Lauren Reynolds Criminal Minds

Elara’s life is shattered when she is forced into an arranged marriage with Damian Volkov—the ruthless Alpha of a powerful werewolf pack and the feared king of the mafia underworld. As the daughter of a desperate businessman who struck a dangerous deal, Elara becomes nothing more than a pawn in a world of violence, secrets, and supernatural power. Damian is cold, calculating, and possessive, ruling with an iron fist both in the criminal world and among his kind. At first, their marriage is nothing more than a contract—an agreement to secure power and settle debts. But as Elara defies him at every turn, she awakens something primal in the Alpha King, something far more dangerous than any enemy. Torn between duty and the growing intensity of their bond, Elara must navigate a world of deadly rivalries, betrayals, and forbidden passion. As secrets unravel and enemies close in, she realizes that escaping Damian’s grasp may be impossible—not because of the deal that binds them, but because her heart may no longer want to run. In a world where love and power collide, will Elara survive her fate, or will she become the queen of darkness beside the Alpha Mafia King?

Just before her husband and son have her locked in a psychiatric ward, Nora Yates wakes up—reborn, wide awake, and done playing nice. Two men who never truly loved her? Who used and discarded her? Fine. She’s cutting them out for good. When she signs the divorce papers and walks away, the world cheers—including the internet. Oddly, the only one upset is her adoptive sister, the mistress. “Come on, Nora,” she pouts. “I only borrowed your husband and son for my birthday. Was that really worth all this drama?” “You’re lucky to have a husband and son like that. You should count your blessings.” Nora lets out a sharp laugh. “Then consider this ‘blessing’ my personal gift to you. After all, trash belongs in the dumpster.” She walks off without a second glance—glowing, untouchable, and ready to run the world. Soon, her business is booming. Suitors line up. The woman they tried to destroy becomes the woman everyone wants to be. Years later, now a titan in her field, she sits down for a high-profile interview. “Ms. Yates,” the reporter asks, “it’s rumored that Mr. Luther, CEO of Luther Corp, is your ex-husband. Do you still keep in touch?” Nora smiles politely. “Sorry. I’m a widow with no children.” Then she turns to the camera, smiles straight through the lens—at the ex-husband and son losing their minds behind the scenes—and adds, “Just remarried. Baby girl on the way.”

Rachel Sinclair lost everything when a fraud conviction destroyed her life as a social worker. Five years later, she's reinvented herself as Raven Steele—a woman with a clean past and a dangerous mission. Her target: the Diamondback Motorcycle Club, a vicious criminal organization that operates with impunity while the system looks the other way. Using the forgotten murder of a small-time dealer as her cover story, Raven infiltrates the deadly world of motorcycle clubs. But her carefully laid plans collide with Jax Savage, the devastatingly dangerous president of the Savage Saints MC. Muscular, tattooed, and lethal, Jax has been waging his own war against the Diamondbacks since they murdered his younger brother. What starts as a tactical alliance quickly ignites into an attraction neither can resist. As Raven goes deeper undercover with the enemy, feeding intelligence to Jax while maintaining her cover, the line between duty and desire blurs. But in a world where trust is a weapon and love is a liability, their growing connection threatens to destroy everything they've worked for. When Raven's deception leads to a devastating blow against the Diamondbacks, she becomes the target of a deadly bounty. Forced to reveal her criminal past to the man she's falling for, she must decide if their connection is strong enough to survive the truth. With enemies closing in and a war erupting in the streets, Raven and Jax face an impossible choice: save themselves or save each other. In the savage world of motorcycle clubs, some hearts are worth fighting for—and some are worth dying for. *Content warning: Contains explicit language, violence, mature themes, and sexual content. Recommended for readers 18+.*

“ I'll marry you” Lauren Greene said the words in utter desperation. Getting married to a crippled man whom she had never seen until that day was not something she had ever imagined she would do but when her mother had a cardiac arrest and needed an emergency surgery, she didn't care. This was her only choice. Alexander Magnus lost his parents in a hit and run accident which left him crippled at the age of ten. He went abroad to study afterwards, returning after twenty years to take over his father's company. The only person he ever talked to was his childhood friend and savior, Melissa McCarthy. He cherished and loved her with his whole heart but much to his dismay, she never showed up for their court wedding. There he met Lauren Greene. How will Lauren cope with the aftermath of her impulsive decision? What happens when Alexander demands for an heir as payment for her mother's surgery? If their marriage supposedly worked out, what happens when dark pasts begin to surface?

A flicker of hope, a spark amidst the neon grime of New Shanghai. Anya, a slave to the Volkov Mafia, had long buried her emotions under layers of calloused defiance. Years of servitude had carved a burning desire for vengeance into her soul. Then, a whisper of rebellion arrived – a message smuggled in a package, hinting at a Volkov family secret. Anya's heart, long numbed, stuttered awake. This wasn't just a chance to escape; it was a weapon. A weapon to dismantle the empire that had stolen her life, her family, everything. But the path to freedom was a razor's edge. Fear gnawed at her, a constant companion in the Volkov's watchful gaze, their merciless enforcers lurking in every shadow. Yet, a flicker of something else bloomed – a strange, almost forgotten warmth, a sliver of the person she used to be. Could she trust it? As Anya navigated the labyrinth of lies and high-tech security, a deeper truth unfolded. This Volkov secret wasn't just about her escape; it was a key to exposing a far-reaching conspiracy, one that could reshape the city's criminal web. Suddenly, Anya's burning desire for revenge transformed. It wasn't just about herself anymore. It was about a sliver of justice, a chance to dismantle a system that preyed on the weak. But with this newfound purpose came a terrifying weight of responsibility. Was she strong enough to risk everything, to ignite a war she might not survive? The weight of human emotions – fear, anger, and a desperate yearning for freedom – threatened to suffocate her. The price of vengeance was steep, and Anya had to decide if she had the strength to pay it.

BLOOD AND VOWS --- SYNOPSIS A forced marriage. A deadly alliance. A love that could ruin them both. To stop a war between two rival mafia families, Emilia Romano is forced to marry her father's enemy—Alessio Moretti, the cold, ruthless heir to a criminal empire. Neither of them wants the arrangement. Neither plans to fall in love. But when enemies close in and old secrets resurface, their fake vows become dangerously real. In this world, love isn't just forbidden—it's lethal. – Will the war actually stop? Who is Alessio Moretti? Is Emilia Romanio ever going to be free? Will love find this two egocentric couple? Let's find out in this intriguing story.

In the gritty heart of Duskville, where shadows hide the crimes no one wants to see, Detective Jackson Reyes works like a ghost—unflinching, relentless, and alone. Scarred by a childhood spent watching his mother suffer at the hands of a cruel man, Reyes learned early that justice doesn’t come easily. So he became it. When Lena, a young woman trapped in a world of coercion and violence, walks into his station and tells the truth no one else will hear, something shifts. As Reyes digs deeper into the criminal underworld controlled by Riko and his men, Lena becomes more than a witness—she becomes a reason. A reason to keep fighting. A reason to believe healing might be possible, even for someone like him. ______ Content Warning: This story contains themes and depictions of sxual assult, r*pe, non-consensual acts, gr*oming, sx traffcking, and dr*g use. Reader discretion is strongly advised. These topics are part of the narrative and may be distressing or triggering for some individuals. Please take care while reading.

Investigative journalist Justine Sky will go to great lengths to find out the truth. Even if it means rubbing elbows with the city's most feared billionaire. As a prime time crime solver, she’s tackled a great deal of scandals during her career, but nothing could prepare her for a life with Bentley Thomas. Because of his criminal past and merciless ambition to get to the top, Bentley has been the scapegoat for the people of Westlake, Texas. With all fingers pointing to him as Ivy Smith’s slayer, Justine becomes hellbent on exposing him. After pulling strings to get an invite into his mysterious world of luxury, Justine enters, thinking she'll be met by a cold and vicious mobster. Instead, he reels her in with soft charm and a passion that catches her off guard. Their chemistry is automatic, and Bentley is more of a hopeless romantic than she ever thought he could be. However, even though he's quite the charmer, Bentley does harbor secrets of his own. When Justine learns that he might have been the last person to see Ivy alive, her doubt settles in once again. It's her relentless fight for the truth and growing love for Bentley that makes her dig deeper. Only to find out that the killer is someone she knows very well. As the danger of the investigation sneaks closer, Justine is caught in a deadly game of ransom, and Bentley doesn’t hesitate to risk everything he has to save her. In a world full of lies, secrets, and betrayal, she has to trust someone. But is Bentley her most dangerous enemy, or the only one who has been telling the truth?

When former convict, Eli, is released from prison after being wrongly accused of murdering her classmate, she's left with a dark past shunned by society for her tainted reputation. Unable to find a steady work or acceptance due to her criminal record, Eli's life is a constant struggle. But then like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she finds a glimmer of hope in the world of high-end escorting, but it's not without its secrets. As Eli navigates this new reality and the dark alleys of her profession, she crosses paths with a mysterious billionaire, unknowingly unleashing a storm of revenge and redemption. For Ryder, convinced that Eli was his father's mistress, he was hell-bent on seeking revenge, but little did he know, he would soon find himself entangled in a web of deceit and desire. As they navigate the treacherous landscape of their complicated pasts, Eli and Ryder must confront the truth about their identities and the secrets that bind them, all while succumbing to the intoxicating allure of their forbidden romance.

Shantali Jackson awakens from cryostasis to discover she's been asleep for over 600 years. A working-class woman from the pre-collapse era, she finds herself in a sterile medical facility, where staff address her as royalty and claim she's the beloved of Prince Costa—a man she barely remembers meeting at Le Glow Club one fateful night. As fragmented memories surface, Shantali learns the devastating truth: she and Costa were never willing participants in the preservation program. After publicly defying their arranged marriages to choose each other, they were declared enemies of the state and forcibly preserved by the Emergency Preservation Committee. They've been awakened seventeen times for six centuries, only to have their memories wiped when they refused to comply with the Council's genetic breeding program. This time is different—the memory suppression technology is failing, and ghostly echowisps (manifestations of psychic trauma) guide them through their escape. With the help of Marcus, a resistance member, they flee to the underground networks where Shantali discovers shocking truths: her half-brother Elliot became a resistance leader, Costa's parents have been working to undermine the Council for centuries, and the outside world has been habitable for generations. The couple escapes to Haven's Gate, one of seven thriving Eastern Sanctuaries where humanity has rebuilt naturally. But freedom is short-lived when they learn Dr. Thorne and other preservation specialists are using extracted consciousness data to create a new form of control—artificial minds programmed for obedience. Refusing to remain passive victims, Shantali and Costa make a bold choice: they'll pose as desperate refugees seeking re-preservation, walking willingly into Dr. Thorne's trap to stop his plans once and for all. Their love story becomes humanity's last hope against a system that would sacrifice free will for genetic perfection. A tale of choice, resistance, and the power of love.