A volunteer Virginia Beach firefighter, Alayna Curry faces death every day—and is proud to carry on her retired father’s legacy. But with cash always tight and her long-time boyfriend Levi pressuring her to give up what she loves to make more money, she knows she needs more cash flow to stay afloat …

Once the most cunning luxury-car thief in the game, Ava Frost gladly gave it all up to become the wife of a successful Norfolk, Virginia, businessman, and raise their two children in better circumstances than she ever knew. But when the children are abducted—and held for a two-million-dollar ransom—Ava is stunned to discover her husband’s bad deals have drained their fortune. Determined, she pursues her best, and toughest, option: Her ex-boyfriend, the mastermind behind the South’s biggest car theft ring, offers her a chance to gain the money.

I shouldn't have felt this way about her. She's my brother-in-law's first love. She was forbidden fruit. Ain't shit ever been forbidden for me. I take what I want, and I want her. I shouldn't have these strong of feelings for a woman I just met. I wanted to lay every man who even thought about looking her way… including my brother-in-law. Erin was mine before she even knew it. Our paths were meant to cross, our futures to intertwine.

A tragic beginning to life led Jah and Shauka Disciple to homelessness and poverty at such a young age that they grew into men before their time. Yet, they turned their hunger, abandonment, and suffering into diamonds, mansions, and power. The natural hustler instinct they’d inherited from their father was their driving force. Yet, this story starts when Messiah turns 18 and is finally freed from his adoptive parents. Reluctantly, he leaves his twin sister behind as he, Jah, and Shauka run the streets and break yearning hearts along the way.

Cold-hearted Keema takes the world by storm as she navigates her way through every trick and scam she can pull off. With four kids in tow, living off the welfare system had become her life along with the extra cash, sex, and violence her gangsta boyfriend Dupree brought into her life. Soon, chaos erupts, causing Keema’s secret past to become a problem. When the chips fall, they fall hard, leaving Keema willing to do whatever it takes to keep money in her pocket. She’s willing to go that extra mile, even if it means selling her kids or setting up her man.

After the arrest of Chancellor King and the murder of his eldest son and heir, Ghost, the King family and the streets of New York City are thrown into chaos. Chancellor’s older brother, Chapman, takes the opportunity to usurp the crown, breaking the line of succession and stepping over his nephew Shadow. Chapman’s first act as the new king is to banish what remains of his broken family, branding them enemies of the crown. Stripped of all wealth and power, Maureen King places a seemingly impossible task on the shoulders of Shadow.

Retired hitwoman Celine Briggs loved few people in this world; Her husband Caleb, and her ex-handler, Brian Devereaux. When Celine took her marital vows, she exchanged the life of guns, drugs, and violence for the peaceful life as Caleb's wife. However, not all things buried stay hidden.

After serving a 10-year bid in prison, Taye "City" Savage was finally freed. However, once he was released, there was no time to chill and enjoy the riches that his brothers had acquired at his left and right hand at the king’s throne of the Savage empire. No sooner than City was released, complete mayhem ensued. His brother, Shon, and his greed causes the Savage empire to be in debt with the Columbian cartel of over a million dollars.

As mature men, the Savage brothers now realize that a man is not truly rich until he has something that money can’t buy, and that’s the women that have won their stubborn, once concrete, hearts. However, nothing in life comes easy and that includes love...especially with so many threatening, dangerous, and deadly obstacles in their paths to protect their family and their women. As soon as City and Akira had a taste of their happily ever after, it was snuffed away by her very own father.

At first, med student Misty Heiress just wants to help. With her cousin Jillian in constant pain, and the doctor refusing to prescribe, Misty steals opioids from the Virginia Beach pharmacy where she works. But when Jillian starts reselling them to local dealers and gets big money, Misty grabs an unbelievable opportunity to get out of crushing debt. Soon Misty's boss, Sanjay, learns the truth and wants in. In no time, their illegal business dominates the street - and racks up a fortune. But when demand quickly outstrips supply, Sanjay way overplays his hand - and the Feds come calling.

Essence® best-selling authors Kiki Swinson and De’nesha Diamond are two rising stars in the world of urban fiction. Heist presents two novellas starring young women hustling their way to the top of the game through daring robbery schemes. In Swinson’s The Ultimate Heist, pampered Shannon Marshall is accustomed to a big-money lifestyle. Her world is shattered, however, when her man is thrown into prison for gun running.

Being more than a Daddy’s girl has always been the goal. Finding herself outside of being the baby proved itself to be the hardest thing. He seemed familiar. Something safe, someone she knew she could let her guard down around. A man that wasn’t just around because of what her last name could offer. The car she drove wasn’t the only thing that moved fast.

Taye “City” Savage and Akira White’s love story started in the projects. Ten years ago, they met when Akira was only a young girl and City was a grown man getting his hustle started. City and Akira’s bond was strong, and their fate was inevitable, so they thought. However, before their bound could be sealed, life happened.

Myomi Ford has been unlucky in love since she experienced her first crush. Although in a new relationship, she has an unsettling feeling that her current man Xion is just like the others. But without proof, she is left wondering, suspecting, and predicting, which has naturally caused a rift in her relationship. All the beauty has ever wished for was for someone to be about her and love her as deeply as she loved them. At the moment, however, that seems impossible to find.

Leila has always been stuck on her husband and never thought her love for him would dissipate. Even throughout the constant pain and suffering, she has hope that he'll come back to her. But Devon's cold heart and abandonment has left room for her to be rescued by another man. Rayshon Johnson - not the perfect man, but a better man - comes along and rolls the storm away, providing Leila with the emotional comfort she desperately desires. He kisses her where it hurts and helps her shed her insecurities, building his woman up from the inside.