Devin "Smoke" Dillinger lives by a simple code—protect what's his at all costs. As the third oldest Dillinger and owner of a successful weapons distribution business, Smoke has a reputation that precedes him. He's a man of few attachments who prides himself on control, discipline, and keeping people at arm's length... until an unexpected visitor walks through his door.

Romi Mitchell is fighting battles on all sides. Seven months pregnant with her second child, she's desperately seeking protection from threats she can no longer handle alone.

Detavio Decebal was never meant to be good. He was raised in the shadows of a man who believed kindness was weakness, which later made him feel like love was nothing more than a leash meant to be snapped. He was raised by force and taught only to survive. By the time he became an adult, he had taught himself how to dominate those around him until he met Angel. A woman he set out to ruin and break since she was a threat to the Decebal name.

One fifteen-minute encounter as teenagers changed everything for Rex Goode and Truce Redmond. They both walked away different people. For him, it catapulted his career in boxing. For her, it challenged her commitment to family. Years later, Rex is a retired boxer, single father, and furniture store owner who has left his fighting days behind him. Truce is a dutiful daughter, loving big sister, and owns the popular soul food restaurant, Redmond’s. On the outside, her life is perfect, until it’s not.

Salima Navarro, a driven young woman with dreams larger than her current circumstances, takes a job at the upscale Aura nightclub to support herself and her recovering mother. This decision unexpectedly propels her into an unfamiliar world. Deuce Dillinger, the commanding heir to a powerful family empire, is accustomed to control in all aspects of his life. Upon seeing Salima, he resolves to make her his, despite her initial resistance to his domineering personality and lifestyle.

Thaddeus Patrick Lourie saw her, wanted her, and declared that he would have her. No person, thing, or beast would stop him from having his rightful mate. As the next in line for the top, there were expectations set. What happens when the set expectations go against his destiny of having her? Will he stick to the expectations or show his teeth and move toward his destiny?

Halani Henley experienced a shocking and devastating loss. At six months pregnant, she loses the child she is carrying, and it turns her entire world upside down. To make matters worse, she feels she is the only one taking her miscarriage as seriously as it is. Her boyfriend of three years, Onyx Sawyer, is moving through life as though he hasn't just lost a child as well. When a secret comes out, Halani is faced with the fact that she may not have known her man as well as she thought she did.

In the club, with flashing lights and loud music, seeing him across the room is a scene out of a movie. We lock eyes and sway to the beat—instantly connecting. He nudges his head, calling me to the other side. Me? Of all the women in the club, this sexy man wants me to join him in VIP. So I do. And then I realize how tall he is, and the other guys surrounding him are also. Wait. This guy was on the basketball court at the game I watched the night before. The guys standing around him are his teammates on the Houston Outlaws.

They thought fire would take everything—my home, my woman, and Elijah. That I'd be nothing but ashes. They forgot who I am. I'm King Inferno. I don't burn alone. The Inferno Gods don't just ride—we burn everything in our path.

Losing her father to the 9/11 terrorist attack at the tender age of three, has Genesis Farris longing for what she feels is missing. Being that her mother never remarried or even introduced another man into their lives, it made her that much more curious about what it was like to be loved by one. She’s always wanted to know and experience what was so special or significant about a man’s love, but she was far from the point of desperation. Just from the stories she’d heard about her father, she knew that he wanted what was best for her, so she refused to settle for less than that.

Quamir "Soul" Kelly comes through like a thief in the night, wiping out those who cause friction in the organization. His profession stems from the mistreatment as a child, and now, he's the one soulless person you don't want to encounter. He is thorough and accurate each and every time, even when it comes to things that are unexpected.

Kora Caselli is the second oldest of the Caselli siblings. Right along with her brother, she’s had to grow up quicker than she wanted to. Sacrificing the life, she thought she would have to be there for her youngest siblings and step into a role that was always chosen for her. As a federal judge, Kora Caselli, or Judge Case, has built her career on being fair—sometimes, tough—and about business within her courtroom. At 34, she’s one of the youngest and most feared judges in the system, known mostly for the high-profile cases she has tried.

Meet Trent Bailey, who is fighting for the right to continue his stellar professional football career after enduring striking legal woes in the recent past. Trent cannot and will not blow his second chance for anyone; after all, this is the blessing he's been praying for. After receiving confirmation that staying focused is all he needs, it's what he aims to do. No distractions. That's until he bumps into two unexpected overnight guests.

These are the tenets that rule the De Santis family—until an arranged marriage potentially threatens all three. Born into the most ruthless crime family in the South, Azreal De Santis is bred to lead, dominate, and rule. When a strategic marriage forces him to take Natoi Kingston as his wife, Azreal learns power is not always defined by strength, blood is not the strongest bond, and loyalty isn’t always black and white. Sometimes there are shades of gray.

August Hanson was the silent type, the kind who spoke through his actions and not his words. He possessed enough power to make me feel safe and secure. I was ready to open up and share the parts of myself I’d never shared with another, and then I got hit with a truth that changed everything. There was a slight chance he’d still want me, only he had to accept our baby, too.

After the untimely death of his father, Rosier "Zoo" Boudreaux rightfully inherits Boudreaux Enterprises. Although he anticipated being in charge his entire life, he could have never prepared for the dark secrets, dirty money, and unethical practices that lived after his father's demise. Though thrown for a loop, he wastes no time claiming his seat at the head of the table and demanding the respect of his constituents. After all, Zoo was trained for it.