Ryan is a young artist hoping to make a name for himself. When he meets a man who offers to help him advance his career, he accepts. His career takes off when Merrick arranges two shows for Ryan at a local gallery. Ryan is elated, especially when their relationship becomes more personal. What he doesn’t expect is to end up being abused, physically and emotionally, as Merrick tightens his control over the younger artist.<br><br>After a vicious beating, Ryan manages to escape, naked except for a bedspread wrapped around himself. Policeman Shaun Levitt finds him cowering in an alley. Taking the battered young man under his wing, Shaun begins the slow process of helping Ryan come to grips with what happened.<br><br>Will Ryan learn to trust again? Or will he forever look at any man who might be interested in him as another potential abuser ... including Shaun?

In the Name of Love

Several minutes later, Ryan said, “That should be enough for now.”


Merrick got up, coming to stand beside him. “May I see?”


“Sure. They’re only impressions. I’ll use them to put together some full drawings. Then you can choose which one you like best and I’ll go from there.”


Merrick saw what he meant as Ryan turned the pages. Some of the sketches were quite abbreviated—his nose, his lips, his eyes, the arch of an eyebrow. Others were complete, showing him from the front, the sides, and three-quarters. He put one hand on the table, purposely leaning lightly against Ryan’s shoulder as he bent forward to tap one sketch. “I like the feeling in this one.”


Ryan didn’t move as he looked up at him. “Because you’re smiling?”


“I think so.” Merrick realized in most of the others, he hadn’t been. “Am I really so much of a sobersides?”


Chapter 7