I hated fire. I hated how the smoke wrapped around my naked body, stinging my skin with defiant embers. I hated the smell of burnt flesh, the ashes heavy on my tongue, my charred soul like splinters deep in my chest. She's dead, Juliet. There's nothing else you can do- Dragging my bleeding feet across the concrete, I walked toward the flames. Heat licked at my cheeks. Sirens off in the distance cursed my ears. Dead, dead, dead. All of this started because I made a choice-because I fell in love, because I was a lonely girl clinging to dangerous men. She was dead because of them.
There are three rules for being best friends with a mafia princess: 1. Don't ask any personal questions. 2. Don't show up at her house unannounced. 3. Don't ever ever let anyone know you're friends. For three years, I followed the rules. Vicky and I met once a week at the diner where I worked. I was her slice of normalcy; she was the one person I could confide in. It might have been unconventional, but it worked for us. One night, all hell broke loose, and I got caught up in a battle of bloodshed where we almost lost our lives. I ended up face to face with Vicky's dangerous older brothers: Anthony, William, and Nicholas Civella-the made men of the Kansas City Mob. After fighting for my life and proving myself worthy, they brought me into their deadly world. It was glamorous but twisted. Torture, death, and crime followed me everywhere I went, chiseling away at parts of me until I wasn't the same anymore. Slowly, I betrayed my best friend and fell in love. Chances are they'll ruin me. This thing between us has deadly consequences. But in this criminal world, I'm learning that the rules don't apply when you're the boss.
Summer Bright is just a name on a tombstone. A whispered mystery on the long-forgotten Woodbury Lane. Her ghost teases me with fear and perfection. She knows IÄôm not strong enough to do what I shouldÄôve done years ago. The Bullets are united once more, bonded by their demand for blood. ThereÄôs a vulnerability in their friendship though. Gavriel craves control. Blaise fears losing me. Ryker fights his guilt. CallumÄôs moral compass will get us killed. Chesterbrook may be where the old me died, but itÄôs also where I learned that hell isnÄôt a place: itÄôs a person. And if we arenÄôt careful, our plan for revenge could go up in smoke.
Sunshine. It’s a nickname I haven’t heard since I lived on Woodbury Lane, where the houses were pretty…but the secrets? Deadly. It was a pet name known only to the Bullets. Rough, violent, and ruthless, they laid claim to the town—and my heart. I wasn't supposed to fall for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks—especially not four of them. But they were the only ones who understood that sometimes hell hides in plain sight. I was the girl with all the conveniences a privileged upbringing could provide. The world only saw two loving parents and a pristine home life, but I knew the truth. And it was going to get me killed. So I disappeared from everyone and everything I’d ever known. I changed my name and my appearance, but the scars I carry, they’re still the same. The Bullets are all grown up now too—a crime boss, a pro fighter, a bounty hunter, and a federal agent. Life took them in different directions, but they once shared the bonds of a brotherhood forged under the harshest conditions. Together, they were fearless. Brutal. Unstoppable. I'm praying they can find that unity again. If I'm going to survive this, it'll take everything they have. Because that's the thing about running from the past. It catches up with you eventually.
Sunshine. ItÄôs a nickname I havenÄôt heard since I lived on Woodbury Lane, where the houses were prettyĶbut the secrets? Deadly. It was a pet name known only to the Bullets. Rough, violent, and ruthless, they laid claim to the townÄîand my heart. I wasn't supposed to fall for a boy from the wrong side of the tracksÄîespecially not four of them. But they were the only ones who understood that sometimes hell hides in plain sight. I was the girl with all the conveniences a privileged upbringing could provide. The world only saw two loving parents and a pristine home life, but I knew the truth. And it was going to get me killed. So I disappeared from everyone and everything IÄôd ever known. I changed my name and my appearance, but the scars I carry, theyÄôre still the same. The Bullets are all grown up now tooÄîa crime boss, a pro fighter, a bounty hunter, and a federal agent. Life took them in different directions, but they once shared the bonds of a brotherhood forged under the harshest conditions. Together, they were fearless. Brutal. Unstoppable. I'm praying they can find that unity again. If I'm going to survive this, it'll take everything they have. Because that's the thing about running from the past. It catches up with you eventually.
It's been a month since Josiah took what was left of our dying relationship and extinguished its embers. Making my home in Dormas, I'm finding my true self. I've settled into my job at the Bakery, and when I'm not avoiding Jules, I'm stealing moments with Maverick, Cyler, Jacob, Huxley, Patrick, and Kemper.
I don't fool myself into thinking that my desire for all of them is something I'm worthy of, but every time I gladly settle for just friendship, they pull me closer, making me want them all the more.
Even though life in Dormas brings its sweetness, danger always seems a heartbeat away. Trade deals, alliances, and unexpected friends are keeping us busy. If it's not the latest increase in X infected Scavengers, it's Emperor Lackley's unpredictable machinations to unleash an evil that will threaten not just the people I love, but us all.
One thing I know for sure-I won't let that happen without a fight.
Contains mature themes.
Josiah Stonewell dug his hands into the filthiest parts of my soul and molded a perfect little Walker. I don't know the exact moment I fell in love with him, but I do know that if anyone found out about our lingering stares, it would end his political career.
Josiah's unexpected engagement has me squinting down the barrel of heartbreak, and to make matters worse; I find myself traded to Cyler Black and his leadership council in a distant Providence.
Soon, Cyler and his team of passionate leaders start to feel like family, and I'm promised freedoms I never imagined were possible; But Josiah's not through with me yet, and war is on the horizon. Can I find happiness in my new home? Or will Josiah finally choose me?
Contains mature themes.
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