Eli Bell is the only son of a police chief inspector and a forensic scientist. He's grown up wonky in a world that only deals with the straight and narrow -- and his new boyfriend isn't helping. Rob Hawkes is six feet of muscle, tattoos, and arrest warrants. A career criminal and a former guest of Her Majesty's Prison Service, he'd rather hit Eli's parents than sit down to dinner with them. One wrong move, and Rob could destroy Eli -- and his family -- without a second thought. But this isn't what it looks like. Rob's not in control here -- and Eli's the one to blame.

What It Looks Like

“You won’t give me any money to get my own flat,” he whispered, his voice shaking even harder than his hands. “You won’t give me anything towards my transition. When you were pushing me to go to uni, you weren’t going to be paying my fees. And yet the minute—the fucking minute—that Rob offers to do what you should be doing, you fucking flip your fucking shit and rip it up!”


“Eli, you watch your language under my roof!” Dad roared.


The blow was sharp and straight, his knuckles crashing into his father’s nose with a flash of red-hot pain that barrelled up his bones and burrowed into his elbow, whining and complaining at the lack of preparation for the strike. And yet it was hugely satisfying, too—flesh popped dully under his hand, his father letting out a yelp more like a scalded child than a wounded officer. The rage was intense and brutal, ripping through Eli’s chest and leaving a boiling trail of hurt and sorrow.


“Fuck you. Fuck you both, just fuck you!”


Chapter 60