Six years ago, Jarrett Kessel helped his best friend’s little brother deal with his family’s rejection when he came out. He saw potential in the tempestuous teenager. Talent. Then, they both moved on with their lives.<br><br>Now, the FBI needs Jarrett’s help. Sketch artist Eli Locke is their only lead in finding a killer, but he’s nowhere to be found. Though the Feds are convinced Jarrett is the best way to lure him out, he’s not so sure. Until they show him the web comic Eli has created, with a superhero who bears a striking resemblance to Jarrett.<br><br>When Eli gets an email out of the blue from the man who changed his life, he doesn’t even consider saying no to a meeting. Jarrett is even more amazing than he remembers, and the fact that he’s all right being the role model for the one thing that means the most to Eli is just icing on the cake. But the truth about the murder comes out, and even though he had nothing to do with it, Eli wants to run. It’s up to Jarrett to keep him from ruining his life for good, before the killer finds them both and does it first ...

Outlined in Ink

The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing was a relief, though the muffled shower was even better. Jarrett rolled his neck, working out the kinks, and threw himself into the mundane task of washing up. This entire day had been surreal. Sleep would be heaven, and then, tomorrow, he’d hook Eli up with an attorney, hand him over to Yager and Baptiste, and get back to his real life. He wasn’t worried Eli would end up charged with anything. He hadn’t done anything wrong. His taste in acquaintances was certainly suspicious, but if everybody went to jail for picking the wrong friends, there’d be nobody left on the streets.


The water quit before he was done, an absence of sound he wished he wasn’t so aware of. When the door opened, the urge to glance back was too hard to resist.


Chapter 17