Randa

Once a noble Untouchable, she now stands as a martyr, an unwilling symbol of defiance in a world governed by privilege and oppression. As she grapples with the impending loss of self-control and the enigmatic forces that threaten to unravel her, life spirals into a chaotic dance of power and manipulation. Forest's struggle intensifies as she endeavors to shield the Unfortunates, those who once bowed at her feet, from the encroaching darkness orchestrated by the leaders of her society.

In the dystopian realm of The Order, society is eternally divided between the privileged Untouchables and the struggling Unfortunates. The Untouchables, draped in opulence and power, govern the city with an iron fist, casting long shadows over the impoverished Unfortunates who toil beneath in the murky depths of the working class. As the ruling elite revel in excess and luxury, the Unfortunates navigate a world stacked against them, grappling with meager resources and restricted opportunities. The social chasm widens daily as the Untouchables tighten their grip on wealth and influence.

I always knew I was different—my obsession with catching Deadwater’s murderer with my Skeleton Girls Detective Agency, my hunger to hunt predators with my steel sharp and my manicure perfect. And now, my dangerous instalove for the skeleton crew’s new recruit. Riordan, with his tousled dark hair and striking green eyes, would be wise to run far from me. But it was infatuation at first sight, and there’s nothing I won’t do to keep him close. Even if it means risking everything.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I'm called his precious. His favored. I'm the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don't leave the confines of the palace, I'm safe. Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

As the youngest Ravage brother, I’ve spent too much time partying and drinking away my life. Now that I’m sober, I’ve learned to channel my need for control. And I share my knowledge online, as a masked persona. The last person I expect to message me is Layla, the daughter of the man my mom married. She’s always been my greatest temptation, and when she unknowingly confides in my alias, her deepest fantasies become my new obsession. Behind the mask, I teach her the art of surrender—and she’s eager to learn every lesson.

The last thing I expected when I married at twenty-two was to remain a virgin at twenty-four. My husband didn’t want me; he married me out of obligation rather than love, and I thought nothing could hurt worse than that. But my solution, marriage counseling, was only the beginning. The first time I saw Shane, I knew I was boarding an express bus to hell because my husband never made me feel a flicker of that spark, and that was before we shook hands.

I've been faithful long enough. I never claimed to be a good man, but I've always done what was expected of me. Find a nice girl. Get married. Have children. That was my duty as a good Christian man. And everything was going as planned when I met Briar. Beautiful. Charismatic. Sexy. But marriage is hard, and after seven years, I feel like I'm failing. Then, a figure from my past enters the picture.

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 an interstate trucker who’s left hundreds of bodies behind him. She's a woman who’s running from her past. When she gets in my truck, she unwittingly becomes my next victim. I test her will to live, but the personalities behind mine have a different plan for her. They work to dismantle the fragile equilibrium I've struggled to maintain. As I unravel around her, consumed by conflicting desires, I start to question everything I've ever known. Or never known. Can I let her into the darkness that has consumed me, or will she become yet another tragic casualty of my damaged psyche?

From author Jescie Hall comes this dark and demanding stalker romance that pushes all the boundaries of exploring sexuality while simultaneously exposing the harsh realities of organized religion.