DJ feels he can't trust anybody...not his right hand man, not his down ass bitch, not even his little brother, who wants nothing more than to follow in his very footsteps. DJ, like most gangstas, runs his empire with death at the end of his trigga finger, taking no shorts and no slips. Even though JJ is the cause of him being on top, envy and ill feelings in his heart, towards his baby brother influences him to just enough to justify his actions. Didi, DJ's main chick, does everything in her power to get DJ's ass to reach back for JJ, who's now homeless, living on the streets of Waterloo, Iowa, as a bum at the age of fourteen. Hate, envy, and pride, set in his eyes, blinding him of seeing past DJ's wants; and his wants only. JJ, refusing to ask for his brother's help, takes it upon himself and jumps into the drug game, learning as he comes up. No matter what JJ does, he can't hide his rapid come up from his brother. DJ, having so much hate and envy in his heart towards JJ, he puts his focus more on keeping JJ broke, than running his own empire, which crumbles, right beneath his feet. What will the end of such an ordeal bring?

    Yet, he knew deep down that if he ever had to make that hurtful decision again, the outcome would remain the same. Life must go on, money has to be made and only the strong will survive. Tiffany has spent the last four years of her life regretting the day she fell in love with Travon. Back then, she was too naïve to realize that everything in life comes with a price and unfortunately for her, the price she paid was her freedom. Will Tiffany ever have a chance to make Travon pay for ruining her life?

    Years ago, her affair with Frank Anderson, the very handsome but very married lead news anchor, had taken her body, soul, and career to new heights. But Kai’s thrill ride with Frank ended in an unspeakable tragedy. Now, she avoids his advances, despite the deep feelings she still has for him. Anxious to move on, Kai initiates a summer fling with Deandre Grant, a sexy NBA player with mind-blowing bedroom skills. Soon, Kai finds herself hungering for more than a casual relationship, and she’s overjoyed when Deandre confesses that he feels the same way. Unfortunately, their beautiful beginning is tainted when their relationship hits two major roadblocks: Kai’s sister, LaNaya, a video vixen and exotic dancer, who gets caught up in a sexy webcam operation with dangerous consequences; and Janice, Deandre’s deranged baby-mama.On a business trip to Atlanta, Kai discovers something about Frank, her former flame, that changes her perspective on the past. Will this new information open the door for reconciliation with him, or will she go all the way with Deandre? Kai reports the news every day, but there is much more drama off the air, when it comes to her own life. This novel is a tale of fate, desire and the unexpected.EXCERPT:Although Deandre hadn’t popped the question yet, all signs point to us jumping the broom. He had been to three Sunday dinners in a row at Mama’s house, and we would be flying, first-class, to Atlanta together the following weekend. He’d even invited me to training camp to watch him work out. I sat in the bleachers, cheering him on, along with all the other basketball wives and girlfriends. Most of them were half a decade younger than me, with bodies sculpted by a plastic surgeon’s scalpel, but the passionate way Deandre kissed my lips at the end of practice made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the arena.Now, I sat on the couch next to him as he popped open a bottle of champagne and poured us each a glass.He handed one to me and said, “I’d like to make a toast…to the smartest, sexiest, most passionate woman I’ve ever known.”I smiled as we clinked glasses. “Wow! You’re gonna give me a big head talking like that.”“Reese’s, you’ve got everything a man needs. Plus, you make your own money. I’m always worried about gold-diggers, but I know that’s not something I have to worry about with you. That’s one of the reasons why I love you.”I blinked at him, wondering if I’d heard him right. I had waited for months to hear those three words. I was so excited I could scream.He stroked my face. “I’ve been waiting a long time to tell you how I feel, Reese’s. Yes, I love you. It’s been so hard to keep it inside.”Joyful tears filled my eyes. “Oh, Deandre! I love you too!”He kissed me with so much emotion that my whole body trembled. Minutes later, we were in his king-sized bed and I did something between the sheets that shocked us both...

    Then she meets Trey, a handsome and well dressed cat with hood swagger. When Trey tells Chloe that he is pursuing a degree in psychology, Chloe thinks she has finally met someone who has his head screwed on right. But as Chloe’s flirtation with Trey intensifies, secrets are revealed and she finds that she’s playing with fire, in Tracy Brown's Flirting with Disaster.*First published in the 2009 anthology Flirt.

    With only a snap of his fingers he is able to command thousands of men, and have his every desire fall at his feet. The only thing that this master is missing is true love in his life. At the brink of a drug war and rebellion from potential business partners, Zeus finds it impossible to trust anyone he brings close, let alone finding someone he would be able to love and give his all too, or share his very own empire with. When a broken Rumor Sandavo waltzes into his life on business, he finds himself balancing everything on his plate and schedule accordingly, as well as trying to get closer to the young woman. After longing for love for quite some time, Zeus failed to realize that love can weaken you or make you more vulnerable. Will Rumor accept Zeus as the man of her life once she finds out what he's capable of? Or will she be the one and only reason he is stripped of his title as "Beast Of The Cartel" and loses the war that the rebellion has brought upon him?

    She is a hustler’s wife, the mother of a beautiful daughter, and she owns a town house and a nice car—she’s living the life. But when the feds arrest her man, Dixyn’s whole world begins to crumble. Quickly things go from bad to worse—as the bills begin to mount, her ability to continue to maintain her lavish lifestyle is put to the test. Strapped for cash, her good intentions lead to bad decisions.Enter Brian Winters, B-Dub, and her one saving grace, or so she initially believes. In Dixyn’s time of need, B-Dub turns out to be no more than an opportunist with his own agenda. Dixyn becomes indebted to him and is forced to do his bidding in order to survive. With B-Dub on her back, she submerges herself into the murky waters of street life and is soon entangled in a web of lust, betrayal, blackmail, and deceit. She ultimately discovers that there are no rules in the game. In the game, loyalty is limited. Trust will get you hurt and love will get you killed.

    That is until he met Charm Johnson. Charm had been single for two years due to an abusive ex and was scared to give Caesar together a shot. When these two decide to give each other a chance someone will stop at nothing to break them apart. Tragedy strikes causing grief and harm. when it's all said and done will they stay together or do they go their separate ways? Cassie gives you a tale of love, lies and deceit.

     
Dive into this finale to see if Brynlee gets snatched up once and for all by bad boy Sawyer, or if she settles and accepts Troy’s infidelities and puts her happiness to the side just to be with someone she has history with.

    Michelle reunites with her ex-boyfriend, Antonio “Tony” Dixon, and realizes that Tony’s addictive lifestyle is no longer the life she wants to live and gets involved with Officer John Shelby. Will Michelle allow her demons to interfere with her newfound love and happiness? Lakeeysha meets and falls in love with Antwaine Greene, a notorious drug dealer whose mind is set on two things: money and women. Lakeeysha tries to find her place in Antwaine’s life, but her quest for his heart is cut short when he is mysteriously killed, leaving Keeysha in suspense and anxious to find his murderer. As she pieces together this deadly puzzle, she is confronted with a bare truth that explodes her world into a million tiny pieces. Keeysha’s search for truth endangers her life and those she cherishes the most. As the body count rises it is only a matter of time before death comes knocking at Keeysha’s front door. With Antwaine dead, who will rescue her from this deadly and cruel world?Enliven your senses and awaken a new thirst for adventure as Jennifer Luckett tells a no-hold bars tale of the gritty side of Jackson, Mississippi, and gives new meaning to the City with Soul.

    Tyler and Tori’s world has been torn apart by her sister, Paris, when she kidnaps the couple’s 3 year old son. Will they stand together in order to save their baby boy or will the stress and heartache Paris has bought into their lives tear them apart? Skye and Zyir aren’t on good terms and although they love each other, will love be enough to keep them together or will Zyir’s drama turn his good girl bad? The twins are the poster children for the perfect siblings, but with so much going on in both of their lives there relationship is tested and for the first time ever they have to separate in order to gain control of their own separate lives. Bonds are broken, secrets are revealed and everybody won’t make it til the end! Who will be the last couple standing?

    In a business where it is hard to distinguish friend from foe, Carmelo finds himself facing deception and dishonesty from those who were once closest to him. The fear of death lurks around every corner and Carmelo’s life is in constant danger! While trying to stay alive and maintain control over what took him years to build, he meets Dream. Dream is a breath of fresh air in Carmelo’s grimy and perilous world. She comes from a different walk of life and brings something refreshing to the table. It is true that every thug needs a lady, but can Dream be the one who balances out Carmelo's hectic life?

    Jade and Shy's boyfriends, Roscoe and James, are partners in a lucrative drug business, but one night they get caught up in a shoot-out that goes horribly wrong. Shy's man, Roscoe, ends up in prison while James walks away clean, and things begin to fall apart between the girls. Jealousy, greed, revenge, and betrayal test the true bonds of friendship. Get ready, because these girls are about to take "nasty" to a whole new level.

    She didn't give a fuck about men and she only cared about their money. She swore that the way that she lived was the only way, and often attempted to convince her close friend Samantha to give up on having a traditional love, and join in on her Ghetto Girl Games that she plays. Shockingly engaging, and filled with jaw dropping scenes that will leave you speechless. The lustful infatuation for money, and the unbelievable thirst for the shiny life will keep you shaking your head at these women. And in case you were wondering...if you sell your food stamps so that you can go to the club; then you are also playing Ghetto Girl Games. But that's just the game for beginners, so check out these pros and how they navigate through life in the projects.

    Coming from a sheltered life of wealth, Lynnae doesn't have what it takes to make it a world that her father fought so hard to keep her away from. While living with strangers and learning about family secrets that were supposed to have been dead and buried, Lynnae meets Trent.While he is the definition of the kind of man that her parents never wanted her to be with, Trent is everything that Lynnae wants. He came into her life when she needed someone and he quickly became her knight in shining armor. Trent reintroduces Lynnae to the life that she was once accustomed to and she easily falls in love with him. Becoming a hustler's wifey was never the life Lynnae envisioned for herself and she soon learns that it's not always easy.Dealing with Trent's drug dealing and alleged side chicks is one thing, but staying by his side when he reveals a secret that he'd been keeping from her from day one, might prove to be too much for Lynnae.Falling in love with Trent was easy. Remaining in love with him after finding out who he really is, now that's another story.

     Meet Larissa Bradshaw, a strong-willed hardworking girl. After her parents turn their backs on her she closes her heart to love and becomes determined to make something of herself despite her situation. She meets Messiah “Money” Lawson and everything changes. Messiah is an up and coming boss in the streets. He’s a nigga that’s respected and feared by all. From the moment he first sees Larissa he has to have her. The two share an instant connection and can’t seem to get enough of each other. Messiah’s lifestyle and desire for money brings jealousy, temptation, and violence threatening to ruin what he and Larissa are trying to build. Follow Larissa and Messiah on their journey of ups and downs as they fight for the love, loyalty and life they always wanted.