No One Is Guilty Here

No One Is Guilty Here

ADEYEMI AZEEZ OLUWASEYI · Ongoing · 66.1k Words

1.2k
Hot
1.2k
Views
0
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

A house burns in the dead of night. A boy screams from inside. Another is arrested on the spot. But neither of them set that fire.

Weeks earlier, Nathan Rourke, a worn-out defense attorney from the city, returned to Hollow Creek—his haunted Southern hometown—after his brother’s sudden death. What was supposed to be a temporary visit becomes permanent when he uncovers chilling truths about the town he left behind.

Nathan takes on two high-profile cases: Elijah Moore, a wealthy teen accused of murdering his father, and Jace Carter, a poor foster kid charged with arson. But in a town where no one is ever found guilty, Nathan finds himself caught between lies passed off as justice, buried family secrets, and a decades-old system built on silence.

As Nathan digs deeper, the lines between his past and present blur. The deeper he searches, the more dangerous it becomes—not just for him, but for the boys whose lives depend on him.

Chapter 1

The Greyhound hissed to a stop at the Hollow Creek bus depot, a cracked concrete slab tucked beside a shuttered diner and a forgotten gas station. It was almost midnight. The lights flickered above the bay, humming like old ghosts.

Nathan Rourke stepped off the bus with nothing but a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and the weight of a funeral pulling at his spine.

The air smelled like wet soil and faded memories. The kind of air that stuck to your lungs and whispered, You shouldn’t have come back.

A voice broke through the silence.

“Rourke?”

Nathan turned. A tall, older man in a faded sheriff’s jacket stood by an old Crown Vic, chewing a toothpick like it owed him money.

“Grady.” Nathan didn’t offer a handshake. “You still wear the badge.”

“And you still look like you’d rather be anywhere else.”

Nathan shrugged. “I usually am.”

Grady eyed him. “You didn’t have to come.”

“He was my brother.”

Grady spit the toothpick into the dirt. “We’re real sorry about Mark. It was sudden.”

“No. It was something else,” Nathan said. “He called me the night before. Said he had something I needed to see.”

“You two talked?” Grady asked, face tightening.

“Not often. But yeah, he left a message. Sounded spooked. Said they were watching him.”

Grady looked off toward the woods like he expected them to speak. “Mark was... under a lot of stress.”

“He ever tell you what kind of stress makes a man hang himself in a barn?”

Grady’s jaw tensed. “Some wounds don’t bleed where we can see.”

Nathan’s fists tightened around his bag. “I don’t buy it. Not for a second.”

A beat of silence.

Grady exhaled. “You’ll be stayin’ at the old family place?”

“Yeah. Marlene’s still there.”

“She’s strong. Like her father.”

Nathan nodded. “She’ll need to be.”

Suddenly, a sound sliced through the quiet night. A low, distant boom—then a scream. Shrill. Panicked. Female.

“What the hell was that?” Nathan asked.

Grady was already looking west. His radio crackled to life.

“Fire—south end—near the Carter property—structure’s fully involved—repeat, we’ve got flames—”

Grady muttered, “Shit,” and bolted toward the cruiser. “Get in. You want Hollow Creek? Here she is.”

Nathan threw his bag in the back and climbed into the front seat.

As they peeled out, Nathan’s heart thumped against his ribs.

“Carter property?” he asked. “That’s near the river.”

“Yeah,” Grady said. “Old shack. Foster home. Buncha kids.”

Nathan stared ahead. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Grady didn’t answer.

They reached the scene in minutes.

Flames roared through the trees like angry gods. A small house, completely engulfed. Fire trucks were on the way, but nothing was stopping this blaze. Heat rolled across the road, warping the air.

People gathered nearby, watching helplessly.

“Anybody inside?” Grady yelled as he jumped out of the car.

A woman screamed. “Jace! Jace was in there!”

Nathan’s eyes followed her pointing finger. A figure stumbled from the woods—clothes torn, face smeared with soot, eyes wide and glassy.

A teenage boy. Seventeen, maybe eighteen. Thin. Dirty. Scared.

He fell to his knees.

Grady rushed him. “Where were you, son? Were you inside?”

The boy shook his head violently. “I didn’t do it! I didn’t—”

“Didn’t do what?” Grady asked.

The boy looked right at Nathan.

“They made me watch.”

Nathan stepped closer. “Who did?”

But the boy was already being pulled to his feet by two deputies.

“His name’s Jace Carter,” Grady muttered. “Kid’s been trouble since he could walk.”

“Did you see what he said?” Nathan asked. “He didn’t start the fire. He watched.”

“Could mean anything,” Grady said. “Could be shock.”

Nathan turned back toward the house.

The fire screamed as the roof caved in.

Behind him, Jace started sobbing.

“They said it had to burn,” he whispered, voice cracking. “They said it was time.”

Nathan’s spine turned cold.

They said.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

A pack of their own

A pack of their own

931.2k Views · Completed · dragonsbain22
Being the middle Child ignored and neglected, rejected by family and injured, She receives her wolf early and realizes she is a new type of hybrid but doesn't know how to control her power, she leaves her pack with her best friend and grandmother to go to her grandfather's clan to learn what she is and how to handle her power and then with her fated mate, her best friend and her fated mate little brother and grandmother start their own pack.
The Badass Mafia Princess and Family

The Badass Mafia Princess and Family

190.4k Views · Ongoing · Tonje Unosen
Betty have been living a lie for as long as she can remember. She have been abused by her parents her whole life, even though she is a broken and abused girl in her own home. Outside of those four walls she is a force to be reckoned with! She is not afraid to do what she need to stay alive!
Fangs, Fate & Other Bad Decisions

Fangs, Fate & Other Bad Decisions

190.2k Views · Ongoing · Elizma Du Toit
Some bad decisions come back to bite you. Literally.

After finding out her boyfriend cheated, the last thing she expected was to stumble across a wounded man in an alley. And definitely not one with fangs. But thanks to a mix of cocktails, shame, and her questionable life choices, she takes him home. Turns out, he’s not just any vampire—he’s a king. And according to him, she’s his fated mate.

Now, she’s stuck with an overprotective, brooding bloodsucker who keeps rescuing her, a growing list of enemies who want her dead, and an undeniable attraction that’s making it very hard to remember why falling for a vampire is a terrible idea.

Because if she’s not careful, she won’t just lose her heart—she’ll lose her humanity.
Goddess Of The Underworld.

Goddess Of The Underworld.

193.4k Views · Ongoing · sheridan.hartin
Left at a pack border with a name and a stubborn heartbeat, Envy grows into the sharpest kind of survivor, an orphaned warrior who knows how to hold a line and keep moving. Love isn’t in the plan…until four alpha wolves with playboy reputations and inconveniently soft hands decide the girl who won’t bow is the only queen they’ll ever take. Their mate. The one they have waited for. Xavier, Haiden, Levi, and Noah are gorgeous, lethal, and anything but perfect and Envy isn’t either. She’s changing. First into hell hound, Layah at her heels and fire in her veins. Then into what the realm has been waiting for, a Goddess of the Underworld, dragging her mates down to hell with her. Then finally into lycan princess, stronger, faster, the moon finally answering back, giving her exactly what she needs to protect her family.

When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armor, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of a border pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to stay; of cake, iron, and daylight negotiations. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a why-choose, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
The Prison Project

The Prison Project

154.3k Views · Ongoing · Bethany Donaghy
The government's newest experiment in criminal rehabilitation - sending thousands of young women to live alongside some of the most dangerous men held behind bars...

Can love tame the untouchable? Or will it only fuel the fire and cause chaos amongst the inmates?

Fresh out of high school and suffocating in her dead-end hometown, Margot longs for her escape. Her reckless best friend, Cara, thinks she's found the perfect way out for them both - The Prisoner Project - a controversial program offering a life-changing sum of money in exchange for time spent with maximum-security inmates.

Without hesitation, Cara rushes to sign them up.

Their reward? A one-way ticket into the depths of a prison ruled by gang leaders, mob bosses, and men the guards wouldn't even dare to cross...

At the centre of it all, meets Coban Santorelli - a man colder than ice, darker than midnight, and as deadly as the fire that fuels his inner rage. He knows that the project may very well be his only ticket to freedom - his only ticket to revenge on the one who managed to lock him up and so he must prove that he can learn to love…

Will Margot be the lucky one chosen to help reform him?

Will Coban be capable of bringing something to the table other than just sex?

What starts off as denial may very well grow in to obsession which could then fester in to becoming true love…

A temperamental romance novel.
The mafia princess return

The mafia princess return

157.4k Views · Ongoing · Tonje Unosen
Talia have been living with her mother, stepsister and Stepfather for years. One day she finally get away from them. Suddenly she learn she have more family out there and she have many people that actually love her, something she have never felt before! At least not as she can remember. She have to learn to trust others, get her new brothers to accept her for who she is!
Letting Go

Letting Go

366.5k Views · Completed · Becky j
Molly's life was perfect. She was married to her high school sweetheart, surrounded by her friends and family and she was looking forward to the future. But that all ends one tragic night when her whole world is turned upside down.
That fateful night leads to Molly and her best friend Tom holding a secret close to their hearts but keeping this secret could also mean destroying any chance of a new future for Molly.
When Tom's oldest brother Christian meets Molly his dislike for her is instant and he puts little effort into hiding it. The problem is he's attracted to her just as much as he dislikes her and staying away from her starts to become a battle, a battle that he's not sure he can win.
When Molly's secret is revealed and she’s forced to face the pain from her past can she find the strength to stay and work through the pain or will she run away from everything she knows including the one man who gives her hope for a happy future? Hope that she never thought she would feel again.
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

339.2k Views · Completed · Allison Franklin
Catherine is not only a rogue half-breed, she is also the result of mate-bond infidelity, was abandoned as a baby and, to top it off, she can only shift during the full moon. When Catherine left the only pack she'd ever known in order to escape the new alpha, the last thing she expected was to find her mate... let alone for him to be the mouth-watering, heavily tattooed, lead warrior of the most feared lycan pack on the continent.

Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.

From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.

Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
Mr. Ryan

Mr. Ryan

131.5k Views · Completed · Mary D. Sant
"What things are not under your control tonight?" I gave my best smile, leaning against the wall.
He came closer with a dark and hungry expression,
so close,
his hands reached for my face, and he pressed his body against mine.
His mouth took mine eagerly, a little rudely.
His tongue left me breathless.
“If you don't go with me, I'll fuck you right here.” He whispered.


Katherine kept her virginity for years even after she turned 18. But one day, she met an extremely sexual man Nathan Ryan in the club. He had the most seductive blue eyes she has ever seen, a well-defined chin, almost golden blonde hair, full lips, perfectly drawn, and the most amazing smile, with perfect teeth and those damn dimples. Incredibly sexy.

She and he had a beautiful and hot one-night stand...
Katherine thought she might not meet the man again.
But fate has another plan

Katherine is about to take on the job of assistant to a billionaire who owns one of the biggest companies in the country and is known to be a conquering, authoritative and completely irresistible man. He is Nathan Ryan!

Will Kate be able to resist the charms of this attractive, powerful and seductive man?
Read to know a relationship torn between anger and the uncontrollable desire for pleasure.

Warning: R18+, Only for mature readers.
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

295.7k Views · Ongoing · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
“Burn those who burned me!”

“Burn those who burned me!”

114.5k Views · Ongoing · Toddria Holiday
Follow several different stories of betrayal and revenge as the main characters finally seek justice and payback of those who betrayed them!

Burn those who burned me is an anthology book circulated on truth; justice; and REVENGE!

Story #1 The Ballad of Rabena Price.
Story #2 The rebirth of Clara Granger
Story #3 The violin of Graceland Teague
Story #4 The list for Josie Taylor

Story #5 COMING SOON!
I Am His Wolfless Luna

I Am His Wolfless Luna

340.2k Views · Completed · Heidi Judith
Ethan's fingers kept rubbing back and forth on my clitoris, while his penis kept jumping inside my body. Every joint on my body is sore and screaming for the next orgasm. All too quickly, I feel that electric tension winding tighter, a mounting pressure that threatens to shatter me. My hips lift involuntarily, urging him to continue his exploration, silently pleading for the release I’m so close to tasting.

Ethan also kept emitting deep roars in my ear, 'Damn... I'm going to cum... !!!' His impact became more intense and our bodies kept making slapping sounds.

"Please!! Ethan!!"


As the strongest female warrior in my pack, I was betrayed by those I trusted most, my sister and my best friend. I was drugged, raped, and banished from my family and my pack. I lost my wolf, my honor, and became an outcast—carrying a child I never asked for.

Six years of hard-won survival turned me into a professional fighter, fueled by rage and grief. A summons arrives from the formidable Alpha heir, Ethan, asking me to return as a wolfless combat instructor for the very pack that once banished me.

I thought I could ignore their whispers and stares, but when I see Ethan's emerald-green eyes—the same as my son’s—my world tilts.