John Marston From Red Dead Redemption Novels & Stories

My husband, Luca, had a childhood sweetheart named Sophia. Years ago, during a brutal gang shootout, Sophia shielded him from the worst of the bloodshed, and since then, she had suffered from severe PTSD. Because of that, Luca would push aside family business every year and fly to our estate on a secluded island off the coast of Sicily to spend three months “helping her recover.” “Victoria, she lost her mind because of me,” he told me. “I’m responsible for her. I hope you can be magnanimous.” So, I nodded. And eventually, I got used to the fact that every year, my husband would disappear for three months to fulfill what he called a moral obligation. That was until the day I flew in without warning to inspect the family’s money-laundering network on that island and saw him. In the town square, under the bright Mediterranean sun, Luca was standing there with a five-year-old boy by his side. “Papa, how long do we have to hide on this island?” the child asked. “I want to go to New York. I want to see the Empire State Building.” Luca laughed gently and scooped him up in his arms. With his other hand, he held Sophia’s. “Antonio, be good,” he said affectionately. “Papa’s position is… complicated. When you turn eighteen and pass the family’s initiation ceremony, I’ll kill that woman and her dead old man. Then, I’ll take you back to New York to inherit the entire Corleone family.” I stood in the shadows, unseen. Slowly, I lit a cigarette. The smoke curled around me as their voices drifted over, the conversation getting more vicious as it went. Sophia leaned into his chest, her tone sweet and coy. “Luca, I’ve been with you for seven years without a name or a title. How much longer are our son and I supposed to live like ghosts?” Luca sighed. “I don’t have a choice. The old man in the Corleone family is still alive. I married Victoria just to get her territory. Don’t worry. I’ve been adding something to her milk every day. She’ll never get pregnant in this lifetime. My family bloodline will only continue through you.” The last thread of reason in my mind snapped. In the six years of marriage we shared, I had been infertile. I’d taken countless hormone injections to stimulate ovulation. I’d knelt in church and prayed more times than I could count. Yet, all along, the devil poisoning me was my own husband. The initial shock faded quickly into rage. I crushed out my cigarette and pulled out my phone. Then, I dialed my uncle, the family’s clean-up man. “Uncle Rocco,” I said calmly, “Luca betrayed me. He betrayed the family. Order a coffin in the finest black walnut for me, and make it large, large enough to fit a family of three.”

Zira Valdez was as innocent as they come. Since she was eight she thought the boy who saved her would become her salvation. When all the signs were telling her he was her destruction, she ignored them. She believed in his lies, in those small moments where she had a glimmer of hope. She believed wholeheartedly that she owed Trenton Heath her life. That was until two weeks before her eighteenth birthday that she learned the truth. For Trenton, it was all a game and he was stringing her along. He wasn't even the one to save her, but since she is willing to do anything for him, then he will take everything from her. Just everything around Zira was about to give her a deadly blow, her true savior stepped forward. He once again saved her, pulled her from the darkness, and offered her refuge. This time, she wanted to grasp the light with all of her might. Axton Heath was ten years older than Zira and Trenton's uncle. From the moment Axton's fate became intertwined with Zira's, she became his everything. He was the one to save her when she was eight, but because he was older and had just entered the military, he had no choice but to leave her with his family. When he returns before her eighteenth birthday with the intent to make her his Luna, he learns his little fated mate has suffered and he wants nothing more than to make them all pay with blood. Against all odds, their love defies everything. Zira will find strength in his love. Axton will risk everything for her love, including his life.

Dahlia Bernard gave Desmond Sterlings everything, love, loyalty, and a crown he never earned. She picked him from the slums, built him into a CEO, and handed him the keys to her empire. Love blinded her. Desmond repaid her by betraying her, stealing her company, sleeping with multiple women, and getting her own sister pregnant. A community dick, that's all he ever was. Now, Dahlia isn’t just broken. She’s angry. With Ronan Knight, Drawlwood's ruthless billionaire by her side, Dahlia is ready to reclaim everything that was once hers. And this time… mercy is off the table. ********** I was flung aside, my grip on Roselle slipping as I crashed into someone's arms, Ronan Knight. "Hold in your rage, Dahlia," Ronan's voice was calm. "There are better ways to make them pay. Don’t destroy yourself trying to hurt them. That's not how revenge works." I glanced down at my reddened knuckles. Tears blurring my vision. "Then tell me, Ronan… how do I hurt them?" I choked on my tears. "By becoming untouchable," he said softly. "Become more powerful, more successful. A version of Dahlia they could never break. And then… you make them kneel." He leaned in, a wicked promise in his eyes. "I'll help you rise again, Dahlia. And when you do… they'll beg at your feet."

After years of living abroad without children, I decided to return home to handle my inheritance matters. However, before I could step into my house, I was stopped by a group of people at the entrance. The woman leading the group pointed at me and started screaming. "I can't believe someone as young as you is seducing a man old enough to be your father! How disgusting can you be?" I watched her, noticing how much she resembled my older brother, and I was shaking with rage. They pulled out my fingernails, broke my ribs, and slashed my face, dragging me around the neighborhood as I begged for mercy. Yet, they remained indifferent to my pleas. Just as I was on the verge of losing hope, my brother, Edward Grange rushed over.  Through a mouthful of blood, I managed to choke out, "Ed, I’d rather die than let her inherit my inheritance…”

In the third year after my death, my mother finally remembered me. But it wasn't out of longing—it was because my younger sister's leukemia had relapsed, and she urgently needed a bone marrow transplant. Clutching a donation agreement, my mother made her way to the basement I once lived in. She kicked open the door and was met with a floor slick with blood and scattered medicine bottles. "Cassidy, what game are you playing this time? Do you really think a self-inflicted act of suffering could fool me? Why are you so selfish? Why won't you save your own sister?" Her voice roared with anger, echoing through the space. From the crowd that had gathered to watch, a ragged little boy stepped forward. "Are you talking about Cassidy Porter? She… she died three years ago of organ failure… she vomited so much blood…"

My husband was in the late stages of liver cancer. Afraid of dragging me down, he committed suicide by jumping into the river. I couldn’t swim, but I dove in after him without hesitation. To give him the will to live on, I told him about winning the lottery. He pretended to struggle but took the chance to shove me underwater, drowning me. Before I could rest in peace, he ran off abroad with his first love using my money. Only then did I realize that he had planned to fake his death all along just to get rid of me! When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day he jumped into the river. You wanted to die, huh? Well, let me help you with that!

"I want to be there for you, to protect you and show you the beauty in life. Let me be your guide, my love." Kimani Campbell, a young artist, is drawn into the dark world of gang lord Dallas Ortega after being captivated by one of his paintings. Dallas is intrigued by Kimani's innocence and art, and as they explore the city together, they find a connection that transcends their different worlds. Kimani shows Dallas the beauty of life, while he reveals the harsh reality of the city. They face challenges, but they stand by each other and discover a love that defies all odds. In a world filled with violence and despair, Kimani and Dallas's story is a testament to the power of love and the strength of the human spirit.

Adrian Knight is a billionaire who built his empire by sacrificing love for power. Years later, Gabriel Vega, the man he betrayed, returns with a secret son Adrian never knew existed. As enemies close in, scandals rise, and the past threatens to destroy them, Adrian faces the hardest choice of his life: protect his empire built on ambition, or fight for the love and family he thought was gone forever.

Living in a dangerous world without knowing the evil surrounding her, Aria Holloway thought life was all rainbows and cotton candy until a huge misfortune snatched everything she had. And everyone turning their backs on her Made her learn everything the hard way. Blinded by her revenge and thirst for blood she decides to go rogue and set on her quest to kill her mother's murderers. but faith had something different installed for her when her mother's murderer turns out to be the long lost family her mate has left. Will she bring herself to forgive him for the sake of her mate and their bound ? Or would she reject her mate and Finish what she started.

"Isabella, let my love be the light you run to..." Damon caressed her cheeks, gently staring into her eyes. "Let my passion be the hope you ride on..." With those words of promise, he entered her in one full thrust. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ The love—and undeniably lust—between Damon and Isabella is only the beginning of an incoming war... Damon, a charming alpha with polluted alpha blood, is dazzled at the very sight of his new maid, Isabella. In a haze of the alluring feelings of confusion that spring within him, he orders for her to be settled close to his chambers, a place that would make it easy for her to attend to him—and slip into his bed. With the strange powers streaming through Isabella, she poses an explosive threat to the pack and the entire province—and Damon will never agree to the option of sending her away. Not even if it will cost him all he has labored for...