Odds Against Me

It's my third day of being a ghost, and I feel like I'm going to starve to death again. The underworld messenger takes pity on me because I'm a child and secretly tells me that people like me, who suffered grievances and died with resentment, have to stay by the sides of the people who loved us most in life. Then, we survive on their "guilt". I lower my head and narrow my eyes. I choke up and say, "You might as well just leave me to starve." My mother hated me to the core. Why would she ever be guilty over my death?

He looked at me, his piercing eyes cold and sharp. “What do you want?” he asked, his tone irritated. “Cat got your tongue?” Fear gripped me, but I couldn’t back down. Not when proving my love was on the line. My hands trembled, but I managed to speak. “Hunter Steele...” I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. “Will you... will you marry me?” His brows furrowed, and he tilted his head slightly. “What?” ANYA BLAKE ____________________________________ I can’t remember the last time I willingly let a woman get so close. To me, they were a necessary evil....useful when needed, and avoided afterward. But when a young woman, trembling yet determined, stepped in front of me and asked the most ridiculous question I’d ever been asked, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years: a spark. And when I kissed her, it awakened something in me—a feeling I hadn’t known existed. Her innocence intrigued me and I wanted to be the one to claim her, to mold her......to make her mine. HUNTER STEELE

"Hey, beautiful." I turned around slowly to see a guy approaching me from the party. "I'm not interested." "But, I am." He cackled. "Well, that's too bad, huh?" I laughed, leaning against the wall as my vision cleared a bit. "Shut up." "And why should she listen to you?" That's when I noticed Tyson leaning against the refrigerator with his arms crossed over his chest. "And who might you be?" The guy turned to face Tyson instead of me. "Her boyfriend?" "No, but I'm the guy who just fucked your mom, and she said I should tell you how much she enjoyed it since your father can't compare." "You're a dead man walking, punk!" The guy charged at Tyson. And next thing I knew, Tyson was pulling the guy up from the floor by his shirt and shoving him towards the exit, effortlessly. I smirked. ☆☆☆☆ Ashley, the daughter of a millionaire, moves to a new city and hopes for a fresh start. With her sharp wit, she often finds herself at the center of school drama, not by choice, but by circumstances. Intent on maintaining a low profile at her new campus, her plan quickly falls apart when she mistakenly parks her bike in a reserved spot. Tyson, the school's notorious bad boy, is not just a troublemaker, but he's the youngest gang leader to be a part of a powerful mafia, feared by many but understood by few. Despite his fearsome reputation in the streets while other leaders might see him as a mere boy, Tyson is fiercely loyal to his inner circle, showing a side of him that few ever see. What will happen when their paths cross? ☆☆☆☆ "𝑫𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎." ☆☆☆☆

BOOK #2 MARINOS' MAYHEM SERIES A large, strong hand grabbed Jayce by the neck, slamming him face-first into the wall. A weight pressed against his back, pinning him in place, while a thick cock pressed against his ass. A thick, husky voice groaned into his ear. "You have three seconds to decide: be mine, or die with them?" "Please, please don't make me choose," Jayce pleaded, feeling his life flash before his eyes. "One. Two..." Jayce gritted his teeth when he felt a hand pulling his pants down, leaving his ass bare. "I can't be with you, Renato," he yelled, fighting for dominance. "My duty is to bring you down, not to fall for you." Renato grinned, biting down on his ear. "Nothing ever stops me from getting what I want, Sweetcheeks. So, what's it going to be?" * •—• * What do you get when you mix work, pleasure, and affection together? Jayce Beckett, desperately in need of the bonus pay to fund his nephew's surgery, took over an undercover task to bring down the most dangerous mafia organization in New York City. The task seemed easy, or so he thought. What would he do when his cover got blown and the only way to survive was to date the mafia boss who had eyes for him? He either had to fall in love or get buried by Renato Marino, the infamous mafia boss who was known for not giving anyone a second chance.

“What I said before still stands. I am not allowed to touch you. Stop inviting me to.” His voice was dangerously low and rough. He could see in her eyes that she knew just how aroused he was for her and, with his body pressed against hers, she felt it. Her hand was eagerly massaging between her legs. “I don’t want you to touch me. I can do that all on my own.” She breathed, letting out a soft moan. “Watch me, Dalton. Fucking watch what you do to me.” She was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, and as she pleasured herself, he couldn’t find it in him to regret what he was watching her do. He knew it was wrong, but with each blissful groan from her lips, his control slipped that much further from his grip. **** She was half his age and the daughter of his old college friend. Their relationship was doomed long before it even began... But everything changed when she set her eyes on him again. Dalton, was devastatingly handsome and she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. A workplace romance was the last thing they both wanted but the more they tried to stay away from each other, the closer they got. He was impossible to resist and She was a seductress and his ruination. With obstacles standing in the way of their love story; his fiancé, her Dad and with his empire on the line, will he be able to damn all consequences and take a chance on them?

And here I was, seated on the balcony, staring at the rain pitter and patter against the glass coverage walls with my bodyguard seated there, a book in hand. I don't know his problem. I know from his attitude that he wasn't happy to “babysit” a twenty year old, but he could have just ended his contract. He never paid me a single attention and was always reading, but strangely, he was always alert. I was the abomination he must never look at. And it made my blood boil. But not for long, though. Because every time I set eyes on him, I melt. It is forbidden, but who cares? I want him, but does he want me?

On the day of the wedding, Galen Shaw forces me to crack walnuts with my bare hands for his so-called female buddy. My expression goes cold, and I refuse outright. "My hands are for holding a scalpel, not cracking walnuts for her!" He only chuckles and orders someone to hold me down. Then, he glues the walnuts to my palms himself. One by one, he slams them against the ground. "You cheated while studying medicine. Now that you've married me, forget about ever being a doctor again!" I grit my teeth through the pain. My fingers are aching, but I try to explain. "I went abroad to study medicine for you!" His so-called female buddy sneers in a shrill voice. "All that talk about the Shaw family's hereditary disease is nonsense! Galen has been perfectly healthy for over 20 years. Don't tell me you just want another excuse to cozy up with your precious senior?" The moment those words leave her lips, the faint thought of having someone bandage my hand disappears. A shadow crosses Galen's face. "Looks like you haven't learned your lesson!" He throws me into the basement and locks me there for three days. By the time I crawl out, my hands are completely ruined. Later, when Galen's hereditary disease finally surfaces, the doctor tries to comfort him. "This disease may be terminal, but there is still a way. Dr. Robinson has just returned from overseas. She's the only one in the world who can perform this surgery. "I hear that she's your wife."

I don't kick up a fuss when Jasper Sutton's childhood sweetheart once again takes my spot in the front passenger seat. Instead, I obediently head to the backseat to sit with his good friend, Jonathan Clayton. When we drive along a bumpy road, my knee brushes against Jonathan's toned thigh. I deliberately leave it there, and he doesn't move. We stop for a break at a rest area. Jasper's childhood sweetheart clings to him as they head to the restroom. As soon as the door is shut, Jonathan grabs the back of my neck and pulls me in for a kiss. As I descend into the throes of passion, I can't help thinking it's no wonder people like to cheat.

Moira wasn't the Luna he wanted. To strengthen the alliance, her father sacrificed her with a classic trap so that she could marry Alpha Jude Hammer from The Night Hunter Pack. The plan worked, but for seven years, Moira felt no happiness or love from Jude. Then, one day, she finds out the reason—Jude has found his fated mate. Heartbroken, especially since she had lost everything, Moira filed for divorce, left the company, and started a new life. *** I was startled by the commotion outside the apartment. It was unusually quiet for eight o’clock, and the sound I heard... I decided to check it out. Someone was standing at the door, which I opened hastily to confirm. Instead of peace, I found a new problem. Jude held the door, forcing his way in and locking it. He closed the distance between us, pinning me against the wall, so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, so stiff and tight. My heart skipped a beat, not because of lingering love for him, but because I felt disturbed by his presence. "What the hell are you doing here, Jude? You have Bella, don't drag me in. You shouldn't be here," I snapped, but it didn't faze him at all. "Screw Bella! I came to confirm something." He moved again, closer, so that our lips almost touched. “Are you drunk? Go home. You will only cause me problems. We'd been divorced, remember?” I said, trying to gently push him away. “What? Divorced? Don’t even think about it, Wifey. I didn't sign it. NEVER. Means, you’re still my wife. You're MINE.”

Isang gabing malungkot na nauwi sa mapupusok na damdamin. Hindi niya inasahan na magbubunga ang gabing akala niya ay makakatulong sa kanya para makaalis sa problemang dinadala. Siya si Irish Marquez, nabuntis siya ng lalaking nakasama niya sa isang gabing pagsasaya, at hindi niya inakala na ang lalaking iyon ay ang pinaka mayaman sa buong bansa, si Guiller Melchor Mendez.