Private detective Chris Mason thought he only had to worry about his brother Dylan discovering he was dating Homicide detective James Harris. Dylan and their best friend, Ron Abrams, don’t like James, and Chris has to handle their animosity towards his lover. But then Chris is targeted by a serial killer who leaves snapdragons with his victims.<br><br>James leads the Snapdragon investigation as head detective. As each murder links Dylan and Ron to the killings, James questions Ron’s motives and his connections to Chris. Ron’s pet name for Chris has always been Snapdragon. Could there be more behind Ron’s playful teases than Chris knows?<br><br>When Ron’s attraction to Chris is exposed, their friendship totters. Is a darker side to Ron revealed? Could he be involved with the Snapdragon murders? And will Chris be able to solve the case before he becomes the killer's next victim?

Snapdragon

His day was casting a dark shadow over him that he feared wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. Skinner was probably trying to get a case against him, Travis was clearly tailing him, and now Dylan and Ron had left him in silence. What else could go wrong? 14


Chris parked in the driveway of Terry’s split-level house and then hurried to the front door. It had been awhile since he’d seen Terry and the kids; maybe spending time with them would help take his mind off his worries.


Terry greeted him at the door, brushing back the blonde wisps of hair that had escaped from her ponytail as she held the screen door open for him. “Welcome,” she said, then closed the front door.


Dylan stepped out from the hallway on Chris’s left and nearly tackled Chris with a hug.


Chris resisted at first, then eased into the rare display of affection.


“I never thought I’d be so happy to see you,” Dylan said.


Chapter 30