I continue to rub my hands through her ponytail as I look over at her. “No, I will have this job and they gon’ love me. I’ll be the best Krystal they’ll ever know.” She looks over towards me not smiling as she says with trembling lips, “What…do you…mean?” With one shove of my hand I slam her face into the steering wheel, not once, or twice, or three times, but four or maybe five. I lose count as blood oozes out her nose, mouth and eyes. Her body stops shaking and sudden the car starts moving slowly forward as she takes her foot off of the brake. I reach over placing the car in park quickly. Removing my other hand from the back of her head, I look around on the quiet street, not seeing anyone in sight. Tossing my book bag into the backseat of her green Toyota, Camry, I lean over grabbing her, pulling her lifeless body over toward the passenger’s seat. Opening the passenger’s door I get out, placing her in the seat I just escape from. With her head slouched down, I close the door and run around to the driver’s door. Opening the door, I look down seeing all her blood splashed on the steering wheel.

    He’s so much like her that it’s spooky. They’re two free spirts who want to live life with no restraints, but old demons, and skewed judgements will eventually weigh them down, and no one knows, including them, if they’re strong enough to weather the storms.

    She gave it all up to gamble on her talent, and found success she'd never imagined as one of New York's hottest painters. But when she returns to her South Carolina hometown to care for her ailing father, she gets an even bigger surprise. That "bow-legged" neighbor's boy she used to play with has grown up into Darius McRae, a lawyer who gave up the D.C. fast-lane to get back to his roots. Now, Darius' dark-chocolate build and slow, easy smile are proving to be just as tempting as any city lights...The last thing Darius was looking for was a relationship. He'd been burned by too many women who put finance over romance--including his conniving ex-girlfriend Cortina. But Celina's sense of humor and unpretentious ways are igniting more than his passions. And when Cortina starts stirring up a mess of trouble, Darius will do whatever it takes to show Celina a home-grown love is a dream worth everything...

    A thing intended; an aim or plan· A goal, purpose or plan is your intentionNever underestimate the power of the streets! There are those that live by the commandments that govern them and those who don’t. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The hustle never stops so be prepared to execute with the skill of a warrior, a STREET warrior!

    This is a short collection of poetry from the pen and mind of Nyles Adams, most of which originally appeared in other Alexandria House works.Read, absorb and snap your fingers if you are so inclined.

    Growing up they were inseparable. When he joined the Marines she did too. Then disaster struck. After leaving the Marines, she returns to the family ranch in Montana hoping to heal her shattered heart. On a ride into the foothills she sees something glowing in the side of the mountain. When she goes to investigate she discovers a fist-sized sapphire that turns her already fragile world upside down. 1882: Jake Barrow is a part-time gambler, full-time hired gun. His decisions are based on hunches and the turn of a card. He’s in the foothills when a young woman comes tumbling down the mountain. Unsure whether Lady Luck has dealt him a good hand or a bad, he takes one look at the beauty at his feet and doesn’t need to shuffle the deck to know she’s his destiny.

    

    The three stories are all interconnected. SWEET SUNRISE: Sometimes life has a way of teaching lessons whether you’re ready to learn them or not… The last place on earth Will Layton wants to be is Indigo Bay, but his younger sister, Whitney, needs him. He’s never been able to say no to her. But she left out a few details… like their father staying with her and the girl who dumped him years ago is living right next door. The last person Dr. Ashley Harden thought she’d see in Indigo Bay is Will Layton, but he’s back in town and just as irresistible as when they were young. Seeing Will again is a complication that isn’t on her carefully mapped out life plan. In spite of Ashley’s best intentions, she starts falling for Will again, but nothing has changed. She’s still focused on getting the townspeople to accept her and see her as more than the girl from the wrong side of town, while Will is determined to guard his heart at any cost. Not the easiest road to true love… especially when secrets from the past are revealed and history threatens to repeat itself. SWEET HOLIDAY MEMORIES: (a short holiday story) Sometimes a surprise from the past changes the future forever… Meredith Snowden — who by some strange twist of fate has the nickname Merry — avoids everything to do with the holidays. Everything. Her best friend, Whitney, has given up trying to change Merry's ways. Except… This year Merry’s in charge of the holiday bake sale. Not the best way to avoid Christmas. Then Austin Sullivan returns to town and literally runs into Merry sprawled on the sidewalk among boxes of smashed cookies. Austin is all about Christmas and offers help with the baking and the sale. Merry’s carefully hidden memories of Christmas past begin to resurface. Will Austin’s love of the holidays and a single lost ornament bring the magic of Christmas back into Merry’s life? SWEET STARLIGHT: Sometimes worlds collide and sparks fly and things don’t turn out as planned... Whitney Layton doesn’t recognize the actor who comes into her shop and commissions a custom jewelry piece for his grandmother’s birthday gala. Rick Nichols doesn’t know if he’s upset or thankful that Whitney doesn’t recognize him. While he longs to become more well known so his family will finally think he’s made a success of himself, he enjoys hiding out anonymously and being just an everyday normal guy. As Rick’s best-laid plans for his grandmother’s party fall apart, Whitney steps in to help him. But as things heat up between them and the press catches wind of their relationship, their photo is splashed all over social media. Whitney wants nothing of the limelight nor does she believe Rick will ever be happy with a small-town businesswoman who wants nothing more than to live out her life in Indigo Bay. She doesn’t need to add one more name to the list of people she’s cared about who have left her.

    Emery is reminiscing over the love she had with Wise. She is being pulled two places and she wonders if it is possible for you to love two men at the same time. The feelings that she buried are now bubbling over and she doesn't want anyone to get hurt. Wise is back and ready to claim his rightful place. His time away from Emery did nothing to make his love calm down. She is his soulmate and his prison time couldnt change that. In his opinion there is no competition. So the guy that she is with now is the least of his worries. Wise is sadly mistaken if he thinks that Shad is just going to sit by and let the love of his life go that easily. Shad is ready to go toe to toe because Wise's lost was his gain. He will play dirty if he has to, but he will not let her slip away. Secrets will be revealed, plotting is at an all time high and everyone's life will be changed

    

    

    That was around the time Kole stepped away from “the Organization,” vowing to never take another life. A tragic accident changes everything. In order to protect Dana, Kole must revive his old lifestyle. And despite her attempts to resist, she finds herself falling for him all over again.

    

    

    Too bad his wife is already in that spot! Her love for him has her lowering her standards to maintaining her side chick status. But Kara wants more… She becomes demanding and gives Jazz ultimatums proving she is over his games. His empty promises and lies show her he isn’t the man he claims to be. But like most women, Kara is determined to fight for her love… Jazz is hooked on Kara’s young love. After witnessing his best friend and wife having sex, he’s confused and unsure of who he can trust. His life is flipped upside down by drama and tragedy, once the set up of his best friend comes back to haunt him. “Zen” aka Zenayia struggles to love her husband Jazz… She’s gotten lost in her feelings for his best friend Damon. Her affair with Damon ultimately puts her in a compromising position when she is deemed with an unexpected pregnancy. Her marriage is on the line resulting in her hiding secrets are unmasked. The ultimate betrayal of his best friend Jazz leaves Damon questioning those around him. He is jealous of Jazz and wishes he had his lifestyle. Their friendship will be tested, pushing Damon to make drastic decisions to keep his affair with Zen under wraps. He is determined to find out who set him up, but he has no idea his enemy is right under his nose…