Showing results by narrator "Lee Samuel" in All Categories

Austin joins Dallas and Houston in Akashic's deep dive into the Lone Star State's darkest dimensions. Featuring brand-new stories by: Gabino Iglesias, Ace Atkins, Amanda Moore, Jeff Abbott, Scott Montgomery, Richard Z. Santos, Alexandra Burt, Lee Thomas, Miriam Kuznets, Jacob Grovey, Chaitali Sen, Molly Odintz, Amy Gentry, and Andrew Hilbert.

When Sara died, she took my heart and soul with her, and I've never been able to get them back. I've become a shell of the man I once was, barely surviving, and if it weren't for Georgia, I never would have made it out of the darkness. When Georgie's asthma returns and I rush her into the hospital, barely holding on, a beautiful nurse is there to save her life. Only it turns out my daughter wasn't the only person she was planning to save.

Alexander (Xander) Livingston left college with the dream of becoming CEO of his uncle's technology company. Nine years later, all his dreams have come true. All except for one: marrying the love of his life. Madison (Maddie) Hightower had always been a loner until Xander came along. Devastated after he left her behind to chase his dreams, she focused all her energy on becoming president of a digital software company - the same business Xander is slated to take over.

There is no greater burden than a secret, and Kari Stanley has been carrying one alone for a long time. But fate intervenes in the form of a broken down car and the kind offer of assistance from a handsome stranger with a sweet, southern drawl. In exchange, all she has to do is go to dinner with him. Temptation was never so sweet. Max Quinn has secrets of his own. His good deeds aren't just a product of his southern upbringing; they're his atonement.

The night I met her, I had no idea I saved her life. The night I took her home, I never wanted her to leave. The night I fell for her, she was running from somebody else. The night I give her my heart, she doesn't give me hers... and I'm about to find out why.

Sometimes appearances deceive. Take me, for instance. I look like a respectable doctor with his shit together, but the rural Montana mental hospital I work at is actually a sanctuary from my demons. At just 35 years old, I've already failed on an epic scale. Treating patients at Hawthorne Hill is part of my atonement. I've found peace when a new patient turns me inside out. Allison Cole is a beautiful, haunted survivor who fell into silence after witnessing a murder. But even without words, I'm drawn to her.

Maria: Criminals. Mafia. That’s what everyone said we were. I never believed the rumors, though. I’d know if anything shady was happening in my family. Except…I didn’t. When my best friend disappears from the Belvedere, I knew I could find her. Because while I might be clueless about my family, I know everything that happens in my hotel. That’s when I found him. I thought he was the bad guy. My enemy. He wasn’t. But just because I misjudged him doesn’t mean he can’t destroy me….and my heart…

My life's defined by my long career as a quarterback. I'm determined to have a great season because I'm not sure how many I have left. But when I slam into gorgeous reporter Kelsey Cole on the sidelines, my focus on the game takes a backseat to my fascination with her. She's tiny, smart, fierce, and makes me feel young again. There's only one problem: she hates football—with good reason, too. Still, you don't become a champion quarterback without learning how to fight for what you want. Football's always come first, but Kelsey might be the one to change that.

I knew him only as Van Gogh. A tortured artist who owned the night as he moved through the shadows, cloaked in hate and madness. He was a vicious vigilante—a serial arsonist who thrived on the fear he triggered with a single match between his tattooed knuckles. We were told to lock our doors and stay inside. I wanted to. I really did. But then I saw his eyes, burning like embers as he watched me through the smoke. And like the flames at his feet, I delighted in his attention. I became his muse. His passion. His obsession. His perfectly flawed flower. But that was years ago.

Gus isn't for me. I know that. Only the chemistry that burns between us won't fade away. We promise it will only be one night. Then another. But when our actions have consequences that could mean the end of our future, we'll have to figure out exactly what we want. Even if it means walking away broken before it begins.

After fighting for a new life, I don’t want to play the victim anymore. However, with three kids to raise, I’m getting desperate enough to make a deal with the devil. My estranged brother-in-law Blake says he just wants to help, but he’s been trouble since I met him. I don’t know if I can believe this kinder, gentler Blake, and there’s a friction between us that has turned into the sweetest chemistry.

Eight years ago, Adam Driscoll walked away from his stage name—Deke—and the boyband that turned him into an international star before his eighteenth birthday. And he never looked back. It didn't even matter that everyone blamed him for the band's breakup. He might miss making music, but he had good reasons for walking. Give him solitude over thousands of screaming fans any day of the week.

With Liam's fate no longer in the balance, Rory and Houston are poised on the precipice of a life-altering decision. When Rory's father arrives in California to comfort Rory and make amends, Houston finds the decision becomes much easier to make. When Houston suggests they take a break Rory thinks he must be joking. But he's not. And his timing couldn't be worse.

The truth about Hallie has torn Houston and Rory apart for a second time. Houston is finally unburdened of the secret his sister confided in him, but now he must deal with the aftermath. He has vowed to set things right for Rory, and he's determined to get her back. But the destruction left in the wake of Hallie's letter is not the only obstacle he must face. Houston must find a way to win Rory back by showing her their story isn't over yet.

I, Dallas Colter, am kind of a massive A hole-and need help fixing that personality problem. With too much on my plate, the very last thing on my mind is a relationship-the football draft is looming, I never understood why my teammates bother with girlfriends. None of us had the time. When my sports agent suggests that being seen in public with a "respectable" girl would be good for my bad reputation, I couldn't think of a single person to help me out. The only girls I know aren't wifey material, and the ones who are? Might catch feelings. Except Ryann Winters.

In three years, I've poured my heart and soul into the Sarasota Sharks. My goal? To make them winners in all respects of the word. Now my mission's accomplished, the team and staff respect me, and not because my father owns the team. Sounds great, right? But what do I do now? I have no personal life, and after my last horrifically failed relationship, I am not looking to strike out. My heart's only got one last chance at swinging for love and I'm not ready to miss. Then she walked in.

Seductive. Addictive. Captivating. You’ll crave each of these tales down to the last minute.

Presley McDaniel lives her life from moment to moment. Making permanent decisions means obligation, and that would force her to stop being the family disappointment. Waitress, fitness instructor, dog walker…you name the hourly job and she’s probably held the position. But when her grandmother can no longer run her book shop in Fawn Hill, a town so small it barely has its own zip code, Presley steps up to help.

Family is everything. Dakota Blake should know, considering she doesn’t have any. That’s why it was so important to find one to call her own. But Dakota never expected the life she was intent on building would lead to such heartache.

Birdie Walton's life is unexpected. When she finds out she is pregnant after a one-night stand at a college party, everything she had planned is ruined. This new revelation leaves her to decide if she has what it takes to be a mother, despite having never had one to look up to. Then, she meets Miles, the grumpy, borderline-alcoholic neighbor, and the two of them seem completely wrong for each other. But despite the fact they can't stand each other, they spend moment after moment sitting on the porch of their duplex, learning about each other.