porch, and pickup trucks parked at angles that would get you towed in Chicago.
Everything here is the opposite of my real life, which I guess is the point.
"You okay, hon?" The waitress, whose name tag reads 'Betty,' refills my cup without being asked. She's maybe sixty, with kind eyes and graying hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. "You look a little peaked."
"Just tired from the drive," I lie, forcing a smile. "Long way from Denver."
That's my story. Emma Davis, a freelance bookkeeper from Denver, is looking for a quiet place to start over after a bad breakup. It's simple, believable, and completely fabricated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
The bell above the diner door chimes, and I automatically tense, my eyes darting toward the exit. A tall man in a sheriff's uniform walks in, and I feel my breath catch. He's maybe thirty-five, with dark hair and the kind of solid build that speaks of physical work rather than gym visits. When his eyes scan the diner and land on me, I see intelligence there, and suspicion.
This must be Sheriff Jake Morrison. Marshal Bradley had mentioned him during my briefing. "Local law enforcement," he'd said. "Straight arrow, been sheriff for eight years. Won't give you any trouble as long as you keep your head down."
Jake approaches my table with a casual stride that doesn't fool me for a second. Everything about him screams alert predator, from his observant eyes to the way his hand rests near his weapon.
"Afternoon," he says, stopping beside my booth. "I'm Sheriff Morrison. You must be the new resident I heard about."
"Emma Davis." I extend my hand, hoping he doesn't notice the slight tremor. "Nice to meet you."
His handshake is firm, calloused, and lasts exactly long enough to be polite. "Welcome to Cedar Falls. Is Betty taking good care of you?"
"The best," I say, glancing at the waitress, who beams at the compliment.
"Good. Mind if I sit for a minute?" Without waiting for my answer, he slides into the opposite side of the booth. "I like to meet new folks personally. Small town habit."
I nod, though every instinct is screaming at me to run. This is exactly what Marshal Bradley warned me about—drawing attention, making people curious.
"So, Denver," Jake says, settling back in his seat. "What brings you to our little corner of Montana?"
"Change of scenery. I do bookkeeping, mostly freelance work online. Figured I could do that anywhere, and the rent prices here are certainly better than the city."
"That they are. You found a place yet?"
"The apartment above Murphy's Hardware. Mr. Murphy seems nice."
"Old Tom's good people. Been in business here since before I was born." Jake's eyes never leave my face. "Bookkeeping, huh? Must be interesting work."
"Not really. Numbers are pretty predictable. They don't lie or surprise you."
The moment the words leave my mouth, I realize my mistake. I sound bitter, traumatized. Emma Davis from Denver wouldn't sound like that. Grace Parker, who watched her boss murder someone and barely escaped with her life, would.
Jake notices. His eyes sharpen slightly, though his casual posture doesn't change. "Sounds like you've had some experience with people who do lie and surprise you."
"Bad breakup," I say quickly. "You know how it is."
"Actually, I do." Something shifts in his expression, becoming more human and less cop. "Divorced myself, few years back. Sometimes a fresh start is exactly what you need."
I feel an unexpected flutter of connection, which is dangerous. I can't afford to feel anything for anyone, especially not the local sheriff who's suspicious of my story.
"Well," I say, reaching for my purse, "I should probably get going. Still have unpacking to do."
"Of course. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. Cedar Falls takes care of its own."
There's something in the way he says it that makes me think he means it. In Chicago, I was just another apartment number, another face in the crowd. Here, apparently, being a neighbor means something.
I pay my check and head for the door, acutely aware that Jake is watching my every move. Outside, the mountain air is crisp and clean, so different from the city smog I'm used to. For just a moment, I allow myself to imagine this could actually work. Maybe I could be Emma Davis. Maybe I could have a quiet life in a small town where the biggest excitement is the high school football games.
Then my phone buzzes with a text from an unknown number:
We know where you are, Grace. You can't hide forever.
My blood race. I look around frantically, but Main Street is nearly empty except for an elderly man walking his dog and a woman loading groceries into a minivan. No sign of immediate threat, but that doesn't mean anything. Marcus Webb has resources, connections, and apparently, he's found me despite the marshals' promises.
I hurry toward my apartment, keys ready, checking every shadow and doorway. Behind me, I hear the diner door chime again, and I risk a glance back to see Jake Morrison standing on the sidewalk, his hand shading his eyes as he watches me practically run down the street.
He knows something's wrong. The question is whether that makes him a potential ally or just another threat I'll have to navigate.
Either way, my quiet life in Cedar Falls just got a lot more complicated.
Last Chapters
#30 Chapter 30: Lines Drawn
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#29 Chapter 29: Personal Stakes
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#28 Chapter 28: Escalation
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#27 Chapter 27: Battle Lines
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#26 Chapter 26: Pressure Points
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#25 Chapter 25: Community Concerns
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#24 Chapter 24: Digging Deeper
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#23 Chapter 23: Unwelcome Returns
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#22 Chapter 22: Team Development
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#21 Chapter 21: New Challenges
Last Updated: 1/27/2026
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I didn't tell him to stop.
Instead, my fingers curled into his shirt, clutching the fabric as though it was my only anchor. Something in him snapped—something he had been holding back for too long. His mouth found mine in a kiss that wasn't tender, but hungry, desperate.
I gasped into him, his hand sliding up to cup my jaw, holding me as if afraid I might vanish.
"You drive me insane," he breathed against my mouth, his lips trailing to my throat. "I can't lose you, Ella. Not you."
My head fell back, a soft sound escaping me as his fingers memorized my waist. My anger melted beneath his desperation.
"James..." I whispered, more plea than protest.
His hand caught mine, fingers threading together tightly. "I'll bring him back. I swear it. Just... don't turn away from me. Please."
The word please—low, ragged, almost broken—undid me more than anything else could have.
Ella never imagined she would marry the man she had secretly loved for years in such a way.
When her brother Theo faced twenty-five years in prison for massive embezzlement, the ruthless business tycoon James Lancaster offered her a deal: marry him in exchange for her brother's freedom.
This wasn't a fairy tale proposal, but a carefully orchestrated revenge. Because in James's heart, Ella was the culprit who had killed his sister Cecilia. He wanted her to pay the price—to atone with a lifetime of suffering.
The Game of Claiming
A drunken bet becomes their private game: win the maid.
The rules?
Don’t let the others know you’re falling for her.
And never, ever let her leave.
But each brother plays differently—
The eldest buys her obedience.
The second steals her breath.
The third corners her in the dark.
The youngest ruins anyone who touches her.
Lila isn’t sure if she’s a player in their game… or the prize they’ll destroy each other to claim
Vengeance of the Forsaken Luna
"Bella." Ethan's tone shifted, taking on that warning edge I knew too well. "Faye is vulnerable right now. She's terrified you'll resent her, that this will divide the pack. The last thing she wants is for this baby to come between us."
"Then you shouldn't have done it." I met his eyes squarely, letting him see the ice in mine. "Go back to your son."
"For fuck's sake." He dragged a hand through his hair. "How many times—it was artificial insemination. They used my sperm, yes, but Faye and I never—"
Bella let out a cold snort. Such brazen lies. Her mate had an affair with his brother's partner, and his entire family helped force her out with nothing, all to make way for the mistress to take her rightful position. Poor fool—he thought she was just an unwanted adopted daughter, easy to dismiss and control. He never knew the computer genius he'd been searching for was his own Luna.
Since he'd tainted himself, Bella was done. She rejected him and reclaimed what was hers, rising to the top with help from Victor, who'd been secretly in love with her for years.
When Ethan tried winning her back: "You don't want our child growing up fatherless."
Bella smiled mockingly. "The child's father isn't you."
Rise of the Banished She-Wolf
That roar stole my eighteenth birthday and shattered my world. My first shift should have been glory—blood turned blessing into shame. By dawn they'd branded me "cursed": cast out by my pack, abandoned by family, stripped of my nature. My father didn't defend me—he sent me to a forsaken island where wolfless outcasts were forged into weapons, forced to kill each other until only one could leave.
On that island I learned the darkest edges of humanity and how to bury terror in bone. Countless times I wanted to surrender—dive into the waves and never surface—but the accusing faces that haunted my dreams pushed me back toward something colder than survival: revenge. I escaped, and for three years I hid among humans, collecting secrets, learning to move like a shadow, sharpening patience into precision—becoming a blade.
Then, under a full moon, I touched a bleeding stranger—and my wolf returned with a violence that made me whole. Who was he? Why could he wake what I'd thought dead?
One thing I know: now is the time.
I have waited three years for this. I will make everyone who destroyed me pay—and take back everything that was stolen from me.
A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)
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Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate.
A Queen Among Tides is the 5th book in the Queen Among Series/The Gods' Saga. This is an interconnected series. To see how it ends, I recommend reading the full series.
Books in the series order:
A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1
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A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2
A Queen Among Blood - Book 3
A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4
Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Tides - Book 5
Valor, Virtue, and Verve - Tides Prequel Spin-off (will be available under book 5)
A Queen Among Gods - Book 6
Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel (will be available under book 2)
A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7
Dark Vocation - Darkness spin-off (will be available under book 4)
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Royal Shadow Series (Next Gen Coming Soon)
The mafia princess return
The Hunter and The Hunted
Mihai’s hand slowly slides up my stomach, his fingers wrapping around my neck as he cuts of my ability to breathe, black spots clouding my vision, and yet, I am not afraid. I want more. I want everything that he can give to me.
He slowly inserts a third finger, the intense fullness that I feel teetering me over the edge of a cliff I cannot even see, and then he sucks and pulls at my clit. Sparks erupt throughout my body, the orgasm shaking my soul, and destroying what was left of my resistance.
She was the Daughter of a Hunter, he was one of the creatures that her family had sworn to destroy, what could possibly go wrong?
When their worlds collide, who will be left standing, will it be the hunter or the hunted, and which is which?
Glimmerdrop: The Crownwake Series
"This is your last chance to push me away."
At the fiercely hierarchical Haldorian Academy, magic-less commoner Hettie just wants to remain invisible. But Zadok, the academy's most untouchable elite, backs her into a corner she can't escape.
His fatal obsession sparks ruthless revenge: Dana, a high-tier wind mystic, turns paper into deadly blades during combat class, nearly blinding and disfiguring Hettie in a bloody attack .
The massive class divide and brutal bullying force Hettie to draw a line, demanding their romance be kept strictly underground .
That forever unattainable golden boy pinned her against the tree trunk, his scalding and aggressive kiss accompanied by a hopeless surrender: "You're going to be my doom ."
Worse still, Hettie discovers her parents’ dark secrets are dragging her into a deadly conspiracy of betrayal . Survival clashes with forbidden desire. In this deadly, cross-class temptation, whoever gives in first is doomed!
HER ALPHA, HER SAVIOUR
Kane Hellboud, charm and wealth personified, wanted only me in exchange for her treatment. No cameras, isolation, or noose-like rules were part of the deal. Behind his smile? Cold, violent possessiveness that destroyed our fake marriage.
Most of all, I didn’t know the supernatural walked among us, hiding in the cracks of ordinary life. Not until Abel Stone stepped into mine—dark-eyed, sharp-tongued, and oozing dangerous promises. He’s my new boss. He shouldn’t make my skin tingle or my pulse race. I shouldn’t feel this primal pull, this illogical recognition that tugs at something deep in my bones.
Around him, lights burst, electronics fry, and something ancient in me awakens.
Kane feels it. His grip tightens, punishments turn brutal, and he hides the truth of what I am.
Trapped between two powerful men, I’m no prey, no pawn—no helpless victim.
Prisons burn. Monsters bleed. As for me? I'm the storm in skin—deadly beyond suspicion.
Bound by Fate, Freed by Choice
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As a dangerous attraction simmers between Lyla and Rowan, they begin to unravel a dark web of secrets that implicates Kaiden and threatens both their worlds.
With her hidden power awakening, Lyla must navigate treacherous loyalties, face the alpha who shattered her, and decide: Will she follow the destiny fate forced upon her, or claim the love and strength she has chosen for herself?
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother
"What is wrong with me?
Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?
It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.
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This is Tyler’s family.
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**
As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.
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I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.
**
I hate girls like her.
Entitled.
Delicate.
And still—
Still.
The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.
Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.
I shouldn’t care.
I don’t care.
It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.
It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.
I’m not here to rescue anyone.
Especially not her.
Especially not someone like her.
She’s not my problem.
And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.
But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
Bound By Power, Torn By Love
She regards him as her only salvation, but he regards her as a pawn for revenge. When two enemies dance on the sharp knife, what will be the final outcome?













