Nash and Maggie's offspring are off to college, along with Kaiden and Kain. As they navigate life away from home, they must deal with what happened after graduation too. Will the quints help Lyric deal with the tragedy while they deal with college life? Sometimes, you need a little help and guidance from The Gray Brothers themselves. Get ready because The Gray Sisters are taking college by storm. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
A new beginning
Lyric
I sat in my room, staring out of the window. It was summer, and I spent most of it in my bedroom. After Daniel's funeral, I couldn't force myself to leave. Talking to Michael helped, but it wasn't enough. I felt so lost.
Tonight Lex planned to surprise Piper with a promise ring. The occasion should have been joyous, but it wasn't. I didn't want to leave, let alone celebrate. Uncle Noah and Dad couldn't persuade me to go. I wanted to stay at home.
Then I heard a knock on my door.
"Leave me alone, Dad! I'm not going!" I said, but the knocking continued. Finally, I answered my door. "Michael?"
"I heard someone wanted to be a hermit." He leaned against my door frame. I looked at him. He entered my room. "It's a pleasant room for a girl's room."
"What are you doing here?" I furrowed my eyebrows.
"I could ask you the same thing."
I sighed as I walked away from him. "I want to be alone."
"Why?"
I glance at him.
He walked towards me. "Why? Give me one excellent reason."
I stood there as he hammered at me with question after question until I snapped. "Because if I leave, then he's gone!" I looked at him as he looked at me, then I broke. "He left. Why did he leave? Why Michael? What did I do? Please tell me what I can do to bring him back?" I cried.
He wrapped his arms around me as I sobbed.
"You can't. Death is the end. I wish we could, but you can't. All you can do is keep going."
"But how? It's like I'm drowning." My body heaved with sobs.
"With help."
It was the first time I cried since Daniel died. I couldn't cry.
He held me and stroked my hair as I cried. Ma and Dad came to the door and watched us.
"Lyric, it'll get better. Take it minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day. Some days will be good, and some will be bad. The good will outweigh the bad. It's grief, and it sucks."
I buried my head into his chest, wanting this pain to leave
We stayed there for a while. Having Michael here helped.
I stopped crying, and we sat on the floor with our backs against the bed.
"Do you feel better?" Michael asked me.
"That's the one hundred thousand dollar question."
"Lyric, it will get better. If you let me help you through this, I promise it will get better. Deal?"
He held out his hand. I sighed, placing mine in it. Then something weird happened. I felt a warmth I hadn't felt in a while. After Daniel, coldness surrounded me. It felt strange.
He released my hand and stood up. I followed suit.
"Now, why don't you get ready, and I'll meet you downstairs."
I nodded, and he left so I could change.
*****
"Well?" Maverick asked.
"She's changing. I can't guarantee she'll be happy," Michael said.
"It's a start," Dad said.
My door opened, and everyone watched as I came down the stairs in a summer dress. I wanted to get tonight over with and go back to my room.
We left and went to a place where Lex is giving Piper a promise ring. When we arrived, I sat alone. I didn't want to dampen the mood, but I also didn't want to bother.
Piper arrived, and Lex told her these beautiful romantic things. I wanted to gag. I sat there with a sour puss on my face as romance filled the air.
Then when Lex opened the box, revealing the ring, that was it for me. I got up and walked away. I know I should be happy, but I was anything but happy.
The restaurant was by water, so I watched the ripples. I took a seat, looking into the distance. The waves crashed upon the shore, calming me.
I sat there when I heard someone ask, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Are you following me?" I asked Michael.
"Nope. I thought I would go for a walk." He shrugged.
"Don't worry. I won't drown myself."
"Now, what would make me think that? You're a depressed individual dealing with a hell amount of grief."
I glanced at him as he smiled.
"You're strange."
"And you're exquisite for a sour puss." He made a face. "Look, I'm Lyric, who's a giant crab."
"Shut up!" I gave him a playful shove.
"Then lighten up. Yes, someone died, but you didn't. You're still alive. So, start living." Michael gave me a soft smile.
"You won't stop until I agree, will you?"
"Nope."
"Good luck because you'll need it."
"Hmm. I accept your challenge."
I stared at him as he stood up and walked away.
What the hell did that fool have planned? My guess is nothing good. What did I get myself into with Michael?
*****
Michael
I walked up.
"Well?" Major asked.
"Lyric thinks she crawled into that grave with Daniel, but I won't let her. She deserves to live, love, and laugh again," I said.
"What do you have planned?" Maverick asked me.
"I'll show her how to live again because she isn't living. She exists. She should enjoy her life, not let life pass her by. Daniel may have had problems, but she doesn't deserve to deal with them." I walked away.
Major looked at Maverick. "That isn't good."
"Nope," Maverick said as he looked back at him. "Michael doesn't like when someone else gets dragged down by another. Now excuse me. I have a temperamental person to deal with in the form of Larkin."
"Good luck, brother." Major chuckled.
Maverick went to find Larkin. No one understood what was going on with those two.
Carrington Carrington Jones grew up with seven brothers and sisters. He has a happy-go-lucky nature with a tender heart, which sets him apart from his siblings with their personalities. He meets a woman who captures his heart. The only problem is she has a husband. Carrington’s brothers advised him against pursuing it, especially Mason and Charles, understanding it’s a terrible idea. Carrington can’t stay away from the woman. What happens with romance blossoms? Will Carrington discover his happiness, or will his heart get broken? A forbidden romance is enticing but arises in tragedy. Carrington will discover that it’s not romance where his heart lies but what occurs from it. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Matthew Harper always does the right thing. He doesn’t drink or smoke and protects his family, but he lets his past rule him. After dealing with the loss of his girlfriend Sadie, he thought he could move on, but ghosts of the past resurface. It made him close off his heart to someone who could love him more profoundly than the ocean. What happens when a past love resurfaces, making him rethink his earlier decisions? Will he get a second chance at happiness he deserves or breaks another’s heart again? It takes help from some cousins and an unexpected situation to show Matthew that we can’t let the past rule our future. The heart wants what the heart wants. *The Gray Series spin-off series. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Oliver Harper is a unique person. He doesn’t care about frivolous ideas or someone in his life to complete him. He prefers a conversation that stimulates his mind. When Oliver starts college, his friends and cousins join him. The problem with this bunch is they’re crazy. Have you met the Gray/Harper family? They define bat shit crazy. Olivier will navigate his way through college with the help of his family and cousins. He’ll meet and fall in love with the most unexpected person who’ll stimulate his mind. College life is about to explode. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Growing up next to the Harper boys, Tori Williams learned to hold her own with them. Her brother Gabe is best friends with the boys, and Tori deals with the youngest Harper boy, Deacon. There’s a slight issue when Tori dates Bradley Wilson, whom the Harper boys can’t stand. Wanting to keep Tori from her idiot ex-boyfriend, Nate and Deacon develop a plan of their own. Elias Harper graduated college and returned home to work in construction. While Nate and Deacon scheme to keep Bradley from Tori, another issue arises when Elias takes an interest in a particular neighbor girl. What happens when four years change people? Will a love connection happen, or will someone get burned? With the Gray gene cemented in your DNA, all bets are off. Follow Elias as he discovers who held his heart while growing up. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Lex and Piper are ready to settle down and have a family of their own. After celebrating the wedding of Michael and Lyric, something significant happens to Lex and Piper, which turns the Gray family upside down. Will they be able to get through this, or will they falter? With the help of The Gray Brothers and The Gray Sisters, Lex and Piper will learn the meaning of what it is to be a Gray. Love and humor go a long way for this family. Follow Lex and Piper on their journey as we find out if they can find their way back to each other. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
As the quints head into their third and final year of college, they are going to discover the thing that truly matters most - family. Follow them on their journey as the sisters deal with situations beyond their control. That is when the family becomes essential, especially the Gray Family. Now all they must do is get through the next two years with minor issues. Considering these are The Gray Sisters, expect the unexpected. With a little bit of help from the Brothers and a whole lot of humor, anything is possible. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.