Lana Pawn

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

“Never forget, baby” she hissed, lips inches from mine, “you’re mine. You belong to me and only me. And I don’t fucking share what’s mine.” --- Stanley is just a broke college nerd working two jobs to survive. She’s the Bratva Queen who flew across continents just to meet the boy she was promised—only to tell him he couldn’t have her. But the moment she saw him, everything changed. Now, she needs him. Wants him. Even if he fights. Even if she has to break him. And Stanley? He’s nothing but a pawn in a game he doesn’t understand… What can he do?

“You’re mine now little flower, mine!” Leah’s life took an unexpected turn the moment the most feared Alpha across all packs, Alpha Lucian chooses her as his new contracted mate after Layla, and the original mate breaks the mating contract. Leaving behind the life of torment and pain she lived in the Blueridge Pack, she’s forced to start a new one as his Luna, a life she had never dreamed of living. When she finally settles into her new pack, she discovers that she was just a pawn in Alpha Lucian’s game. Discovering the betrayal and deceit, would the lie keep them apart, or would the love that has grown between them keep them together? Find out!

(Volume 1 - main story) A mere pawn in the mafia world, Madeline must obey her father and marry the man she hasn't chosen for herself. But in a twist of fate, she finds herself at the hands of the dangerous and ruthless Victor Racini after he kidnapped her on her wedding day. "I'll save you from an awful marriage and assist you in destroying the man you so clearly despise, but in return, you will be mine in every way." (Volume 2 - Side Story) Emily showed up at the devil's door to ask for his protection. But the cunning, mischievous and ruthless Rafael Reigo never gave anything without a price. And he wants her whole being as the price. Her body, her soul, and her heart.

Penelope thought she was her husband’s one and only love. Until she caught him in bed with her twin sister. Penelope Verdant has lived her life as a pawn and slave to her family desiring freedom. The only happiness in her life was her marriage of four years. She believed her husband loved her, he treated her well and never gave her a reason to doubt his love. But when she finds out he’s been sleeping with her sister longer than she’s been married to him, she becomes disillusioned with her marriage. She wants revenge for her wasted years. She files for divorce, only for her husband to reject it. Backed into a corner, she seeks help from a man she should never have sought out. The man known as The Devil of Deals, an elusive billionaire who wants nothing more than to possess her completely. His price is costly, one she isn't sure she can afford. But marriage is an even worse fate than selling her soul. Will she get her revenge, shatter the chains of her old life, and rise as the queen? Or will she sink into the depths of hell? The path from pawn to queen isn’t an easy one…and the Devil is not patient. (Content Warning: this is a dark billionaire romance containing mature themes including but not limited to: explicit sexual content, unhealthy obsession, toxic love, forbidden love, pain and blood kink, physical and sexual abuse (not between main characters), taboo family dynamics, a lot of swearing, and violence. Morality is but a friendly suggestion to the characters of this story. Proceed with caution.) THE THALORIAN PANTHEON SAGA LINEUP: BOOK 1.0: FALLING INTO THE DEVIL’S BED. BOOK 2.0: INFERNAL LILY (coming soon). BOOK 0.5: HIS HEAVENLY CURSE (coming soon).

Ingrid, the biological daughter of a high-class Las Vegas prostitute and an unidentified felon, was taken in by the esteemed and politically powerful Bishop family, despite the infamy surrounding her lineage. While her adoption provided her with stability and privilege, she grappled with assimilation, as the truth of her origins lingered as a whispered scandal within elite circles. For months, she was held in captivity—a pawn leveraged in the hopes of reviving the dwindling influence of her father’s political faction. Unbeknownst to her, the very syndicate responsible for her imprisonment was, in fact, her relatively same kin—a Grey. Among them was Jace—her known brother—whom she inadvertently fell in love with. Their relationship ignited public outrage, condemned as a textbook manifestation of Stockholm Syndrome. Yet the public remained blind to the deeper reality: a chilling embodiment of a morally ambiguous entanglement.

Anthony Mavens, a lawyer,politician, and most importantly, a mafia Lord, has set out teach everyone who has hurt him a lesson. Sandra Martinson, a fashion designer, first daughter, ruthless, and fearless has found herself somehow crossing paths with the infamous mafia Lord. She is the solution to his problems, and the key to his revenge. No strings attached, no love connection, just two years of marriage is the term of their contract. He has vowed to tame her. What happens when the contract goes south? Anthony has found himself falling for the woman he once discarded, and Sandra knowing she is a pawn in a game has vowed to never be with him. What happens when he is faced with the option of choosing between his long-term planned revenge and his newly found love? Will love or hatred conquer it all?

Cecilia Henderson has lived her life in a bubble of privilege and purity, sheltered from the darkness that funds her father’s empire. Her world is charity galas, college degrees, and dreams untouched by violence. But when a single waltz with Zacian,the ruthless Boss of All Bosses, shatters that illusion, everything changes. Dominic Henderson, her father, is drowning under Zacian’s tightening grip. Desperate to protect his family and reclaim his power, Dominic strikes a dangerous bargain with rival bosses, setting the stage for betrayal and bloodshed. As tensions ignite and loyalties fracture, Cecilia becomes the ultimate leverage; a pawn in a game she never knew existed. But Zacian doesn’t see her as a pawn. He sees her as his weakness. And in a world where kings burn kingdoms for love, innocence may be the deadliest weapon of all.

Malia Ray Smith, the heiress to the country's largest chocolate manufacturer, thought she had it all wealth, power, and the love of her father. But her husband Maynard Salvador cheats on her leaving Malia feeling worthless and insecure Just when Malia thought things couldn't get any worse, Larson Reynold enters her life and sweeps her off her feet and Malia believes she has found her true love. But as she falls deeper, she uncovers a web of lies and deception, and realizes she's been nothing but a pawn in Larson's dangerous game. Malia must navigate a world of betrayal, corruption, and evil plotting, all while finding the strength to stand up for herself and fight for the love and happiness she truly deserves.

"I want you to pose as my date to my brother's engagement ceremony" "What?" "You heard me" Raya's life had been going pretty well until she met Maxwell Sterling, her grumpy, nonchalant but hot boss who had the country celebrities and models wrapped around his fingers. What more, his dad is the owner of the biggest conglomerate around the world, with him being next in line, if he managed to beat his brother in the succession. What she never expected though, was to be caught as a pawn in Maxwell's revenge scheme. With all the unwanted sparks flying, Raya's past coming back to haunt her and his family standing vehemently against their relationship, would they be able to overcome all the obstacles and fall in love with each other?