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

Shaun called every day, but kept their conversations short. When he stopped by, it was, as he put it, “To make sure you’re not forgetting to eat and sleep.” Ryan had pooh-poohed the idea.


“I have breakfast on my way down here, and Miss Gina scolds me until I go up for dinner.”


“I do. Honest. Maybe not a full eight, but enough. Drawing and yawning don’t make a good combination.”


The Saturday before Christmas, Ryan laid everything out, going over them piece by piece. If they aren’t right, it’s too late to do anything about it, he reminded himself. There were small places on a couple of the drawings he wished he’d paid more attention to, but nothing that bothered him so much he wouldn’t take them, along with the others, to the gallery.


Gathering them up, he put them in his portfolio and took off to give them to Mr. Foster.


“Ryan,” Mr. Foster said, after studying the varying pieces, “you have surpassed even my expectations.”


Chapter 80