Novels by Joy raphael

"Osborn, is everything okay?” I blinked, shaking myself out of my initial shock. “Yeah. You were saying?” Marcus leaned over and took the file from me. “You don't seem fine. You know, if you don't want it—” “No!” I snatched the file back from him. He jumped, startled by my sudden outburst. “Okay, seriously, what's wrong, Osborn?” I sighed, noticing the crease forming on Marcus’s forehead. He was genuinely worried, but I couldn't tell him the real reason I was acting weird. If Reid had wanted him to know about our meeting, Marcus would have known by now. The fact that he didn't confirm that it wasn't my place to say anything. “It's nothing. I was just surprised that my long-time crush is the one I'll be guarding.” I shrugged, forcing a nonchalant tone. Marcus rolled his eyes and stood, walking around his desk to perch on its edge in front of me. “Yeah, Reid Windsor is literally every girl in Seattle's crush, but don't get carried away. This is a mission, and worse still, y

I sat with one leg extended straight ahead and the other angled sharply to the side, stretching as I stared daggers at Marcus, who was busy supervising the younger students. After our earlier conversation, he had mumbled something vague about needing to think it over before stalking off, leaving me frustrated and without a clear answer. Training hours had since begun, making it three hours since our talk, and still, nothing. Tired of waiting, I pushed myself to my feet, closing the stretch as I stomped toward him. He turned just in time to see approach and sighed, deliberately shifting his attention back to his students. Pretending he hadn’t noticed me, he continued giving commands. “Marcus,” I said sharply, stopping beside him with my arms folded. “Osborn,” he replied without so much as a glance, his focus still on the class. “Keep your knees straight and your toes pointed out, Tyler—good, hold it there.” I rolled my eyes and latched onto his arm, tugging him aside. “Serio

The weight of Marcus’ words sank into me like a stone dropped into a deep, dark well. You’re going to kill. The phrase kept playing in my head, disbelief gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. Marcus—the man who trained me to defend myself, who taught me true power lies in restraint—was ordering a hit?I barely had time to process it before the man and woman nodded curtly, pocketed their photos, and turned to leave. Panic surged through me. If they came out now, they’d see me, no question. My heart pounded as I searched for a place to hide, but there wasn't time.The door creaked open.I ducked into the shadow of a nearby rack holding training equipment, crouching low and pressing myself against the wall. My hands shook as I peeked out from between the dumbbells. The man walked out first, his boots heavy on the tile floor, followed by the woman, Leah. She moved with the coiled grace of a predator, her fingers brushing the gun at her back as she stopped suddenly, tilting her head like sh

At Cascadia Academy, there were two rules Marcus drilled into us relentlessly—rules I’d never forget. First: learn to read your opponents. Second: sharpen your reflexes. Those lessons have carried me through countless fights, instincts that usually flared up in danger. But as I stood there with a gun aimed at my head, the only thing I could think of was that stormy night.The gunshot, the screams, my siblings’ cries for help–all of it crashed over me at once, freezing me in sheer terror. I closed my eyes, raised my hands, and muttered the words I’d once whispered countless times as a child. “Please, please...” I could still hear his footsteps, see his hands trembling as he held the gun by his side, his voice pleading, urging me to come out. I saw my sister—she was only twelve–-step out just as he neared my hiding spot. I watched her, heard the soothing lies he used to draw her close, the comforting tone that made her trust him enough to let him embrace her. Then, in a sickening shif

“So let me get this straight. You've owed the states over $200,000 for, what, two to three years now? And when they gave you a two-month forbearance period, you just decided to relax, thinking your debt would go poof, no?”I glared at Fitz, sensing his mockery, especially as he switched from his usual American accent to a casual french one.Hearing him recount everything I'd told him, I could finally see how stupid I'd been. Not once had I bothered to find a real, better-paying job, instead, settling for the small amounts Marcus gave me to help him train the junior recruits. If I was honest, I didn't deserve the payment—-Marcus was more than capable of training them himself. He only included me because he knew about my situation and the reason I’d moved to Seattle in the first place.I ran my finger along the rim of glass, my gaze fixed on the amber liquid. “Yeah, I see how stupid that sounds now,” I sighed.The amusement vanished from Fitz’s face as he took in my broken expression.

I collapsed onto the floor, panting, Reid following suit.“Okay, you weren't kidding when you said you sucked.”He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “I told you. If Marcus couldn't teach me, I doubt anyone can.” He looked down between his legs, propping his elbows on his knees as he sat up.The short silver-gray streaks at the tips of his hair fell over his face, and I had to resist the urge to reach over and run my hands through it.Even with sweat coating his body, he looked as attractive as ever. The media didn't do him justice. If his fans met him in real life, they'd be obsessed like I was becoming—just from spending the last two hours with him.He ran a hand down his stubbled, well-defined jaw, then buried his fingers in his hair, pushing it back slightly. “I'm really sorry I took up your time.”I shook my head, though he wasn't looking to see it. He had no idea he'd just made my day. After all, I was pretty much a loner, and Marcus letting me off earl