The Great North, Quebec, 1934. Joe Vega, the Beast, has been locked up in Linhart Prison for three years. The brutish guards harass him because of his size, but Joe remains cool. Until Christophe Dubois, the disowned son of an affluent politician, is led into Joe's cell. From the moment Joe sees him, he suspects the ginger-head is trouble. Christophe is bold, curious, and feisty, and Joe can't resist the temptation of climbing into the man's bunk for long. However, the beautiful spoiled Christophe is a furnace to which both guards and convicts want to warm their hands, and Joe must fight to keep Christophe safe. Linhart Prison may be a cruel place, but when the two men are released from its walls, they find an even tougher world out there. Is the flame burning between Joe and Chris enough to keep them together?

Linhart's Beautiful Beast

But the shot never came, and when Joe opened his eyes, the guard was gone. In a state of shock, he looked around.


Whimpers. Cries. Men were hurt. Some were dead.


In the distance, he heard angry voices.


Joe stared down at his ax in the snow. He’d dropped it. Nearby, Bishop lay on his side, his bloodied head crushed against a tree stump. His eyes stared blankly at Joe.


Joe retched and covered the snow with the morning’s porridge.


“Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.” A man stood amidst the bodies and limbs, moaning.


Something called Joe back to the world, and he knelt, and then with effort, rose up. Standing, he looked around for a sane face.


“Hey, you, Vega,” a voice whispered, somewhere in the trees. “Come with us.” Joe recognized the two faces in the trees. Inmates. They were running. “Hurry,’’ one of the men urged him. “Before they send more guards.”


Chapter 56