Showing results by author "HJ Bellus" in All Categories

They say going home is easy, and in all reality, it should be. Just not for me. The small, one-horse town that gave me my roots, that made my soul thrive, is also the place I never wanted to set foot in again. I left everything behind and never looked back. Until now. With the death of the man who raised me, I’m forced to return to Boone. Old wounds resurface, and heartache and loss trump everything once more.

Love struck me at the early age of five. The boy turned into a man, and I fell even deeper. Guy Webb had no idea my fragile heart belonged to him for so many years. He was too busy being my brother’s best friend and a star on the football field. He was my daydream and consumed every single thought, but he was always one step from my reach. Beartooth Ranch was our home. The rich ranch land raised us, fostered our laughs and losses, and even gained a new family member when Guy moved in for his sophomore year of high school.

Baylor Jones and Stayton (State) Blake. Two lost souls raised on the streets. Young children vowing to always protect each other. He was only nine but he was her protector and best friend for years. Even when thrown in foster care he took care of her always like a king to his queen. A silent pinky promise shared between, it was their secret protection to one another. Then one morning he was gone. Leaving Baylor on her own to battle the streets and more importantly life in the Kings all by herself.

When Marlee loses her husband and daughter, her friends and family do their best to heal her broken heart. But painful reminders of a future she’ll never see haunt her every day in the small town. Her only hope at a second chance is to leave it all behind.As she sets out on a soul-searching adventure, the mourning widow wonders if the wilderness will give her hope for a brighter future or if she’ll forever be chained to a devastating past.

One call. That’s all it took to change everything. The sweet voice on the other end of the line delivered a blow I never saw coming. Fighting for our country’s freedom and staring death in the eye was nothing compared to this news. History has one hell of a way repeating itself. Kate Wilson’s voice didn’t waver once as she turned my worst nightmare into a reality, and her words weaved a cruel poetic justice.

A mafia princess. The nation's favorite football player. Can they make it work? An unlikely matching of the stars. The opposites had it all for one year. Justice Bexley, the daughter of Cain and Calla leaders of the Diamond Syndicate, sacrificed true love to protect Liam. Her selfish action destroyed them both. Liam Blake moved on with his prestigious career. Some say true love has a way of finding its way back. Justice and Liam know better than to believe. That's up until the day they find themselves in a heated meeting.

Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance. She's the prettiest girl in her hometown, the most talented cheerleader on her high school squad, valedictorian of the senior class, prom queen, and runner-up for Miss Teen Colorado. And the list goes on.... That's until college, when she finds out that nobody recognizes her, and if they do, they couldn't care less. Blending in is something Blue has longed for her entire life.

Our shadows are always there. They entertain us when we're little, just like best friends. As we grow older, they grow with us. Even through the darkness they stay, never leaving our side. They watch. They listen. They know all our secrets. Endure our pain. Their silence remains while only rumors drift in the wind. Soon our shadows turn from friend to foe. They become the monster starring in our nightmares, a temptress of hell reminding us what it feels like to burn. Shadows are the demons that tear our souls apart. They never let go, and they never allow us to forget.

Merek Slatter is the wild card on the Silver Star Ranch in Texas and always has been. He's blessed with his granddaddy's love of the ranch, yet haunted with chasing that gold buckle eight seconds at a time. Tensions are high on the ranch when circumstances threaten to take it under. His dad and brothers pressure him to stay home and become an active cowboy on the ranch. However, Merek is addicted to the road and rodeo.

Wrong has never been so right. Survival. It's all about the next dollar. It started out as a job, but has morphed into an addiction. Money flows and life is good. Women respond to my mere presence, begging for one more taste. I was the king, on top of the world. It was all a game and I expected nothing less than being crowned the champion. Then she waltzed into the club. And everything became dirty.

Memphis Love knows three things. Money. Sex. Women. As long as it has a pond for him to dip his pole into, he's game. The small beach town he lives in doesn't offer much for job opportunities or, at least, lucrative ones. He relies on his body, the pole, and stage. Oh, and the after-hours clients. Iris, his best after-hours customer, takes him on a yearly cruise with her friends. Only thing is he didn't expect a little ray of sunshine on the ship this year. Raylan Moore has the power to rattle everything he once believed.

It was just a summer fling. He taught me his bad boy ways. And now I'm beyond being saved. At first it was fun, but now it's an addiction my skin craves. All sense of reality disappears and there're no boundaries holding me in.

The ocean, October, outdoors, orange. All O's that sneaky damn letter. I need the O. Crave the O, even dream about the bastard. My name is Olivia and this is my virgin diary. Yep, at the ripe age of 24 I'm single and O-less. And to top it all off, with a shiny cherry, I'm a first grade teacher. Not much hope meeting Prince Charming in my workplace. I live with my hyper Yorkie and wild imagination. And I despise the letter O.

Griff, aka Grizz, the ideal Iron Sinner, rides hard and dedicates his all to the club. A job needs doing...he does it. Men idolize him. Women love him. Never shy and always up for a good time, Grizz finds himself jumping from mattress to mattress and digging grave after grave. You want to take a bullet? Cross the club.