Empire meets Scandal meets Romeo and Juliet with an edgy twist in Boss, a new standalone novel from bestselling author Tracy Brown. Crystal Scott has the world at her fingertips. At the height of her career at a wildly popular magazine and on the rise in an enviable social circle, she’s beginning to think that maybe she can have it all. But her entire life, body, and soul is threatened when Troy Mitchell steps on the scene. Crystal has never felt the insatiable passion she feels for Troy…and it was certainly not part of her plan. Troy pursues her full throttle, making it impossible for her to resist. Crystal can’t help but fall for the handsome, powerful, enigmatic man. But the families of both lovers will not stand for their love, and a raging inferno of bitterness and revenge threatens to consume them both as tensions ignite. With deadly twists and turns, Crystal and Troy must choose each other and give in to love, or they will not escape the ties that bind them… Splendidly engrossing...filled with ambition, desire, and betrayal. ― PW on White Lines III: All Falls Down Electrifying and seductive. ― RT Book Reviews on White Lines III: All Falls Down Fast and furious. Readers who like delving into complex relationships and characters creeping behind one another's back will be drawn into this story involving five different love liaisons. ― Library Journal on Snapped Brown keeps the drama flowing and the pages turning. ― Publisher's Weekly on Twisted Brown's characters are sympathetically drawn, and the Goodfellas -like take on the gangster life is eye-opening. ― Publishers Weekly on White Lines Tracy Brown is the Essence bestselling author of Boss ; White Lines, White Lines II: Sunny , White Lines III: All Falls Down , Aftermath , Snapped , Twisted , Criminal Minded , Black and Dime Piece . She passed away two days after turning in Brooklyn ―her final, and arguably best, book. The African Americans on the Move Book Club bestowed their Urban Classic Honor Award on Tracy's White Lines series in celebration of her legacy and impact on the literary world. Boss By Tracy Brown St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2017 Tracy Brown All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-04300-9 Contents Title Page, Copyright Notice, Dedication, Acknowledgments, Game Changer, Déjà Vu, Unfinished Business, Orientation, Family Ties, Changing Faces, Sweetest Taboo, Home Sweet Home, The Mitchell Men, Black Friday, Crash, Free-Falling, Redemption, I Used to Love Him, Homecoming, One Cold Winter, Ghosts, Diamonds are Forever, The Long Kiss Good Night, Unfinished Business, Downfall, Epilogue, Also by Tracy Brown, About the Author, Copyright, CHAPTER 1 GAME CHANGER November 2016 She glided her lipstick smoothly across her full lips, rubbed them together, and stared at her reflection, admiring the results. Mahogany skin, ebony eyes, and her grandmother's high cheekbones complemented those lips. She was feeling extra badass today. Her work in the gym was paying off, her hair was acting right, and her pearly white teeth seemed to sparkle with brilliance as she smiled at her reflection in her compact mirror. She knew she was bad. A woman full of confidence, intelligence, and class. She had summoned all of those things in order to rise to the heights she had in her career and in her life in general. She sat now in her office preparing for one of the most significant meetings of her life. She had maneuvered, plotted, and sacrificed a great deal to get here. Sleepless nights and impossible odds were the norm. But now her face shone with a broad grin as she contemplated this moment. She was on top of the world. Crystal Scott was the editor in chief of a magazine that was taking the fashion world by storm. Hipster was a creative, bold, and cutting-edge magazine that targeted a fashion-forward and socially conscious reader. She had accomplished a great deal in her career so far. She had already traveled to places she never thought she'd go. It was a source of great pride for her that she had achieved so much all on her own. It hadn't been easy. She had fought her way here with a mixture of intelligence, charisma, and guts. Years ago, when she was fresh out of college, she worked odd jobs before she finally snagged a dream job as a staff writer for Sable magazine. Sable was a monthly publication geared toward an upscale, professional demographic, and had an enviable reputation as the top fashion and beauty magazine for women of color. She worked her way up to editorial duties quickly. In those days, she worked for Angela Richmond. Angela was the editor in chief at Sable, and had a well-deserved reputation as a bitch. She had been in the top position at the reputable magazine for close to twenty years, building solid relationships with black America's elite. Still, she never seemed to be enjoying herself, even during the most profitable sales years. She appreciated Cr