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

Coming back to the present, Ryan shook his head. “Just, what do they say? A goose walking over my grave?”


Shaun grinned. “Well, tell it to walk somewhere else.” He flagged down the waitress, but Ryan couldn’t help noticing Shaun gave him a worried look as he did.


“I’m buying,” Ryan said when she arrived with the check. “Do not argue,” he told Shaun when it looked as if he was going to. “You spent the afternoon sitting out in the cold to keep me company. I owe you dinner in return.”


He paid the bill; they put on their outerwear, and then walked back to the boarding house.


“I’ll call you in the morning,” Shaun said.


“If you don’t fall asleep as soon as you get home from work,” Ryan told him, grinning.


“I won’t. I didn’t do anything to tire me out this afternoon. I have the feeling you’regoing to spend the rest of the evening down in your studio, turning your sketches into more, while I’m driving around keeping the peace.”


Chapter 76