Best Of Elmore Leonard

“Sofia, you're really going through a lot. I wish I could help you out” Lisa said, “That man, he deserves to die!” she pulled Sofia in for a warm embrace. They pulled out smiling at each other.  Sofia sniffed her nose and stood up, heading for her bag laying on top of the mini cupboard. "He gave me a check afterwards," Sofia said. Lisa was bewildered, shocked as hell. “How much?” "Two hundred thousand. He even sent a letter last night, saying I was doing very little paying off the debts.I truly want to pay off this stupid debt, quit this job and have my life back"  Sofia explained with a frown. "What?” Lisa exclaimed. “I am so speechless Sofia. You mean he paid that huge amount of money to you? Wow. Some guts he has there. Did you accept it?”  “No, I rejected it. Two hundred thousand can't restore my dignity. I was ashamed of myself tonight”. “But, how do you intend to pay the rest of the debts?” Lisa asked with concern in her voice. “Sofia, I'm scared for you” Sofia dreaded that thought. Thoughts of how she would raise enough money to clear the debts.  The man she met had this ominous, dangerous aura around him. She silently prayed she  would complete his payment so she could finally get her life back. Sofia's peaceful life became chaotic, the moment her mother was unable to pay the debts she owed the Mafia Lord before she died. She was forced to do his biddings. He was cold and ruthless. She fell in love with him. Now she must navigate a world of danger and deception. But can their love survive the secrets and lies that surround them?

Happily married for 2 years, I thought all his grumpiness lately was only temporary. Maybe not the richest man, but he definitely puts his work as his priority, and I want to support him with all I have. I gave all the millions of dollars of my family wealth to him to build up his company, and didn't regret that. I love him. All I wanted was a family with him, a child for me to focus my attention on. But he often says he doesn't want a child before his career is stable. I understand, and I am willing to wait, until last night-- I found out that I had adopted his mistress's child thinking he was mine. On the day of our anniversary, I received a message from an unknown number. It's a picture of him with a woman in bed. And the text reads: he has been mine from the beginning. Three days later when he comes to the house that he shared with me in the past two years for one last time, he sees the divorce paper I left him, together with the necklace he gave the girl who saved him ten years ago! Pain and regret burst out in his chest, but this time he couldn’t find me anywhere. Five years later I came back to Arizona with beautiful quadruplets who have resemblance to the most powerful Alpha King in the world, but there's a problem: he isn't ready to let me go even though he's damaged and causes me nothing but pain.

I live alone. At eleven o'clock on a rainy night, an unexpected call came through. The voice on the other end said my car window was left open and urged me to go downstairs. Cautious as a woman should be, I didn't act rashly. Instead, I called the property security office, only to discover that even the security was fake. It hit me suddenly—I was ensnared in a vast conspiracy. Someone was orchestrating all of this. But for what purpose?

After being reborn, the first thing my cousin and I did was switch grooms. In our previous lives, we had gotten married on the same day. She, gentle and composed by nature, became the wife of Blake Malcolm, the aloof naval commander. On their wedding anniversary, Blake skipped the occasion to celebrate his childhood friend's birthday. My cousin had only wanted an explanation, but Blake claimed his conscience was clear. They fell into a silence that lasted fifty years. And me? With my temper—quick to fight, never one for patience—I had married an accountant from the machinery plant's compound. The accountant was soft-spoken, forever complaining about how loud I was, and how little I cared about appearances. We fought every three days, major arguments every five. Eventually, he stopped coming home. Less than a year into the marriage, we divorced. Then one day, my cousin and I opened our eyes and found ourselves young again—and it was the day we were to marry. Again.

To "fix" Leonard Rinehart's oh-so-tragic depression, Naomi Gaffron—yeah, the same girl who once swore she'd only ever marry me—secretly tied the knot with him. So I gave in. Played along with the family's little matchmaking stunt. Married Aurelia Spencer—Brieton City's golden girl who'd been obsessed with me since forever. For seven years, she clung to me like I was oxygen. Every night, curled up like she'd break if I moved. I thought that was happiness. Then one night, I caught her whispering to her best friend: "Leonard's already got international awards. When are you dumping Leone?" "Whatever—I'm stuck with someone I don't love anyway. Doesn't matter who I married. Someone's gotta keep an eye on Leone so he doesn't screw up everything Leonard built." I checked her study. Found a hidden folder—over 100,000 photos of Leonard. A hundred unsent love letters. Even I couldn't fake it anymore. Bought a silicone dummy. Laid out the plan. The fire would be step one. Dead or alive—we're done.

Hana is imprisoned by the ruthless Alpha Jarrel Alexandra, the very same man who killed her family, ruined her pack, and executed her people at will. Hana's life takes an unexpected turn on the day of her fated selection as a breeder when she finds out Jarrel is her fated mate. Firmly rejecting him, Hana's desperate attempt at suicide reveals a secret: she and Jarrel share a mysterious past that she is unable to remember. Forced into a life with the monster she despises. Hana battles her growing feelings for Jarrel while she discovers the truth about his genuine intentions and the mysteries surrounding her history. Will Hana agree to wake up to the face she despises and fears every morning for the rest of her life? Will Jarrel be forgiven by Hana even if he was the cause of her peril?

My sister-in-law, Cynthia Ziegler, has my name written on her cancer diagnosis report. As such, the entire Ziegler family assumes that I'm the one with cancer. Overnight, my husband, Leonard Ziegler, sends a text message to his mistress, Irene Ludlow. "Our time will soon come! That old bat is about to die at last, so I'll finally be able to marry you!" My grandmother, Amanda Powell, cries and clings onto my hand, begging me not to seek treatment. She is not only discussing with Leonard on how best to split my insurance money after my death but also employing various methods to hasten my death. However, they are all unaware that Cynthia used my medical insurance card when she went for her physical examination. I feign sadness and nod with tears in my eyes. "I won't seek treatment, Mom. Let's not seek treatment no matter who is diagnosed with cancer."

“A wolf-less mate? I’d rather die alone than claim you.” The words cut through Liana Harper like a blade. All her life, she’s been shunned for lacking a wolf, but hearing those words from her mate, Raiden—the Alpha’s son—was the final blow. Humiliated and heartbroken, she prepares to leave the Silver Moon Pack forever… until three strangers offer her an unexpected escape. Identical triplets, powerful wolves with a hidden vendetta, make Liana a bold proposition: pretend to be their bride for one year, and they’ll help her claim the respect and revenge she craves. Intrigued by the promise of power and desperate to prove her worth, she agrees, unaware that these men are Raiden’s uncles—and they’re determined to bring his father’s ruthless rule to an end. Now, Liana finds herself entangled in a web of deception, dark secrets, and forbidden attraction. Each of the three men challenges her in different ways, and what starts as a charade to earn back her dignity soon sparks a bond that feels dangerously mysteries of her wolflessness, Liana discovers she might hold a power even greater than a wolf spirit—a power that could reshape the future of the pack and her heart.

Eighteen-year-old Chateau Lavigne has always led a simple life as a florist's daughter, tending to her garden and selling flowers in the local market. But her world shatters when Leonard Hugues, a powerful executive of the feared Lafleur mafia, shows up to collect on a debt her father owes—a debt far more serious than she ever imagined. Swept into Leonard’s dangerous world, Chateau finds herself terrified. But as she learns more about the man beneath the ruthless exterior, her fear turns to affection, and eventually, love. Leonard becomes her protector, her obsession, and a mystery she’s determined to unravel. But Leonard’s dark past holds a secret—a hidden truth that threatens to shatter everything Chateau believes about him. As shadows of revenge begin to circle, Chateau will have to face a deadly truth: falling for Leonard may have placed her in the path of the very danger she fears most.

In the neon-lit shadows of Novela, Isabella Hart, a red-haired outcast, is drowning in betrayal. Bullied at school and abused by her family, her world shatters when her boyfriend spreads fake nude photos, driving her into the arms of a mysterious stranger for a reckless one-night stand. The next day, she’s stunned to find him—Sebastian Wolfe, a smouldering history professor and Lycan—standing at her lecture podium, his green eyes taunting her with their shared secret. But her life is about to get even worse as Caleb Reed, a charismatic senior with a demonic edge, who hides a deadly mission behind his seductive smile walks into her life. Both men are mated to Bella by the Moon Goddess, their rivalry igniting a lustful, dangerous love triangle. As Bella navigates forbidden passion and relentless torment, she uncovers a shocking truth: she’s a half-werewolf Moonborn, her red hair a mark of a rare lineage destined to destroy the BloodMoon pack’s evil Alpha, Marcus, and his Beta, Veron—Sebastian’s father. With Caleb’s obsession turning violent and Sebastian’s secrets threatening their love, Bella must embrace her powers to survive kidnappings, near-death ambushes, and betrayals that tear her heart apart. When her long-lost father resurfaces, Bella’s fight for her throne becomes a battle for survival, love, and redemption. In a city where werewolves lurk beneath skyscrapers, Bella’s destiny will burn bright—or consume them all. The Professor’s Mate is a dark, sensual werewolf romance, weaving lust, betrayal, and supernatural intrigue in a novel saga of a common human girl rising from ashes to claim her power as an Alpha in the werewolf realm.