D.J. Krimmer

"My house is a mess, my underwear is mixing with hers in the laundry, and my safe, quiet haven now smells of burnt candles and her." INDY Being the founder of a non-profit and keeping it going is my only focus right now. I don't have time for distraction–men, my health, my friends–all of it takes a back seat to me keeping this going. I've lived by other people's rules for too long, I am ready to break out on my own, and I'll prove to everyone I can do it. The Crown Project helps sick children and their families find some happiness during hard times, and I am committed to making it happen. If I can't have my own, I'll give someone else a fairytale. The only man I'd want is off-limits to me anyway. He's the meanest, grumpiest, and, unfortunately, the sexiest man I know. He also works with my brother. So there's that. I'll always be a supporting character, never the princess. My life just won't let me. It's impossible. DEREK Without routine and order, the only thing left is chaos. Chaos leaves room for disorder and unhappiness. And that leads to betrayal. Never again will I allow that to happen. I am steady, focused, and at the top of my game as a tattoo artist at Hel's Ink. I am established, successful, and there is nothing that happens in my life that I don't allow. And then there is Indy. She is inescapable - a whirlwind of kindness and beauty and goodness. Everything about her is impossible. Left with no choice but to help her out of a challenging situation. I soon regret my decision and the insanity that comes with it. I let her in. Into my home and my life. But never– never- into my heart. There's no such thing as fairytales, and love stories don't really exist. But when everything changes, I wonder if maybe I've found a little piece of chaos I can live with.

Stevie As the lead piercer at Hel’s Ink, I’ve gained skills, made friends, and accepted the chaos that is my family. Finally, good things are coming my way, and I am feeling confident, maybe a little too confident, when I post a video to my socials describing the toxicity and abuse that is all too frequent in my industry and the life I left behind. After it goes viral, I get threats that move from on-screen to real life and I’m forced to come to terms with needing help. Pushed into the protective arms of a man I can’t stand, but whose body I crave. He wants more, but I’m not even sure what it is I want, or if I even have anything left to give. ​ Brooks After finding out that Stevie Campbell is being harassed over her viral video, I step up to keep her safe and protect her from the increasingly real and frightening threats she’s getting. Hel’s has become a family to me and Stevie, well, she’s become my entire world. Our physical chemistry is a perfect match, but as we get closer, I’m falling harder and she’s pulling away. I’d do anything for her, give her everything… if only she’d believe in herself the way I do.

“She has the heart of a saint with the body of a sinner.” Ozzy A friend needed a favor. I needed a safe place and job until I was ready to start over. I found myself on a ranch in Virginia with a stubborn old man for a patient. After what happened to me five years ago, I don’t trust easily, if at all. Women and old men on their deathbeds? Bee’s knees, no problem. Outside of that, my walls are up. They are high, made of steel, and I will defend them at all costs. I am here to do a job. Nothing more. Jackson Rowe sees through my walls, though, and I don’t like it. Until I do. But what he doesn’t know is I see through his, too. Jackson My mother calls her a saint; my dying father calls her girlie; my siblings call her Hellraiser. Ozzy Davenport is all of that and more. She’s got a firecracker for a mouth, a sharp mind, and a body that fills out her nurses’ scrubs in a way I should not have noticed. I am confused by her. This woman, stunning for all that she is different from this place, yet she somehow fits right in. She protects herself so fiercely, and it makes me both protective of her and intrigued by her. Who is she, and what is she afraid of? I want to know more, but will it tear us apart before we’ve even had a chance?

“Did I just see a hot chick running down the road with a live chicken under her arm?” Ash Commitment is not my thing nor do I want it to be. After the things I’ve been through with women, I have sworn off relationships. There’s only ever been one woman that I thought I felt pulled to and I blew it. Not only was it the best date of my life, it was also the worst night of my life. Since then, I have become a nail and bail kind of guy. But then Sunday Sutton bursts back into my life, and ends up living with her son and their pet chicken across the hall from me. There is no avoiding her or her radiant presence – everyone at the shop loves her, my sister loves her. Every time I open my mouth, I make it worse. But when I need a date to a wedding, Sunday is the only one that I can think I would want to be there with me. In fact, she’s the only one I want to be with anywhere. Sunday Ash Johnson is unbelievable. He’s arrogant, conceited, self-absorbed and he’s everything I do not want in my life. We had one night, years ago, and ever since he has been awful towards me. Well, I am sick of him and his nonsense. It doesn’t matter anyways, my son and I have a few more months until we are back home in Alabama. But when I find myself living across the hall from him, I can’t help but be caught up in his charm. Ash could be easy to love, if only he would let people in to see the real him, and not this shallow version of himself he projects.

“I said, marry me.” Atlas- Lauren Locklear. She has no idea that I would do anything for her. She doesn’t understand the mountains I would climb just to keep her safe. That’s okay though, I’ll make sure she does. She thinks she’s weak, and given the lack of love and support from those closest to her, I can understand why. That changes now, I will make her see the strong woman I see when I look at her. I’ve pined for her in secret, wanting nothing more than to show her what she could have. But with my past still haunting me, I knew it would be best to stay back. That is, until she needs access to health insurance and I see a solution to both her problem and my dilemma. All she has to do is say yes. Ren- I’ve done something stupid. Something reckless. Something everyone will judge me for and I’m risking everything. My family. My career. Myself. I’m always too much to handle and the men I’ve allowed into my life have always reminded me of my shortcomings, even when it’s their fists doing the reminding. No one has ever truly cared for me, loved me. And then Atlas Hart asks me to marry him in order to save my life. This isn’t love. It’s barely a friendship, or so I thought. But as the days go by and I see what he so selflessly risks for me, I cannot help but think that maybe… this could be more.

Janie When my father passed away, I assumed my grieving would be as simple as closing a book and starting another. Only, he had other plans. Leaving me his beloved tattoo shop, I’m stuck to figure out what exactly to do with it, all while being constantly reminded of him. Selling it was the easiest option, but after hearing some of the artists elated at the idea because they swore I’d ruin it if I took over, and reading the fine print of my father’s will, I’m determined to prove them wrong. The only problem is Fox. He’s arrogant, self-absorbed, and rude–doing everything in his power to show just how true their words would ring. Unfortunately for him though, I’ve never been afraid of a challenge. Fox Hel’s Ink was supposed to be mine, but after my mentor passed away, I learned he had other plans in mind. Leaving the shop to someone like Janie was a bad idea. Sure she may be able to make it look good on the surface, but there is more to running this place than social media posts and some paint. We’re a family and she’s not welcomed. Only, the longer she’s here, the harder it’s proving to believe my own words. She’s too young for me, and far too complicated, but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if I just give in.

“I can promise you this. As long as you want me around, I’ll be here to remind you what a beautiful and amazing person you are.” Being a survivor of abuse, a single mom, and not fitting into society's version of attractive– I never thought I would hear those words, especially from someone who was my nemesis on my plant enthusiast message board. So when Jack Kettler, a man much older than I, took notice of me and treated me in a way I had only seen on tv, I couldn’t help but want to open myself up, just one more time. Two weeks – that’s what we agreed to. I would fly across the country to be with Jack for two weeks to see if what we were feeling over the phone was more than just a crush. So what I got when I walked through the small Kentucky airport was not what I expected. One dark secret after another made me question who Jack was, what I was getting myself into, and if what I was feeling in my heart was strong enough to survive what I would have to sacrifice for us to be together.

Kaitlin On the surface, I had perfected my disguise. I would stay home, take care of the house, and play the role of a doting wife. And although things weren’t perfect, I made them appear they were. I’d conceal the bruises, make up stories for the tears, and always keep the truth of what happened behind closed doors with my husband to myself. Until her. Nora saw through my charade and woke something inside me I didn’t even know existed. Being with her is wrong, and the feelings I’m developing are even worse, but how do I say no to someone that makes me feel so alive? Nora Moving to the sleepy suburbs was the change I feel I needed after the military. I’d settle in, work at my brother's tattoo shop, and try to remember what life was like before, all while appeasing my therapist. What I wasn’t expecting though was Kaitlin. I could tell there was more to her than she said when she came to welcome me to the neighborhood, but I never expected the skeletons she would lay at my feet. I know she’s off-limits and I’m no home-wrecker, but my feelings for her are impossible to ignore. This is a dark novella - please check the lists on the authors website - djkrimmer.com