Introduction
But what David doesn't know is the Killer operates with a chilling, personal vendetta. Driven by a past steeped in unimaginable abuse and betrayal by the very elite David pursues, the Killer has meticulously orchestrated every death and every one of David's spiraling breakdowns. With calculated precision, they slip unseen through the city's surveillance, delivering a single, precise stab to the heart of their victims, who never see their end coming. Every move is a calculated chess piece, guiding David closer to a truth he's not prepared for.
As David’s mind crumbles under the weight of the invisible forces at play, the ultimate deception comes to light. He is forced to confront a horrifying reality that shatters his world, leading to his public descent into madness. Committed to a mental asylum, David's breakdown is publicly attributed to the very case the Killer so carefully orchestrated, making him a tragic hero and burying the true identity of his tormentor deeper than ever.
Now, with the Killer's mission complete and the city's corruption finally forced into the light, a new, quieter form of justice begins to take hold. The Killer vanishes, becoming a ghost once more, while Newport City starts to heal. But as a new normal settles, the cost of vengeance, and the chilling secret lingers in the shadows.
Chapter 1
Gracie
The hum of fluorescent light in my office at Northwood Elementary was usually pretty constant, like the low buzz of a fridge you barely noticed until it stopped. Today, though, it felt louder, pushing against the quiet that always settled in after the kids left. Sun was slanting through the blinds, painting these dusty stripes across the carpet where I sat. Just another Tuesday wrapping up, another pile of files waiting, another kid's mess of a world trying to untangle itself.
Leo was here in here earlier. Ten years old, but his eyes told a story twice that long. You know, that look some kids get when they’ve seen too much? He was clutching this crumpled drawing, a house with smoke pouring out the windows. Not chimney smoke. This was the dark, angry kind, like something was burning inside. He mumbled about his stepdad, his voice barely a whisper, with a little shake in it. He looked tiny in the big chair, like a bird about to fly off if you looked at it wrong. I just listened, nodded, kept my face soft. Said the usual stuff, the soothing words, the promise of safety. It's my job. It’s what they need to hear.
"It's okay, Leo," I remember saying, keeping my voice low and calm. "You're safe here. We're gonna make sure you stay safe."
He looked up, and for a second, there was this tiny spark, like maybe he actually believed me. Hope. It's a fragile thing, right? Easy to stomp out. I know that better than anyone. After he left, clutching a new drawing of some superhero, I just leaned back. The hum felt normal again. But the stuff he said, the small, casual cruelties he mentioned, the way some grown-ups just throw their weight around like it’s nothing—that stuff just stuck with you. It was the same old song, played out on different stages, different faces. Kids, women, anyone who couldn't fight back.
My job here, helping these kids, it feels right. Like I’m actually doing some good, giving them a place to land. It’s a good feeling.
Later that day, as I drove across town, the air was still thick with that summer humidity that just won’t quit. City lights smeared into blurry lines. The Women's Hope Shelter showed up, its windows glowing soft and yellow. It’s a quiet street, tucked away, a place where people come when they have got nowhere else to go. Here, the stories are different in the details, but the fear’s always the same. Women, some with little ones glued to their legs, running from the same kind of men Leo was talking about.
My shift tonight was intake. The first one in was Sarah. Her face was messed up, bad bruises, eyes puffed up from crying. She whispered about her husband. Said he’d “lost his temper” again. This guy was supposed to be a big shot, a respected real estate man, shook hands with everyone, gave money to charities. But behind closed doors? He was a monster. The way she told it, it was the usual stuff: controlling every move, cutting her off from friends, then the sudden blow-ups. I just sat there, taking notes, gave her a warm cup of tea, walked her through the papers. My hand was steady, my voice calm, just like always.
"He said he'd find me," she whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "Said he'd make me pay."
I looked right at her, putting all the warmth I had into my eyes. "He won't find you here, Sarah. You're safe. We'll help you. We'll make sure he can't hurt you or your kids ever again."
I meant it. For her, the shelter was a start. A safe spot, at least for now. For guys like her husband, well, they had a different kind of ending coming. The thought felt… clean. Like washing away something dirty.
Then Maria came in. Her story made Sarah’s sound almost tame. Her ex-partner, A guy she met online, had been secretly filming her, sharing the videos. Threatened to post more if she didn’t do what he wanted. She’d gone to the cops, she said, and they told her it was a "civil matter," like they couldn’t do anything without more proof. Her desperation was raw, like an open wound. You could just feel it. It hit differently. Another name, another man who thought he was untouchable.
When my shift was over, the air had finally cooled down a little. Walking to my car, the city sounds seemed far away, muffled. The world felt… clearer. Leo, Sarah, Maria – their faces floated in my head, mixed with the faces of the men who’d done them wrong. It was a gallery, a collection of brokenness. Northwood was a city of good but also evil and I knew that evil more than anyone else.
I thought about David. He’d be home by now, probably still hunched over some case file, ordering takeout because he forgot to eat. He’s a good man, David. Dedicated. Believes in the law, in doing things by the book. I used to be like that, a long time ago. Before the world showed me how messy things really were. He’s kind, Always listening. We met in the most natural way a school counselor and a detective could ever meet.
I first bumped into David at one of the schools many "awareness day" they used to have, a total scene with kids running everywhere and booths set up. I was over at my charity's table, A n organization to helping out kids, trying to explain what we did to anyone who'd listen. David was a detective back then, still kind of new to the job, chilling at the police booth talking about staying safe in the neighborhood. Honestly, I didn't even notice him much at first, just another guy in uniform. But then, during a quiet minute, our eyes just kind of locked across the room. It was like the whole noisy place faded out for a second.
We ended up chatting when things slowed down. Just small talk at first, about the event and stuff, but it got easy real fast, like we just got each other. He was super genuine, and you could tell he really cared about his work, not just punching in to be there because he had to but, because he wanted to be there. And he actually listened when I talked, which was rare. I, on the other hand, was totally drawn to how steady and strong he seemed, but also really kind. There was just this undeniable spark between us, like we were on the same wavelength. So, when the day was winding down, and everyone was packing up their stuff, we swapped numbers. Simple as that. Never thought that little piece of paper would lead to... everything.
We dated for a while almost a year before we moved in together, my apartment had suddenly felt like home after he came and that’s where we were now. We didn’t want marriage, and both agreed that we were happy that way and that’s the way we have been ever since.
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George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
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Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.
When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.
"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"
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Omega Bound
Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life.
Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Accardi
“I thought you said you were done chasing me?” Gen mocked.
“I am done chasing you.”
Before she could formulate a witty remark, Matteo threw her down. She landed hard on her back atop his dining room table. She tried to sit up when she noticed what he was doing. His hands were working on his belt. It came free of his pants with a violent yank. She collapsed back on her elbows, her mouth gaping open at the display. His face was a mask of sheer determination, his eyes were a dark gold swimming with heat and desire. His hands wrapped around her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the table. He glided his fingers up her thighs and hooked several around the inside of her panties. His knuckles brushed her dripping sex.
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“You…” she breathed.
Genevieve loses a bet she can’t afford to pay. In a compromise, she agrees to convince any man her opponent chooses to go home with her that night. What she doesn’t realize when her sister’s friend points out the brooding man sitting alone at the bar, is that man won’t be okay with just one night with her. No, Matteo Accardi, Don of one of the largest gangs in New York City doesn’t do one night stands. Not with her anyway.
The Biker's Fate
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Dani," he pressed. "Do you get me?"
"No, Austin, I don't," I admitted as I pulled my robe closed again and sat up. "You confuse me."
He dragged his hands down his face. "Tell me what's on your mind."
I sighed. "You're everything my parents warned me against. You're secretive, but you're also honest. I feel wholly protected by you, but then you scare me more than anyone I've ever known. You're a bad boy, but when I dated a so-called good one, he turned out to be the devil, so, yeah, I don't get you because you're not what I expected. You drive me crazier than anyone I've ever met, but then you make me feel complete. I'm feeling things I don't quite know how to process and that makes me want to run. I don't want to give up something that might be really, really good, but I also don't want to be stupid and fall for a boy just because he's super pretty and makes me come."
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Although Austin 'Booker' Carver is enamored by the innocent Dani, he tries to keep the police chief's daughter at arm's length. But when a threat is made from an unexpected source, he finds himself falling hard and fast for the only woman who can tame his wild heart.
Will Booker be able to find the source of the threat before it's too late?
Will Dani finally give her heart to a man who's everything she's been warned about?
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Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
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I didn't expect the twin brothers who'd bullied me at school to come charging in like gods to save me.
After my grandmother passed, I had to move in with my mom and stepdad, who treated me like a servant. I prayed every day for my 18th birthday to come, so l could leave and escape this broken home.
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I fall forward onto the bed then turn around to stare at him. The dark tattoos of Domonic's chiseled shoulders, quiver and and expand with the heave of his chest. His deep dimpled smile is full of arrogance as he reaches behind himself to lock the door.
Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.
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"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?
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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 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.













