Novels by J.Rachael

The hospital room was silent, with only the rhythmic beeping of the devices tracking Roberto’s health. Kylie remained by his bedside, her fingers intertwined firmly as if her hold could prevent everything from crumbling. She had been waiting for him to emerge from surgery for the past six hours, and now, as he lay unconscious, her thoughts were racing. The physicians remarked that he was fortunate. The bullet was just an inch away from his heart, yet the harm to his chest remained significant. He would make it through, but the path forward wouldn’t be simple. That ought to have offered some comfort, yet Kylie couldn’t dispel the burdensome sensation pressing on her. Her mind wandered back to the man in the vehicle John Finch. The manner in which he discussed Roberto, the suggestion of hidden truths Kylie was unaware of, caused her stomach to twist. Roberto had consistently been cautious about his history, sharing only fragments of his life prior to their meeting. At that moment, she

Third Person PovRoberto slowly stirred, his senses coming back in fragments, the steady beeping of the machines around him grounding him in the reality of where he was. His eyelids fluttered open, his vision blurry in the dim light, and the weight of his body felt like it had been through a war—every inch of him ached, a dull throb that reminded him just how close he'd come to losing it all. His eyes focused on the figure beside him—Kylie, curled up in the chair, her face soft with sleep."Angel," his voice barely escaped him, a hoarse rasp, but it was enough. She stirred, her eyes snapping open, a flicker of concern crossing her features as she blinked at him."You’re awake." Her voice was quiet, yet it held an edge of relief, as if she hadn’t realized how much she'd needed to hear that.Roberto raised his hand slowly, the effort almost too much, but she didn’t hesitate. She moved quickly, perched on the edge of the bed, her gaze searching his face for any sign of distress."What hap

Kylie’s povI knew the second he passed out. I wasn’t sure if it was from the pressure I was putting on his ribs—still so fragile after everything—or if it was the blood loss. God, I hoped it was just the former. Broken ribs could kill if they punctured something, but as long as nothing vital had been hit, he’d survive. A gunshot wound though? That would definitely take him.I glanced up. A car was pulling up the street, the headlights slicing through the dark. I could feel my pulse quicken as it stopped, the doors creaking open. This was it. No more running, no more hiding. I had five or six shots left in my gun, but there was no way I could get to it without taking my hands off Roberto's wound. The fabric of my sweatshirt was already soaked with his blood. I couldn’t afford to let go.I closed my eyes, the words escaping my lips before I could stop them. I don’t know if you’re listening, God. I’ve made a grand mess of this. But spare Roberto. He never asked for any of this. It was a

Roberto PovI held Kylie close, feeling her body tense in my arms. Her breath hitched as she struggled, panic evident in every movement. I whispered urgently, “It’s me. Don’t scream, angel. It’s me.” Slowly, she stilled, and I allowed her to turn in my arms. Her eyes searched mine for reassurance.“Roberto?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, a mix of disbelief and relief.Sophia’s voice sliced through the silence. “You’re about an hour too late, but I’ll forgive you if you get us out of here without anyone being shot.” She glanced at Liam as he appeared beside us, stepping silently like the shadow he was. “You too?”Liam’s lips twisted into a smirk. “Contrary to what you believe, I do care.”Sophia scoffed. “Whatever.”If I let them, they’d be at each other’s throats right here in the middle of Haye property. I needed them focused. “Let’s go.” Without waiting for any response, I turned and started moving, hoping they’d follow. The trees were spaced out enough for us to maneuver, b

“Got it.” Sophia’s words barely reached my ears, more a whisper than anything else.“Just a second.” I padded over to grab the lamp. It was bulky, awkward, but at this point, any weapon was better than none.Sophia nodded. She grabbed the other lamp and then cracked the door open.We waited. No alarms went off, no footsteps hurried down the hallway. Apparently, James trusted his people enough to leave us without a guard. Well, he was about to find out how wrong he was.I slipped into the hallway, Sophia following silently behind me. The feeling of bare feet on the cold floor wasn’t ideal, but the shoes James had left me with were almost comically too large for her. So, bare feet it was.I counted the doors as we moved, trying to keep quiet. One. Two. Still no one. Three. I pointed at the third door down the hall. Sophia tried the handle, and it creaked open, just barely, but it was enough.Then, footsteps. Heavy, deliberate, and closing in fast. I froze, heart hammering in my chest. W

It sounded like a compliment, but I couldn’t shake the instinct to rip his throat out with my bare hands. The words alone were enough to make my skin crawl, but there was something about the way he said it—like a promise, twisted and too familiar. I stayed silent, not trusting myself to respond.But Ricky? He didn’t care. He stepped closer, like a predator moving in for the kill. “You’re going to die for what you did,” he said, his voice low, coated with malice. “But not for a long, long time.”A grin stretched across his face, all teeth. “Baby, I’m going to enjoy breaking you.” His gaze flickered over to Sophia, who sat there, shackled, looking far too calm for my liking. “Both of you.”A chill ran down my spine. Was he serious? Was he actually getting off on this? Before I could even gather the thought, my eyes flicked over to Sophia, whose stillness seemed almost… detached. She wasn’t afraid. She looked at him like he was something to be tolerated rather than feared.“Ricky,” a voi