Laila Manning

I was taken, broken, and for years, I lived in the dark, buried under the weight of what was done to me. I spent every day since trying to claw my way back to the life I was robbed of. And with every step, Zeke was there, breaking down the walls I built.
Older. Hardened. Dangerous. Zeke is second-in-command, the last man I should trust. But when he touches me, I don’t feel fear—I feel fire. His rough hands, stained by years of violence, should terrify me. Instead, they teach me that a man’s touch doesn’t have to be cruel. It can be warm. Strong. It can make me ache for more.

But Zeke was forbidden. My brother made that clear.
The tension between them was suffocating, shaking the foundations of The Shadeport Crew. I knew I should have ran before it all fell apart. But Zeke wouldn’t let me go. And the most dangerous part?
I didn’t want him to.

Zeke was the Boogeyman, ruthless, cold-blooded. But with me, he was something else entirely. He showed me what it meant to be cherished, to be wanted. And every time he touched me, the past slipped away.

But I don’t know if I can fully trust him with what’s left of me. He could destroy me, and yet, I crave him.

In his arms, I’m starting to find the light.