It's been months since the day we stood above that empty grave that stunk of burnt flesh and secrets. All of us were dressed to the nines, one of us wearing a wedding dress, a day that was supposed to mark the beginning of a new adventure. It marked the bitter end of our vengeance. We have done things that have marked our souls for eternity. But before we get there, we have to go back. Back to where it all started. The place I could find in my sleep.

My life is boring. Monotonous. And then tall, dark, and dangerous walks into the bar where I work. Before I know it, I’m in his arms asking him to rescue me. He’s Colt Weston, President of the Tarnished Angels Motorcycle Club. Colt makes me feel alive…and wanted. The club embraces me as one of their own, and when a violent rival threatens to tear us apart, I learn what loyalty truly means.

They say the Devils rule these halls, and now I've caught the eye of the most enigmatic one: The Devil himself, Roman Valdez. Football star. Ruthless strategist. Cold-hearted player in every sense of the word. To him, I'm just a challenge, a new girl to conquer. But he doesn't know me, doesn't know what I've endured. He's about to find out. I'm not just another mindless follower swayed by Roman's smoldering good looks and devilish charm. I've faced tragedy, loss, and battles that have forged me into a fighter. Roman thinks he can play me? He's got another thing coming.

These Rough Waters is a dark, smalltown romance. It can be listened to as a standalone but is book 1 of a series that will progress with interconnected characters. It has dark elements that some listeners may not be comfortable with. A full list of these to come.

You might wonder how a nerd like me ends up dating the rough, cocky quarterback known for his playboy ways. The one who happens to be my bully that I'm already forced to tutor. For a smart girl, that might sound like a questionable decision, but there's a simple explanation. We're faking it. At least, that's the arrangement. So why does something other than fear tingle through my body every time he threatens to make me work off my debt in his bed? There's an explanation for that too. Sebastian Swift makes smart girls stupid.

The headline says it all, and my bosses are over the moon when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in my lap. Of course, they aren’t aware that I’ve already met Vince Cool at an all-star gala—and that we were at each other’s throats the entire time.

When my father died and I stepped into his shoes as leader of Enigma, I vowed to protect the gang he’d built. And I won’t break that promise—no matter what I have to do to keep it.

I can’t remember anymore if my grandfather’s eyes were blue or green, but I’ll never forget the way they wrinkled at the corners when he laughed at one of his own jokes. Or the way they sparkled with mischief when he told me tales about the magical creatures that dwelled in the forest behind his humble Irish sheep farm. As a child, I believed every fantastical word. But when he warned me about the mute boy who also lurked in those woods, the one the priest had declared to be the spawn of Satan himself, I refused to listen.

According to the FBI, I was considered a serial murderer after three kills. What do they call me after fifty-two? They call me the Silencer. One final bullet would have been all it took to stop me from taking another soul, and I would have been doing Meridian City a service by pulling that trigger. An angel crying for help stopped me, and that night, I took three lives for her. Then three turned into eight. Then eight turned into twenty. Twenty turned into twenty-one. Twenty-one turned into twenty-three.

I'm twenty-six years old, and I want to die. So when I wake up at the hospital with my brother weeping over me, I know my life is about to change. What I didn't expect was to get a nurse with cruel eyes and a morbid sense of humor that surpasses my own. I'm even more surprised when I arrive at Harlow Sanctum and realize that my brother selected an unorthodox rehabilitation center that rooms people based on their treatment plan. And my roommate is none other than the man with cruel eyes I met the day prior.

When an abusive ex corners me in a nightclub, I cling to the first man I see for protection. Little do I know he’s a mafia Don, fresh out of prison and eager for a one-night stand. One night extends into two, then three. I’m beginning to suspect I can’t leave. But every time I raise questions, he answers with offers impossible to resist. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if I’m just paranoid or a pawn in a much larger game.

Collin Creed is a killer. But he's Lowyn's killer. And after a twelve-year separation, she wants him back. Deep in the hills of West Virginia, three small towns have found a way to flourish in the face of extreme poverty. Disciple runs a side-show tent revival that brings in millions of dollars a year. Bishop flaunts traditional ways in the vein of Colonial Williamsburg, luring weary city people to the slow-living lifestyle. And Revenant offers them an experience of sin filled with tattooed bikers and live-music dive bars.

I caught the attention of a monster. I didn’t ask for it. Didn’t even see it coming. But the moment I do, it’s too late. Killian Carson is a predator wrapped in sophisticated charm. He’s cold-blooded, manipulative, and savage. The worst part is that no one sees his devil side. I do. And that will cost me everything. I run, but the thing about monsters? They always chase.

Trust no one. I learn that the hard way after hockey star Carter Masters stabs me in the back and turns our rival school against me. Suddenly, I'm public enemy number one at Framingham State. Just a year later, that's exactly where I'm forced to enroll. No one has forgotten what I did. The anti-Sydney campaign is led by two gorgeous, psycho hockey players. Oliver Ruiz, captain, and Penn Walker, the devastating goalie.

Years in chains have taught Princess Izidora one harsh truth: trust no one. When she is finally freed on her twenty-first birthday, Izidora finds herself in an unfamiliar world brimming with danger and intrigue. Surrounded by the warriors who rescued her, the lost princess remains guarded as they journey toward Vaenor, the heart of the vicious Night Realm. Yet, her resolve is tested by High Lord Kazimir Vaszoly, the formidable leader of the Nighthounds. He seems to orbit her like she's his sun, ever-present and unyielding, especially when her traumatic past threatens to consume her.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.

Five Years Earlier: Henry Dunne knows three things: that agreeing to host this raucous house party was a terrible idea, that he absolutely cannot show up to his nursing shift tomorrow with a hangover, and that the beautiful redhead in the corner will be sleeping in his bed tonight.

Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death”. It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive. Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal.

Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel - The Vipers. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses. Yes, sold me. They own me now. I’m theirs in every sense of the word. But I’ve never been meek and compliant.

Oakland-bred LaVeesha “Vee” Gilliam (Coco Jones) is a determined single mother of an autistic son and a gifted aspiring coder. When Vee loses her job as a food-services worker at the onsite restaurant at Grapengine, a large Silicon Valley tech company, she’s unable to pay for her son’s much-needed specialized education. By a twist of fate, mistaken identity, and her tech skills, Vee meets Troy Wilson (Keith Powers), the company’s wealthy founder and CEO and a wunderkind in the tech industry, who believes that Vee is a college-educated techie who works at his company.

Grayson Cole was my brother’s best friend. He was all of my firsts. Then he went away… Drew Harris was just a kid, a senior in high school, my best friend’s little sister. They said she was too young to know her feelings. I was too old to have them, so I left to join the military. Four years passed. Loss, injury, angry words I can never take back. I’m home, but I’m not the same. Neither is she.

It's been months since the day we stood above that empty grave that stunk of burnt flesh and secrets. All of us were dressed to the nines, one of us wearing a wedding dress, a day that was supposed to mark the beginning of a new adventure. It marked the bitter end of our vengeance. We have done things that have marked our souls for eternity. But before we get there, we have to go back. Back to where it all started. The place I could find in my sleep.

Nathan Davenport, CEO of the Davenport empire, is my complete opposite. He hates chocolate. I'm a size sixteen dessert chef. He only wears black. I love glitter and pink. He's grumpy, while I look on the brighter side of life. Too bad his piercing eyes, and high cheekbones, haunt my dreams. When he offers to loan me the money to save my bakery, I have no choice but to agree.

Octavia Royal, the nation's princess. More like, Octavia Royal, my life is a big hot mess. My father’s death has me back in my hometown, and nothing is as I remember. Echoes Cove Prep is a place where dreams go to die. Where everyone wants to be a mean girl, no matter what they sacrifice, and the three boys who were once my saviors run the place. Only now they’re my worst nightmare. There’s something sinister writhing beneath the surface of Echoes Cove.

I was selfish - for once, I had to be. The last time I saw Callum, he was standing at the dormer window as I sat in the back seat of a car. His dark eyes foreign to me. The hatred that radiated from his glare shot through me with more force than a silver bullet. In a matter of minutes, he had become a stranger. He was no longer my best friend. He was now a boy with a hollow heart who was headed down a dark path. A path I knew I’d never cross again. Or, so I thought.

When my father passed away, I assumed my grieving would be as simple as closing a book and starting another. Only he had other plans. Leaving me his beloved tattoo shop, I’m stuck to figure out what exactly to do with it, all while being constantly reminded of him.

Never let them get you to the second location. Even if that location happens to be a lakeside mansion home to four hot-as-sin men. After years of living in survival mode, I'm finally hitting rewind on the story of my life. There's nothing standing in the way of my bright future at Lake Chapel University. Or so I thought.

It was supposed to be a one-night stand with a sinfully gorgeous stranger. A man I’d never see again. I was stranded, he had a hotel room (which I had broken into), and the rest is history. Until he shows up at my doorstep five years later with a marriage proposal. Not to marry him, though. Turns out he’s a hitman for the Irish Mob, and his boss needs a wife. The man I’d been dreaming about for years has chosen me. For someone else.

They don’t go to the brick wall. No one in the village does. Ever since I was a little girl, everyone has warned me not to go or even to look at it. And if you happen to find yourself close to the wall, run as fast and as far away as you can. The magic from the beast creeps beyond the wall, but not by much. No one who values their life approaches the enchanted area, let alone searches out the gate. Everyone is sure not to provoke the enchanted area. Those who do, don’t come back to tell their tales. The magic is dark. And it’s all from the beast.

My husband traded me away to save his own life...and now I belong to the devil. One night and everything in my life changed. Two words and my world turned dark: "Take her." Owing the most ruthless crime lord in Garden City five million dollars, my husband chose to trade me and my children away to save himself. I was on the cusp of freedom, so close to divorcing that scumbag I was married to. Now I'm enslaved to a man who is obsessed with me. A man so wicked and beautiful they call him Lucifer.

Gabriel Corso is the stuff of nightmares and dirty dreams. He's a sinfully gorgeous mafia prince from a brutal rival family. In school, he was the bane of my existence. The dark villain to my sheltered princess. Then–poof–he disappeared. If only he’d stayed away. Turns out, our marriage is a term of his inheritance and now he’s returned to collect what’s his. That means ripping me from my gilded cage. It means locking me beneath his searing flesh. It means war. I’m not supposed to like it. To beg for more. To fall for him.

They say the Devils rule these halls, and now I've caught the eye of the most enigmatic one: The Devil himself, Roman Valdez. Football star. Ruthless strategist. Cold-hearted player in every sense of the word. To him, I'm just a challenge, a new girl to conquer. But he doesn't know me, doesn't know what I've endured. He's about to find out. I'm not just another mindless follower swayed by Roman's smoldering good looks and devilish charm. I've faced tragedy, loss, and battles that have forged me into a fighter. Roman thinks he can play me? He's got another thing coming.

My name is Soldier, but I was never meant to be a hero. From the moment I was born, I was looked at as a beacon of hope, a guiding light—a savior. That type of pressure can drive a man to desperation, to do things he shouldn't, and in my case, that's exactly what happened. All I ever wanted to be was a good person, someone my grandparents could be proud of, but for a long time, I couldn't find the strength to be proud of myself. I paid the price. I did my time. Yet... somehow, I got lucky.

Running away from home at 17 wasn't easy. Let's face it, though, nothing before or in the ten years since has ever been easy for me. And I'm doing okay—sorta. I just need to keep scraping by, living under the radar. Staying out of people's way, off people's minds. When a man walks through my open patio door, stepping boldly into my home and my life, I should be scared, frightened, terrified. I must be more broken than I realized because I'm none of those things. I'm intrigued—and I'm wondering if the way to take control of my life is by giving in to him.

I had one thing on my mind and that was never going to change: The game. The only goal I had was beating the records set by my family. I didn’t have time for anything else. Until she walked in the room. The earth shifted, just like the stories said it would. I said it wouldn’t happen—not to me. I didn’t have the time, but now she was the only thing on my mind. I knew it was her. Now I had to convince her.