Nolan Ryan Bloody Baseball Card

“You’re a blank, John. A hollow shell. Do you really think I’d tie the future of the Card family to a man who can’t even manifest a drop of instinct?” Caleb’s voice was like a wire garrote, tightening around John’s throat. “Carl is the heir. You’re just the mistake we kept in the basement.” John Mark was the Syndicate’s golden prince—until his power never came. In a world where the Hale Mafia rules through raw, predatory instinct, being a "blank" is a death sentence. When his biological brother, Carl Cole, returns to claim his birthright, John isn't just pushed aside; he’s erased. His brothers look at him with loathing, his father treats him like a stain on the ledger, and his fiancé, Caleb Card, discards him for the new, powered heir. But the city is rotting. The Abyss King, Morcant, demands a soul to keep the shadows at bay. With nothing left to lose and fifteen days to live, John signs the Sacrifice Certificate in secret. He’ll give his life to save the family that hates him, paying back his debts in blood. He dons a red coat and a porcelain mask, becoming the nameless "Red Savior" the city worships—while by day, he is the "useless" son the Hales kick into the dirt. As the clock ticks toward the final jump, John discovers his power didn't vanish—it was stolen. Now, trapped in a house of vipers, John must decide: Does he reveal the truth and watch his family’s world burn, or does he leap into the dark to save the monsters who broke him? The Abyss is hungry. And the man they called a failure is the only one who can feed it.

As I secured the safety rope, I discovered that the metal clip had been replaced with a flimsy plastic ring. My girlfriend, already on the soft ladder, dismissed my concern casually. "Ryan has got a ton of luggage. One clip isn't enough to keep it secure, so I gave him yours. Just wait for the next trip." In desperation, I pointed to the floodwaters surging past my chest. "But I can't swim!" "Cut the drama, okay?" she huffed. "You're a swimming champ. What's the big deal about treading water for a bit? Ryan is related to my boss, and if anything happens to him, my promotion is down the drain. Can't you be reasonable?" "Is his luggage more important than my life?" I shot back, lunging for the ladder. But she kicked me away. "I've checked. The water won't rise too fast. At worst, it'll reach your neck. You'll survive." Refusing to argue further, I watched the floodwaters rage higher and quickly pressed a special emergency beacon on my wrist.

The tragedy of being alone and lonely changed when you crossed paths with people who would do anything for your happiness. Of those people was Apollo River, a man you have admired from afar for so long. You come from a middle-class family in a neighborhood only blocks away from turf wars. While Apollo was born on the higher end, people were stuck up and greedy. You will become each other's most excellent fortune. But you both share a dark secret. Strategic bloody romance. Can you handle it?

When Aurora and Andrea Bentley are born their parents Jake and Laura sign a contract with their business partners Alex and Anne Walter. A contract that states that when Aurora and Andrea come of age they will be married to Alex and Anne's two sons Nate who was four at the time and Ryan who was two in order to keep the BW group of hotels in the family.But the only problem is that Aurora and Nate don't want to get married at least not to each other.

After being chosen by a horror game, I took over a food stall in a small town. A ghoul tried to eat me, his huge, bloody mouth a gaping maw, but I quickly shoved a focaccia sandwich into it. He chewed and then said, “Oh, forget it. With food to eat, I’ll kill her tomorrow.” The next day, I made delicious pierogies, then skewers and stews. All the ghouls who stopped by gave up on trying to kill me, focusing on eating instead. The audience watching me was shocked that I could survive all the way to the end with just my cooking.

I logged into my girlfriend's account to sell her DSLR camera on a secondhand marketplace. The transaction went through fine. The next morning, the messages started showing up, and they were nothing I was ever meant to see. "Great shots this time. What's the rate for the outfit in the middle?" That’s when it hit me–the camera's memory card had not been wiped. However, the photos inside… were nothing I had ever seen before. Revealing shots. Intimate poses. Not meant for me. I forced myself to stay calm and tried to explain the situation to the buyer. His reply stopped me cold. "Drop the act. It’s not like this is the first time I've bought from you."

I won eight million overnight. The first thing I did was rush to the hospital to pay for my son's surgery and treatment. That was when my phone rang. Ian, a coworker from the company, called, "Something urgent came up! You need to get back here right this instant!" My wife, Mara, took the bank card from my hand, and said with an gentle and understanding voice, "You can give me the PIN. I'll take care of our son's hospital bills. Go. Work is important. Don't worry about us." In my previous life, I didn't hesitate one bit. I trusted her completely and hurried back to the office. My son never made it into surgery. Instead, the police came for me. It turned out that Mara and Ian had conspired together to frame me, pinning the crime of embezzling company funds on me. The very money Ian had stolen. With no money for treatment, my son died in the hospital. My parents, shattered by grief, suffered fatal heart attacks one after the other. And I, rotting in prison, ended my life in despair. After my death, my soul drifted to the holiday villas of Moldeves, where Mara was on vacation. I heard her laughing as she spoke to Ian, "That idiot won a fortune and wasted it on that useless sick kid. He dragged me into a miserable life." Laughing even harder, she added, "Now, their whole family is dead, and we get to enjoy wealth for the rest of our lives. Consider it compensation from that idiot! Haha!" Then, I opened my eyes. I was back in the hospital corridor, at the exact moment my wife reached out and took the bank card from me. This time, I still told her the PIN.

When it comes to love, is Second chance truly the charm?*****Amelia Ross’s contract marriage with her billionaire boss came to an end when the one woman he’s been dying to have for years suddenly returned to town. Her heart got broken as she’d started developing feelings for her hot boss but knowing it was a contract marriage, she gathered the remaining pieces of her shattered heart and left town after being paid off by her boss, Ryan Davidson. Unluckily for her, she realized she was carrying his child a few months after the abrupt end of their contract. With no intentions of returning to him, she raised the baby and began a new life, from scratch. But just when things have finally begun to go well for her and she’s met a man that has healed her broken heart, Ryan stepped into her life again, laying claims to not just her, but to the child.What made it more infuriating was that he showed up with a marriage certificate, one that very much proved they were still married.To know more about my books, follow me on Instagram @sophia.bendel

It happened so quickly yet gradually. First it was the excuses he made. The distance he slowly brought. “She's just like my sister,” he would always use as an excuse and id believed him. Seeing things now, it was always inevitable. He had taken my love for granted and now it was gone. … Mikaela thought that she had everything she wanted. Her mate, Ryan Wade loved her. And then Lydia showed up. She had tolerated her presence even as Ryan's treatment of her grew more and more suspicious until this moment. Seeing him in bed with her, committing the ultimate betrayal, she makes up her mind to leave. Pregnant with his children she leaves and starts anew in another pack. But fate has different plans and she is brought back together with him, this time with her children and a new family by her side. With Lydia and his Luna she should have no care for him, yet he pushes her to the edge. When their children's bond is discovered and she is forced back into his life. Will they find love again?

Small town investigator, Evette, is no stranger to crime scenes. But when her violent nightmares start coming true and she finds herself waking up bloody and naked, she fears she may be the one to blame. Her world is turned upside down when Alpha Thane saves her life, and both Thane and his estranged twin brother claim her as their mate. Evette is a werewolf and she never even knew it. All she wants is a happy ending with her mates, but can she adapt to her new life as a werewolf and free herself from the clutches of her enemies?