The House of Queens

Some doors are locked to keep people out. Others are locked to make sure no one gets away. Celeste has never been a woman who leaves things to chance. Power is hers to command, loyalty is hers to demand, and people are rarely more than pieces in a game she intends to win. Until Jace. Once a familiar face on billboards and magazine covers, Jace has learned what it means to be wanted for all the wrong reasons. When he finds himself a prisoner in Celeste's world, he has little left to bargain with. His past is buried, his freedom is gone, and the woman holding the keys is far more difficult to understand than he expected. Celeste tells herself he is useful. A connection to a world she is determined to uncover, a means to an end. But somewhere between late nights, guarded conversations and truths neither of them intended to share, Jace becomes something she cannot easily put aside. And Jace knows better than to mistake kindness for freedom. Meanwhile, Claire, Celeste's younger sister, finds herself drawn to Alec, a man whose quiet intelligence and guarded nature conceal a history of his own. Their connection begins with reluctant conversations and unexpected honesty, but Alec carries secrets that could lead them all deeper into a world of corruption, betrayal, and bloodshed. As old enemies resurface and carefully guarded secrets come to light, the lines between loyalty, possession and love become increasingly difficult to distinguish. Because keeping someone close is easy when you hold the key. Letting them choose to stay is another matter entirely.