Devious Resolutions Ashleigh Giannoccaro, Jennifer Bene, Zoe Blake, Abigail Davies, Ker Dukey, K. Webster, Emery LeeAnn, LP Lovell, Yolanda Olson, Dani René Publication date: January 1st 2020 Genres: Dark M/M Romance
GLAM yourself up and get ready for Dinner at Midnight as twelve of your favorite dark authors take you on a wild ride for New Year’s. When a Good Boy shows his Aberrant Desires for Delicious Deviance, and being a Chew Toy can fulfill a wild fantasy.
Step into the role of being a Muse that comes from decadent Champagne Dreams. Get enticed into being Bait as you enjoy the show of the Hung. And when all is said and done, prepare to end your night with a tempting Bang, Bang.
Eden Finley is an Amazon bestselling author who writes steamy contemporary romances that are full of snark and light-hearted fluff.She doesn’t take anything too seriously and lives to create an escape from real life for her readers. The ideas always begin with a wackadoodle premise, and she does her best to turn them into romances with heart.With a short attention span that rivals her son’s, she writes multiple different pairings: MM, MMF, and MF.She’s also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don’t make sense to anyone else.
Perfection isn’t an illusion.
I met it, held it in my hands.
But then it slipped right through.
Perfection isn’t an illusion.
It’s elusive, cleverly evasive, and, in many ways, a horrible tease.
I’m not a man to be toyed with.
Quiet, thoughtful, and even sometimes careful,
but never someone to taunt.
Even the most controlled men have a breaking point.
I just met mine.
Why mess with perfection?
You don’t.
Unless perfection messes with you.
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
Under His Skin J.V. Speyer Publication date: October 26th 2019 Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Romance, Suspense
A brilliant scientist out to save the world. A jaded agent looking to save the one he lost. And a conspiracy that spans oceans, reaching into the deepest parts of American national security.
Lennon is a genius. He’s devoted his energy and his time to designing products to save lives. He’s gotten rich doing it, too. This time he’s created something to revolutionize war, crime, and policing – a bullet that heals. He’s on top of the world and the one thing he needs is someone to share it with. The one he loved disappeared without a trace years ago, and until he gets closure he can’t commit.
Ben is an agent with an agency so secretive for years people didn’t know it existed. He screwed up years ago and fell in love with the man he was supposed to be guarding. Now his lost love is in danger again. He’s developed a product bad actors all over the world will want to get their hands on. When Ben’s superiors order him back to Lennon’s side, he goes without hesitation. There’s only one catch – Lennon can’t know he’s there.
When one of those bad actors strikes, all the rules go out the window. Can Lennon overcome his mistrust once he knows the truth about Ben? When the enemy turns up the heat, will Ben manage to save Lennon from people who want him to kill?
Ben checked his look in the mirror. Everyone had their “thing,” something that would throw the entire meeting or experience off for them, and there was nothing that could rescue it. For Ben, it was talking to someone who had food stuck in their teeth. Anyone reporting to him knew that they needed to clean their teeth before stopping in for a meeting.
Ben’s commanding officer, Agent Dickinson, had a thing about people’s ties. They had to be perfectly straight and not askew in any way. Ben could remember coming out of a fight with a spy from a drug cartel, trying to make an immediate report to Agent Dickinson, and getting dressed down because his tie was crooked. Ben had been bleeding from a stab wound at the time. Agent Dickinson had been so distracted by the messy tie he couldn’t see the blood.
Ben wasn’t bleeding now. He had no legitimate excuse to be slovenly. He straightened his tie and brushed a few pieces of lint from the jacket as well. Then he headed out to go and face Agent Dickinson.
Dickinson waited for him in his office. A giant American flag stood behind him. Dickinson wasn’t usually that guy. They all knew where they were and who they were working for; they didn’t need to be clubbed over the head with it every time they walked into a room. The ever-present flags had come in with the new administration. Every room had to have a flag now. It was a mandate. Every room had to have a flag, and every lapel had to have a flag pin. Apparently the new president thought people would get confused without them.
“Siddown, Kellogg.” Dickinson drummed his fingertips on the desk for a moment and then he sighed. “It looks like we’ve got a burgeoning situation in Boston.”
Ben felt a twinge in his heart, but he ignored it. An agent wasn’t supposed to get twinges in his heart. An agent shouldn’t have felt anything for someone in his charge to begin with. Besides, Lennon had almost certainly moved on a long time ago. He probably had a movie star partner now. Maybe he’d married a model. Maybe they stood around looking gorgeous together on the red carpet.
“Kellogg!” Dickinson slapped his hand on his desk, making Ben jump. “You paying attention or you going to sit there and gather wool on the taxpayers’ dime?”
“Sorry sir.” Ben straightened up and forced his brain to focus. “Just trying to think of which Boston situation you could be referring to.”
Dickinson acknowledged Ben’s point with an incline of his head. “That place always was a hotbed of sedition. I’m talking about the ongoing operation at Interior, Inc.”
Ben had been trained to show no reaction to any stimuli, so he was able to keep his face neutral and relaxed when his supervisor mentioned Lennon’s company. Ben had very carefully not followed the company’s progress, at least not where anyone could track him. He didn’t want to get bitter toward the Agency. “I’ve been kept in the dark about the operation at Interior, sir.”
“And for good reason, too. You’ve been kept in the dark because you couldn’t keep it in your pants, and don’t think I’ve forgotten that.” Dickinson waved a finger at Ben. “But it’s been a good decade since then. With any luck, the threat can be neutralized without any issues at all. No one will ever need to know you were involved.”
Ben couldn’t help but close his eyes at that. He didn’t have any choice about it, of course. An agent couldn’t choose his assignments. It seemed egregiously cruel to put him on an assignment this close to Lennon and not let him speak to or see his old lover, but the Agency didn’t choose its assignments for the agents’ benefit.
He opened his eyes again. He would do what he had to. He knew Dickinson wouldn’t ask it of him lightly. “Okay. What’s the threat and what’s behind it?”
Dickinson nodded once, a little bit of grudging pride showing through in the gleam of his eyes. “You know what Interior does, correct?”
Author Bio:
J. V. Speyer has lived in upstate New York and rural Catalonia before settling in the greater Boston area. She has worked in archaeology, security, accountancy, finance, and non-profit management. She currently lives just south of Boston in a house old enough to remember when her town was a tavern community with a farming problem. (No, really. John Adams complained about it. A lot.)
When not writing, J. V. enjoys watching baseball and seeking out all of New England’s creepiest spots. Her Spawn has turned her into a hockey enthusiast. She can be bribed with gin, tequila, and cats.
She’s the woman I’ve always loved. He’s the man I’ve never stopped wanting. Who says I can’t have everything?
Lawrence
Falling in love with Gabi at eighteen was easy. Falling for Connor at the same time? That’s where things got complicated. When I discovered their latent feelings for each other, it seemed like all the pieces of us were falling into place. Until the night I offered Connor a taste of Gabi’s kiss – from my lips – and everything fell apart.
Six years have passed, but I’m still the same selfish bastard who wants more than his fair share of love. If I ever get a second chance, I’ll do anything to make them mine.
Gabi
The night I found my boyfriend cheating on me with my oldest crush, my heart broke. I managed to rebuild my friendship with Connor, even after he left town. But Lawrence is nothing more to me than my brother’s best friend – and the best man at his upcoming wedding.
Connor’s recent return has rekindled the attraction that’s always lingered beneath the surface of our friendship. A romantic weekend of wedding celebrations seems like the perfect opportunity to explore the possibilities between us. If Lawrence is forced to watch from the sidelines, so be it.
Connor
As a male super-model, I’ve been voted World’s Sexiest Man – twice. But Gabi has only ever treated me as a friend. When she asks me to be her date for the wedding, I know this is my chance to win her heart – even if I have to do it under Lawrence’s watchful gaze.
But Lawrence has never been good at keeping his distance, and the kiss we shared all those years ago started something that has yet to be resolved. How do I keep him from coming between me and Gabi, when that’s exactly where I want him?
Rebecca is a long-time lover of all things romance. Whether it’s a book, movie, or real-life, she will always have more fun if there’s a love interest thrown into the mix. She lives in Queensland, Australia with her very own hero husband, two adorable children and one big, black dog. Other than reading and writing books, her favourite things include loud music, enjoying a glass of wine on the patio, organising everything in existence, and spending too much time on the Internet.
Haskell Himself Gary Seigel Published by: Acorn Publishing Publication date: January 19th 2020 Genres: Historical, LGBTQ+, Young Adult
Meet Haskell Hodge. At sixteen he’s already garnered some fame as a former child actor and star of a popular cereal commercial. But that doesn’t do much for him when he’s dumped at his aunt’s house in the suburbs of Los Angeles to face an assortment of neighborhood bullies.
He thinks he might be gay. In fact, he could be the only gay person in the valley, maybe on the entire planet. Even if he does manage to find a boyfriend, their relationship would have to be secret and invisible.
After all it’s 1966. And though Time Magazine claims the sexual revolution is in full swing, the freedoms straight people are enjoying don’t seem to apply to everyone. And as much as Haskell attempts to hide his true self, carefully navigating the tricky and risky terrain of being queer, he’s still taunted and teased relentlessly.
Rather than give in to the irrationality of this hate, Haskell fights back, eventually finding an unlikely outlet to vent his frustration and angst—playing a bully in a screen test for a major motion picture. If he plays his cards right, it could catapult him into Hollywood stardom.
Of course, like most things in life, it comes with a heavy price Haskell’s not certain he’s willing to pay.
Gary Seigel was raised in Encino, California where his debut novel, Haskell Himself, takes place. After completing a PhD in English at Rutgers University, Gary taught at several colleges and universities, but his most memorable experience was a brief 12 week stint at the same high school he (and Haskell) graduated from, teaching side by side with some of the same teachers he once endured. Currently, Gary gives grammar and proofreading classes to business professionals eager to write error-free emails. He also has spent the past two decades helping employees control their inner jerk when texting or holding conversations with an impossible boss. His book The Mouth Trap: Strategies, Tips and Secrets for Keeping Your Feet out of Your Mouth, published in 2008, has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is the father of three sons and currently lives in South Pasadena.
Cover Design: Kellie Dennis / Book Cover by Design
Model: Preston T.
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Synopsis
Soren:You know what’s not fun? Going on a Fiji vacation with four other couples. Especially when recently single.What’s even worse is when a past hook-up arrives unannounced.Not only do we have a history, but he’s ten years younger and a famous rock star. Most importantly, he’s my friend’s little brother.Being trapped on an island with Jet Jackson is going to be sweet torture because all I want is another chance.I just don’t think he’s going to give it to me.Jet:You know what’s not fun? Escaping one guy who broke my heart only to run into another.Being on the road for three years has left me exhausted. The last thing I want is for Caleb ‘Soren’ Sorensen to try for round two.I can’t fight my draw to him. I’ve never been able to.I’m suddenly back to being the naïve kid who stupidly lusted after a hockey player.All I can think is if I let Soren get close, I’ll walk away from this vacation with a double broken heart.
Jet stares down at his hands as he plays the guitar effortlessly. When he starts singing, it’s soft and he still doesn’t raise his head.
It takes a couple of lines to realize it’s a slower version of that pop song “Someone Else’s Perfect” by Eleven.
The song completely transforms coming out of Jet’s mouth. It’s no longer a teenybopper love song, but one of heartbreak and angst. I guess I’ve never listened to the lyrics before.
Under your spell,
Living in hell,
You say I’m perfect,
Too good to be someone’s reject,
But that’s what you did when you walked away,
You left me to find myself
Something niggles at me. Whether it’s the way he’s singing it or that we both relate to it, I don’t know. It’s like he’s singing it to me. About me.
Then he finally raises his head and holds my gaze just as he sings a telling line.
You said I was perfect …
Perfect for someone else.
Holy. Shit.
That phrase is in the song repeatedly, and every time he sings it, more pain comes through in his voice. It gets to the point where I’m sure this isn’t an Eleven song. It can’t be. While Jet has the ability to turn any song into his own, this is different. It not only comes across as genuine, but the heartache and rejection make me feel guilty—as if I did something wrong.
He finishes the song and leaves the stage before people can beg him for another encore.
Only, he doesn’t come back to our table. He beelines it outside, leaving the rest of us staring at each other wondering what happened.
I’m the only one who knows for sure.
Matt stands to go after him, but I push him back down.
“I’ll go.”
I follow where he went but reach outside and have no idea which way he’s gone. Following the path down to the wharf, I check to see if he’s sitting on the dock, but it’s empty. It’s on my way back that I see movement against the side of the main building.
Jet paces back and forth, running a hand through his hair and muttering words I can’t make out, but as I get closer, I hear “Get it together, Jay. Hold it to-fucking-gether.”
I step through the row of palm trees lining the path. “Jet.”
He freezes. “Of course, it’s you.” He goes back to pacing.
“That song …”
Jet stares but doesn’t stop moving.
“You wrote it.”
This makes him pause again. “I … I—”
“About me.”
He composes himself. “Conceited much? You think you get more than one song?”
“I knew ‘Hat Trick Heartbreak’ was about me and not Ollie and Lennon.” I take a step forward. “But tell me I’m wrong about this one.”
Jet’s mouth opens and then closes.
I step closer again. “Jet.”
“Why do you keep saying my name like that?”
“To remind you that I know the real you. Not Jay. I still know you as the aspiring musician reveling over his first fan.”
“The naïve kid, you mean.” Bitterness doesn’t suit the bubbly guy I know. Or … knew, I guess.
I keep moving closer. He steps back. We keep going until his back is against the wall and my hand is above his head, boxing him in.
“I’ve never seen you as a kid. Never.”
“Bullshit.”
“I’ve tried to get myself to think of you that way, and when you’re not in my presence, it’s easy to write you off as Matt Jackson’s little brother. But I can’t when we’re in the same room sharing the same air. I can’t when you’re two feet in front of me, and all I want to do is reach for you. Touch you. Kiss you.”
“Then what was all the overprotective shit you pulled that night in Tampa?”
“That wasn’t me trying to protect you. That was me wanting to claim you.”
Jet breathes hard. “Oh, holy mother of gay Jesus.”
“I had no right to act or feel that way about you back then.”
Our eyes lock on each other, and for a moment in time, we’re both frozen.
“I’m sorry I wrote two emo songs about you,” Jet says quietly.
I laugh. “So, I am right.”
“You’re the only one who’s ever picked up on that. Everyone thinks Eleven wrote that song.”
“Maybe because I experienced it with you …”
Jet shakes his head. “No, it’s you. You understand me more than anyone ever has. More than any groupie who’s tried to explain my songs to me. You came out because you knew ‘He’s Mine’ wasn’t just a stupid love song.” He reaches for me, his fingertips trailing down my cheek. “It’s you.”
Eden Finley is an Amazon bestselling author who writes steamy contemporary romances that are full of snark and light-hearted fluff.She doesn’t take anything too seriously and lives to create an escape from real life for her readers. The ideas always begin with a wackadoodle premise, and she does her best to turn them into romances with heart.With a short attention span that rivals her son’s, she writes multiple different pairings: MM, MMF, and MF.She’s also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don’t make sense to anyone else.
Title: Famous (The Power of Three, #3)Author: Leigh Lennon
Genre: Second Chance/ MMF/ EroticRelease Date: October 25, 2019Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Cami
Who knew I would love to be with two men, at the same time? I never did, until I tried it. Now, it was in my blood. But when one of our partners walked away, Dane and I were left searching for the man who could complete us. When a cocky actor entered our life, we understood he didn’t do commitment. But he kept resurfacing. He wanted us and we wanted another man. One night in return for seven dates. If this wasn’t a recipe for disaster, could we show him that life could be complete with the three of us together?
Dane
I loved my wife more than anything, but our needs and desires were not vanilla and we craved more. The famous actor who kept appearing everywhere we were, turned out to be my kryptonite—an a**hole. More so, he immediately saw Cami for the true gem she was. Will he give into what our touch, our words and our presence in his life, does to him, the second we’re all together?
Miles
I fell years ago for two people and loved them without abandon. But, in my business, you couldn’t hold onto a secret long and it was splashed across the front page. Twenty years ago the world was not ready for three people loving each other—it barely was now. After a loss so deep it left me a shell of a man, I never gave into my desire for a forever. I was built to be alone. I have one and done’s and I never stay around for a second date. Yet, the cocky lawyer and his drop dead gorgeous wife, have made it almost impossible to walk away.
Leigh Lennon is a mother, veteran and a wife of a cancer survivor. Originally with a degree in education, she started writing as an outlet that has led to a deep passion. She lugs her computer with her as she crafts her next story. Her imaginary friends become real on her pages as she creates a world for them. She loves pretty nails, spikey hair and large earrings. Leigh can be found drinking coffee or wine, depending on the time of the day.
The Twelfth Knight Victoria Sue (Guardians of Camelot, #1) Publication date: October 1st 2019 Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Romance, Urban Fantasy
To battle an ancient evil the only weapon each hero will have is each other.
Hundreds of years ago, facing defeat, Morgana sent monsters into the future to vanquish a humanity King Arthur wouldn’t be able to save. The King might have won the battle, but now, centuries later, a few chosen men will have to fight the war.
Merlin always hated being named after some mythological wizard. His dad had been obsessed with the magic man of King Arthur’s Court before his untimely death – a loss that had sent Merlin reeling in a downward spiral. Now 23, and going simply by ‘Mel’ (thank-you-very-much), Merlin is ill-prepared (to say the least) for the outrageous claims of a proper English knight bent on overcoming evil.
Born a commoner, Lancelot was never supposed to be a knight in his own time, never mind now, in a modern world he is so woefully untrained to protect. Thrown into a battle centuries in the making, this flawed hero, and a young man too-used to battling monsters of the present day, will have to come together to save humanity.
Mel leaned his back on the door as it clicked shut with finality. Okay, so if he’d just let a serial rapist or murderer into his apartment, he’d be really annoyed. The being dead part would take care of that though, he supposed, and he tried not to roll his eyes. The fact that the guy was insanely hot hadn’t escaped his notice either, although with Mel’s track record that probably meant he was best buds with Ted Bundy.
Liar. Although the shitty record with men was right but not, he thought, the question over Lance’s integrity. There had been something inherently right about the man which drew Mel in like a moth to a flame. Unresolved hero issues. As in he was still dreaming some crusader—caped or otherwise—was going to rescue him. All it probably went to prove was that he was a bad judge of character. Mel rubbed his eyes with resignation. It had been a crappy day on top of a crappy week. The funeral where he had been one of only three people there, and the pathetic small bag which was what all the home had given him belonging to his gran. And then tonight it had nearly been his own.
The small window Lance wandered over to gave a clear view of the street and his SUV, so he would know Mel had been watching him. Lance turned and studied him, equally silent. Mel flushed a little at his calm, unhurried gaze. His eyes traveled from his cheap sneakers up his too-skinny, too-short legs.
Mel wanted to fidget. He really should move, say something—say anything—but the gray eyes that had studied him so closely had now arrived at his face. Pinned him still. He’d always wondered where the stupid saying about deer and headlights came from. Now he knew, because he felt like he was about to get run over by a truck.
In the alley he’d felt the same, although maybe that had been simply relief at being saved. Because obviously “not dying” was a big thing. Whatever hero complex Lance had going on, it seemed to be working for him anyway. He supposed offering a cup of tea was the least he could do, and for a second he regretted Lance turning down the blow job.
“Don’t like tea?” Lance had put the cup untouched on the kitchen counter. Mel wanted to kick himself at the random question and followed Lance’s gaze. Mel looked critically around the small space and not for the first time acknowledged it was crap. He didn’t see any cockroaches though. There’d been three when he woke up this afternoon. So, there was that. Mel studied Lance for a brief moment as he stood at the window near the kitchenette. Although kitchenette was a very optimistic word for the white piece of laminated something he’d found outside by the dumpsters that he currently had balanced on a few pallets. It had nearly killed him to get up the four flights of stairs, but the sink worked okay, so he couldn’t complain. The electricity did too whenever he had cash for the meter. The plumbing was often questionable, but not a health hazard.
Lance was looking around the small space as well. Maybe that was why he wasn’t drinking the tea. Maybe he was frightened he’d catch something.
“So why are you here?” Mel asked after another ten seconds’ scrutiny.
Lance stared at him. “We need to talk.”
If it had been remotely funny, Mel would have laughed. Five minutes in his apartment and he was breaking up with him already? “Tell me why you go around fighting monsters in alleyways?”
Lance tilted his lips upward in a small smile. “I don’t just fight them in alleyways.”
Mel sighed and rubbed his forehead. He could feel the headache starting behind his eyes. “I mean—”
“I know what you mean.”
“Can we just get this over with? I’m sure no explanation could be worse than me thinking I’m actually certifiable.”
“It’s a long story.”
“One you don’t want to tell or one you’re about to invent?”
Lance scowled. “I do not tell untruths.”
Mel lifted his brows like sure. “Thief?” And what was with the weird speech? Untruths?
Mel clicked his fingers. Of course. “You’re a Brit, huh?” Made sense. He spoke like that royal. Although he preferred the younger one, and it was a damn shame he’d gotten married. Every fantasy he had ever needed to keep him warm generally involved a prince.
Author Bio:
Victoria Sue fell in love with love stories as a child when she would hide away with her mom’s library books and dream of the dashing hero coming to rescue her from math homework. She never mastered math but never stopped loving her heroes and decided to give them the happy ever afters they fight so hard for.
She loves reading and writing about gorgeous boys loving each other the best—and creating a family for them to adore. Thrilled to hear from her readers, she can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her freckles.
Cold cases, murder, lies, and an unimaginable truth.
Sydney detective August Shaw has spent the last decade of work solving cold cases. Since the death of his boyfriend eight years ago, August works alone, lives alone, is alone — and that’s exactly how he likes it. His work is his entire life, and he’s convinced a string of unsolved cold-case suicides are linked to what could be Australia’s worst ever serial killer. Problem is, no one believes him.
Senior Constable Jacob Porter loves his life in the small town of Tallowwood in the middle of the rainforests in northern New South Wales. He runs summer camps for the local Indigenous kids, plays rugby with his mates, has a close family, and he’s the local LGBTQIA+ Liaison and the Indigenous Liaison Officer.
When human remains are found in the camping grounds at Tallowwood Reserve, Jake’s new case turns out to be linked to August’s cold cases, and Jake agrees they’re not suicides at all. With Jacob now firmly in August’s corner, they face one hurdle after another, even when more remains are found, they still can’t seem to gain ground.
But when the body of a fellow police officer turns up under the same MO, it can’t be ignored anymore. August and Jake must trace the untraceable before the killer takes his next victim or before he stops one of them, permanently.
(August and Jacob have just been given the identity of a man who was found deceased. They’re about to inform the family)
Two hours later, they sat in the car in a quiet suburban street in Cronulla. They had a name, the case file, and the address of the parents and were about to drop a bombshell on the guy’s family.
Tristan Kurtz was twenty-six years old when he was reported missing by his mother, when he never arrived home in Sydney from an LGBTQIA+ music festival in Byron Bay. He’d reportedly hitchhiked from Byron Bay to Coffs Harbour, having travelled with local residents who he’d met at the festival, and had given him a lift. The missing person’s report had said Kurtz was dropped off in the main street, and had waved them off. He was later seen on CCTV footage walking toward the highway, at 8:11pm.
He never arrived at his parents’ house, he never contacted them to say his plans had changed, which was out of character for him. His parents had called everyone he knew—friends, workmates, old boyfriends—to no avail, and twenty-four hours later he was reported as a missing person.
Well, he wasn’t missing anymore.
He was only twenty-six. A kid, August thought, with his whole life in front of him. A life stolen, stripped away, and thrown away like garbage.
August stared at the house and sighed. He was spread too thin, he was stretched as far as his skin would allow. Another murder, another gay man slaughtered for no other reason than pure bigotry and disregard for human life. “I hate this. I hate everything about it.”
Jacob was quiet for so long, August looked over at him. “Yeah, me too,” he said flatly. He was reading through Tristan’s file. He finally closed the folder and met August’s gaze. “We need to find this bastard.”
“We do.”
“We need to see his parents and tell them.” Jacob looked over at the house and frowned. “Fuck, I hate this part.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
Neither of them made a move to get out of the car. “Is it better to know?” Jacob asked quietly. “Is it better to find out what happened, for closure? Or is it worse, because when you don’t know you still have hope?”
August was pretty sure it was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but it was one he knew the answer to. “It’s better to know. In the long run.” He cleared his throat. “Hope can break your heart every day for years, and living with false hope is hell on earth.”
Jacob stared at him, and August wondered if he’d said too much. But Jacob nodded and unclipped his seatbelt. “Then we shouldn’t wait another minute.”
August got out of the car and together they walked up to the front door and rang the bell. They’d called ahead, so they were expected, but when a tall, middle-aged man opened the door to greet them, Jacob took off his hat and with that single gesture, the man nodded and began to cry.
Hope was a cruel and brutal thing.
Author Bio:
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.
She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.
She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
