Two weeks after Philip d'Autremont is acquitted of his wife's murder, it's time for him and his partner and lawyer, Charles Barnett, to start building their life together. But it turns out that not everyone in Atlanta is as ready to leave the trial in the past as Charles and Philip, and a surprise attack leaves Charles in the hospital and Philip's arm in a sling.<br><br>With thoughts of their own mortality fresh in their minds, Charles and Philip make a decision that will change their lives forever. Future plans and home renovations take their minds off the attacks, but the danger isn't over yet: the people behind the attacks are still at large, and they weren't acting alone.

Tribulation

ON THE FRIDAY before the Christening, Charles and I had the gang over for pizza by the pool and as usual, we spent some time catching up on each other’s lives. John and Joe were excited about moving into the town house to live with Richard and Bruce. The plan was for them to move a week or ten days before Christmas so that the four of them could celebrate Christmas together. We enjoyed ourselves in the pool and the Jacuzzi. Before they left, they insisted on following us upstairs to look in on their godsons.


After they’d all taken a peek at the boys, we sat in the study for a while and discussed what it meant to be a godparent. I forget who asked the question, but Charles answered it, saying, “Essentially, the godparents promise to serve as spiritual advisor to the child if need be and to act in loco parentisif anything happens to the parents.”


“Cool,” John said. “We thought it was just an honorary thing.”


Chapter 96